RUTH

The Story of Right Woman

Ruth is the story of Right Woman. The simple love story is key to understanding the Plan of God, love, and marriage as revealed in the scripture. So simple, yet so powerful when understood, this book is dedicated to the scriptural explanation of Right Man/Right Woman as related from the perspective of Right Woman. The scriptural explanation of romance bears no resemblance to the worldly viewpoint of courtship and marriage. The story of Ruth is one of the most powerful love stories ever told.

PREVIEW
Highlights

Ruth was a Moabite - not a Jew. The Attraction Phase of Romance is not courting, dating, wild passions, kissing, touching, or wooing. Not even kissing is important before marriage. Relationship with God is far more important than relationship with Right Man/Right Woman in the advance through the phases of romance and marriage. Romance in the Plan of God prior to marriage bears no resemblance to romantic novels. The immature believer will be a casualty in marriage just as he is a casualty in the spiritual life. Every human being has a Right Man/Right Woman. Intimacy in this life can only be achieved with that one. Marriage is God's solution to our lives - not human ambition. Sex is God's gift to marriage. Sex in any form except between Right Man/Right Woman within the boundaries of marriage is expressly prohibited by the Word of God and is the quickest way to destroy the possibility of ever having a successful marriage.

Topics

How to meet and identify Right Man/Right Woman. The Phases of Romance: Attraction, Soulish Compatibility, and Spiritual. The Plan of God in the Right Man/Right Woman relationship. The man's love and the woman's respect.

Women in the workplace and sexual harassment. Intimacy and privacy. Worldly distractions (Internet Sex, Reacting Women, Business Ambition, Sexuality in Children) The solution for illicit sex problems, e.g. fornication, adultery, masturbation.

SCRIPTURAL BACKGROUND
Divine Order of Precedent The order of precedent for the Divine Institution of Marriage was established in the Garden of Eden, and it has never changed. The essential elements of that relationship were: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. The Lord created the right woman for the right man (Gen. 2:21-22). The Lord brought the right woman to the right man (Gen. 2:22b). The right man identified the right woman (and was delighted) (Gen. 2:23). The Lord Jesus Christ performed the wedding ceremony (Gen. 2:22-24). The marriage was consummated with sex (Gen. 2:24-25).

We can learn much from this because it has never changed. The Lord Jesus Christ still creates the woman for the man. She is built to specifications to fit the man physically, soulishly, and spiritually just as hv*a! ('Ishah) (Adam's right woman) in the Garden. So why worry, men or women, about having a right man or right woman? Man and woman are incomplete without their right partner. The Lord never built them to be single in the first place. Divine design has provided the perfect solution if we can just allow it without getting in the way! The whole thing is very simple if we leave it to the grace of God. He took everything into consideration during the formation of the DNA before birth. We were born to match someone else. Man is not complete without the woman; neither is the woman without the man (1 Corinthians 11:11). So a solution exists in the Plan of God - not just good intentions, but in reality. Every man or woman has a built-in relationship with their opposite number from birth. So when a child is born, it is born to relate to another human, which will one day culminate in the marriage relationship. The body that comes from the womb is not designed to profile mother or father, but Right Man/Right Woman. The first sucking that uniquely characterizes every child is not for mother but for Right Man/Right Woman. The gene combinations were not a

chance of nature, but the craftsmanship of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Creator of all things. So when women are cooing over a newborn babe and say that he has Dad's nose or eyes or some other silly thing, they are wrong! The baby has a body designed for its opposite number - Right Man/Right Woman. We can learn many other things from the Garden. The Lord brought the woman to the man. So how should we try to find Right Man/Right Woman? We shouldn't worry about it. We don't have to date around, become socialites, go to bars, or run ads. The meeting is handled exclusively by the personnel director, the Lord Jesus Christ, who escorts the Right Woman to the Right Man. If the believer is executing the Plan of God, then the right one will come along at the right time. The big problem, however, is that Christians are not executing the Plan of God; so their opposite number may never be recognized even when they do pass. So how can one recognize Right Man or Right Woman? The bone structure of the face and body is the first clue. Look for a match. Of course, many people look alike. Some people are almost doubles; so, a little extra help is in order. With Adam it was no problem, since Ishah was the only woman on earth, but we need extra help; and God the Holy Spirit provides that help. Whenever we lack wisdom, He serves as our personal counselor. Just ask, and the answer will be there. Now, unless the person who asks is operating in the Filling of the Spirit, it won't work. Neither will the question be heard by God nor will the answer be given. Even when the answer is given, it can only be recognized in the Filling of the Spirit. Principle: To find Right Man or Right Woman, get with doctrine. Adam and the Ishah identified each other in the Garden. At least one of them (which was Adam in this case) knew the score. Nothing has changed. Unless either Right Man or Right Woman knows the score, the chances of this fantastic relationship ever transpiring are next to nil. Adam was prepared, established, educated, and ready to have a true love relationship when Ishah came along. God's timing is the right time. We don't have to get pushy. Some people find the right one when they are young, and some must wait till they are older. But God decides the right time - not us. The Creator decides - not the creation. The next important lesson we can learn from the Garden is that sex came after the wedding ceremony - not before. Sex was the consummation of the marriage. Sex was the exclusive right of marriage - not an experiment to sample the goods beforehand. Sex was designed for one person only in one relationship only; and that was marriage. The Lord created the man and the woman so they could have sex. He invented sex. Also note, there was no lust in the Garden before sin. There was perfect love and sex was the expression of that love. And the love and the sex were perfect. Sex was for recreation - not procreation. There were no perversions - just intimate love and super

sex. Mankind did not need any alternatives or any handbooks or counselors to figure this thing out. And that has never changed. The Importance of the Book of Ruth The book of Ruth is important because it establishes the origin of the Davidic Dynasty. David was the greatest king of Israel. The Davidic Covenant establishes his throne forever and will be fulfilled in the Millennium under the New Covenant to Israel. In addition, the book of Ruth appears to be a simple love story. However, it is much more because it establishes the doctrine of Right Man/Right Woman for Israel. The book of Ruth is the story of Right Man/Right Woman from the perspective of the woman. In it is the precedent for Paul's spiritual analogy of the relationship between Church-Age believers as the virgin bride and the Head of the Church, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Right Man. The dedication of an entire book to the subject of Right Woman in Israel is a significant part of the Old Covenant (Old Testament) Canon. Right Woman is an important doctrine because the congregation of Israel was symbolically the wife of Jehovah (the LORD). In this metaphor, the believer in Israel was the Right Woman and the LORD was the Right Man. This love relationship was the most important relationship per the most important commandment: And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might" (Deut. 6:5, 11:13;Mark 12:30). Marriage, which illustrates this relationship, is thus very important. The entire book of Ruth is dedicated to revealing the Divine Institution of Marriage and Right Man/Right Woman.

