[One-Verse Meditation]

Ruth 3:18 (NIV) “Then Naomi said, ‘Wait, my daughter, until you find out how the matter turns out. For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today.’”

[Meditation]

What Naomi instructed Ruth to do was an unheard-of, outlandish matchmaking scheme, something a mother-in-law should never command of her daughter-in-law. To go to the threshing floor, uncover the feet of the sleeping Boaz, and lie down there. What’s even more astonishing is that the daughter-in-law, Ruth, obeyed it all. In the middle of the night, before the startled Boaz, Ruth makes a bold request: “Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a kinsman-redeemer (goel)” (3:9).

A ‘kinsman-redeemer’ (Goel) was more than just someone who bought back land; it referred to the closest relative who had a covenant responsibility to carry on the name of a dead kinsman by raising up an heir through his wife. Ruth’s request was a response of faith, asking for the ‘wings of the LORD’ (kanaf), under which Boaz had previously blessed her, to now become ‘the corner of his garment’ (kanaf). In response, Boaz praises Ruth, saying her later ‘kindness’ (hesed) in seeking to preserve the family line, rather than pursuing younger men, was even greater than her first.

This entire series of events was the time of God’s promise being fulfilled, remaking a woman who had returned as “Mara” (bitter) into “Naomi” (joy). Today’s verse concludes this climactic scene with Naomi’s declaration of faith: “The man will not rest until the matter is settled today.”

This conviction of Naomi’s was a faith that looked beyond the character of Boaz to the God working behind him. She had now seen the God who was filling her empty life, and so she waits for His next move with expectation and assurance. Contained within Naomi’s words, there must have been an overwhelming gratitude toward the God who never stopped showing grace to her, an unworthy person who had abandoned the promised land—the God who reignites the flickering lamp of life.

Thus, the saint’s time of waiting for God’s promise is never tedious or anxious. Rather, it is filled with expectation and assurance, because He will surely fulfill it, and we witness the proof of that fulfillment every day. Because it is a promise already accomplished on the cross and being realized in our lives daily, this “waiting” is another name for “hope.” It is entirely different from the world’s “hope,” which is mere wishing. Those who live by this true “hope” are the church.

[Prayer]

Lord, I look forward to this new day that You have opened. I believe this is the time when the promise of the Lord, who works for us without resting, is fulfilled. Therefore, even the time of waiting is a time to enjoy Your life. Today, I sing to our Lord who allows us to begin with hope. Amen.
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[Daily Reading]

Ruth 3:6-4:4