When is taking the initiative an act of faith?
When is it simply evidence that we don’t trust God?
I found myself thinking this through as I was looking again at Ruth ch 3.

Naomi, along with her foreign daughter-in-law, Ruth, returned to Bethlehem from the godless land of Moab, widowed and empty-handed (1:21).
Not long after coming home they had identified Boaz, a wealthy landowner, as their go’el (2:20), i.e. their closest male relative who was responsible to buy back the family farm and get them out of financial difficulty.
He is also the levir (again, the closest male relative) in their family – the one who would normally marry a childless widow like Ruth to raise up an heir for her dead husband’s family; though this was not enforced.
In any case, nothing was certain in those days: “the days of the judges”, when everyone did, or did not do, whatever he wanted. (Judges 21:25)

But now some months have passed: the barley harvest that met the two widows on their return (1:22) has come and gone; the wheat harvest that followed is finished (2:23).
Months have passed.
The widows are confused by the mixed signals they have received. Boaz seems to really want to help them (2:19f) – but does nothing more than he did to start with.

Up till now, Naomi has been passive, learning more and more of God’s “loyal love” (hesed, 1:8, 2:20) toward her, but doing little herself.
However, now she decides to act.

But when is taking the initiative an act of faith?
When is it simply evidence that we don’t trust God?

Works and Waiting

In chapter 3, Naomi begins by advocating works (3:1-4); but at the end counsels Ruth to wait (3:18).
How do we know when to “work”, and when to “wait”?

Faith Works

In “seeking security” Naomi is not primarily concerned for herself, but for Ruth (3:1). She does her research (3:2), and here is her plan of action for Ruth:
– “Wash yourself…” Don’t go down, smelling all sweaty.
– “Anoint yourself…” Put on your best perfume.
– “Put on your best garment…” Dig out your most attractive clothes…
She’s very thorough.

When you take the initiative, it’s good to have a plan; it’s good to make plans.
It is not Biblical simply to say, “Well, this is right; so so-and-so will just have to agree.”
Even if it is a right course of action you have in mind, you still have a responsibility to present it in the most persuasive way:

Also, find the best time to say what you want to say.
And, the best way to go about it.
“Do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. Only when he lies down, then go in, uncover his feet, and lie down.”
Naomi thinks very carefully how Ruth could present her case in the best possible way, at the best possible time.

Faith Waits

But then, having (almost) micro-managed the situation to start with, at the end Naomi is telling Ruth to “sit still” and wait (3:18).
There is a time to take the initiative; and there is a time to sit still and wait.
A lot of wisdom in life is to know which to do when. See Eccl 3:1-8.
And we don’t always get it right.

But, as James says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” (Jas 1:5-6)
“Let him ask in faith…”

Word and Providence

Faith in the Word

When Ruth and Naomi arrived back in Bethlehem penniless, they were already looking to the Word of God.
They agreed that Ruth should go into the fields to glean behind the reapers (2:2). Why this way? Because God had told them more than once in His Word (Lev 19:9, 23:32, Deut 24:19) that this is how He would provide for them.
They did not sit at home, pray and wait for God to miraculously feed them. They listened to the Word of God and did what God told them to do there.

Now, once again, Naomi is listening to the Word of God – which tells her to look to the go’el to help them out of financial difficulty.
Faith listens to the Word of God, in seeking to know what to do.

Faith and Providence

But also faith looks to providence.
We’re not sure why Naomi didn’t seek out her former husband’s go’el as soon as she returned to Bethlehem. But once she discovered the one she thought was he she began weighing up God’s providence:

• Here is a kind man.
• He has some obligation to help them.
• He has already shown an interest in helping them.

And:

• Here is Ruth.
• She’s young; she needs a husband.
• Boaz seems ideally suited.

Maybe there could be a match there?
Though she doesn’t actually mention marriage at this point (3:1-4); it would be enough if Boaz would just help them.

You see what Naomi is doing here:
– She is listening to the Word of God.
– But she is also looking to providence.
The Word of God points her in a certain direction. But it doesn’t specify, eg. Boaz must marry Ruth. But providence suggests this could be a good match.
She doesn’t think she is running ahead of God here; this seems to be the way to go.

Jonathan Prime puts it:

“This is a reminder that God has given us minds that are able to reason and think things through. Naturally our minds are warped and bent, prone to think in ways that are contrary to God’s ways. But as we experience His mercy and start to live by faith in the Lord Jesus, taking his Word into our lives, He transforms us by the renewing of our minds, so that we can test and approve what God’s will is.”

What does the Bible say?

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” In this way you “may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Rom 12:2)

Pragmatism and Purity

But though Naomi may not have specified marriage in her instructions, Ruth is keen to marry Boaz, if he will have her.

Faith and Pragmatism

Yet Ruth’s main concern is pragmatic; it is to provide for Naomi. Just as Naomi’s main concern is to provide for Ruth (3:1).
I think this is a principal reason they succeed: they are both unselfish when it comes to looking for wisdom.

“The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.” (Jas 3:17) Wisdom comes when we are unselfish.

On the other hand:

“Where envy and self-seeking exist” that (so-called) “wisdom” is not from above; it is “earthly, sensual, and demonic.” (Jas 3:14-16)

Self-seeking never makes a person wise; quite the reverse. Pragmatism by itself does not make a person wise. Devoid of faith, it will, as often as not, lead to sin.
Where you take the initiative to get what you want – what you “deserve” – through sinful means, you are not acting in faith.

