Studies in Ruth

A Marriage Proposal (Ruth 3:1-18)

Ruth chapter 3 gives us some interesting verses. In this lesson we will look at a couple of these verses and give some scriptural significance for them as well as show the typology of Ruth going to Boaz as a type of people in the Church Age going to Jesus Christ for salvation and becoming espoused to him as the bride of Christ.

Difficult verses:

1)  Ruth uncovering Boaz’s feet (verses 4,7)

• In Deuteronomy 25:5-10 we see that if someone would not perform the duty of the kinsman redeemer then his shoe was to be removed and his house would be known as the one whose shoe was loosed.
• Ruth is reminding Boaz of his duty with the uncovering of his feet and is asking him to be her kinsman redeemer.

2)  Spread thy skirt over me (verse 9)

• There is a connection between the covering with a skirt and marriage (Deuteronomy 22:30 ; 27:20 and Ezekiel 16:3-8)
• There is nothing immoral or indecent going on with this, once again we see Ruth requiring with Boaz in regards to marriage.

A Type of Jesus and the Church:

In this marriage proposal we see a type of Jesus Christ and the Church. We will show some of these types once again. This shows us that nothing is really random in the word of God and it is usually foreshadowing something that will happen later.

1)  Ruth goes to Boaz

• If we think of a marriage proposal this may seem backwards, the man usually ask the woman.
• But here Ruth goes to Boaz because he is the kinsman redeemer. The same is true for us, we must go to Jesus Christ in order to be saved. He is the redeemer and has paid the debt, but we must come to him (Matthew 11:28-30)
• Through salvation we become espoused to Jesus Christ as his bride (2 Corinthians 11:2 ; Ephesians 5:21-33)

2)  Boaz says that he would do all that Ruth required

• Jesus Christ came to this earth and has meet the requirement of our redemption (Galatians 3:10-16)

3)  Boaz gave Ruth 6 measures of barley

• This is like earnest for the promise that he is going to redeem her if the other kinsman does not.
• When we are saved we are given the earnest, which is the Holy Spirit until Jesus redeems our flesh at the rapture (Ephesians 1:13-14)

Type of the day and age we live in:

Note that this marriage proposal takes place at night and at the threshing floor. This is significant because the Church Age is spoken of being in the night. Jesus’ second coming is likened unto the morning and when we returns he destroys the anti-christ and the nations that are gathered with him. Note the connection to chaff (Daniel 2:35 ; Zephaniah 3:8)