RUTH'S STORY
Historical Setting Ruth 1:1 Now it came about in the days when the judges governed, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the land of Moab with his wife and his two sons. According to the timeline, the book of Ruth could have occurred during the latter days of Gideon. There was a famine in the land of Israel, which led one of the men of Israel to emigrate with his family to Moab. Here we see how the Lord Jesus Christ, who controls history, engineered the circumstances to bring about His Plan. The Plan of God called for the birth of a great king, i.e. David. In order to provide this King, God, in His infinite wisdom, decided that David would come from a Moabite woman instead of a Jewish one. We know that the vigor of a people is often improved by

mixing the blood line with another; but whether, this is the reason God decided upon the Moabite woman, we don't know. Ruth 1:2 And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife, Naomi; and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem in Judah. Now they entered the land of Moab and remained there. The Hebrew name in the Old Covenant to Israel (Old Testament) is always a clue to the calling, or destiny, of the individual. Thus, i=l#m#yl!a$ (Elimelech), is a combination of two words, la@ (El)(God), and i=l#m# (melek, king); thus, it means "to whom God is king." This is the origin of the dynasty of David. Before there were human kings in Israel, God was the only leader. Later, Israel would have human kings; and David would be the second and greatest. ym!u(n` (Naomi) means "the gracious."1 Mahlon, /wl)j=m^ (Machlon from original) means weak and sickly. And Chilion, /wy{l=k! , means consumption (wasting away). The names of the boys predicted their early demise. Ruth is a Moabite name and cannot be established with certainty from its transliteration into Hebrew. However from the context, Ruth will become a name synonymous with Right Woman. Elimelech soon died in Moab and the two sons married Moabite women. Machlon, the elder, married Ruth (Ruth 1:3-4). However, soon both Machlon and Chilion died also. Now Naomi was left alone with her two daughters-in-law, but without a man they were unable to make a living. So they were forced to return to Bethlehem, Naomi's old hometown. The total time Naomi was in Moab was about ten years (Ruth 1:4). Ruth's approximate age can be surmised from this. The earliest she would have been married would have been age 14 (which would not be unusual for the Moabites); otherwise, due to promiscuity, the girl would often not have been a virgin at the time of marriage. If the family were in Moab 5 years before Machlonmarried Ruth, then Ruth would have been 19 at the time. It is probably reasonable to assume that she was 19 to 24 at the time of the return to Bethlehem. Separation from the World Naomi decided to leave Moab because she had heard that there was food available in Judah (Ruth 1:6). As she left Moab, Ruth and Orpah (the other sister-in-law) were accompanying her (Ruth 1:7). Naomi demanded that the daughters-in-law go home to their mothers, since she did not need them to look after her. Orpah decided to go back. Ruth 1:15 Then she said, Behold, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods; return after your sister-in-law. Here is the picture that is so prevalent. Orpah had become a believer, but instead of pressing on to maturity, she turned back to the world and to her old ways. To return to Moab meant to return to slavery to Satan's cosmic system. In Moab, the people

worshipped the gods - primarily Chemosh (Nu. 21:29; Judg. 11:24; 1 Ki. 11:33; 2 Ki 23:13; Jer. 48:7, 13, 46), whose worship was similar to Baal and included burning children as sacrifices. During the wilderness wanderings the gods of Moab had been responsible for the worst plagues and judgment on Israel (Num. 22-25). The gods of idolatry always take two forms as did the Moabite gods: The gods of war and the gods of love. Thus, returning to Moab meant returning to an evil nation. The nation of Moab came from the incest between Lot and his elder daughter (Genesis 19:30-38). The return to Moab is a symbol of reversionism (turning back from the Plan of God to follow a worldly alternative). Ruth, however, refused to turn back. As a believer in Jehovah-Elohim, she refused to stay in Moab, a symbol of the world, but chose, instead, to go with Naomi to the Promised Land. Ruth took a solemn oath of dedication to Naomi, the Jews, and God. Ruth 1:16 But Ruth said, Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.17 Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may the Lord do to me, and worse, if anything but death parts you and me. At this point Ruth demonstrated her understanding of Bible Doctrine and made a spiritual decision to separate from the world. She was executing the Plan of God by application of Bible Doctrine to experience. In order to reach this point in her spiritual life, she had to first make daily decisions to get Bible Doctrine and believe it on the basis of faith. Then she had to decide to apply that doctrine to her life. This is experiential sanctification, the purpose of the life of the believer. This decision of Ruth will take her to her right man, who is waiting for her in Bethlehem. Principle: Right Man or Right Woman is not in the world but is in the Plan of God. Ruth is Brought to Her Right Man Per the divine order of precedent, the Lord Jesus Christ escorted Ruth to her Right Man. The circumstances involved clearly demonstrate how far the Lord will go to fulfill the Right Man/Right Woman relationship. When the story of Ruth began, Ruth was a Moabite (different race) who lived in Moab and her right man was a Jew who lived in Judah. In order to bring her to her right man, there had to be a famine in Israel, a Jewish family had to emigrate to Moab, Ruth had to marry a Jewish man, two women had to be barren, three men had to die, and Naomi's household had to become bankrupt. Furthermore, Ruth, a Moabite had to be positive to Bible Doctrine and execute the Plan of God.

Ruth and Naomi came to Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest, which began with the Feast of Firstfruits, the day after Passover. Passover was celebrated on the 14th day of the first month of the Jewish calendar, which corresponds to MarchApril. Thus, Passover would fall approximately April 1. At harvest time almost everyone was working in the field harvesting the barley. Since, Naomi and Ruth were bankrupt, Ruth decided to get a job as a gleaner. Gleaners were poor women peasants who followed the reapers and picked up straw (stalks of barley) that were dropped. Gleaners were like migrant laborers, Chinese peasants, or Russian peasants, who worked in the fields of others at harvest time. On her first day on the job, Ruth wound up in a field belonging to Boaz, her right man. She had traveled from a foreign country, received permission to work as a peasant and was waiting for him (per the Plan of God) when he arrived for work that morning.

BOAZ'S STORY
Boaz Meets His Right Woman Boaz is described as "a man of great wealth" (Ruth 2:1, NAS). However, the Hebrew is much more descriptive. He was, ly!j^ rwB)G! vya! ('ish gibbor chajil): vya! ('ish) (man, right man),rwB)G! (gibbor) (heroic, mighty, noble), ly!j^ (chajil) (efficiency, wealth). Thus, the better translation is "a great, noble leader." Boaz was an aristocrat and entrepreneur with not just management skills but leadership ability. He had great ability as an agriculturist. He managed a large estate. He would be able to manage a large corporation today. His leadership ability as revealed in the book of Ruth was magnificent. He managed women in the workplace, established policy on sexual harassment, managed an estate, and was a brilliant lawyer. He is one of those rare and gifted leaders, who because history dealt him no crisis, never became famous. If one can imagine what great leaders like Douglas McArthur or Napoleon would have been without a war, such was Boaz, whose sole claim to fame is that he was one of the greatest husbands who ever lived. Boaz was also a mature believer. Unlike others who married for convenience, Boaz waited for his right woman and spent the time advancing to spiritual maturity. The path that his right woman took to reach him is a testimony to his spiritual advance in the grace of God. When Boaz finally met his right woman, he was probably 50 years old. He was waiting faithfully for God to fulfill His promise when he saw Ruth working in his field. The Lord brought Ruth to him per the divine order of precedent.

