(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
Ruth 3:6–13, “And she went down unto the floor, and did according to all that her mother in law bade her. And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of corn: and she came softly, and uncovered his feet, and laid her down. And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid, and turned himself: and, behold, a woman lay at his feet. And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman. And he said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, my daughter: for thou hast shewed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou followedst not young men, whether poor or rich. And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou requirest: for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman. And now it is true that I am thy near kinsman: howbeit there is a kinsman nearer than I. Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning, that if he will perform unto thee the part of a kinsman, well; let him do the kinsman’s part: but if he will not do the part of a kinsman to thee, then will I do the part of a kinsman to thee, as the LORD liveth: lie down until the morning.”
When we deal with different cultures it is important for us to remember that children are taught to do things from a very early age. They accept these things without criticism and believe them to be right but, on the whole, they are not written down. One example is putting arms on the table during meals. Children brought up in Germany are taught to put their elbows on the table when they are eating, this is to show a person that they are not hiding a weapon. On the other hand, children brought up in England are taught that putting your elbows on the table during a meal is bad manners. Doing something in one country is proper while doing the same thing in another country is offensive. Naomi was born and grew up in Bethlehem while Ruth was born and brought up in Moab. Naomi coached Ruth in the proper etiquette for appealing to a close relative and Ruth did everything she was told to do. Ruth had to behave in a proper manner so that people wouldn’t think that she was trying to prostitute her body. Boaz was a good man and understood exactly what she was trying to tell him and the full implications of her request. He was flattered that such an attractive young woman was interested in an older man like himself. However, Boaz wasn’t the closest relative so he had to give the closer relative an opportunity to follow the procedures before he could accept the responsibilities of a relative.
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