by John O’Malley
“Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the floor: but make not thyself known unto the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking” (Ruth 3:3).
Naomi’s five-part explanation to Ruth on preparing herself to fellowship with Boaz resumes with this next phrase: “and anoint thee.” With Ruth’s body cleansed from the dust of her environment, Naomi instructs her to anoint herself. It would have been useless for Ruth to attempt to go straight to the anointing without washing. The washing was needed to make the second step for fellowship with Boaz truly worth the effort.
The anointing Naomi mentions is the applying of oil, oftentimes scented, to the skin. The oil would serve as a lotion and a protector to the skin. The fragrance would be added for the pleasure of the one in the presence of the anointed. The anointing, coupled with the cleansing, would set that person apart from those who had not done the same. People in Ruth’s day would do this to prepare for worship (2 Samuel 12:20). Others did so to meet a king (2 Samuel 2:4).However, Ruth would be doing this to meet the one who would become her kinsman-redeemer.
The instructions for Ruth were clear; Naomi could not do this for Ruth. The responsibility of preparing belonged to Ruth. Ruth could receive the instructions for fellowship, but, unless she followed them personally, the best fellowship would not occur. It was Ruth who would need to wash off the dirt. It would be Ruth who would need to wipe on the fragrant oil to delight Boaz. There were no shortcuts for fellowshipping with Boaz.
Anointing was critical for Ruth's preparation. It set her apart from others in the field of his harvest. It also set her apart to the field of his heart. Yes, there would be others that night who may have anointed themselves that evening for other purposes, but Ruth’s anointing was for one purpose: she wanted Boaz to find her acceptable in their fellowship.
Ruth’s desire to prepare to meet Boaz is worthy of consideration for those who are in the family of God. It should be the chief delight of the child of God to make similar preparations for our fellowship with our Eternal Boaz. Once the washing of confession is done, let us seek to anoint ourselves with the fragrances most pleasing to our Eternal Boaz. The things that make us fragrant to our Eternal Boaz are our praises (Hebrews 13:15), our giving (Hebrews 13:16), our prayers (2 Thessalonians 1:11), and our faith in Him (Hebrews 11:6).
How is your fellowship with the Eternal Boaz? Are the fragrances most appealing to Him adorning your life?