When Boaz entered his field that morning (Ruth 2:4-5), he greeted his reapers by recognizing the blessing of the LORD upon the agricultural operation. How many today have a clue as to what makes a business successful? Then Boaz noticed a new gleaner, which was an entry level position, pauper. Granted Ruth was probably the most attractive woman in the field, but Boaz immediately noticed a new employee and inquired about her. He asked the crew foreman for a report on her, which was promptly provided. All this shows the sensitivity of a great leader as well as the efficiency of his business. The crew foreman told Boaz that this was the Moabite girl who came back with Naomi. Moabites were foreigners, who were respected but lacked the full rights of Jewish citizenship (e.g. the right to worship in the temple with Jews). Perhaps it was anticipated that Boaz would not take notice. But it is obvious, that his personnel department had already allowed a Moabite to work on the farm because Boaz had established a policy (in keeping with the Mosaic Law) that prevented racial prejudice. The Crew Foreman related how Ruth had followed established protocol in requesting permission to glean and that she was a hard worker. Ruth 2:7 And she said, Please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves. Thus she came and has remained from the morning until now; she has been sitting in the house for a little while. Boaz listened to the report and read between the lines the spiritual meaning. Nothing is ever understood until it is understood spiritually. Boaz, as a mature believer, was used to analyzing circumstances with divine viewpoint. He was executing the Plan of God just as Ruth had been when she chose a field and applied for permission to work that morning. Boaz immediately understood (without going back to sit down in the shade and pray about it) that Ruth had separated from the world and was working to support Naomi. Boaz next demonstrated his leadership ability and offered her permanent employment for the duration of the harvest (Ruth 2:8). He afforded her equal opportunity with his own maids (servants). And he established a sexual harassment policy (Ruth 2:9) to prevent any incident before it happened in his field. He told Ruth that she was under this protection. Let your eyes be on the field which they reap, and go after them. Indeed, I have commanded the servants not to touch you. When you are thirsty, go to the water jars and drink from what the servants draw. (Ruth 2:9) He told Ruth that she could drink water that had been drawn by the servants. She wouldn't have to draw her own. She would be treated with hospitality. She would receive equal treatment. There would be no prejudice against her. Among the snobbishness of racial prejudice, foreigners are often prevented from eating or

drinking with locals. However, Boaz made it clear that he provided fair personnel management practices. This further demonstrated sensitivity to personnel needs because one of the most important needs of a farm worker is access to water. When working in the hot sun, it is a necessity. Thus, we see Boaz personally handling the personnel orientation for the lowest class of worker even though he is the entrepreneur of the estate and director of harvest operations. Gleaning Principles Boaz is a believer in Spiritual Maturity by the time he meets his Right Woman. He is prosperous, a great leader, and entrepreneur of a large estate. All Boaz had was provided compliments of the grace of God per the Plan of God. He applies Bible Doctrine in every area of his life every day. Boaz has waited almost 40 years for his Right Woman. His friends have probably been through several divorces by now and their children have become adults. Boaz waited for God to provide per the divine order of precedent. He may have been 50 to 55 years old before he ever met his Right Woman. When Ruth came into his life during the barley harvest, she was perhaps 19 to 20 years old. He was old enough to be her father. Principle: Right Man/Right Woman discover each other by executing the Plan of God. Principle: God provides the Right Woman for the Right Man in grace - human works (e.g. social life, partying, running ads, dating around) are rejected. Principle: Age does not make a difference in the Right Man/Right Woman relationship per the Plan of God. Boaz went to work one morning and the Lord Jesus Christ had brought his Right Woman into his field. She was waiting for him to arrive. Boaz performed his job as a professional, and that is how he met Ruth. She was a new employee. As a mature believer and great leader, Boaz looked out for his personnel - even the entry level peasants. Boaz was doing his job as unto the Lord. He was not selecting a pretty young female to make a conquest. He treated Ruth with the utmost respect and hospitality. As will be seen later, he even waited for Ruth to choose him as her Right Man. He never tried to coerce her volition. Principle: Right Man/Right Woman may meet on the job. Principle: A CEO/director should be sensitive to the needs of his employees. Principle: It is not demeaning to perform menial jobs.

Principle: If we treat others with justice, the Lord will treat us with justice. Personnel practices must be fair to all.

THE DIVINE SOLUTION IN ROMANCE

There are three parts to the divine solution for romance - i.e. Right Man/Right Woman: 1. Attraction - Physical Identification 2. Compatibility - Soul Love 3. Rapport - Spirituality All three parts of the divine solution must be mastered. The three parts may be viewed as phases of the Right Man/Right Woman relationship. Although the phases overlap, they generally follow the pattern of beginning with Attraction and culminating in Rapport. All of the phases must be executed by faith-application in the spiritual life. Spirituality is required to execute the Attraction Phase just as it is required to execute the Rapport Phase.

ATTRACTION PHASE
Definition The attraction phase of romance refers to the period of searching for the Right Man/Right Woman in order to accomplish physical identification. It is a period of attraction to the physical for the purpose of finding the right one. Consequently, it not only refers to attraction toward the right one, but also attraction toward the wrong one. God has placed this desire in the hearts of mankind to entice them to search for their Right Man/Right Woman. Attraction Right Man/Woman <===========> Wrong Man/Woman This phenomenon explains preoccupation with the physical by adolescents and immature adults. The soul will easily be attracted to the wrong person until the Right Man/Woman arrives; and, even then, the immature believer will be preoccupied with the physical. There is much more to this wonderful relationship than just the physical. However, those who view Wrong Man/Woman may be strongly attracted. This

explains the preoccupation with nudity and other frantic searches for finding the love of one's life. This is simply the attraction phase of romance. For those who are more discerning, the Attraction Phase may include appreciation for another's values, norms and standards, skills, abilities, talents, ambitions, or desires. Included are opportunities for acquiescence of compatible Old Sin Natures. For example, two who have similar patterns of sin, human good, or evil may be attracted. This explains the desire of those with psychological kinks or aberrations to socialize with like types. Of course, our definition here relates only to the Attraction Phase of romance - not the host of other worldly attractions. The Attraction Phase is a stage of immaturity in the Right Man/Right Woman relationship. It is the introductory period only - not the culmination of the relationship. Granted, some immature types never progress beyond the Attraction Phase, but this is not the desired outcome. The Attraction Phase is necessary and cannot be avoided. It may be awkward but it need not be a failure. Problems of the Attraction Phase The Attraction Phase has some serious failure modes when the Plan of God is violated. The Attraction Phase must be executed per the Word of God. That means that sin, human good, lust, and evil must be avoided. If one sins, then the Recovery Procedure (1 John 1:9) must be followed in order to regain the Filling of the Holy Spirit. Otherwise, there will be no further progress. Instead Frantic Search for Happiness and the road of Reversionism will take one down to crash and burn. As with all phases of romance, success can only be achieved by following the principles of spirituality. The Plan of God must be executed, which demands the Filling of the Spirit; otherwise, the spiritual life as well as the love life will be a failure. The popular misconception about meeting the Right Man/Right Woman is that it will be a wonderful experience and the two will be madly attracted, fall in love, and live happily ever after. This is not the case. Even with Ruth and Boaz, which was one of the smoothest romances ever recorded, it was obviously not that way. At the initial meeting, unless the believer is very astute, the Right Man/Right Woman will not even be identified. It often takes many associations before the truth begins to be understood. Whereas, the Attraction Phase is supposed to be for finding the right one, most of the problems arise from relationships with the wrong one. It is the attraction to the wrong one that wastes one's life chasing rainbows and ending up on dead end streets. The wrong one must be promptly booted out of one's soul. Many wrong ones must be rejected before the right one is discovered. So if a person is not ready to cull the

