Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“She came to her mother-in-law, who said, ‘How did things go with you, my daughter?’ Then she told her all that the man had done for her, saying, ‘He gave me these six measures of barley, for he said, “Do not go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.”’ She replied, ‘Wait, my daughter, until you learn how the matter turns out, for the man will not rest, but will settle the matter today.’”
NL Daily Devotion for Sunday, August 28, 2022
by Dr. Kimberly Leetch, Clergy Stuff
Main Idea: Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz worked together to provide things none of them could have attained alone.
You’re thinking this is a story of a woman using her feminine wiles to lure a man to his doom. Stop it.
This is a story of two women who could see the pathway that would provide for them for years to come, and the boldness to walk that pathway. It’s also a story of a man who believed he would remain single and childless, and took the opportunity to raise a family.
Naomi could see that Ruth and Boaz were forming a bond—the kind that could sustain a marriage and a family. She instructed Ruth how to approach Boaz so that this union could be solidified. Ruth would get clean and pretty and then wait for Boaz to get drunk. She would then sneak down to the threshing floor where the women could not go and the men could let loose after a long harvest. She would uncover Boaz’ “feet” (not his feet) and then… she. would. wait. When Boaz realized there was a woman lying next to him, and when he realized it was Ruth, he had a choice. He could send her away, and Ruth would have left. Or he could let her stay, which he did. He praised her for her willingness to be with a man who was passing (even past) the age of marriage. He could see that this union was not only for Ruth, but for Naomi, too. Boaz recognized the fullness of this commitment, and he accepted it willingly. He would need to deal with the small matter of another man who had a higher claim to Naomi’s land, and subsequently Ruth’s hand. Next week we will learn how that exchange went. For now, we will celebrate that Ruth’s and Boaz’s union would provide food, shelter, and clothing for Ruth and Naomi, and would provide a namesake for Boaz. Everybody wins.