Ruth had a horrible example in the way her nation was born:
The Moabites were descendants of Lot.
When Lot was forced to flee Sodom, he was left with just his two daughters, eking out a miserable existence in a cave in the wilderness.
His two daughters thought it was their “right” to have children. Just as many today believe it is their “right” to have children – even outside of heterosexual marriage. Never mind about the children’s “rights”, and what’s good for them.
So Lot’s daughters devised a horrible scheme to get their father drunk in order to conceive, each a child through him.

“There is a way that seems right to a man; but its end is the way of death.” (Prov 14:12)

Faith and Purity

Pragmatism may get us what we want. But we must first be pure: “The wisdom that is from above is first pure…” If it is not pure, it is not wisdom; and it will lead to death.

Naomi has told Ruth to go down to threshing floor where Boaz will sleep that night.
Everyone knew that the threshing floor could sometimes be a hot-bed of immorality. (eg. Hos 9:1) The harvest was over; the hard work done. The much less strenuous work of threshing began. “Schoolies” was in; and the harvesters made the most of it.
Threshing floors were elevated – on platforms or hills, where you could catch the refreshing autumn breeze. There were lots of men, far off from home – all spending the nights at the threshing floor. Women would come round. The drink would flow. Men and women would get drunk. And, it would go from there…

Ruth wants to marry Boaz.
Boaz has been joining in the feasting. He “had eaten and drunk and was cheerful…”
Don’t read into it that he was drunk, or even slightly intoxicated; the Hebrew word here, tob (i.e. “good” as in Gen 1:31), never means that.
Then he lies down, by himself, away from the others.

Ruth comes in. She now has a choice:
She could choose to act like a whore (as the founders of her race did): compromise Boaz, and force him to marry her.
Or, she could act as she does; purely: “she came softly, uncovered his feet, and lay down” (3:7f) – that’s all she does.
She did no more than lie down at his smelly feet, and share the edge of his blanket.
That she did no more than this is this is evident from Boaz’s own testimony both to the “loyal love” (hesed in 3:10) she has shown him, and to her “virtue” (3:11)
Ruth rejects the way her ancestors went about it, to get what they wanted. She will pursue her goal; but she will do so without in any way compromising her purity – or that of Boaz’s.

What is her goal?
“Take me under your wing.” (3:9) “Marry me!” – that’s what she is asking. She is asking the family levir to marry her.
Back in 2:12 Boaz had prayed for her that God would provide for her by taking her under His wing. Now she is saying to Boaz: “You could take me under your wing. Marry me – and your prayer will be answered.”
“For you are the go’el” (3:9) – and hence, in this case, also the levir.

Though not enforced, normally the levir would marry the childless widow.
This was a particularly unselfish act on the part of the close relative because, if his brother had left no heir before he died, then his lands would go to the living brother. But if the living brother provided an heir, then the dead brother’s lands would go to him rather than to the living brother.

Ruth is unselfish. She wants to marry, but hasn’t chased after the richest young hunk in town (3:10). She has been carefully weighing up what is in the best interests of all concerned; not just looking after her own interests.
Pragmatic, yes. But first and foremost, pure.

Risk and Duty

Faith in Duty

But actually Boaz is not the go’el, or the levir. He is not the closest relative.
There is another relative closer (3:12) to both Naomi’s and Ruth’s former husbands than Boaz.
The best laid plans…!
Nonetheless, Boaz will do all he can to perform his duty.

I don’t mean to imply by the word “duty” that he didn’t want to marry Ruth. I’m sure he really did – for all the right reasons.
Up till now, he hasn’t made a move – for all the right reasons… which maybe, to this point, Naomi and Ruth haven’t understood; maybe even been puzzled over the mixed signals he had been giving.
But he hasn’t made a move because he is not the closest relative.
Nonetheless, by faith, he will do what he can to fulfil his duty.

Faith and Risk

But there are risks. There are always risks.
It is always far easier just to do nothing.

There were risks for Ruth in what she did:
What if Boaz didn’t want her, and she went away humiliated?
What if the townspeople got wind of what she had done, misinterpreted her actions, and she got a reputation as the town whore: the Moabite whore who had tried to seduce the town’s most eligible bachelor?
What she did, she did in faith. But she took a tremendous risk.

For Boaz, too, there is a risk.
Though he assures Ruth he will be her go’el if the closer relative chooses not to do his duty, should the latter rejects Boaz’s offer Boaz could well be made to look like a fool; like some love-sick teenager?
Or, if he does marry Ruth, what then? She had had no children by her former husband. What if she is barren, and cannot give him an heir? What if she has only one male child? It won’t be his heir then; but Ruth’s former husband’s. And her former husband’s lands won’t go to Boaz then, but to this child.
There is always risk in doing your duty.
Far easier to stay at home, do nothing, and say piously: “The Lord will take care of it.”

But we can’t do that:
We must work, as well as wait. There is a time and a season for both.
How do we know which? We must listen to God’s Word and look to God’s providence in our circumstances.
How will we have wisdom to do that? When we act unselfishly, and our motives are pure. We can be pragmatic; but we must first be pure.
Will there be risks involved? Of course!
But first, let’s look to our duty before God and man.