Rut 3:9 | KingComments | STEP | In the middle of the night Boaz wakes up. He is startled and bends forward. The cause of his surprise is that he notices in the middle of the night that someone is with him. In practical terms, this indicates that Ruth had lain down at his feet without Boaz noticing anything. It shows her great prudence and patience. Naomi did not say anything about waking up Boaz. Therefore, she waits patiently to see what the course of the night will bring. Naomi has said that Boaz will tell her what to do ( ). He will wake up at some point. She is not ashamed of her attitude which speaks entirely of dependency on grace. Boaz discovers that there is a woman lying at his feet. He asks who she is. It is in the middle of the night, which makes it impossible to distinguish faces accurately. Yet it is not impossible that he has recognized Ruth. He had her in his field for fifty days and loved her. His heart will have been full of her. The question “who are you?” does not necessarily mean that he does not recognize her, but may also mean that he wants to hear from her mouth the confession about herself. Her answer to Boaz’s question is characteristic of her humility. She is his “maid”. Then she asks him to spread his covering over her. In veiled terms, this is the question of whether he wants to take her to be his wife. Earlier Boaz expressed his appreciation for her because she took refuge under the wings of the LORD ( ). As Ruth speaks she imitates Boaz in her words, but brings it closer. She speaks of the covering of Boaz and thus says as it were that she will experience in the shielding of Boaz the protection of the LORD (cf. ; ). This protection gets its meaning from the fact that he is the redeemer. She appeals to him as the redeemer. With this she uses the words of Naomi about Boaz in , where she calls him “our” kinsman. Boaz is also the redeemer of the Moabite Ruth. But there is no question of her claiming any rights on that ground. On the one hand she acknowledges that he is the redeemer, while on the other hand she indicates that she expects everything from him and perhaps there is a possibility for her to be blessed. She voluntarily calls herself a maid, she confesses her helpless condition, and acknowledges that it will only be grace if he meets what she asks. Remarkably enough, she does not call herself ‘Ruth, the Moabitess’. She is aware of the family relationship with Boaz. She doesn’t seem to be aware of a redeemer closer than Boaz, although Naomi did allude to it in chapter 2, where she says Boaz is “one of our closest relatives” ( ). In spiritual terms, it means that she no longer sees herself as a poor sinner, but that she knows that she belongs to God’s family. Whoever remains in the ‘I am a poor sinner’ attitude, will not become a joyful and thankful Christian and will not grow in faith. In such an attitude God is deficient and the work of the Lord Jesus undervalued.

‏ Ruth 3:9

Boaz Discovers Ruth

In the middle of the night Boaz wakes up. He is startled and bends forward. The cause of his surprise is that he notices in the middle of the night that someone is with him. In practical terms, this indicates that Ruth had lain down at his feet without Boaz noticing anything. It shows her great prudence and patience. Naomi did not say anything about waking up Boaz. Therefore, she waits patiently to see what the course of the night will bring. Naomi has said that Boaz will tell her what to do (Rth 3:4). He will wake up at some point. She is not ashamed of her attitude which speaks entirely of dependency on grace.

Boaz discovers that there is a woman lying at his feet. He asks who she is. It is in the middle of the night, which makes it impossible to distinguish faces accurately. Yet it is not impossible that he has recognized Ruth. He had her in his field for fifty days and loved her. His heart will have been full of her. The question “who are you?” does not necessarily mean that he does not recognize her, but may also mean that he wants to hear from her mouth the confession about herself.

Her answer to Boaz’s question is characteristic of her humility. She is his “maid”. Then she asks him to spread his covering over her. In veiled terms, this is the question of whether he wants to take her to be his wife. Earlier Boaz expressed his appreciation for her because she took refuge under the wings of the LORD (Rth 2:12). As Ruth speaks she imitates Boaz in her words, but brings it closer. She speaks of the covering of Boaz and thus says as it were that she will experience in the shielding of Boaz the protection of the LORD (cf. Psa 36:7 ; Psa 57:1 ; Psa 61:4 ; Psa 91:4; Eze 16:8).

This protection gets its meaning from the fact that he is the redeemer. She appeals to him as the redeemer. With this she uses the words of Naomi about Boaz in Rth 3:2, where she calls him “our” kinsman. Boaz is also the redeemer of the Moabite Ruth. But there is no question of her claiming any rights on that ground. On the one hand she acknowledges that he is the redeemer, while on the other hand she indicates that she expects everything from him and perhaps there is a possibility for her to be blessed. She voluntarily calls herself a maid, she confesses her helpless condition, and acknowledges that it will only be grace if he meets what she asks.

Remarkably enough, she does not call herself ‘Ruth, the Moabitess’. She is aware of the family relationship with Boaz. She doesn’t seem to be aware of a redeemer closer than Boaz, although Naomi did allude to it in chapter 2, where she says Boaz is “one of our closest relatives” (Rth 2:20). In spiritual terms, it means that she no longer sees herself as a poor sinner, but that she knows that she belongs to God’s family.

Whoever remains in the ‘I am a poor sinner’ attitude, will not become a joyful and thankful Christian and will not grow in faith. In such an attitude God is deficient and the work of the Lord Jesus undervalued.