RUTH IN BOAZ’ HOUSE
Naomi counseled Ruth to go forth to the threshing floor to encounter Boaz in his secret place, to seek from him to cover her with His blood, and to receive her united with Him, after being so long widowed, and living without a man.
1. Naomi’s guidance to Ruth 1 ‐ 5
2. Ruth encounters Boaz 6 ‐ 13
3. Ruth goes back to her mother‐in‐law 14 – 18
1. NAOMI’S COUNSELS TO RUTH:
On her first day of work, Ruth brought one ephah of barley to her mother‐in‐law; which increased day after day. But Naomi, seeking what is for her daughter‐in‐law more than what is for herself; wished to see her united in lawful matrimony to raise descendants to the dead. To Naomi, that was more important than any material benefit. Therefore, at the end of the barley and the wheat harvest she said to her: “My daughter, Shall I not seek security for you, that it may be well with you?” (1). It is as though by the law, whose end is Christ (Romans 10: 4), she desires for every soul to set forth to unite with Boaz.
Ruth has previously encountered with Boaz in the field during her strife, springing from her living faith. Now she intends to encounter with him by night in his secret place, namely through a secret life of meditation. She previously heard his voice and listened to his promises in the field. Now she wishes to enjoy his person, and to be in his bosom in his secret place ……… it is the one portrait of the life of faith, in which she recognizes the Lord, and receive Him a Groom, through both the work and the meditation together, being one integral life of faith.
Naomi’s counsel to Ruth was: “Wash yourself, and anoint yourself, put on your best garment and go down to the threshold floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. Then it shall be, when he lies down, you shall notice the place where he lies; and then you shall go in, uncover his feet and lie down, and he will tell you what you should do” (3, 4). She revealed to her the royal way by which the soul sets forth to the Groom to unite with Him; whose features are:
(1) “Wash yourself”; No entrance to the Groom except through the waters of baptism, in which we enjoy the inner washing of our consciences, and the power of the resurrection of our Groom. ‘Ananias’ said to ‘Saul of Tarsus’: “Now, why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22: 16). And according to the scholar Tertullian: [Blessed is the secret of the water for us. It washes away the sin of blindness that dwelt on us early; from which we are to be set free to enter into the eternal life]. And according to St. John Chrysostom: [Through baptism we received the forgiveness of our sins, the sanctification, the fellowship of the Spirit, and the eternal life. What more do you need?].
(2) “Anoint yourself”; Washing herself in the water of baptism, she receives membership in the body of Christ, as a Groom for the Head. Now, she receives the ointment of ‘Meron’ to have His Holy Spirit dwell in her; who, alone, would sanctify her, prepare her for the eternal wedding; and lift her up from glory to glory, until she bears the feature of her Groom, and be worthy of fellowship of His eternal glories. The apostle Paul says: “Now He who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee” (2 Corinthians 1: 21, 22). And according to St. (Mar) Ephraim the Syrian: [All your hearts are sealed with the seal of the Holy Spirit….. And the King put on you His message, sealing it with a seal of fire (Luke 3: 16), lest strangers would read and divert it].
(3) “Put on your best garment”; Having washed herself from her sins, and received His Spirit in her, He prepared her to receive the Lord Christ as a garment of righteousness to cover all her weaknesses, or to hide her in Him, to appear before God the Father, bearing His features, to become the subject of His gladness; as is said by the apostle Paul: “you have put on Christ” (Galatians 3: 27); and according to St. John Chrysostom: [He who is baptized for Christ, is not only born from God, but would put on Christ as well. We should not take this in the literate meaning, as a work of love, but as an actual fact; For the incarnation made our union with Christ, and our fellowship in the divinity, a matter of fact].
(4) “Go down to the threshold floor”; On the threshold floor, the grains are separated from the straw; referring to the ultimate judgment, when the righteous are separated from the wicked. Therefore, it is befitting of us to go down there with the spirit of humility to encounter the divine Judge. Let us get preoccupied with Him as a Judge, until the moments we see His hands stretched to receive us as a loving Groom.
