Purity and Humility

by John O’Malley

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And it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie, and thou shalt go in, and uncover his feet, and lay thee down; and he will tell thee what thou shalt do” (Ruth 3:4).

Naomi finally reached the part that Ruth longed to hear. Naomi knew that Ruth’s eagerness, cultivated by waiting, must be tempered by her instruction. Finally, after all the preparation at home and the wait for the right moment, she heard the instruction that was sure to settle deep in her heart: “Thou shalt go in.” These four words gave her the license, at the right timing, to enter into the presence of Boaz.

She would enter surreptitiously while Boaz slept. His work ethic gave him the right to a good night’s rest. Certainly, sleep would come without effort. Perhaps, had he known that what would unfold would be beyond the horizon of his imagination, sleep may have remained out of reach. Waiting in the shadows this evening for him was a young maiden from his field who desired to be redeemed by this gentle man with a heart of gold. 

She would enter without pageantry, nor would she make a seductive entrance. She would enter with purity in her mind and humility in her heart. She could not have fellowship with Boaz if she physically remained outside the threshing floor or even if she never left Naomi’s house. She had to enter into his presence to place her petition in his hearing.

The child of the Lord of the harvest would do well to remember that entrance into His presence should be marked with the same characteristics as Ruth's entrance. She came with purity in her mind and humility in her heart. Yes, the New Testament writer of Hebrews instructed believers to come boldly to His throne; this is a matter of access, not necessarily of asking. We should never feel that entering into His presence should be skipped because He might be too busy. Rather, we should with boldness come to the place of asking. Yet, as Ruth, we should be clothed with the garments of purity and humility in our asking.  

Ruth teaches believers the right way to approach Boaz. She came with boldness in her steps to the threshing floor and entered his presence with humility and purity.

How do you come to our Eternal Boaz? Has timidity or boldness marked your access to Him? When you arrive, does purity and humility drape your heart?

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