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Day 29: The Redeemer Who Covers Our Shame
Scripture:
So she went down to the threshing floor and did just as her mother-in-law had commanded her. 7 And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. Then she came softly and uncovered his feet and lay down. 8 At midnight the man was startled and turned over, and behold, a woman lay at his feet! 9 He said, “Who are you?” And she answered, “I am Ruth, your servant. Spread your wings[a] over your servant, for you are a redeemer.” 10 And he said, “May you be blessed by the Lord, my daughter. You have made this last kindness greater than the first in that you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich. 11 And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you ask, for all my fellow townsmen know that you are a worthy woman. 12 And now it is true that I am a redeemer. Yet there is a redeemer nearer than I. 13 Remain tonight, and in the morning, if he will redeem you, good; let him do it. But if he is not willing to redeem you, then, as the Lord lives, I will redeem you. Lie down until the morning.”
14 So she lay at his feet until the morning, but arose before one could recognize another. And he said, “Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.” 15 And he said, “Bring the garment you are wearing and hold it out.” So she held it, and he measured out six measures of barley and put it on her. Then she went into the city. 16 And when she came to her mother-in-law, she said, “How did you fare, my daughter?” Then she told her all that the man had done for her, 17 saying, “These six measures of barley he gave to me, for he said to me, ‘You must not go back empty-handed to your mother-in-law.’” 18 She replied, “Wait, my daughter, until you learn how the matter turns out, for the man will not rest but will settle the matter today.”
Ruth 3:6-18
You know that familiar feeling, as you get that pit in your stomach? The whisper of "imposter," and the weight of failure begins to grow. “Good grief, will I ever get it right?” Then the chorus begins in your mind: “Loser. Everyone else is better. If they only knew the real me.”
You are not alone in this struggle. So often, we tie our entire sense of worth to our performance. A “good day” means we met our standards and didn't fail. A “bad day” is defined by our failures. We live on a self-imposed treadmill of trying, failing, and judging. And we repeat and repeat, hoping no one sees or knows.
But what if you could step off that treadmill? What if there was a way to silence the imposter syndrome and find rock-solid hope, even when you fail? The Bible offers this alternative in the person of Jesus Christ. Our acceptance by God is not based on our obedience, our success rate, or what we give up. It is founded entirely on His death and resurrection.
Our story today answers this struggle and provides clarity to where we ended yesterday. Naomi and Ruth had a very risky plan of how to bring Ruth and Boaz together. So far, the plan has worked perfectly. Boaz is in the right place at the right time. Ruth moves into position, and is now at his feet. Boaz is awakened, and the turning point is at hand. Will he reject Ruth? Will the plan fail because of impurity? Or will the Lord rewrite the shame and tragedy of Ruth and Naomi’s story?
Interestingly, Ruth departs from Naomi’s script. She doesn’t wait for Boaz to give her instructions, but instructs him to spread her garments over her. This would have been clearly understood as the command to marry her. She points out that he has such a duty as the kinsman redeemer. Why does Ruth do this? She is willing to set aside her own happiness and autonomy for the sake of caring for Naomi. She does not pursue the younger men whom she could have married for love or money, but seeks to marry Boaz out of family loyalty.
Boaz keeps Ruth there the rest of the night. The Hebrew language rules out any sexual immorality, so that both of their reputations were protected. Ruth was able to sleep in peace that night, knowing that all was going to turn out right. She even goes back to Naomi in the morning with her garment filled to capacity. At last, the empty Naomi was full. The grain seed that would fill her stomach would point to the promise of the seed to fill her womb.
Naomi’s shame of dying without an heir was covered. The shame Ruth could have had from being a Moabite in the land of Israel was also gone. The Lord, in his own way, had worked to replace their shame with joy.
This could be where you are wanting to be at today. You have shame, and you are right, you are not enough in and of yourself. You cannot do enough. But Jesus is, and He has. Because of His perfect work, you are seen by God as righteous and accepted. This means you do not have to live feeling like an imposter. Your identity is secure, sealed not by your performance but by God's promise.
So If you feel like an imposter, remember the Redeemer’s kindness. You don’t have to perform to be accepted. If your past haunts you, remember Naomi and Ruth. God rewrites the labels that try to define you and your past does not have the final word. When the voice of the accuser tries to tear you down, let the gospel speak louder. You are accepted by grace, not by performance.
Boaz’s mercy is a beautiful picture of a human redeemer who protects, provides, and honors. But the picture points to something far greater. Jesus is the ultimate Redeemer who covers our shame in ways Boaz could only foreshadow. Boaz spread his garment over Ruth, but Jesus clothes us with His righteousness. The covering Jesus gives is not a thin veil that hides our faults but is a perfect robe that changes our standing before God, so that you are not merely tolerated, you are declared righteous.
Boaz protected Ruth’s reputation in the village while Jesus removes the power of condemnation. Boaz filled Ruth’s garment with grain but Jesus fills emptiness at the deepest level as He is the Bread of Life. Boaz called Ruth a worthy woman, but Jesus calls you a beloved child as the gospel rewrites your identity from the inside out.
Today, may the gospel meet you wherever you are in that shame and regret from your past. You have a better Redeemer who takes away your shame and gives you His name. Are you ready to have this kind of mercy meet you today?
Pastor Josh Gerber |
