We're returning this morning to our series of studies in the Old Testament book of Ruth. We have found in this little book some wonderful pictures and types, not least the type that there is of Christ and His Church in two individuals, Boaz and Ruth. When we were studying chapter 1, we found that that was a portion that really could be summed up by the word grief. Things started out not very well in that family. Naomi, her husband Elimelech, their two sons, they left Bethlehem, Judah. They went down into Moab. I believe that to have been an act of disobedience, even though it was brought on by a perfectly natural reaction to famine and drought. While they were there, things did not improve. They may have had enough to eat, but Within some years, the husband died. And so chapter 1 verse 3 tells us of that grief that Naomi had when Elimelech passed away and she was left with her two sons. They got on with their lives. They married them wives of Moab, Orpah and Ruth. They lived there for ten years. But then both of those sons, Malon and Kilion, died. And so here's Naomi plunged afresh into grief. That grief was compounded when one of her daughters-in-law went back to her own family, to her own kindred in Moab, and Naomi traveled back to Bethlehem, Judah. Ruth went with her. That was the beginning of a wonderful record in the life of Ruth, of God's goodness and mercy to her. But the first chapter undoubtedly was a chapter of grief. And Naomi, at the end of that chapter, expressed and articulated that grief when the people all gathered around who hadn't seen her for ten years and they said, is this Naomi? And she said, don't call me Naomi, which means pleasant. Call me Mara, which means bitter. For the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. This is a chapter of grief. In chapter 2 we have a portion that emphasizes gleaning. It is the gleaning of Ruth in the field of Boaz. Now as we looked at that portion we said that it looked like a coincidence really that she found her place in that particular field. How the Holy Spirit describes it is in chapter 2 verse 3. She went and came and gleaned in the field after the reapers and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz who was of the kindred of Elimelech. In modern parlance we would say it just so happened that she found herself in that part of the field. Now we know as Christians that there's no such thing as it just so happened. Because God does control all things. I know we live in a world where that is rejected, that is poo-pooed, the very idea of that is mocked and scorned. But the fact of the matter is that things don't just happen. Things happen for a purpose. And especially is that so for the Christian. And the Bible tells us in the New Testament in Romans 8 verse 28, And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God. to them who are the called according to his purpose. So the Lord is working here in the life of Ruth. And so we find her gleaning in chapter 2. That gleaning in the field brings her into contact with Boaz. And he is kind to her. He speaks in verse 16 of chapter 2 of letting fall handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them that she may glean them, and rebuke her not." And it tells us that she gleaned in the field until evening. She'd beat out that she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley, which if you study the Bible, adds up to about 10 days worth for one man's supply. So Ruth is gleaning here in chapter 2. But when we come to chapter 3, we come to a chapter of grace. And at this point, we see Ruth being brought ever nearer to union with her Redeemer. Aunt Naomi played a very large part in this. Naomi, her mother-in-law, is seen very much as what we might call a matchmaker between Ruth and Boaz. Look with me at chapter 3, verse 1. Then Naomi, her mother-in-law, said unto her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee?" You might wonder what it is that she's talking about there. Well, the fact is that that word rest has behind it the idea of security. The idea is of being settled and established. You know how people talk about somebody who finally gets married, well, they've settled down. That's what this is talking about. It's talking about that kind of rest, the security that Ruth needed. You see, Ruth had gained the benefit of God's law and God's people by gleaning in the field because she was a stranger. She was a foreigner. She was even a widow and fatherless. So she could do that under God's law as a foreigner. But she still had no established place among God's people. She still didn't really belong in Bethlehem, Judah. And so here we find Ruth, though she's gleaning in the field of Boaz, with a future that was still uncertain. She's still a stranger in the land. And so Naomi wants her to find rest. And rest was going to be found in union with Boaz, who was to be the bridegroom. He was the obvious answer to her need. And not only the obvious answer, but in the end the only answer. Ruth would find rest in the Redeemer. And straight away we're brought to the Gospel when we think about this. Because in Matthew 11, verse 28, we have the words of the Lord Jesus Christ. Words of invitation, where he said, Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. There's a rest that can only be found in Christ. We live in a world where many this morning are restless, moving about from one thing to the other. They don't know what's good for them. They don't really know what they want. They don't know what direction their life is supposed to