wrong ones, the right one will never be found. The great example of this in history was Solomon, who had a thousand women in his harem, but never found his right one. Principle: Experimenting with the wrong one does not help; it only hurts. Sexual Sins Sex in any form prior to marriage is prohibited by the Word of God. Sex during the Attraction Phase, even with the Right Man/Right Woman, will destroy the relationship and result in intensified discipline. Flee fornication. Every other sin that a person commits is outside the body, but the immoral person sins against his own body. (1 Cor. 6:18) Note that the word, "fornication," is translated "immorality" in the New American Standard (NAS), which is not correct. The Greek, porneiva (porneia), refers to fornication. The NAS also uses "man" in this verse, but it should be translated "person", since a[nqrwpo" (anthropos) refers to a human being. Both the man and the woman get discipline for fornication. Sex during the Attraction Phase will stop all progress and introduce intensive discipline from God for violating the principles of the Divine Institution of Marriage. God designed sex for marriage only. This means that sex in any form prior to marriage will jeopardize one's hope of ever having a successful marriage. The counseling professions are full of error regarding premarital sex and other sexual aberrations, e.g. masturbation. These are all sins. They are arrogant violations of God's gift of sex, which is for marriage only. The justice of God will be swift to discipline these sins, and they do serious damage to future marital relationships. Those engaged in such activity may never find the right one as it was with Solomon. For those who have sinned sexually, there is a recovery process, which begins with Rebound and includes a long road of suffering and discipline. Principle: Sex in any form prior to marriage is prohibited! Courtship The concept of courtship and dating are worldly concepts that are not taught in the Word of God. Ruth and Boaz went all the way to marriage, and Boaz never dated her or courted her apart from having lunch with her in the presence of others. The Plan of God has taken this Attraction Phase into consideration. The right one will be around often enough to enable one to successfully execute the Plan of God and advance through the Attraction Phase without courtship.

Perhaps this seems unusual, but courtship is full of human good and lack of humility. When a man takes it upon himself to arrange a meeting with a woman to woo her, to arouse romantic interest, he is full of arrogance. That is not the purpose of the Attraction Phase. The Attraction Phase is a testing phase in the Right Man/Right Woman relationship. God gives the tests - not mankind. The tests can only be passed spiritually. God does not need help. There is no reason to touch or kiss the Right Man/Right Woman during the attraction phase. A famous evangelist once said that he never kissed his wife before they were engaged. This may sound cold, but it makes sense. The Attraction Phase is not designed to receive or express one's physical love for another. A kiss is certainly not a sin, but it can easily lead to sensuality. This is not a legalistic lecture on avoiding the lusts of the flesh. It is simple recognition of the Plan of God. The activity commonly engaged in by teens in "making out" is anything but true love. The Attraction Phase of romance is not for hugging and kissing, petting or sensuality, it is for identification and passing the testing of the Plan of God to determine maturity, fitness for marriage. Principle: Passing the test of the Attraction Phase does not require touching. For those who are now ready to fly off halfcocked and misconstrue this chapter: Kissing is not a sin. Dating is not a sin. Courtship is not prohibited by the Bible. However, the Attraction Phase of romance can only be executed per the grace of God. This requires the Filling of the Spirit and faith-application. God does not need our help and we cannot be promoted though this phase and demonstrate maturity to enter the next phase unless we obey the Plan of God. Soul Model The soul model for the Attraction Phase is the one used by Moses (Deut. 28:13) and Isaiah (Isa. 9:14-15). It is simple. The head represents authority while the tail represents the body, emotion, and the resulting slavery. Animals have a tail. There is no brain in the tail. The head is first; the tail is last. The model applies to humans as well as animals. When the head is used to submit to authority, the body is under control. However, when the head is empty, the body is a slave to its tail. The subconscious, Old Sin Nature, and emotion all strive to satisfy the lust of the flesh - i.e. the tail. The tail exhibits polarized degeneracy with affinity toward legalism (anus) (1 Sam. 5:6) or lawlessness (genitals) (1 Cor. 6:16). When one rejects God's authority, he enters the Cosmic System of Satan, who manifests himself in two ways: As the god of war and the goddess of love.

The believer in the Attraction Phase has a choice: To be a head or a tail. The head represents submission to the authority of the Word of God. The tail represents rejection of the authority of God and love of the world (Satan's Cosmic System). When the authority of God is rejected, the tail will pursue one of two extremes Legalism or Lawlessness. The sexual sins, e.g. fornication, are Lawlessness. Implacability in all forms, bitterness, sins of the tongue, murder, are examples of the pursuit of Legalism (which sets oneself up as God to punish offenders). Role model arrogance may place wrong man/woman on a pedestal and worship them. This is the tail of lawlessness. Later, when the feet of clay are discovered, iconoclastic arrogance may seek to destroy the image. This is the tail of legalism. To fornicate or engage in some other lascivious activity illustrates failure in the Attraction Phase of romance. Similarly, to fight or react illustrates failure in the Attraction Phase. When a man is around some else's right woman, he must be a gentleman and keep his hands off the property. She is not his. Further, when he is around his right woman in the Attraction Phase, he must have the capacity for life to remain under control. In the Attraction Phase, he is not ready for a physical relationship. To do so is to submit to the desires of the tail. The physical relationship is for marriage - not the Attraction Phase. Women, the kindest thing God could have ever done for you would have been to let you be born ugly. However, this is never the case. All women are beautiful. If a woman were born ugly, she would have the best chance of fending off the men. Since she is a responder, she has it rough in the Attraction Phase. She is going to naturally respond to the man in her environment. When she is not under the authority of her head (which means under the authority of her right man and God), she is doomed to slavery to the tail. Whereas, the man consciously decides to pursue the paramour, the woman simply responds to her subconscious. When she associates with the wrong man, she is already under his power. Only by having the objectivity to think ahead can she avoid illicit attractions. So the Attraction Phase requires keeping the head, which signifies submission to the authority of the Word of God. This means executing the Christian life in the Filling of the Holy Spirit. To succumb to the desires of the tail (world, flesh, or the devil) in the pursuit of the paramour or even the right one is to flunk the Attraction Phase of romance. Fortunately, when we fail, there is a recovery procedure, which begins with 1 John 1:9. Depending upon the failure, the believer will have to accept responsibility for it and submit to the discipline from the Supreme Court of Heaven. In the case of fornication, which brings intensified discipline, the recovery may take a long time and will only be possible through the daily perception of Bible Doctrine. Summary of the Attraction Phase

The purpose of the Attraction Phase is identification of Right Man/Right Woman. The phase follows the Divine Order of Precedent. The Lord Jesus Christ brings the Right Woman to the Right Man. The bone structure is the first clue and afterward the Holy Spirit will answer all questions and administer all tests. This phase must be executed spiritually per the Plan of God. This demands obedience to the head, which represents authority, and rejection of the solicitations from the tail, the attraction to the wrong man/woman and sensuality. Passing the testing in the Attraction Phase demands capacity for spiritual life. This is acquired by spiritual growth through the daily metabolization of Bible Doctrine. The believer must be able to make faith-application to handle this phase. Immature believers or those involved in apostasy or reversionism will become casualties. They will remain in this phase until they grow up spiritually. The Attraction Phase of romance is the warmup drill for the Right Man/Right Woman relationship. It is only the beginning of a long road that will last a lifetime - for better or for worse. The first days will be a time of confusion and sorting things out. They are the easiest part. The road ahead demands the full arsenal of the Christian Life. This is no party. Once this phase is passed, the next two phases will bring testing never before imagined.

