By Janet Lisonbee

If we look at the story in the book of Ruth and view Naomi as Israel [the Church], Ruth as the future covenant bride of Christ [righteous members of the Church are depicted as the bride of Christ], and Boaz as the Bridegroom, or Jesus Christ, a wonderful analogy appears that can be applicable in our lives.  I have put in italics certain phrases of the scriptural account to emphasize the symbolism.

Elimelech and Naomi and their two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, left their homeland in Bethlehem-judah and traveled to Moab because there was a famine in the land.  Famine has been symbolic of apostasy, and Israel has been scattered more than once because of a “famine” of righteousness among its covenant people [see Amos 8:11]. 

While in Moab, their two sons married and within ten years, Elimelech, Mahlon and Chilion died, leaving three widows.  Naomi decided to return to her homeland, amid tears of her daughters-in-law. 

Naomi convinced one daughter-in-law to return to her mother’s house, but Ruth would not be moved.  She had converted and desired to stay with the Naomi [the Church] rather than live among the idol-worshipping Moabites.  She pleaded, “Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee:  for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge:  thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God” [Ruth 1:16]. 

The Barley Harvest

The return of Naomi to her homeland can be symbolic of the return of scattered Israel. 

Naomi and Ruth returned to Bethlehem at “the beginning of the barley harvest” [Ruth 1:22], which is also the Passover season, and possibly Naomi returned in time to celebrate it with her people.  As the Passover was a reminder to Israel that they had left Egypt [symbolic of spiritual Babylon], through the death of the Firstborn, so had Ruth and Naomi left Moab during this symbolic feast of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.  In order for us to truly partake of the Passover in our lives, we too must leave spiritual Babylon.

When they left their land of inheritance, their property was most likely sold and used by others during their ten year stay in Moab.  Because of ancient Israel’s land inheritance rights, Naomi could “redeem” her land when she returned by re-purchasing it, but it was impossible for her because she had not the means to do so.  Like Naomi, we have left our land of inheritance when we entered mortality and cannot return to our “promised land” on our own — we need help through our near kinsman, Jesus Christ.

Needing food, Ruth said to Naomi, “Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn [barley] after him in whose sight I shall find grace.”   She gleaned in the field belonging to Boaz.   Like Ruth, we as members of the Church, should gather our daily spiritual bread in the “fields” sown by Christ through daily scripture study, prayer and pondering. 

When Boaz noticed industrious [faithful] Ruth in the field, he asked her not to glean in any other field but his and she would be protected and when she was thirsty, she could drink all she wanted [Ruth 2:8-9].

Then Ruth “fell on her face and bowed herself to the ground” before Boaz and asked “Why have I found grace in thine eyes…?”

Boaz replied, “It has fully been shewed me, all that thou has done… and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother and the land of thy nativity.” 

Like Boaz, Christ is aware and notices our efforts. 

Boaz continued, “The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust”[Ruth 2:12]. 

Ruth responded, “Let me find favour in thy sight, my Lord; for that thou has comforted me…”[vs. 13].

Boaz invited her to join with the reapers at mealtime for bread and vinegar [the NIV Bible account says wine-vinegar], from which we could draw the symbolism of the supper of the Lord, the Sacrament.  Then Boaz instructed his servants to let Ruth even glean among the sheaves and purposely leave handfuls of grain for her to glean. 

When we study and seek the words of the Lord, and He notices our efforts, often we are blessed with “handfuls” of insights, understanding and blessings.  Ruth went home to Naomi with an ephah of barley, which is approximately eight gallons of grain, which is a heavy load for a woman to carry [Ruth 2:17].

Naomi's Plan

Realizing that Boaz is a near kinsman, Naomi devised a plan for Ruth.  She said, “My daughter, [notice that Ruth is not considered an in-law anymore, but an adopted daughter — adopted into the house of Israel] shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee?”  Our Church teaches us the Lord’s plan for each of us to enter into His rest, or back to His presence.  It is called the Plan of Salvation or the Plan of Happiness.

The role of the kinsman-redeemer was to protect the interests of needy members of the extended family [Deut 25:5-10], to redeem the land that a poor relative had sold outside the family, like Naomi [Lev. 25:25-28], to redeem a relative who had been sold into slavery [Lev. 25:47-49] and to avenge the killing of a relative [Num. 35:19-21].  Boaz was described as a “mighty man of wealth” [Ruth 2:1] and would have the means to be able to fulfill the role of the near kinsman. 

Likewise, Christ has the means to protect us, to provide the means whereby we can obtain our “promised land,” to redeem us from spiritual bondage and to execute judgment upon the enemies of our souls.

Naomi gave instructions to Ruth to meet Boaz so “that it may be well with thee” [Ruth 3:1].  Boaz would be winnowing barley at the threshing floor that night.  To thresh the grain, livestock trampled the stalks.  After the grain was loosened from the stalk, the wheat was tossed into the air by a large fan.  The chaff is blown away, leaving the kernels behind.  This process was called winnowing.   

John the Baptist prophesied of Christ, “Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner: but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire” [Matt. 3:12]. 

The threshing floor is the highest point on the property, where there is a good, strong wind.  It was on a threshingfloor that David was commanded of the Lord to build an altar to the Lord and offer sacrifice [see 1 Chron. 21:20-30].  Then David said, “This is the house of the Lord God…” [1 Chron. 22:1].  It was upon this threshingfloor that Solomon built the temple [see 2 Chron. 3:1]. 