take. They're a bit like a ship on a sea without a rudder. But there's rest to be found in the Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ. And I can tell you that there is no rest, the Bible says, to the wicked. The only rest that can be found that's real, lasting and genuine and eternal is the rest that's found in the great anti-type of Boaz, our Redeemer Christ. Now there are several things in Ruth chapter 3 to notice regarding her. And they're very simple points that I want to make. First of all, I want you to see here concerning Ruth, her procedure. Her procedure, how she proceeded, how things went forward here. Naomi obviously encourages her to claim the protection of the next of kin from Boaz. That's what's behind these words from verse 2. And now is not Boaz of our kindred, She's already mentioned this in chapter 2, verse 20. At the end of that verse, Naomi said to her, the man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen, or as it is in the margin, one that hath right to redeem. Again, she mentions it. Chapter 3, verse 2. He is of our kindred, this man with whose maidens thou wast. Behold, he went with barley tonight in the threshing floor. I know where he's going to be this evening. So, she says in verse 3, wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee. Get yourself all freshened up. Get the cologne, the perfume on. Go down to the floor. But make not thyself known unto the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking. Usually when the reaping was done, they would have a feast at the end of the day. And so when that was done, she was to approach him. She says in verse 4, It shall be when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie, and thou shalt go in, and uncover his feet, and lay thee down, and he will tell thee what thou shalt do. Now let me say right off the bat, this procedure that's mentioned here is viewed variously and differently by Bible commentators. Someone once said, the great thing about the Bible is that it sheds a lot of light upon commentaries. See, a lot of commentators think they have an angle on something that nobody else has got. You know the type of thing. I used to hear a man on the radio say this, you won't read this in any of the commentaries. You know why he said that? Because he's got the truth, and you're supposed to listen to him. That's the idea. Well, some commentators, frankly, are like that as well. And so, if you look at this procedure, there are some commentators who will say that what happened here was perfectly legitimate and in order. There was no impropriety at all about this. Other commentators, such as Matthew Poole, will say that this was an improper procedure and it was something that was done against natural decency. Now Matthew Poole is a very good commentator generally, but I part company with him here. I do not agree with his views on this matter. He actually accused Naomi of dishonesty and he said that Ruth and Naomi were guilty of indecency. I do not agree with that view. We should note right away, both Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth were modest women of honourable reputation and character. And you've only to read here in verse 11 of chapter 3 the words of Boaz that will confirm that. And now, my daughter, fear not. I will do to thee all that thou requirest, for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman. That's good enough for me. Boaz recognised this woman to be decent, upright, virtuous, a woman of honourable reputation and character. So what was happening here? Is it not unusual to go under cover of night to a place where there's a man lying down and you go under his skirt of his garment and cover yourself over and lie at his feet? Is this the right thing to do? Well, we should remember that the threshing floor where Boaz was lying was an open public place. He would not have been the only man lying there in that threshing floor. It was a common thing in that climate, and sometimes we might feel like doing it in our own climate, to lie outside in the open air under the canopy of heaven. It was frankly nicer to do that than to be indoors. And so this was a public place, it was in the open, probably several others sleeping there after the feast as well. But it should also be said that both women thought very highly of Boaz and they trusted him implicitly. So there's nothing to suggest impropriety here. But when I read this portion I think it gives to us a teaching moment or a learning moment in regard to such things. There are some points, I think, that need to be underlined here regarding relationships and proper interactions between men and women, not least in the church. We are not living in days of virtue. We're living in days when things are happening that are almost unbelievable in regard to human relationships. I don't want to preach a whole message on that today. But certainly Christians need in such a day to exercise wisdom and care in their dealings with the opposite sex. Matthew Henry commented on what took place that night in the threshing floor and he said something really significant. Just a little throwaway line. He said, here the tinder and the spark were brought very near. The tinder and the spark were brought very near. Now I know it's regarded as prudish and even silly by this modern society and even some churches sadly, that anyone should suggest that single and married persons ought to beware of being found in compromising situations that might harm their testimonies. But I want to tell you the Bible exhorts us about