RUTH
ATTRACTION PHASE - RUTH AND BOAZ
Ruth is Graced Out Ruth 2:10 Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground and said to him, Why have I found favor in your sight that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner? Ruth's response to Boaz was to fall on her face and bow to the ground. This was recognition of Boaz's authority as the entrepreneur. It was a sign of humble respect for the owner of the field who showed her special kindness and favor even though Ruth was a "foreigner", another race - a Moabite. However, it was much more. Here is one of the signs of the Attraction Phase. It is being graced out! It is being in dire straits, downtrodden, brokenhearted, weary, and looking up and receiving a double portion of grace blessing. Ruth had just moved from her home country. No moving van was available or even a horse. She had to walk all the way - approximately 50 miles. She did not even have the luxury of hitchhiking. She traveled the road with no man to protect her. She was a

stranger in a strange land. She was a pauper who got a job as a peasant gleaner. She hoped to pick up enough straw to keep from starving. She was hungry and had probably gone to work that morning without breakfast. Her husband was dead. His father was dead. His brother was dead. She was all alone. Are the tears flowing yet? The average person does not understand what it means to be in need and would never appreciate the grace of God. Ruth fell on her face! That action demonstrated respect, humility, and appreciation for the kindness shown her by Boaz. She was hurting inside. She was hungry and alone, and the great landowner Boaz stooped down and said, "I'm here to help you." And she fell on her face because of Boaz? NO! She fell on her face because she was graced out. She had been depending on the Lord to keep her alive ever since she left Moab. Now the Lord had come through. Tears came into her eyes as she experienced the grace of God. Are the tears flowing yet? Ruth the Spiritual Warrior Without a shoulder to bear, Without a hand to help, She'd left her homeland, Marched in the Plan of God. Your family is dead; Pick up and move out! You're a soldier now, Spiritual Warrior of God. Advance to Bethlehem! Advance to the field! Become a gleaner of straw! Forget your dead husband; Forget how he died. Keep your head up. Don't show your pain. March, warrior of God! Forget the grueling shame. March; you're a soldier now. Reject the hill with the crows; Take the field with the doves.

Never mind the pain. Sidestep the red shirt Go for the white one Stand your ground! I'll protect you. See the FLOT line. Wait for the artillery Before moving again. Reaching for the next straw, Sweat dripping from her Dirty, sweaty brow With the gnawing hunger, She looked up in the heat And met a lone kind voice, The only one she'd heard, From a man towering above. He was smiling at her. She looked up with tears In her eyes from the surprise And said, "Thank you, sir." Then lost it and bowed To grace and to God Who loved her and brought Her to this man - Boaz!

Are the tears flowing yet? This is being graced out. It happens in the Attraction Phase of romance. Boaz Recognizes Ruth's Courage

At this juncture neither Ruth or Boaz had concluded they were Right Man/Right Woman, but it is obvious that they had taken special notice of each other. Both were simply executing the Plan of God and being themselves. Boaz was behaving with true sensitivity as a mature believer, and Ruth was responding to the authority in her life with true respect for that authority and recognition of his graciousness. After getting up off the ground and regaining her composure, Ruth asked Boaz, "Why have I found favor in your sight that you should take notice of me?" Boaz had values that attracted him to Ruth, and Ruth had values that gave her respect for Boaz. This was the grace of God in preparing Right Man/Right Woman for each other so when they met there would be attraction. These two were obviously attracted, but they had not yet had time to realize this as Right Man/Right Woman. Ruth 2:11 And Boaz answered and said to her, All that you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband has been fully reported to me, and how you left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and came to a people that you did not previously know. Boaz's answer was different than the report given to him by the Crew Foreman (Ruth 2:6-7), who simply reported the facts. Boaz heard the story from divine viewpoint. He was sensitive to a true widow (Ex. 22:22; Deut. 14:28-29, 24:19; James 1:27). Boaz recognized Ruth's courage and obedience to the Word of God. He noticed how she had followed the pattern of Abraham (Genesis 12:1) in leaving his homeland and family behind in separation from the world to go to the Promised Land. In deciding to go into the Promised Land, Ruth made the same decision as the children of Exodus generation when they were circumcised prior to crossing the Jordan (Joshua 5:2-9). In the next verse Boaz recognized Ruth's obedience to Bible Doctrine and expressed his wish for her to receive blessings from the LORD. Ruth 2:12 "May the LORD reward what you have done and full wages (prosperity) come from the LORD, the God of Israel under whose wings you have come to seek refuge. Ruth had left her homeland to support Naomi, a widow. This was an act of faith. It was obedience to Bible Doctrine in separation from the world and it was an act of supreme sacrifice in putting the welfare of Naomi ahead of her own. Boaz, who was a great leader, recognized the courageous decisions in the life of Ruth. "May the LORD reward what you have done" was a prayer for Ruth to reap the rewards for what she had sown. In addition, there was the prayer for her to receive prosperity on the job. Boaz recognizes that business prosperity is blessing from the LORD, who controls history according to the Plan of God ("the God of Israel").

"Under whose wings you have come to seek refuge": This phrase recognized Ruth's reliance upon the protection of the Lord (Psa. 27). The Lord protects his people as an eagle hovering above its chicks. "Wings" are symbols of power. The "wings" of the God of Israel refer to the power of the Lord (really Jesus Christ), the Commander-inChief of the Armies of Israel. This is a very powerful Hebrew metaphor. Boaz further recognizes that Ruth had traveled to the Promised Land to "seek refuge", a respite in the storm. She had been in a place of cursing and was seeking refuge, a place of rest, synonymous with the grace of God in maturity. Ruth was grateful for Boaz's kindness: "I have found favor in your sight, my lord." Ruth 2:13 Then she said, I have found favor in your sight, my lord, for you have comforted me and indeed have communicated to the heart of your maidservant, though I am not like one of your maidservants. In expressing her appreciation for his kindness, Ruth addressed Boaz as "my lord." This demonstrated her respect for authority just as Sarah had addressed her husband as lord (Gen. 18:12; 1 Peter 3:6). This is a sign not just of obedience to authority but of respect for it. It demonstrates that the soul has good values, values that not only motivate obedience to authority but respect, which is higher. Ruth Has Lunch with Boaz At lunch the first day, Boaz, the gracious host who had recognized Ruth as a near relative, invited her to eat with him. And at mealtime Boaz said to her, Come here, that you may eat of the bread and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar. So she sat beside the reapers; and he served her roasted grain, and she ate until she was satisfied and had some left over. (Ruth 2:14) Boaz said in Hebrew vg^n* (nagash), which means to come near. This was an invitation for Ruth to sit with him. Seating represents protocol as well as the Plan of God. Boaz, in requesting Ruth's presence near him at the table, showed her respect and promoted her out of her humble circumstances. Ruth was no longer an unknown peasant but was a special dinner guest of Boaz, the owner of the estate. Boaz was no longer an isolated rich man but a gracious host with love for a fellow recipient of the grace of God. Ruth was no longer a foreigner but a member of the worker family of the Boaz estate. Ruth was no longer an impersonal relationship but a very special person. She had been honored by the entrepreneur of the estate. Boaz demonstrated his sensitivity and respect for the Plan of God by inviting Ruth to have lunch with him. Boaz was a Jewish aristocrat, and he had just asked a Moabite peasant to eat with him. Eating with another person represents a personal love relationship. To be gathered around the same table represents commonality in the Plan of God. Those who eat together are, in effect, committing to a common