The threshingfloor of Boaz could be symbolic of the Temple.  Naomi told Ruth to “wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee…” [Ruth 3:3].  We can do likewise in the Temple of the Lord. The NIV Bible commentary says that Ruth prepared herself and dressed like a bride.  As we truly wash and anoint ourselves through repentance, justification, and sanctification, and put on the robes of the Holy Priesthood, we prepare ourselves, like a bride, to meet the Bridegroom.

On the night of harvest, the owner would join the reapers in threshing the grain and the grain was piled in great heaps.  After their work, it was a time of rejoicing and eating together.  Then they would lie beside the great mounds of grain in order to protect it from thieves.

Ruth was obedient to all of Naomi’s commands.  She went to the threshing floor and found Boaz asleep and she came to him softly and “uncovered his feet, and laid her down” [Ruth 3:7]  The uncovering of his feet is probably the best way to gently help Boaz to wake up without being startled.  It could be symbolic of the parting of the veil. Ruth also wore a veil that was later removed that night.    

At midnight, Boaz turned himself and beheld Ruth.   Midnight was the hour the Lord used to exemplify his second coming.   “And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh:  go ye out to meet him” [Matt. 25:6].     

After asking who she is, Ruth answered, “I am Ruth thine handmaid: [there is no account that she officially worked for him, so the author feels that this is symbolic of Ruth desiring to be a servant of Boaz or the Lord].  Then she requested, “Spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman.” The skirt is the lower part of Boaz’s robe. 

Isaiah 61:10 reads, “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom…”  Nephi pleads, “O Lord, wilt thou encircle me around in the robe of thy righteousness!” [2 Nephi 4:33]    

The request for covering could be symbolic of the atonement which “covers” our sins — as Paul stated, “Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered” [Romans 4:7].                  

Boaz was obviously pleased with this request for he said, “Blessed be thou of the Lord, 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” [Ruth 3:10-11].  

Because of her righteousness, Ruth’s requests are granted.  Like Naomi, Boaz called Ruth a daughter.  Paul writes, “…but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.  The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:  And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ” [Romans 8:15-17].  Boaz, like Christ, was willing to make Ruth his daughter, his bride and joint-heir.

Then Boaz told her to bring her veil and hold it while he gave her six measures of barley.  This indicated that Ruth did wear a veil and took it off so that Boaz could fill it.  Likewise when the Lord visited the Nephites, He filled them not only with literal bread and wine from heaven [3 Nephi, chapter 20], but also spiritually.  They were so full spiritually that “no tongue can speak, neither can there be written by any man, neither can the hearts of men conceive so great and marvelous things as we both saw and heard Jesus speak” [3 Nephi 17:17]. 

Boaz also told Ruth that there was a nearer kinsman that he needed to deal with before he could redeem her.

Returning to Naomi with the six measures of barley, Ruth told Naomi all that had transpired.  Naomi said, “Sit still, my daughter… for the man will not be in rest, until he have finished the thing this day.”  Likewise Christ will not rest until He has completed His work. 

Answered Prayers

The six measures of barley could be symbolic of the six days or six periods of time until the Lord has finished His work and rests on the seventh or Sabbath Day.   The Sabbath also is symbolic of the saints entering into His rest, “prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” [Rev. 21:2, also see my article “Shabbat Hamalka — The Sabbath Queen”, Meridian Magazine].

Boaz went to the gate and, with ten elders of the city, talked with the nearer kinsman.  This could be symbolic of the judgment.  Of what can this near kinsman be representative?  As Christ is the only one that can truly redeem us, the nearer kinsman could represent the law or justice that has claim upon us until we can be redeemed by Christ.  Alma wrote, “There is a law given, and a punishment affixed, and a repentance granted; which repentance, mercy claimeth; otherwise, justice claimeth the creature and executeth the law” [Alma 42:22].  Boaz is symbolic of Christ and mercy.  Because Ruth is a virtuous woman, mercy, through the atonement of Jesus Christ, claimeth justice.    

Boaz went to the city council in behalf of not only Naomi, but also for Ruth, who was a gentile and a Moabitess, and who by law had no rights at all.  At first the nearer kinsman was willing to redeem the land, but when Boaz told him that he must “buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance” [Ruth 4:5], the nearer kinsman said, “…redeem thou my right to thyself; for I cannot redeem it.” [Ruth 4:6]. 

As Paul clearly states, the law cannot save us because “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” [Romans 3:23].  As we are “covered” through the atonement of Jesus Christ through repentance, “sin shall not have dominion over you:  for ye are not under the law, but under grace” [Romans 6:14].

The nearer kinsman [he is never named] then took of his shoe and gave it to Boaz, as a testimony that he transferred the right of redemption.  What the law [the nearer kinsman] couldn’t do, Boaz [Christ’s atoning grace] was willing and able to perform all the legal obligations.

Boaz then exclaimed, “Ye are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s, and all that was Chilion’s and Mahlon’s, of the hand of Naomi.  Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife” [Ruth 4:9-10].  Paul said, “Ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” [1 Corinth. 6:19].

It is fitting that Jesus Christ descended from Boaz and Ruth [Matt. 1:5-16] and that one of the two pillars in Solomon’s temple was named Boaz [1 Kings 7:21].  The wonderful story of Ruth and Boaz can teach us how to have this covenant relationship with Jesus Christ and his role as our Redeemer.