The Down Payment of Redemption: Text: Ruth 3:14-18
Introduction: The Character of a Redeemer
In our story thus far, we have seen the careful and audacious plan of Naomi put into action by the faithful obedience of Ruth. This was no shot in the dark. This was a plan rooted in a deep understanding of God's law, God's covenant, and the character of a godly man. Naomi knew Boaz. She knew he was not only a kinsman, a potential redeemer, but also a man of integrity, a man who feared God and honored His commands. The scene at the threshing floor was fraught with potential peril. In the hands of a lesser man, a fool or a predator, Ruth's bold proposal could have ended in disgrace and ruin. But with Boaz, it resulted in a blessing and a promise.
We live in an age that is deeply suspicious of masculine authority, and for some understandable reasons. The world is filled with men who abuse their strength, who use their position for selfish gain, and who see vulnerability as an opportunity for exploitation. But the Bible does not call us to abolish authority because it is sometimes abused; it calls us to recognize and honor righteous authority when we see it. Boaz is a portrait of true, godly masculinity. He is strong, yet gentle. He is a man of great wealth and standing, yet he is humble and solicitous for the poor and the alien. He is a protector, a provider, and a man of his word.
This is crucial because Boaz is functioning here as a type of Christ. How he treats Ruth in the secret of the night, when no one is watching, is a picture of how our great Redeemer, the Lord Jesus, treats His vulnerable people. He does not shame them. He does not take advantage. He honors them, protects their reputation, and provides for their needs even before the final transaction is complete. What we see in these closing verses of chapter three is not just the end of a clandestine meeting. It is the down payment of redemption. It is the sure and certain pledge that what has been promised will be performed. Naomi's faith in Boaz's character is about to be vindicated, and through his actions, we see the character of the God who is writing this entire story.
The Text
So she lay at his feet until morning and rose before one could recognize another; and he said, “Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.” And he said, “Give me the cloak that is on you and hold it.” So she held it, and he measured six measures of barley and placed it on her. Then she went into the city. Then she came to her mother-in-law, and she said, “How did it go, my daughter?” And she told her all that the man had done for her. She said, “These six measures of barley he gave to me, for he said, ‘Do not go to your mother-in-law empty.’ ” Then she said, “Sit, then, my daughter, until you know how the matter falls into place; for the man will not remain quiet until he has finished the matter today.
(Ruth 3:14-18 LSB)
Discretion and Honor (v. 14)
We begin with the careful actions of Boaz as the morning approaches.
"So she lay at his feet until morning and rose before one could recognize another; and he said, 'Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.'" (Ruth 3:14)
Everything here is done with the utmost propriety and wisdom. Ruth remains under his protection through the night, a symbolic act of her placing herself under his authority as redeemer. But they both rise before the sun is fully up, "before one could recognize another." This is not because they have done anything shameful that needs to be hidden. On the contrary, it is because they have done something honorable that could be easily misconstrued by the foolish and the cynical. A godly man is not just concerned with the reality of his righteousness; he is also concerned with the reputation of his righteousness, especially as it pertains to the honor of others.
Boaz's command is explicit: "Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor." He is not protecting himself. He is a man of immense standing in Bethlehem; his reputation could likely weather a few rumors. He is protecting Ruth. He is protecting this Moabite woman, this widow, this alien, from the wagging tongues of gossips. He knows that if her presence were known, it would invite slander and undermine the very honor he intends to bestow upon her. This is masculine headship in its proper, biblical function. It does not dominate; it shelters. It does not gratify itself; it guards the weak. Christ, our Boaz, does the same for His bride, the Church. He guards our honor jealously and protects us from the slanders of the accuser.
A Heavy Down Payment (v. 15)
Boaz then moves from protecting her reputation to providing for her needs. He does not send her away with a mere verbal promise.
"And he said, 'Give me the cloak that is on you and hold it.' So she held it, and he measured six measures of barley and placed it on her. Then she went into the city." (Ruth 3:15 LSB)
This is a beautiful and significant gesture. The cloak, which she holds out, becomes the vessel for his provision. He fills it. This is a direct answer to the central problem of the book. Naomi came back from Moab empty. She said, "I went out full, and the LORD has brought me back empty" (Ruth 1:21). Ruth has come to Naomi, and now Boaz is ensuring that she will not return to Naomi empty. This is the theme of the book in miniature: God filling what was empty.