purpose. The table represents the Plan of God. As David said, "You have arranged in order a table before me in the presence of my enemies" (Psalm 23:4a). Partaking of daily bread is not just the nourishment of the body, it is a demonstration of the Plan of God, a ritual that is pregnant with symbolism. There are only two types of tables. One represents the Plan of God and the other represents the Cosmic System. The table of the Plan of God symbolizes the Stage of Life, and the table of the Cosmic System symbolizes the evil of the world. A person cannot eat at both tables at the same time any more than a person can serve two masters simultaneously. The command of God is to separate from the world. The Christian should only eat from the Table of God. It will be arranged based upon Logistical Grace. Those who partake of grace will have a spiritual life, but those who partake of the world will die from the sin that ends in death. This is not as simple as saying grace over a meal, although the Christian should always do so in recognition of the sanctification, i.e. separation, of the food of Logistical Grace from the food of the world. To say grace over the table of the world is to ask God to rubberstamp Cosmos Diabolicus. He will not do it! The Christian must first choose the Table of God or God will not bless the food or the dinner. Why? Because the dinner is all symbolic. The table, seating arrangement, food, conversation, events, and environment along with the dinner guests are all part of a play on the Stage of Life. The play can only honor God or Satan. There are no other options. Only recognition of grace can honor God. To compromise with the world at meal time is to practice apostasy or evil. Principle: Saying grace is a farce when you're eating with the hogs. The provision of manna in the wilderness was a demonstration of God's Logistical Grace provision for believers. The principle has never changed. Principle: We don't provide our food; God does. Those who do not obey God in what they eat are demonstrating rejection of the grace Plan of God. For eating from the table of Logistical Grace symbolizes being sanctified, set apart, to God. Those who reject Logistical Grace provision at mealtime will be enslaved to Ecumenical Babylon. So long as God has a purpose for a person, he will not be left to starve. If a person does not obey God in what he eats, he is disobedient and an enemy of the Plan of God. When God provides, we may eat; when God does not provide, we must wait. Such was the lesson of the no water test of the worldly congregation of Israel in the wilderness (Exodus 17:1-7; Deuteronomy 33:8; Psalm 95:8). So, before Boaz could invite Ruth to eat with him, he had to understand the Plan of God. By eating with Ruth, he was practicing hospitality (Hebrews 13:2) per the

teaching of the Word of God, but he was also pursuing a personal love relationship in the Plan of God. One of the characteristics of the Attraction Phase is personal love. The personal love may be so strong that it knocks a person off his or her feet. So, Boaz invited Ruth to have lunch with him. He invited her to sit beside him and to dip her bread in his "vinegar" (Hebrew Jm#j)), chometz), which was a sour beverage composed of wine vinegar or sour wine mixed with oil.1 Ruth accepted the invitation of her host and sat beside the reapers. Here is the protocol. Boaz was the head, the reapers (with their foremen) were his employees, and the peasant gleaners were last. There is protocol in the Plan of God. When Ruth moved up beside the reapers to sit next to Boaz, she was responding to personal love, which is without protocol. However, she was also accepting a seat of honor, which symbolized grace promotion. Principle: The Right Man gives his Right Woman a seat of honor. Boaz offered Ruth some parched grain. She ate until she was satisfied, and had some left over. The parched grain was a delicacy at harvest time. The grain, not yet fully dry or hard was roasted in a pan or iron plate. It was very tasty and was eaten with bread or instead of it.1 This meal was provided to Ruth compliments of Logistical Grace. She probably went to work that morning without a packed lunch and was provided a very good meal compliments of Logistical Grace. Evidence that this was the table of God as opposed to the world was: The hospitality of Boaz, absence of racial discrimination, protocol seating, symbolic grace promotion, and personal love. Boaz's New Personnel Policy After lunch, when Ruth rose up to return to the field, Boaz, the diligent manager, established a new personnel policy for his reapers to exercise toward Ruth. Ruth 2:15-16 15 When she rose to glean, Boaz commanded his servants, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and you shall not humiliate her. 16 And also you shall purposely pull out for her some grain from the bundles and leave it that she may glean, and you shall not scold her. Here is the hallmark of a leader. Before there can be any trouble, he nips in it the bud. This is like the famous quote from Marilyn Quail, wife of Dan Quail, who responded to the question by the press about what she did about sexual harassment. She said, "I don't have a problem; I nip it in the bud." Before there could be any problem, Boaz gave his workers their orders concerning Ruth, the attractive Moabite girl. He established the scope of her job. She was to be allowed to glean even among the sheaves, which was not commonly permitted. She was not to be harassed or humiliated in any way. The reapers were to purposely leave some grain behind for her to glean. And they were not permitted to scold her, which amounts to disciplinary

action. Ruth was an aristocrat and was not to be disciplined by the hired hands. Boaz had prescribed a personnel policy of trust and altruism toward Ruth. So she gleaned in the field until evening. Then she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley. (Ruth 2:17, NAS) Ruth gleaned until evening, between sundown and dark. It is common to work in the fields from daylight to dark. When she had beat out the barley to separate it from the straw and chaff so she could carry it home, she had about and "ephah." An "ephah" is 3 pecks and 3 pints, which is .8 bushel (about 20-25 pounds) of barley.1 Ruth Discovers Boaz's Genealogy And she took it up and went into the city, and her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. She also pulled out (of her pocket) and gave Naomi what she had left (of the parched grain) after she was satisfied. (Ruth 2:18) Ruth took the barley home, and Naomi saw that she had done well from gleaning. Then Ruth took the parched corn that she had left over from lunch and gave it to Naomi. So Ruth was thinking of Naomi even at lunch, and she brought the parched grain home for her. Her mother-in-law then said to her, Where did you glean today and where did you work? May he who paid regard to you be blessed. She told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked and said, The name of the man with whom I worked today is Boaz. (Ruth 2:19) When Naomi saw the blessing, she gave thanks for the man who had been gracious to Ruth. Naomi was grace oriented and recognized the source of Logistical Grace blessing. She, therefore, gave thanks to God. And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, May he be blessed of the Lord who has not withdrawn his gracious love to the living and to the dead. Again Naomi said to her, The man is our relative and one of our redeemers. (Ruth 2:20) Naomi recognized the Lord God as the source of "gracious love" (Hebrew ds#j#chesedh, which means gracious love or loving kindness). His grace was for the "living" (Naomi and Ruth) and "the dead" (Naomi and Ruth's dead husbands). In other words, it was honoring to the dead to have a close relative to provide for Naomi and Ruth in grace. Naomi explained to Ruth that Boaz was a close relative, who was one of their redeemers, Hebrew la@wG) (go'el). The concept of a redeemer (Leviticus 25:26, 48, 49) is peculiar to the Mosaic Law. Under the Law the land was all owned by the LORD and was allotted to specific families. Every seventh year the land was to lie fallow, and every fiftieth year, called the year of Jubilee, the land was to revert back to its original owners. If a Jew sold his land due to poverty, his nearest relative had the legal right to redeem it. The redeemer was to pay a prorated amount for the

