Midnight at the Threshing Floor Text: Ruth 3:6-13
Introduction: Risky Obedience and Covenantal Love
We come now to the central pivot of the entire book of Ruth. Everything has been leading up to this moment, and everything that follows will flow from it. This is the scene that makes moderns nervous. It is the scene that makes feminists gnash their teeth and pietists blush. A young woman, a widow, goes at night to the place where a wealthy, older man is sleeping, and she uncovers his feet and lies down. Our culture, saturated as it is with filth and suspicion, immediately reads the worst into this. They see either sexual impropriety or female subjugation. But they are blind. They are reading with carnal eyes, and so they miss the glorious display of covenantal faithfulness, godly courage, and profound typology that is unfolding before us.
This is not a story about seduction. This is a story about redemption. The actions taken here are not driven by lust, but by hesed, by covenant loyalty. This is a carefully orchestrated, daring, and righteous plan, conceived by Naomi and executed faithfully by Ruth. It is a plan to formally and publicly ask Boaz to step into his role as kinsman redeemer. We must understand that in the ancient world, the threshing floor was a public place, but at night, after the work and celebration, it was a place of vulnerability. Ruth is not acting like a harlot; she is acting like a supplicant. She is placing her reputation, her future, and her very life into the hands of this godly man, trusting his character. And his character holds.
What we are about to witness is a living portrait of the gospel. We have a destitute and helpless soul (Ruth), who has no claim in herself, coming to a mighty and gracious redeemer (Boaz), and appealing to him on the basis of his own gracious promises. She is, in effect, asking him to cover her with his strength, his name, and his protection. And his response is not one of suspicion, but of blessing. He sees her act not as shameful, but as a demonstration of profound loyalty to the family of the dead. This is a picture of how we are to come to Christ. We come with nothing, at midnight, as it were, and cast ourselves upon His mercy, asking Him to spread His robe of righteousness over us. Let us therefore read this text with sanctified eyes, and see in it the glory of God's redemptive plan.
The Text
So she went down to the threshing floor and did according to all that her mother-in-law had commanded her. And Boaz ate and drank and his heart was merry, and he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain; and she came secretly and uncovered his feet and lay down. Then it happened in the middle of the night that the man was startled and bent forward; and behold, a woman was lying at his feet. And he said, “Who are you?” And she answered, “I am Ruth your maidservant. So spread your wing over your maidservant, for you are a kinsman redeemer.” Then he said, “May you be blessed of Yahweh, my daughter. You have shown your last lovingkindness to be better than the first by not going after young men, whether poor or rich. So now, my daughter, do not fear. All that you say, I will do for you; for all my people within the gates of the city know that you are a woman of excellence. But now it is true I am a kinsman redeemer; however, there is a kinsman redeemer closer than I. Stay this night, and it will be in the morning that, if he will redeem you, good; let him redeem you. But if he does not desire to redeem you, then I will redeem you, as Yahweh lives. Lie down until morning.
(Ruth 3:6-13 LSB)
Faithful Obedience and a Merry Heart (v. 6-7)
The scene is set with Ruth's simple, faithful action and Boaz's contentment.
"So she went down to the threshing floor and did according to all that her mother-in-law had commanded her. And Boaz ate and drank and his heart was merry, and he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain; and she came secretly and uncovered his feet and lay down." (Ruth 3:6-7)
Ruth's obedience is exemplary. "She did according to all that her mother-in-law had commanded her." This is the obedience of faith. Naomi's plan was audacious. It was risky. A lesser woman would have balked, questioned, or feared the damage to her reputation. But Ruth had come to trust not only in Naomi's wisdom but in the God of Naomi. This is a picture of our relationship to the church. We are given commands and instructions through the authority that God has established, and our duty is to obey, trusting that God will honor our faithfulness to His ordained means.
Boaz, for his part, is portrayed as a man enjoying the fruit of his labor. His heart was merry. This is not the merriment of a drunkard or a fool. This is the godly contentment of a man who has worked hard and now enjoys the blessing of God's provision. The Bible commends this. It is a good and pleasant thing to eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor (Eccl. 5:18). He lies down to sleep at the end of the grain heap, guarding his harvest, a picture of a faithful steward. Into this scene of righteous contentment, Ruth comes "secretly." She is not being sneaky in a sinful sense; she is being discreet. This is a delicate matter, and it must be handled with wisdom and without fanfare. She uncovers his feet, a symbolic act of submission and supplication, and lies down, waiting for the opportune moment.
The Midnight Encounter (v. 8-9)
In the middle of the night, the plan comes to its critical moment.
"Then it happened in the middle of the night that the man was startled and bent forward; and behold, a woman was lying at his feet. And he said, 'Who are you?' And she answered, 'I am Ruth your maidservant. So spread your wing over your maidservant, for you are a kinsman redeemer.'" (Ruth 3:8-9 LSB)
Boaz is startled, as any man would be. His immediate question, "Who are you?" is not one of accusation, but of simple inquiry in the disorienting darkness. And Ruth's answer is one of the most beautiful and theologically rich statements in all of Scripture. She identifies herself, "I am Ruth your maidservant," showing humility. And then she makes her plea: "So spread your wing over your maidservant."