such things. And the Word of God is always relevant to our lives, even in areas of relationships. And for example, when Paul wrote to Timothy, he said, and I'm quoting 1 Timothy chapter 4, And verse number 12, Let no man despise thy youth, but be thou an example of the believers in word, in conversation, that's an old English word that means manner of life or behavior, in charity or love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Purity. In another place he said, keep thyself pure. Chapter 5 and verse 2 he says, 1 Timothy 5 verse 2, Timothy as a pastor you are to treat the elder women as mothers, the younger as sisters with all purity. I have three sisters. And I would have been very jealous in my protection of my sisters. If I thought there was some guy trying to take advantage of one of my sisters, even of me to deal with, if I could get my dad out of the way first. We are to treat the younger women in the church like they are our sisters. Now if we do that, that's going to preserve our testimonies. Now, there are situations in life where even if nothing improper ever takes place, yet the outward appearance and the look of the thing needs to be considered. Let me give you an illustration. There was a fella I once knew. He was married with a young family. And he used to arrive at certain church meetings in our denomination with a single girl who was not his wife. And there was nobody else with him in the car. It happened on numerous occasions. He had to be spoken to about it. He had to be admonished about that. Because even if nothing untoward ever took place, who is to know that? It was something that was very, very, very unwise. Now, Boaz here, to get back to the portion, whatever the reason, He did show a concern for both his own reputation and that of Ruth. Notice what he said in verse 14 of Ruth 3. It says, "...and she lay at his feet until the morning, and she rose up before one could know another." There are a couple of ways of understanding that. Whether it was still under cover of darkness where nobody could actually recognize anybody else, or there could be a deeper meaning to that. But he said this, really significant, let it not be known that a woman came into the floor. I think that's where Matthew Poole gets his views from, that what happened there was against common decency. I don't think so, but I do think it's important to note that Boaz had a concern for their relative reputations. And I want to tell you as a Christian, your testimony needs jealous guarding all the time. It is important what other people think. Oh, I know there's a sense in which it doesn't matter what they think. There is a sense in which I really don't care what the world thinks. If I stand for truth, I don't care if the whole world is against me. I don't care if the whole world thinks that my views are old-fashioned, out of date, that I'm a religious dinosaur. I don't care. I really don't, because I know that God's Word is true. I know that what God says is correct. So, let God be true, and every man a liar. So, in that sense, I don't care. But there's another sense in which I should care deeply what the world thinks. I should care a lot how people view me as I go in and out among them. Because if my testimony is not consistent, and by the way, none of us are perfect, but if we don't have a consistent testimony before men, they're not going to give two hoots, to use an old phrase, about my religion. They're going to think it's a bunch of nonsense because it makes no difference in that guy's life. What he professes It doesn't make any difference in his practice, therefore, why should I listen to it? That's the attitude of the world, and I should care about that. See, it says in Acts chapter 4 verse 13 that they took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus. There were men who by their behavior, by their actions, it caused people to think about their relationship to Jesus Christ. Matthew 5,16 says, Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and say, What a great person you are! No! And glorify your Father which is in heaven. They give God the credit for it. And the Bible has a lot to say on these matters. Let me give you a few scriptures. Romans 14, verse 16. Let not then your good be evil spoken of. See, you may have the best of intentions in doing certain things, but by doing that, you're going to bring reproach on the gospel. So even if what you're doing seems to be a good thing, you don't want to let your good be evil spoken of. Again, in Ephesians chapter 4, words that are familiar to us, It says in verse 27, neither give place to the devil. See, that's what the devil is looking for, is just a chink, somewhere that he can get in. My mother-in-law used to keep chickens, hundreds of them. She had a great big chicken house. And out there in the middle of Iowa, where they were, there were all kinds of varmints that loved chicken. I don't mean two-legged ones, I mean animals who love chickens. One of them is called a possum. Possums like chickens. And if they can get in through the slightest little tiny hole in the building, they'll get in there and they'll do damage. And there are other varmints that will do the same thing. So you have to make sure that the building is completely secure, every little hole is locked up and the doors are securely locked at night when all those chickens get in there on their little brooding places. Otherwise you're going to have havoc wrought by varmints. You don't give any place to the varmints. And the devil is looking for a place, he's