land based on the numbers of years to the next Jubilee when it would revert back to its original owner anyway. This is all very important because along with the concept of the redeemer was the Law of the Levirate marriage whereby when a man died and left a widow, the man's brother was obligated to take the widow as his wife in order to perpetuate the family line (Deuteronomy 25:5-10). Whereas, the redeemer and the Law of the Levirate marriage were not connected in the Mosaic Law, it became a very natural Jewish tradition to do so.1 In other words, if a redeemer redeemed a piece of property that belonged to a deceased relative who left behind a widow, the widow went with the property. Thus, the redeemer was also expected to accept the widow as his wife along with the property. These customs may be strange to us, but in Israel they were common practice. In Israel the first-born was head of the tribal family. Thus, when a woman married a man, she also married into a tribe. When she married, she became part of the tribal family. Consequently, she was not deserted if she became a widow. And under the Law, there were provisions for her brother-in-law to take care of her and for her to be his wife in order to preserve the family line. Naomi understood all this and thus knew that Boaz was a potential redeemer. She furthermore understood this meant that he was a potential husband for Ruth. Having seen the kindness of Boaz toward Ruth, she advised Ruth to accept Boaz's offer to glean in his field until the end of the harvest. Ruth 2:21-22 21 Then Ruth the Moabitess said, Furthermore, he said to me, You should stay close to my servants until they have finished all my harvest. 22 And Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his maids, lest others jump on you in another field. Naomi was concerned for Ruth's safety. In another field others might attack Ruth. The Hebrew word translated "jump on" in verse 22 is ug^P* (paga` ), which means to fall upon, encounter with hostility, abuse, or molest. So she stayed close by the maids of Boaz in order to glean until the end of the barley harvest and the wheat harvest. She lived with her mother-in-law. (Ruth 2:23) According to Israel's calendar, the barley harvest started with the Feast of Firstfruits, which was the first day after the Passover. The barley harvest was followed by the wheat harvest, and then came Pentecost. Since the Passover fell approximately the first week in April, Pentecost (fifty days later) would be in June. Thus, the wheat harvest would have been over by June. Therefore, Ruth worked in Boaz's fields no more than fifty days, i.e. seven weeks.

COMPATIBILITY PHASE
See also: Compatibility Phase in Marriage Grace2 Description The Compatibility Phase of the Right Man - Right Woman relationship is designed to test the Edification Complex of the Soul (ECS) to verify the integrity of the soul to receive God's grace gift of Marriage Intimacy Love. The Compatibility Phase is a time of rigorous stress testing, and often a time of separation of Right Man and Right Woman. The Right Man and Right Woman do not have to see each other or talk to each other during this phase because the issue is the integrity of the soul. It is the integrity of the soul that determines capacity for love - not social adjustment. When Right Man and Right Woman have passed the Compatibility Test, God can provide them the grace-blessing of coalescence of souls. The stress tests of the Compatibility Phase are designed to verify the capacity of the soul to receive Marriage Intimacy Love. Or, put another way, Compatibility Testing verifies the integrity of the cup in the soul to hold the special love that God is willing to pour in marriage. If there are any flaws in the ECS, the soul will be unstable (or leak). A flawed ECS might break down with arrogance or emotion, both of which are incompatible with the grace of God. The objective of Compatibility Testing is to verify that the souls of Right Man and Right Woman have capacity for coalescence. In reality, Compatibility Testing is one of the most painful forms of suffering in the Christian life. It ranks with Evidence Testing (and may even include Evidence Testing) in terms of intensity of suffering. The most intimate relationship in this life is the Right Man - Right Woman relationship; and Compatibility Testing separates them in order to put maximum stress on the two partners. The suffering during the separation can be very intense. Soul love is a non-touching love, and during Compatibility Testing, the Right Man and Right Woman don't need to touch each other. However, there must be coalescence of souls in order for God to bless the marriage relationship to the maximum. Through experiential sanctification the Compatibility Tests can be passed and the Right Man and Right Woman can advance toward the blessing of the first marriage in the Garden of Eden. When either Right Man or Right Woman in the Church Age pass the three phases of marriage testing, Attraction, Compatibility, and Spiritual Rapport, God can give them in grace the same blessings as Adam and Ishah had in the Garden.

There are two great examples of Compatibility Testing in the Bible: (1) Sara in Pharaoh's harem, and (2) the Shulamite Woman in Song of Solomon. Sara was separated from Abraham in Egypt when Pharaoh took her into his harem and married her. She passed the test magnificently and became the standard for women to emulate (1 Peter 3:6). The Shulamite Woman was taken from her Right Man by Solomon and married during Compatibility Testing. She refused to love Solomon and remained faithful to her Right Man. She passed the test, was rescued by her brothers, and returned to her Right Man (her Shepherd Lover). The concept of Compatibility Testing requires extensive teaching. The topic has been developed in Marriage Graceand will not be duplicated here. Compatibility Phase of Ruth and Boaz At the end of the wheat harvest, which was approximately June, Ruth was no longer working in Boaz's fields. This was the time of their Compatibility Test. They were separated from each other and did not see each other daily as they had previously. During this time, there were surely times of doubt about the future of the love relationship. This is the time of, "She loves me; she loves me not." Each time it appears that the other lover is lost, there is anguish of soul. It is called by such names as being love sick. Sustain me with grape-cakes, Refresh me with apples, Because I am lovesick (SOS 2:5) The fragrance of memories sustains Right Man and Right Woman through the Compatibility Phase. No doubt Ruth and Boaz were thinking of each other daily (and hourly) throughout the time of their separation. After they had completed the Attraction Phase in which they got to know each other, they were immediately thrown into the Compatibility Phase in which they were separated. The duration of the Compatibility Phase of Ruth and Boaz was probably no longer than seven weeks because it ended when Ruth met Boaz on the threshing room floor (Ruth 3:6-14). Boaz was winnowing barley, which was probably in late July. It was no longer than the Attraction Phase. This was a short time and nothing is known about the specifics of the testing. It is an unusually short time, but the duration depends upon the individuals involved and the Plan of God. In the case of Ruth and Boaz, Boaz was a mature believer, and Ruth was his reflected glory. These factors certainly entered into the length of the Compatibility Phase. The Secret Proposal

