I Need a Hero

Naomi, crushed by more than a decade of hardship and heartache, returns to her hometown feeling empty, bitter, and hopeless.  But she finds hope in the success of her daughter-in-law.   

What do you care about most?  What are you willing to risk?  Seriously.  Your family?  Your career?  Your money?  For what are you willing to put it all on the line?   

Ruth takes a huge risk in showing utterly selfless devotion to her mother-in-law.  She leaves her family, her people, her land and her gods.  Ruth risks everything – her future, a chance at a marriage and family, social ostracism, perhaps racism, even the possibility of physical abuse – to go with Naomi, to stay with Naomi, to identify with Naomi’s people, to bow to Naomi’s God. 

Boaz, a successful local businessman, a man of character, shows extraordinary kindness to a poor, young, foreign widow who can do nothing for him. 

Who are the “least of these[i]” in your world?  Would you stick your neck out for a nobody? 

The book of Ruth demonstrates that the Lord works intimately in all the affairs of life, even in the darkest times, through and on behalf of you and me – his own “noble people.” 

Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, should I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you?

~ Ruth 3:1

Is this the same Naomi who gave up and told Ruth to go home?  Who said, “Don’t call me Pleasant; call me Bitter?” Naomi is finally looking outward, to the future, to someone besides herself and her own misfortune.  Naomi’s healing has begun.  

She continues. 

Is not Boaz our kinsman-redeemer, with whose young women you were? Look, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor.  So wash and anoint yourself, put on your cloak and go down to the threshing floor...

~ Ruth 3:2-3

Naomi’s wheels are turning.  She’s thinking.  Plotting, even.  “Isn’t Boaz, with whose servant girls you’ve worked, a kinsman-redeemer of ours?  

“Kinsman-redeemer?”  Pardon me?  What is this kinsman-redeemer?  Boaz is described in Ruth as the go'el (Hebrew), the kinsman-redeemer.  The go'el is the closest relative of a deceased (in this case Ruth’s husband; he died in Moab).  The kinsman-redeemer was the closest male relative, and he had a family obligation to ensure that the widow's family line and property interests were protected.  Family first.  Biblical social welfare: look out for the widows.  Ruth is the heir-apparent to Elimelech’s property, but she was in danger of losing it all.  Someone needed to step up.  I need a hero.  I need a go’el; the kinsman-redeemer. 

Boaz is a kinsman-redeemer whose own noble character leads him, like Ruth, to go far beyond what law and custom require to express hesed – steadfast love, kindness, and faithfulness to Ruth. 

“Listen,” Naomi says.  “Tonight he’ll be winnowing barley at the threshing floor.” 

Winnowing 101 – After grain was gathered in the field, it was bundled (remember the workers pulled some stalks out for Ruth) and then brought to the threshing floor.  The threshing floor was either exposed bedrock or hard earth, flat and smooth.  It is there that the grain was threshed, or crushed, under animal hooves or cart wheels, to separate the husks from the kernels.  Winnowing then involved tossing the grain into the air to allow the breeze to blow the lighter husks – the chaff – to the side and allow the denser kernels of grain to fall to the ground in front of the winnower.  No waste.  The grain was set aside for food.  The straw fed to the animals.  The chaff was burned for fuel.  And that’s why the chaff got thrown into the fire[ii].

“So wash up,” says Naomi, “Put on some perfume and your best outfit and then go on down to the threshing floor.”  Okay, hold on a minute.  Let me get this straight.  Did you just say, “Wash up, put on some perfume, your best outfit and go on down to the threshing floor?”    

To the threshing floor?  Am I missing something?  Hmmm…

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[i] The righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’  (Matthew 25:37-40)

[ii] As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John [the Baptist], whether he might be the Christ, John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” (Luke 3:15-17)