There were other men who would gladly have married Ruth (v. 10), but they could not have redeemed her. Only a kinsman could do that, and Boaz was that kinsman. Since Naomi knew that Boaz would be using the threshing floor that night and staying there to guard his grain, she instructed Ruth to prepare herself to meet him. Ruth made a fivefold preparation before she presented herself to Boaz.
First, she washed herself (v. 3a). Every day in the United States, 450 billion gallons of water are used for homes, factories, and farms, enough water to cover Manhattan to a depth of ninety-six feet. In the East, the heat and the dust made frequent washing a necessity, but water was not always plentiful. With regard to the Jews, the law of Moses required ceremonial washings, and taking a bath and changing clothes usually preceded a special event (Gen. 35:1–3). Actually, Naomi was telling Ruth to act like a bride preparing for her wedding (Ezek. 16:9–12).
If we want to enter into a deeper relationship with our Lord, we must “cleanse ourselves from all fiIthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Cor. 7: nkjv). Whenever we sin, we must pray, “Wash me” (Ps. 51:2, 7), but sometimes God says to us, “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean” (Isa. 1: nkjv). When we seek forgiveness, God washes the record clean (1 John 1:9), but God will not do for us what we must do for ourselves. Only we can put out of our lives those things that defile us, and we know what they are. It might mean cleaning out our library (Acts 19:18–20), our cassette and CD collection, the magazine rack, or perhaps the TV viewing schedule. We must separate ourselves from whatever defiles us and grieves the Father (2 Cor. 6:14—7:1; James 4:7–8).
If the Old Testament priests came into God’s presence defiled, they were in danger of death (Ex. 30:17–21). The Jewish people were conscious of the need for holiness as they came to worship God (Ps. 15; 24:1–6), yet Christians today rush into God’s presence without cleansing themselves of the sins that rob them of God’s blessing. Is it any wonder that our worship is often an empty routine and that the power of God doesn’t come to our meetings?
The next thing Ruth did to prepare was to anoint herself (v. 3b). Eastern peoples used fragrant oils to protect and heal their bodies and to make themselves pleasant to others. A bride would especially take care to wear fragrant perfume that would make her “nice to be near” (see Song 1:3, 12–14; 4:11–16).
Anointing oil speaks of the presence and the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives. All believers have received the anointing of the Spirit (1 John 2:20, 27), and therefore we ought to be “a fragrance of Christ” to the heavenly Father (2 Cor. 2:15). The more we are like Jesus Christ in character and conduct, the more we please our Father; and the more we please Him, the more He can bless and use us for His glory.
I once heard Dr. A. W. Tozer say, “If God were to take the Holy Spirit out of this world, much of what the church is doing would go right on; and nobody would know the difference.” We have so much in human resources available to the church today that we manage to “serve the Lord” without the unction of the Holy Spirit working in our lives. But is that what God wants?
While here on earth, Jesus lived His life and did His work through the anointing of the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:16–19). If the spotless Son of God needed the Spirit’s power, how much more do we! Do we dare pray in the energy of the flesh when the Spirit is present to assist us (Rom. 8:26; Eph. 2:18)? Do we try to witness for Christ without asking the Spirit to help us (Acts 1:8)? Can we fellowship with our Lord in His Word apart from the ministry of the Spirit of God? (Eph. 1:15–23 and 3:14–21)
Ruth’s third act of preparation was to change clothes (v. 3c). She was to put off the garments of a sorrowing widow and dress for a wedding (see Isa. 61:1–3). Ruth probably didn’t have a large wardrobe, but she would have one special garment for festive occasions. Naomi had the faith to believe that Ruth would soon be going to a wedding!
In Scripture, clothing carries a spiritual meaning. After they had sinned against God, our first parents tried to cover themselves, but only the Lord could forgive them and clothe them acceptably, and He had to shed blood to do it (Gen. 3:1–8, 21). The Jewish priests wore special garments that nobody else was permitted to wear (Ex. 28). Salvation is pictured as a change of clothes (Luke 15:22; Isa. 61:10), and Christian living means taking off the “graveclothes” of the old life and putting on the “grace clothes” of the new life (Col. 3:1–17; see John 11:44).
We can’t come into God’s presence in our own righteousness, for “all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isa. 64:6). We can only come in the righteousness of Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 5:21), for we are “accepted in the beloved” (Eph. 1:6). If we are obedient to His will and seek to please Him, then our garments will be white (Rev. 19:8), but if we’ve sinned, we must confess our sins and seek His cleansing (Zech. 3). If you want to enter into a deeper fellowship with your Lord, then “let your garments always be white, and let your head lack no oil” (Eccl. 9:8).
Ruth prepared herself to meet Boaz by learning how to present herself to him (vv. 3–4). There was nothing improper about this procedure, for it was the only way Ruth could offer herself to her kinsman redeemer. She had to put herself at the feet of the lord of the harvest, and he would do the rest.
Suppose that on her way to the threshing floor, Ruth decided to take a different approach. Why lie at the feet of the man you want to marry? Why uncover his feet and then ask him to put a corner of his mantle over you? Certainly there ought to be a better way! Had she used another approach, Boaz would have been confused, and the entire enterprise would have failed.
The Old Testament priests knew how to approach God because He gave them their instructions in the law. New Testament Christians know how to approach God because in the Word He has told us what is required. Whether in our private communion with the Lord or in public worship, we have no right to alter the principles of approach that God has laid down.
While ministering one week near Springfield, Illinois, my wife and I decided to visit the Abraham Lincoln house. In order to get in, we each had to have a ticket that could be procured at only one place. We had to follow the guide and not deviate from the route of the tour. Last but not least, we had to deposit our chewing gum in a container outside the house! If we wanted to see Mr. Lincoln’s house, we had to conform to the rules.
Like the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11–24), lost sinners can come to the Lord just as they are, and He will receive them and change them. But God’s own children must “conform to the rules” if they want to fellowship with their Father (Heb. 10:19–25). When the people of God assemble for worship, we must be careful to worship Him “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24), following the principles given in the Scriptures. When it comes to worshipping God, too often people do that which is right in their own eyes and substitute human inventions for divine instructions.
Finally, Ruth promised to obey (Ruth 3:5). “All that you say to me I will do” (nkjv). She was not only a hearer of the Word, but she was a doer. A willingness to obey the Lord is the secret of knowing what He wants us to do and being blessed when we do it. “If anyone is willing to do God’s will, he shall know concerning the teaching” (John 7:17, literal translation). The will of God is not a cafeteria where we can pick and choose what we want. God expects us to accept all that He plans for us and to obey Him completely. Coming to God with a hidden agenda and with reservations in our hearts will only lead to grieving the Spirit and missing God’s best.