Sexual Morality

by Ben

I read the book of Ruth.

Soooo many things that can confuse in this book! Most of them deal with lust! Boaz flirts with Ruth, a noble widow who stayed with her mother-in-law, Naomi, even though she could have gone to marry another man. Boaz, a wealthy and influential landowner, allows Ruth to collect grain in his fields and is much nicer to her than he needs to be. Naomi urges Ruth to go "lie down" with Boaz, when he is clearly inebriated. Boaz doesn't do anything inappropriate, however, he is concerned in the morning and tells Ruth, "No one must know that a woman was here at the threshing floor." In chapter 4, we find out that technically, Boaz shouldn't have been flirting at all because there is someone else who has more right to marry her. Mind you, it all works out in the end: the other man passes on his opportunity to redeem Ruth's land (and Ruth) and Boaz marries her, which provides protection for both Ruth and Naomi.

Again, no commentary on whether these behaviors are accepted - except for the marriage. Everybody is pretty happy about that. I found it interesting however, that Student's Life Application Bible has a side note about Sexual Morality, but this is more connected to modern day and doesn't address the situations described in Ruth.

Hope you all are having a good day!