This is the heart of the matter. The word for "wing" here can also be translated as "corner" or "edge of a garment." She is asking him to cover her with his cloak. This is a direct echo of Boaz's own prayer for her back in chapter 2, where he blessed her for coming to take refuge under the "wings" of Yahweh (Ruth 2:12). Ruth, with profound spiritual insight, is now asking Boaz to be the human instrument of that divine protection. She is saying, "You prayed that God would cover me with His wings. Now, you be the answer to your own prayer." This is a marriage proposal, rooted in the covenant law of God. She is not offering her body; she is appealing to his obligations as a goel, a kinsman redeemer. She is asking for the covering of his name, his protection, and his provision, all under the authority of God's law.
The Redeemer's Gracious Response (v. 10-11)
Boaz's response reveals his magnificent character. He is a true type of Christ.
"Then he said, 'May you be blessed of Yahweh, my daughter. You have shown your last lovingkindness to be better than the first by not going after young men, whether poor or rich. So now, my daughter, do not fear. All that you say, I will do for you; for all my people within the gates of the city know that you are a woman of excellence.'" (Genesis 3:10-11 LSB)
His first words are a blessing, not a rebuke. He sees her action through the lens of God's covenant. He understands exactly what she is asking and why. He praises her for her hesed, her "lovingkindness." He says this last act of loyalty is even greater than her first act of leaving Moab to care for Naomi. Why? Because she "did not go after young men." She could have sought her own romantic interests. She could have married for passion or for looks. Instead, she sought the good of her deceased husband's family line. She chose the path of covenantal duty, which meant proposing to this older man, Boaz. She put the needs of the family and the preservation of Elimelech's name above her own personal desires. This is true, self-sacrificial love.
Boaz then reassures her. "Do not fear." This is what our great Redeemer says to us. When we come to Him in our spiritual poverty, He does not scold us; He calms our fears. He promises to act: "All that you say, I will do for you." This is a staggering promise, but it is based on her established character. He can make this promise because everyone in Bethlehem knows she is a "woman of excellence." The Hebrew is eshet chayil, the same phrase used to describe the ideal wife in Proverbs 31. Her reputation, built on a foundation of faith and hard work, has preceded her. Godly character is the foundation for godly blessings.
Wisdom and a Complication (v. 12-13)
Boaz is not just gracious; he is wise and principled. He will do the right thing in the right way.
"But now it is true I am a kinsman redeemer; however, there is a kinsman redeemer closer than I. Stay this night, and it will be in the morning that, if he will redeem you, good; let him redeem you. But if he does not desire to redeem you, then I will redeem you, as Yahweh lives. Lie down until morning." (Genesis 3:12-13 LSB)
Here we see the integrity of Boaz. He wants to redeem Ruth, but he will not cut corners. He will not violate the law of God to do it. There is another man with a prior legal claim. This closer kinsman must be given the first right of refusal. This demonstrates that Boaz's actions are governed by principle, not just passion. He is zealous to do good, but he is also committed to doing it in an orderly and righteous fashion. This is a crucial lesson for us. Good intentions are not enough. We must pursue God's will according to God's rules.
But notice the firmness of his resolve. He tells her that if the other man fails to act, "then I will redeem you, as Yahweh lives." He makes a solemn oath, binding himself before God to fulfill this duty. This is the certainty of our redemption in Christ. There are no obstacles that can ultimately prevent Him from saving His people. He has sworn by Himself, because He could swear by no one greater, that He will accomplish our salvation. With this sure promise, he tells her to "Lie down until morning." He is telling her to rest. The matter is now in his hands. He has taken responsibility. This is the rest we find in the gospel. Once we have cast ourselves upon Christ, the burden is no longer ours. He is the one who works while we rest in His finished work.
Our Kinsman Redeemer
The entire scene at the threshing floor is a magnificent portrait of our salvation. We, like Ruth, are foreigners and widows. We are spiritually destitute, with no claim on God, no way to rescue ourselves. We are without strength. But we have heard of a mighty Redeemer, one who is a near kinsman to us through His incarnation. Jesus Christ became one of us, taking on our flesh and blood, so that He could have the right to redeem us.
And so, prompted by the Word, we come to Him. We come in the midnight of our sin and helplessness. We fall at His feet and make our audacious plea: "Cover me. Spread your robe of righteousness over my sin and shame. Be my Redeemer." We are asking for something we do not deserve. We are appealing not to our own merit, for we have none, but to His gracious character and His covenant promises.
And how does He respond? He does not turn us away. He says, "May you be blessed. Do not fear." He sees our faith, however small, as an act of lovingkindness, turning from the fleeting attractions of this world to seek our hope in Him alone. He honors that faith. And He makes a solemn vow, sealed with His own blood, that He will redeem us. He has dealt with all prior claims. The law had a claim on us, but He fulfilled it. Sin had a claim on us, but He paid its penalty. Death had a claim on us, but He conquered the grave.
There is no other redeemer. The other kinsman, the law, could not give us life. It could point out our need, but it could not provide the remedy. But Christ, our true Boaz, had both the will and the power to do it. And having done it, He now says to all who have come to Him, "Rest. Lie down until the morning." The morning of the resurrection is coming. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Our Redeemer has taken up our cause, and He will not rest until He has brought us home.