Whoever redeems the land must also take Ruth as his wife. Because she is a very young childless widow, the man who performs the duties of a kinsman redeemer for her must also enter into a similar situation as levirate marriage with her. We've talked about levirate marriage a number of times but it was a practice that ensured the continuation of a man's family name and the continuation of his inheritance rights. In levirate marriage a man marries the childless widow of the dead man (the woman must be of childbearing age; this practice would not apply to Naomi who said in Chapter 1 that she was too old to bear children), and the property rights of the dead man will pass along to the firstborn son of the marriage. Levirate marriage was usually a case of a brother marrying his brother's childless widow, so if Boaz (or the closer relative) marries Ruth it won't be a literal levirate marriage but it will be done in the same spirit. Mahlon's family line and inheritance rights stop at his death unless the man who redeems the land also marries Ruth, fathers a son with her, and passes Mahlon's land down to Ruth's son.
Boaz is happy to perform the duties of kinsman redeemer for Ruth, not because he necessarily needs or wants the land, but because he would like Ruth to be his wife. He has gotten to know her while she worked in his barley harvest and in his wheat harvest. He has heard nothing but good things about her from everyone in Bethlehem. We don't know anything about Ruth's appearance, although we can safely assume she was reasonably attractive to Boaz and other men since he made reference yesterday to the fact that she could have run after younger or richer men than himself. This suggests that the average man would not have found anything objectionable about her looks. But I think Boaz is even more in love with her character than with her looks.
Ruth slept on the threshing floor overnight, as did Boaz and his harvesters. He does not want any of his workers to know that she showed up in the night and made her request of him. People might get the wrong idea about what transpired between them and he doesn't want Ruth's reputation or his to be tarnished. "So she lay at his feet until morning, but got up before anyone could be recognized; and he said, 'No one must know that a woman came to the threshing floor.'" (Ruth 3:14) For her own safety he urged her the night before to sleep there until morning. It was not safe during the days when "everyone did as he saw fit" for a lone woman to be traveling on the roads in the middle of the night. Apparently only the male harvest workers slept at the threshing floor since Boaz says no one must know that a woman was there.
"He also said, 'Bring me the shawl you are wearing and hold it out.' When she did so, he poured into it six measures of barley and placed the bundle on her. Then he went back to town." (Ruth 3:15) We don't know the type of measuring implement or cup Boaz used but the amount of barley was considerable enough that it had to be tied up in her large shawl and then affixed to her in the manner of a backpack. Boaz doesn't yet know how today's events will turn out but one thing he does know: Ruth and Naomi will not go hungry before their land is redeemed and Ruth becomes a wife once again.
This next passage is possibly my favorite of the book of Ruth. In it we find Naomi giving Ruth motherly advice. I miss receiving motherly advice! My mom died twenty-six years ago and I've now lived as long without a mother as I did with a mother. Naomi's attitude and advice at the end of Chapter 3 remind me so much of my own mom's. Any time I went to my mom for boyfriend advice, or later for marital advice, she always seemed to have a knack for figuring out what the male in question was thinking. She always seemed to know what I should do or say in regard to my relationship with the male in question. Naomi is the same way. She knows exactly what Boaz is thinking and she knows exactly what Boaz will do. As a result, she calms the nervous Ruth by giving her motherly advice.
"When Ruth came to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, 'How did it go, my daughter?' Then she told her everything Boaz had done for her and added, 'He gave me these six measures of barley, saying, 'Don't go back to your mother-in-law empty handed.' Then Naomi said, 'Wait, my daughter, until you find out what happens. For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today.'" (Ruth 3:16-18) It's clear to Naomi that Boaz is in love with Ruth. He's so in love with her that his compassion extends to Ruth's family, which in this case is only the widowed Naomi, but Boaz is aware that if he marries Ruth he will be taking on the lifelong care of the mother of her first husband. And that's fine with him because anything that makes Ruth happy will make him happy, up to and including providing for the woman she has adopted as a second mother.
Boaz has shown a great deal of concern and respect for Ruth during the weeks he has known her. He placed her under his protection while she gleaned in his harvests. He provided lunch for her every day (a double portion so she could take half home to Naomi), which is something he was not obligated to do since she was a gleaner in the harvests and not a hired worker. Now he's promised to be her kinsman redeemer if it's at all possible and, as he sent her on her way in the meantime, he loaded her down with plenty to eat in the coming days. Naomi knows the signs of a man in love and Boaz has them all! There isn't a doubt in her mind that at this very moment he is looking for the man who is the closer relative so he will know as soon as possible who will get to marry Ruth. She says to Ruth, "Don't fret and walk the floor. You won't have long to wait. Boaz won't rest until he speaks with our closest kinsman because he wants to know the answer as badly as you and I do. Sit beside me and calm yourself in the Lord. If it is the Lord's will---and He knows who is the right man for you!---you will be Mrs. Boaz before you know it."
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