Ruth 3:10-18: a reflection

10He said, “You are blessed by the LORD, my daughter. You have shown more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, because you didn’t follow young men, whether poor or rich. 11Now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do to you all that you say; for all the city of my people knows that you are a worthy woman. 12Now it is true that I am a near kinsman. However, there is a kinsman nearer than I. 13Stay this night, and in the morning, if he will perform for you the part of a kinsman, good. Let him do the kinsman’s duty. But if he will not do the duty of a kinsman for you, then I will do the duty of a kinsman for you, as the LORD lives. Lie down until the morning.” 14She lay at his feet until the morning, then she rose up before one could discern another. For he said, “Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.” 15He said, “Bring the mantle that is on you, and hold it.” She held it; and he measured six measures of barley, and laid it on her; then he went into the city. 16When she came to her mother-in-law, she said, “How did it go, my daughter?” She told her all that the man had done for her. 17She said, “He gave me these six measures of barley; for he said, ‘Don’t go empty to your mother-in-law.’” 18Then she said, “Wait, my daughter, until you know what will happen; for the man will not rest until he has settled this today.”

After Ruth appeals to Boaz to act as her kinsman-redeemer, Boaz promises to settle the matter, and sends her home to wait, with a reassuring word from her mother-in-law: Wait, my daughter, until you know what will happen; for the man will not rest until he has settled this today. Ruth's part now was to wait, resting in the assurance that Boaz would not rest until he had done what needed doing. She could rest because he would not; the redeemer's active commitment to settle the matter was the ground of her rest. She waited, not in anxious uncertainty, but in the confidence that the one who had promised would see it through.

Notice the ground of Ruth's rest: the redeemer would not rest until he had settled the matter. Ruth did not have to accomplish the redemption herself, or anxiously manage the outcome; her part was to wait, resting in Boaz's active commitment to see it through. He would not rest until it was done; and because he would not rest, she could. The redeemer's determination to settle the matter was the ground of the waiting one's peace. Ruth rested, not because nothing was being done, but because the one who could do it was fully committed to doing it. Her rest was grounded in his active, tireless commitment on her behalf.

That rest points to a greater Redeemer, in whom we can rest because he will not rest until our redemption is settled. We can be anxious about our situation, feeling we must manage and accomplish everything ourselves; but as Ruth rested in Boaz's commitment, we have in Christ a Redeemer who will not rest until he has done what our salvation requires. We can rest in his active commitment on our behalf, not anxiously striving to accomplish what he has taken up. Do not anxiously strive to accomplish what your Redeemer has committed himself to do; rest in his active commitment, as Ruth waited in the assurance that Boaz would not rest until it was settled. Rest in the active commitment of your Redeemer, who will not rest until he has settled what your redemption requires, as Ruth waited in the assurance that Boaz would not rest until the matter was done; for in Christ we have a Redeemer fully committed to our good, and we can rest in his tireless work on our behalf rather than anxiously striving to accomplish it ourselves.

Lord, after Ruth appeals to Boaz to act as her kinsman-redeemer, Boaz promises to settle the matter, and sends her home to wait, with a reassuring word from her mother-in-law: wait, my daughter, until you know what will happen; for the man will not rest until he has settled this today. Ruth's part now was to wait, resting in the assurance that Boaz would not rest until he had done what needed doing. She could rest because he would not; the redeemer's active commitment to settle the matter was the ground of her rest. Show me the ground of Ruth's rest: the redeemer would not rest until he had settled the matter. Ruth did not have to accomplish the redemption herself, or anxiously manage the outcome; her part was to wait, resting in Boaz's active commitment. He would not rest until it was done; and because he would not rest, she could. Her rest was grounded in his active, tireless commitment on her behalf. Let that rest point me to a greater Redeemer, in whom I can rest because he will not rest until my redemption is settled. I can be anxious about my situation, feeling I must manage and accomplish everything myself; but as Ruth rested in Boaz's commitment, I have in Christ a Redeemer who will not rest until he has done what my salvation requires. Keep me from anxiously striving to accomplish what my Redeemer has committed himself to do; help me rest in his active commitment, Lord, as Ruth waited in the assurance that Boaz would not rest until it was settled.