looking for a way in all the time in our lives. We have to be careful. Neither give place to the devil. Again, Ephesians 5.15. See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise. That means picking your steps carefully. You have to do that in this world. And finally, in 1 Thessalonians 5.22. The Bible says, abstain not just from all evil, It says, abstain from all appearance of evil. It may not be evil in itself, but it may look like it's evil. And we're to abstain because of that. See, that's old-fashioned. It is. It's as old-fashioned as Scripture. That's what I want to be. I want to be as up-to-date as the Bible. And I want to be as old-fashioned as Scripture, because the Bible never changes. People say, oh, this is a different day and age. Yes, it is a different day and age. You better believe it is. And it's not good. And it's not getting better. The further people get away from Scripture, the worse things become. But they can't connect the dots. They really can't. They don't understand why things are falling apart in our nation. It's because we've departed. from Scripture. Why do you think it was way back, and I know I'm starting to sound old now, but there were times when, when I was a kid, you didn't even have to lock the door of your house. I mean, you didn't. You just didn't. In fact, we were happy enough that our neighbors would come into our house if they needed something. You need some sugar, you need a little bit of milk, need some bread, come and get it. That's the way it was. As for cars, those that had them, you didn't have to lock them. And I remember in this country visiting and going into parking lots and malls and every single car, the windows were down. Every single one, practically. You know why? Because you didn't have the phenomenon that you now have of people lifting anything that's not attached to the ground. It's sad, isn't it? Why is it? It's because people have gotten further and further and further away from God's Word. Now listen friends, the world at large and other Christians are observing you and they're observing me. And if things are done carelessly or done improperly, tongues begin to wag and testimonies are damaged. You remember some time ago, it's not that long, Vice President Mike Pence was mocked and pilloried and criticized in the media. for his personal family policy of not having dinner or going to events with other women other than his wife. Remember that? Oh, how they laughed at that, old fashioned, old fogey, old dinosaur. Yeah, but guess what? If Mike Pence was ever found in a situation where he was seen with some other woman alone other than his wife, we know what the rotten media would have said and done, don't we? I would have been front and centre in the news. You can't have it both ways. I've always operated a policy in my ministry for the protection of my testimony and that of others. When it comes to personal counselling, when it comes to young women or young married women counselling them on their own, I don't do it. I don't do it. If you can't say it to my wife or in her presence, then you can't say it to me. That's my policy. It's always been. If I'm riding along in the car and I see a young woman or a young married woman and she's walking along, she needs a ride in the car, I'm sorry, she's not getting a ride in my car if I'm on my own. That's my policy. Say, oh, you're stupid, you're foolish, you're nasty. No, I'm not. No, I'm not. I'm not going to have somebody in the neighbourhood say, Look who just dropped her off in his car, the pastor. She's doing a line with the minister. That's what people do. That's how peoples operate. That's the world that we live in. And so, I think it's important to use discretion in our dealings with others. It's really important to guard your testimony and to be discreet in dealings with others. And I'm not even going to get into social media. Because that's a minefield. for relationships. Believe me, it is. I know of people whose lives have been wrecked and destroyed because of a lack of care in that regard. The devil is so subtle and we need to be wise. I think I've spent enough time in speaking about that. The procedure, I believe, was right. It was correct. I agree with a commentator who said that her action was completely modest. She did not lie by his side but at his feet. Her actions and posture were those of a suppliant. Her action also declared plainly by intimation what she was asking for. If she had not been entitled by law to union with Boaz, this would have been risky, if not improper. So that's what I'm going to say about that matter, her procedure. But then let's think about her petition, very quickly from verse 5. She asks Boaz for something. She asks him, and we're thinking here particularly about verse 9. She asks him to take her to wife and perform the duties of a husband to her. Let's read the words. He said, Who art thou? He was wakened at midnight. He didn't know who it was. Who are you? She answered, I am Ruth, thine handmaid. Spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid, for thou art a near kinsman. You might think she's rather forward here. It wasn't even a leap year. And here's the woman approaching the man. Actually, she was claiming from him the protection of the kinsman. It had already been suggested to her by Naomi in chapter 2 verse 20. Boaz had already shown great kindness to her. He had spoken to her heart. He's already wooing her. He's already drawing her. So what is happening here is just the natural outcome of that. And when a person