He gives her six measures of barley. The exact weight is debated, but it was a substantial amount, likely as much as she could reasonably carry. But the number is also significant. In Scripture, the number seven often represents completion and perfection, as in the seven days of creation. The number six, therefore, represents the day before completion. It is the number of work, just shy of rest. Boaz is giving her a promise. He is saying, "The work is almost done. The rest is coming." This is not the final redemption, but it is the pledge of it. It is the earnest money, the down payment that guarantees the full purchase price will be paid.
He places this heavy load "on her." This is not a burden, but a blessing. She came to him empty-handed, a supplicant. She leaves laden with his provision, a sign to her and to Naomi that her request has been heard and is being answered. This is how our Redeemer deals with us. We come to Him with nothing but our need, and He loads us with benefits (Psalm 68:19). He gives us the Holy Spirit as a down payment, a guarantee of our full inheritance to come (Ephesians 1:14).
The Evidence of Grace (v. 16-17)
Ruth returns to Naomi, and the evidence of Boaz's favor is presented.
"Then she came to her mother-in-law, and she said, 'How did it go, my daughter?' And she told her all that the man had done for her. She said, 'These six measures of barley he gave to me, for he said, "Do not go to your mother-in-law empty."'" (Ruth 3:16-17 LSB)
Naomi's question, which can be literally translated "Who are you, my daughter?", is not a failure to recognize Ruth. It is a probing question about her status. Is she still Ruth, the destitute widow? Or is she now Ruth, the betrothed, the redeemed? Ruth's answer is not just a verbal report; it is a presentation of evidence. She shows Naomi the barley.
And she quotes Boaz directly. This is the heart of the matter. "He said, 'Do not go to your mother-in-law empty.'" Boaz understood the entire situation. He knew this was not just about Ruth. It was about Naomi. It was about reversing the curse of emptiness that had plagued her since her return from Moab. Boaz's gift was a direct message to Naomi. It was his way of saying, "I have heard the plea. I will act. The days of your emptiness are over." This is a profound picture of the gospel. The grace shown to us in Christ is not just for our benefit, but for the glory of the Father. Christ's work of redemption fills the house of God with redeemed children, ensuring the Father does not remain "empty."
Confident Waiting (v. 18)
Based on the evidence and her knowledge of Boaz's character, Naomi gives her final instruction in the matter.
"Then she said, 'Sit, then, my daughter, until you know how the matter falls into place; for the man will not remain quiet until he has finished the matter today.'" (Genesis 3:18 LSB)
Naomi's counsel is to wait. But this is not an anxious, fretful waiting. It is a calm, confident, and settled waiting. It is the waiting of faith. And her faith is not in the circumstances, but in the character of the man. "For the man will not remain quiet until he has finished the matter today."
Naomi knows Boaz. She knows he is a man of his word, a man of action, a man of integrity. He has given his promise, and he has sealed it with a down payment. He will not rest until the job is done. He will not leave things half-finished. He will see the redemption through to its conclusion, and he will do it today. This is a magnificent statement of faith in the redeemer.
And it is precisely the kind of faith we are to have in our Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ. He has promised to save His people. He has given us the down payment of His Spirit. He has told us that He goes to prepare a place for us. And we can rest, we can "sit," in the confident assurance that He will not be quiet. He is at the right hand of the Father, interceding for us. He will not rest until He has brought all His people home, until He has finished the matter, until He has presented His bride to Himself without spot or wrinkle. Our salvation does not depend on our anxious striving, but on His finished and ongoing work. The man will not rest. And because He will not rest, we can enter into His rest.
Conclusion: The Rest of the Redeemer
This passage is a beautiful portrait of the security we have in our kinsman-redeemer. Boaz acts with honor, wisdom, generosity, and resolve. He protects Ruth's name, provides for her needs, and pursues her redemption with diligence. He gives her every reason to trust him, and Naomi, a mature woman of faith, recognizes this and counsels confident rest.
This is where we are called to live as Christians. We have come to our Redeemer in the night of our spiritual poverty. We have laid ourselves at His feet. He has not turned us away. He has covered us with the cloak of His righteousness. He has not sent us away empty, but has filled us with the pledge of His Spirit and loaded us with the benefits of His grace. He has promised to complete the work He began in us.
Therefore, we are to "sit." We are to rest. This is not a call to inaction, but a call to cease from anxious, faithless striving. We work, we obey, we pursue holiness, but we do it all from a position of rest, knowing that our ultimate security depends entirely on the character and the finished work of our Redeemer. He is a man of His word. He will not rest until He has finished the matter. He will bring us home.