(5) “Do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking”; It is befitting of us to wait until all the servants depart, to encounter Him alone, and to enter with Him into a conversation of love.
(6) “Then you shall go in, uncover his feet and lie down”; She counsels her to “go in ……” Going in to the Lord carries in itself “coming out” from the love of the world. In other words, let us come out of caring for, and worrying about this world to enter into the circle of the love of God; There we “uncover His feet”, namely recognize His divine secrets, as much as we can endure as humans. As long as we are still in the world, we cannot uncover except His feet; whereas in the age to come, we shall see Him face to face, to recognize deeper secrets, and perceive things that we were not able to perceive in this world. As to “lying down”, it means partaking of His sufferings even to death and burial with Him ………… No receiving of the crucified Groom except through the circle of the cross; nor there is resurrection for us together with him, except by being buried with Him as well.
2. RUTH ENCOUNTERS BOAZ:
Ruth “uncovered Boaz’ feet”, to proclaim to him that she is his close relative, bare as his feet, and is in need for a man to cover her; by saying to him: “I am Ruth, your maidservant; Take your maidservant under your wing, for you are a close relative” (9)
God responded to the voice of Ruth; saying: “You were naked and bare; When I passed by you, and looked upon you, indeed your time was the time of love; so I spread My wing over you, and covered your nakedness. Yes, I swore an oath to you, and entered into a covenant with you, and you became Mine, says the Lord God” (Ezekiel 16: 7, 8).
And Boaz blessed her wisdom and love, by saying: “Blessed are you from the Lord, my daughter; for you have shown more kindness at the end than at the beginning, in that you did not go after young men, whether poor or rich. And now, my daughter do not fear, I will do for you all that you request; for all the people of my town know that you are a virtuous woman” (10, 11). He commended her first, on account of that she has shown kindness at the beginning, when she was faithful to her man, and loving to her mother‐in‐law; and when her man died; she consummated her love by a greater love, by not going after young men, whether rich or poor; and not seeking the desires of the body; but came to her second closest relative, despite his advanced age. Before such faithfulness, testified by all, he promised to do to her the right of a close relative, by marrying her to perpetuate the name of the dead; in case her first close relative refuse to do it.
Ruth enjoyed the encounter with Boaz at midnight, as though she encounters God in His secret place; but she would not have enjoyed Boaz in his secret place, and enjoyed his blessing, if she did not happen to encounter him before in the field while she worked behind his reapers all day long. We therefore, in order to enjoy the vision of God, and to enjoy His secrets, it is befitting of us to strive our entire day to the account of His kingdom, and encounter Him in our secret place through prayers and reading the word of God.
In his praise of the infant of Bethlehem, and commenting on how Ruth laid down beside Boaz, St. (Mar) Ephraim the Syrian says: [Ruth laid down beside some man on the threshing floor for your sake! Her love gave her the daring; You give to all those who repent! Her ears refused to listen to any voice, for the sake of listening to your voice! ………….. The live coal ascended to Boaz’ bed, there to lie; and saw the High Priest on His cross hidden like fire for her incense].
3. RUTH GOES BACK TO HER MOTHER‐IN‐LAW:
Very early in the morning, Boaz sent Ruth back to her mother‐in‐law, not empty‐handed, but he measured 6 ephas of barley and laid it on her. In a day’s work, after so much labor Ruth took back only one epha of barley, but in this encounter full of love, she took back double as much, because she sought Boaz himself, and not his goods. …….. She would not be able to encounter him on the threshold floor, if she had not recognized him in the field; namely she would not enjoy the life of meditation unless she has a life of spiritual work.
When she came to her mother‐in‐law, she said: “IS that you, my daughter?”(16). She probably could not recognize her, because her features changed with joy; or she might intended to ask her: {Are you Ruth, the poor foreign widow?! Or you are Ruth Boaz’ bride to be?!
I wish we encounter our Lord Jesus Christ, and our features change through our joy by Him, and for belonging to Him.