Ruths Recompense, Commentary on Ruth · Chapter 3 · Verse 4 – Verse 6
Verſe 4. And it ſhall be when he lyeth downe, thou ſhalt marke the place where he ſhall lye, and thou ſhalt goe in, and vncouer his feet, and lay thee downe, and he will tell thee what thou ſhalt doe.
THe reſt of Naomi her aduice to Ruth, what ſhe was to doe, when ſhe came to the threſhing floore, obſerue where Boaz lay, then ſhe her ſelfe to lye downe; and the end, to know his mind, and what ſhe ſhould doe.
And it ſhall be when he lyeth downe.] After labour followes reſt, and the night is appointed for the ſame, to refreſh the wearied limbs: ſo the Pſalmiſt teacheth,Pſal. 104 23. Gen. 28. 11. and Iacob practiſed; and this is the right vſe of time. Let vsus ſpend the day in labour, and take the benefit of the night for reſt, with thanks to God, and prayer for a bleſſing; and not bee as wild beaſts, as ſome men bee, who make the day their time of reſt, and the night their walking time, as fit to goe abroad to rauen for their prey: or to ſpend it in vnlawfull and lewde courſes, as ill as theft.
That thou ſhalt marke the place where he ſhall lye.] This is aduiſed, leſt ſhe ſhould in the night miſtake: for warie obſeruation preuenteth error. This ſheweth alſo, that Boaz had not any certaine ſet place to lye downe in, but to lye, as beſt liked himſelfe, in the floore. In thoſe times they had no care of ſtately lodging; they were not effeminate and ſlothfull, which make vsus now to ſeeke for ſoft bedding, which breedeth luſt, encreaſeth ſloth, and maketh the body more tender, and ſo leſſe able to endure paines.
And thou ſhalt go in, and vncouer his feet.] Though Naomi aimed to make Ruth Boaz his yoke-fellow, yet ſhe teacheth her to proceed in humility, to goe to his feet, and to lye downe there: For humilitie is not any let, but the way to aduancement, Prou. 15 33. & 18. 20. & 22. 4.and the reward thereof is riches, and glory, and life. Let all them which hope for preferment, labour for humilitie: for God giueth ſuch graceProu. … 34. & 20. 22. Luke 1. 48. and fauour, the humble in ſpi… ſhall enioy glorie: vponupon Marie her lowlines did the Lord look: Dauid was humble in his owne eyes, and obtained great glorie: and Abigail by ſo wiſe and humble behauiour, purchaſed fauour in Dauids eyes. On the contrary, by pride commeth confuſion, as may appeare in Abſalom and Adoniahs attempt to the Kingdome; for ſhame accompanieth it; andProu. 11. 2. and 16. 18. pride goeth before deſtruction, and a high mind before the fall.
And lay thee downe, and he ſhall tell thee what thou ſhalt doe.] Naomi was well perſwaded of Boaz his honeſtie, and that he would well aduiſe Ruth: for good counſell may be looked for of thoſe that bee truly religious, and wiſe withall, as Boaz was. And there is no doubt of their readineſſe, whom experience hath made knowne to be louing and kind. This is it which made Naomi to ſpeake thus confidently, that Boaz would tell Ruth what ſhe ſhould do. But here it may bee demanded, Whether Naomi did well to aduiſe Ruth to vſe this meanes, to trie Boaz his minde? The manner ſeemeth not to bee good nor approoueable, and my reaſons be theſe: Firſt, Naomi her counſel and aduice to hauehave Ruth Verſe 12.to goe to Boaz to claime the marriage, was erroneous; for hee was not the next kinſman, and therefore ſhe ſhould not hauehave come thus firſt to him. Secondly, Boaz his ſpeech implyeth, that itVerſe 14. was not a matter of good report for them two to be thus alone together, if they had been ſeene ſo. Thirdly, there was ſome ſhew and appearance of1. Theſ. 5. euill, which ſhould bee auoided. Fourthly, becauſe heere was an occaſion of ſinning offred, though not taken, nor intended; becauſe fleſhlineſſe is that ſinne to which moſt are apt, and the moſt excellent hauehave fallen into it; as appeareth in righteous Lot, ſtrong Samſon, wiſe Salomon, and zealous Dauid: Yet for all this ill aduice and manner of doing, the Lord turned the ſame to good. For this is his goodneſſe and mercy, that matters ill begun, the Lord both can and will turne vntounto good. Thus he did with Rebecca and Iacobs diſſembling to get the bleſſing, and with the ſelling of Ioſeph by Iacobs ſonnes his vnnaturall brethren. This example therefore of Ruth is not imitable. It giueth no warrant for mothers to teach their daughters to play the harlots, and to be bawdes to them; nor to allow yong women to go to yong men, and to giuegive their bodies to be abuſed, in hope of marriage; nor to make nightmatches and meetings to procure husbands, whileſt they hereby often make themſelues whores, to their own ſhame, and griefe of friends. If it be not imitable, will ſome ſay, why is it recorded? To anſwer this, we muſt know that the actions of the godly are of diuers ſorts: either extraordinarie; as Abrahams offering Iſaac; Moſes