RUTH: GODLY COURTSHIP IN AN UNGODLY ERA

III. Practicing Godly Submission

(Ruth 1-3 et al.)

I. Introduction

A. We live in the latter days of Church History as seen in the exponential growth of sin in society. Thus, the concern can arise as to how to obtain godly marital partners for godly believers in our current era.

B. The courtship of godly Boaz and Ruth occurred in the apostate era of the Judges (Ruth 1:1), so we study the book of Ruth on godly courtship for our era, noting in this lesson the value of practicing godly submission.

II. Practicing Godly Submission, Ruth 1-3 et al.

A. 1 Corinthians 11:3b KJV states that “the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God,” so each godly man and woman ultimately functions in submission to the Lord.

B. Both Boaz and Ruth practiced such submission, and their doing so led them to be attracted to one another:

1. Boaz practiced submission to the Lord, and that submission led Ruth to be attracted to Boaz:

a. Boaz revered God, seen in his greeting to his workers and his choice versus Elimelech to stay in Israel in the famine and live by faith in the Lord and so end up wealthy (Ruth 1:1; 2:1, 4; Deuteronomy 28:1, 12).

b. Boaz was thus subject to God’s Word at Exodus 22:21-24 that called him to treat foreigners and widows well and to obey God’s Word at Deuteronomy 25:5-10 in acting as a kinsman-redeemer to marry a deceased relative’s widow to raise up descendants for the deceased.

c. Thus, when Boaz learned of Ruth and Naomi’s plight as childless widows, and when he heard that Ruth as a foreigner had been led of God to start to glean in his field with hard work (Ruth 2:11, 5-7), and being aware that he was a kinsman of Naomi’s deceased husband so that he might be asked to function as a kinsman-redeemer in Naomi and Ruth’s behalf by marrying Ruth to produce a son for Elimelech’s line, Boaz treated Ruth with protective kindness since she was also a potential wife (Ruth 2:8-9, 14-17, 21-23).

d. Boaz’s good treatment of Ruth greatly impressed her as seen in her bowing before him and asking him why he had shown such kindness to her as a foreigner (Ruth 2:10), and Boaz continued to impress Ruth by his expression of admiration to her for her commitment to Naomi and to Israel’s God (Ruth 2:11-12), and that expression by Boaz elicited a further expression of appreciation to Boaz from Ruth in Ruth 2:13.

2. Ruth similarly practiced submission to the Lord and thus to other people, attracting Boaz to Ruth:

a. Ruth had submitted to Israel’s Lord as her God (Ruth 1:16), and in accord with Leviticus 23:22 in God’s Word that provided that foreigners like her in material need could glean, she gained permission from her mother-in-law Naomi to glean (Ruth 2:2-3), and she also gained permission from Boaz’s foreman to glean in Boaz’s field when the Lord had led her to that field (Ruth 2:7). Ruth sought as a foreigner in a strange land to fit into the lifestyle of the Hebrew people in submission to that nation and to Israel’s Lord.

b. These actions by Ruth all greatly impressed Boaz about Ruth’s character and person:

i. Boaz expressed his admiration for Ruth’s decision to leave her false Moabite god, her native land and her family to devote her life to her Hebrew mother-in-law and to her God, Ruth 1:16-17; 2:11.

ii. Boaz was also aware that God was protecting Ruth by bringing her to his field to glean since she was submissive to Israel’s God (cf. Ruth 2:3, 12), and he was further impressed by Ruth’s asking his foreman for permission to glean in his field, and then to work hard at the job (Ruth 2:3, 6-7).

iii. When Boaz showed Ruth great kindness in offering her safety and ample provisions while gleaning in his field so that she fell on her face before him, asking why he was showing her such kindness (Ruth 2:10), Boaz was so impressed by her submission that he gave more expressions of kindness and protection for her, even telling his harvesters to leave extra grain for her, Ruth 2:14-23. Boaz meant to give Ruth and Naomi much more grain than they could eat so they could sell the surplus for other livelihood needs like clothing, furnishings, toiletries, cosmetics, etc. (cf. 2 Kings 4:1-7).

iv. When Ruth later heeded her mother-in-law’s directive that she ask Boaz to be a kinsman-redeemer for her (Ruth 3:1-5), Boaz was so impressed by Ruth’s willingness to marry him, a man who was 20 to 25 years older than her, he vowed in God’s name to make sure that Ruth was married and that she and thus Naomi as another dependent were both cared for as per Ruth’s request, Ruth 3:6-13.

Lesson: The godly submission practiced by both Boaz and Ruth attracted them to one another for marriage.

Application: In the courting process, may both men and women practice godly submission with God’s blessing.