comes to Christ and says, I remember the day when I came to the Lord. They may well do, but they may not remember the day that the Lord drew them to himself. That's why they came to the Lord, because they were drawn with cords of love by him. I sought the Lord and afterward I knew he moved my soul to seek him, seeking me. Now if you go back to the book of Deuteronomy, there's a couple of verses there that speak of the skirt or the garment being thrown across or being discovered. I'm thinking of the words of Deuteronomy 22 verse 30 where there's a prohibition. A man shall not take his father's wife nor discover his father's skirt. Again you see this in chapter 27 of Deuteronomy and verse 20. Cursed be he that lieth with his father's wife, because he uncovereth his father's skirt." So, what is the significance of this? Where Ruth is saying to Boaz, I want you to spread your skirt over me. Well, the significance of that petition is brought out very well in the book of Ezekiel. There in chapter 16 of Ezekiel, we have a wonderful record of God's mercy to a sinner. And without going into all of this, we read in Ezekiel 16 from verse 8, the Lord says, Now when I passed by thee and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love. And I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness, yea, I swear unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord God, and thou becamest mine." Read that again. I spread my skirt over thee and covered thy nakedness, and entered into a covenant with thee. God spoke of his relations with Israel under the figure of betrothal and marriage. You find that a lot in the Old Testament. There was an ancient ceremony in Israel whereby the husband in Israel threw the skirt of his garment over the head of a woman to signify that she was to become his. And it was also as a symbol of his taking her under his protection. So when Ruth says to Boaz, I want you to throw your skirt over thine handmaid, she was actually claiming redemption from him. She said, thou art a near kinsman. She knew, you see, that Boaz had the right and the ability to redeem. And there's a lovely connection between chapter 3 verse 9 and chapter 2 verse 12. If you go back to chapter 2 verse 12, Boaz said, The Lord recompensed thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust. That word that's translated there from the Hebrew, under whose wings, is the word that is used for Boaz's garment in chapter 3 verse 9. Thy skirt, spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid. The reference to the skirt is to the corner of his robe. And it's from that Hebrew word that refers to the wing in chapter 2. And that's an interesting word play in the Hebrew. One commentator said of this, this association assumes a theological connection between the two. Boaz's covering of Ruth implements Jehovah's protective covering of her. So he is acting out physically what was true for Ruth spiritually. And that's a wonderful thing. Rest is to come to her through redemption. And redemption will be made good to Ruth through marriage. And believers are united to Christ in a relationship that cannot be broken. He is our Redeemer because He has the right and He has the ability and He has the willingness to redeem. But I want to finish with this. And that is in verse 10, we have a reference to Ruth and her preference. Here we have here what looks like a prayer by Boaz. He said, Blessed be thou of the Lord, my daughter. But it's based on this, for thou hast showed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou followest not young men, whether poor or rich. Here, Boaz is paying tribute to Ruth. He's speaking about her preference. She might well, as a relatively young woman, and that's why he refers to her in verse 10 as my daughter. That's an expression of an older man to a younger woman. She might well have sought out and married some other young man. Some other young man who was not a near kinsman. But she could have just suited herself. She could have just thought, well, I'm going to do this. I'm going to forget all about God's law and coming among his people. I'm not going to worry about being in covenant relationship with the people of Israel. I'm not going to worry about Naomi's reputation or her family. I'm just going to suit myself. But that's not what she did. She sought to comply with the law of God, the law of redemption. showing kindness to Naomi and respect to her deceased husband because you see this was his inheritance that was to continue and so she was determined to be in union with Boaz the kinsman redeemer her desire was toward him alone and in closing this is what our desire ought to be as the Lord's people notice how Boaz said to her You haven't followed the young men whether poor or rich. You haven't done that. You haven't turned aside. This is something that she was told not to do back in chapter 2 in verse 22. It is good my daughter that thou go out with his maidens that they meet thee not in any other field. You find also that earlier she was not to go among the young men. And that's exactly what she did. And we need to shun the world's attractions, and refuse to follow after them, and refuse to be found in any other field but in the field of service of Christ. This must be our preference. Not to do what is pleasing to ourselves, but to do the will of God from the heart. May it be true of us, as it was true of Ruth with Boaz, that we desire only to follow our Redeemer. that we desire only to be in union with Him and to follow in His way. May the Lord help us. Amen.