his killing of the Egyptian; Iſraelites borrowing and carrying away the goods of the Egyptians; Phinees killing Zimri and Cozbi; Ehud, Eglon King of Moab, and ſuch like: theſe are not for imitation, but to ſhew, that God can diſpence with his Law, & is not tied to ordinary courſes. Or ordinarie, and this is manifold, Firſt, good and allowed of God, as Abrahams teaching his houſhold, Iobs patience, praying for his children, and works of mercy and iuſtice; Cornelius deuotion; Pauls labour in the miniſtery, and a thouſand ſuch like, left written for inſtruction to acknowledge the ſtrength of grace, and are for our godly imitation. Secondly, bad and vnlawfull, as Aarons conſenting to the Iſraelites idolatrie, Lots inceſt, Dauids adulterie and murther; Peters periurie, and ſuch like: theſe are not to be imitated, but to be auoided as euill, and are written to make vsus to behold mans corruption, and ſo his deſert, that thereby we may ſet our ſelues to bewaile the ſame, to watch ouer our ſelues, and that noneHeb. 3. 12, 13. may boaſt of their owne righteouſneſſe, but acknowledge it Gods mercy, that wee are not confounded, and that it is his meere goodneſſe that ſaueth vsus. Thirdly, mixt, partly good and partly bad: ſo was Rebecca her ſeeking the bleſſing for Iacob, which God had promiſed; and here Naomi a marriage for Ruth, but the manner in both faultie. Theſe are written to let vsus ſee our imperfections in doing a good thing, and to teach vsus to examine the wayes of the beſt, to know how farre they be imitable. Fourthly, meerely indifferent in themſelues, neither commanded nor forbidden, as Samſon his feaſting of the yong men at his marriage; Dauids delight and playing vponupon the harpe, and ſuch like: which are written to ſhew our libertie in things indifferent, and that we may vſe the ſame, ſo we be moderate therein. Thus wee ſee the difference of actions, and why tecorded. And theſe are we to marke, and examine, that wee be not miſtaken, whether extraordinarie, or ordinarie, whether good, or bad, or mixt, or indifferent, and euen in theſe, how lawfull to vsus, how expedient alſo, that we may not giuegive offence.
Verſe 5. And ſhee ſaid vntounto her, All that thou ſayest vntounto mee, I will doe.
RVths readineſſe to obey her mother in law, and that in all things without exception.
And ſhee ſaid vntounto her.] In this conference betweene them two here, is no interrupting of one another: Ruth heareth Naomi her counſell, and anſwereth when ſhee hath heard it; which commendeth her modeſtie and wiſedome; for it is folly to anſwer a matter, before it be heard.
All that thou ſayeſt vntounto me, I will doe.] Ruth is as ready to obey, as the other to command: and that in reſpect, firſt, of her reuerence towards Naomi, and perſwaſion of her good mind towards her: for whom we thinke well of and reuerence, their counſell we eaſily embrace, and willingly obey: and yet herein may we doe amiſſe, if we examine not well the matter; for counſell may be ſometime from error of the iudgement, and ſometime from corrupt affection. Secondly, of her owne inclination to the thing, being young, and poore, to get a rich husband: for wee readily obey in that whereto wee incline our mind of our owne accord, there needeth little incitation.
Verſe 6. And ſhee went downe vntounto the floore, and did according to all that her mother in law bade her.
RVths performance of her promiſe, both in going downe to the floore, and in doing there, what her mother aduiſed her.
And ſhee went downe vntounto the floore.] The Citie was then higher from whence ſhee went, though wee may reade of a floore vp on high, 2. Sam. 24. 18. It may ſeeme ſtrange how Ruth durſt attempt this, being a ſtranger, and fearefull by nature, as women be: yet ſee, where deſire is, there nothing can hinder, or amate the ſpirit, or daunt the heart.
And did according to all that her mother in law bade her.] As it is in verſes 3, and 4. ſo ſhee very exactly followed her mothers aduice, and in nothing followed her owne mind, leſt perhaps, if things had not fallen out well, ſhee might hauehave had the fault put vponupon her ſelfe. Here is an example of ſtrict obedience vntounto Parents, which is required at the hands of children. Ruth doth according to all that which ſhee was bidden to doe. And thus in all lawfull things ſhould children doe toCol. 3. 20. Ephe. 6. 2. parents; for ſo God would hauehave it, it pleaſeth him. It is the duety of children, and in ſo doingCol. 3. 20. Ephe. 6. 1, 3. they ſhall be bleſſed. Let children learne obedience to Parents, as Iſaac obeyed Abraham; Gen. 22. 6. Iud. 11. 36, 37. Luk. 1. 51. Exod. 20.Iephtes daughter her father, and as our bleſſed Sauiour did his Parents: which they will doe, if they feare God, Leuit. 19. 3. and hold their parents worthy of honour, as God commandeth.