Compatibility testing is a time of stress testing and high drama. In two cases, Sara in Pharaoh's harem and the Shulamite woman in Solomon's harem, it involved sex with the wrong man. During stress testing, the soul is stressed to the limit of human endurance, and cries of desperation are not uncommon. During the weeks of the Compatibility Test, Naomi undoubtedly noticed the anguish in Ruth's soul when she was separated from Boaz. Naomi's plan for Ruth to seek out Boaz may appear bold and risqu, but it must be understood in light of the customs of the day. It must be remembered that Ruth has already married into the family of Elimelech and Machlon (Mahlon), her former husband. Under the Law of the Levirate Marriage, her dead husbands nearest relative was obligated to take her as his wife. The obligation, however, was not an absolute legal requirement, for there were ways the Levirate Marriage could be avoided and passed on to another relative. For such a Levirate Marriage to take place, the relative need merely take Ruth as his wife. No additional wedding ceremony or marriage certificate were required. In this environment, Naomi has considered who would be the appropriate relative to take Ruth as his wife according to the Law of the Levirate Marriage. She has decided that Boaz is the logical choice and has decided that a bold move is appropriate. So she told Ruth what to do. Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, My daughter, shall I not seek security for you, that it may be well with you? (Ruth 3:1) Naomi told Ruth that she was obligated to seek "security" (Hebrew j^wn)m* , manocha), which means the state of rest and security attained by marriage. And now is not Boaz our kinsman, with whose maids you were? Behold, he winnows barley at the threshing floor tonight. (Ruth 3:2) Naomi pointed out that Boaz was their kinsman, and therefore, by implication, a potential redeemer. She also knew that he would be on the threshing floor that night. At the end of the harvest, the sheaves of grain that had been harvested had to be threshed and winnowed. The threshing floor was simply an area about 50 feet in diameter where the earth had been hard packed. On the threshing floor animals pulled sleds with heavy weights on them over sheaves of grain to break it loose from the straw and husks. Winnowing followed threshing in which the mixture of grain and straw was thrown into the air and the wind blew the chaff away. The cool breezes at night provided the right conditions for winnowing. After winnowing, the grain was bagged and stored in barns.

Winnowing on the threshing floor was the last phase of the harvest and was often accompanied by festivals and merry-making. The grape harvest followed on the heels of the wheat harvest; thus, wine was made. Parties on the threshing floors would often last a week. There was music, dancing, feasting, and drinking. Food was plentiful at harvest time, and neighbors congregated to help with the labor. Harvest festivals also attracted loose women (analogous to Saloon girls). Farmers got their big payday when the threshing and winnowing were over. So, the atmosphere on the threshing floor was that of prosperity and celebration. Ruth 3:3-5 3 Wash yourself therefore, and anoint yourself and put on your best clothes, and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 But when he lies down, mark the place where he will sleep; then go (when he has fallen asleep) and uncover the place of his feet and lie down (to sleep with him). Then he will tell you what you shall do. 5 And she said to her, All that you say I will do. Naomi devised a bold plan for Ruth to express her love for her right man. First, she told Ruth to bathe and groom herself; put on her best clothes, use perfume, and go to meet Boaz on the threshing floor. However, she wasn't to go down like a saloon girl looking for a date. She was to wait until Boaz had eaten and drunk. She knew that in the time of harvest he would be drinking wine after eating late. After eating, people are satiated and more agreeable, especially if they have drunk wine. Ruth was to keep out of sight and watch where Boaz went to sleep. He would be sleeping on the threshing floor. Then after he had fallen asleep, Ruth was to go and sleep with him. Now, if it weren't for a few slips of the pen in the Hebrew, this whole story would be a very sweet, uneventful love story. The phrase that spills the beans in the Hebrew is hl^G* (galah, Pi'el perfect) + twl)G+r+m^ (maregeloth), which means literally "uncover the place of his feet."3 This is a typical Hebrew idiom to cover up a reference to intimacy. First, "uncover" is in the Pi'el stem, which is intensive. The literal meaning of "uncover" in the Pi'el is to expose nakedness by removing the clothes. Next, it isn't the feet that are to be uncovered, but "the place of the feet" per the Hebrew lexicon, i.e. the place where one is standing (or lying down, as was the case with Boaz). This doesn't mean that Ruth is pull the cover off Boaz's naked feet (people don't sleep with their shoes on). The feet are one of the pieces of the anatomy used by the Hebrews as a euphemism for the genitals. Since the robes went all the way to the feet, women who wanted to attract sexual attention walked with mincing steps (Isaiah 3:16); while "discovering the secret parts" in the next verse (Isaiah 3:17, KJV) was a euphemism for rape.

In Jeremiah 2:25, having the feet unshod was a euphemism for sex. In Isaiah 7:20, King James Version, the feet were a euphemism for the male genitals. So, the phrase, "uncover the place of the feet," is an idiom for having sex. In other words, Ruth was advised to show her love for Boaz by initiating a sexual relationship with him. Further, the phrase implies more than just sleeping with someone to have sex with them. If this had been the meaning, the next word, shakabh, could have conveyed this meaning with no additional explanation. She was to initiate some kind of special sexual relationship with him, and then she was to "lie down to sleep with him." After she had made love to him, she would sleep with him. Ruth agreed to do all this. Was she justified, or was this a sensual ploy? First, as the Right Woman, Ruth had conjugal rights (1 Corinthians 7:3). She had the right to the Right Man's body. It was made for her. The wife (right woman) does not have authority over her own body, but the husband (right man) does; and likewise also the husband (right man) does not have authority over his own body, but the wife (right woman) does. (1 Corinthians 7:4) The bodies of right man and right woman are made for each other. Furthermore, there is no authority in sex because the two authorities over each other's bodies cancel out. Either, the right man or the right woman may initiate love at any time. When either one does, the other must respond. That is a conjugal right. So, if Boaz were Ruth's right man, she certainly had the right to his body. Secondly, this was not premarital sex because under the Mosaic Law Ruth was already married into the family. This was a Levirate Marriage relationship with a redeemer (although there was a legal problem that would have to be handled later). So, the question arises as to what consummates marriage. The answer is sex between the right man and right woman consummates the marriage. In the case of Adam and Ishah, they certainly didn't need a piece of paper (i.e. marriage license) to be married. God uses a paperless work system. This in no way obviates the laws of the state, which require marriage licenses. Having a piece of paper (i.e. marriage license) cannot protect from a sin related to marriage. To say that a piece of paper had any bearing on adultery would be legalism. Thirdly, Ruth was justified in initiating love. She wasn't initiating authority. Either the man or the woman can initiate love. So, it is altogether proper for the right woman to ask the right man for a date. It is also proper for right man and right woman to arouse each other sexually. However, sex is designed for marriage only. And Ruth doesn't have to get married. She has already married into the family. Ruth and Boaz on the Threshing Floor

Ruth went to the threshing floor per the plan. After Boaz had eaten and drunk wine, he was still high from the wine; and he went to find a place to sleep. He undoubtedly picked out a quiet, isolated location and lay down on a soft heap of straw. Ruth waited for him to go to sleep, which probably wasn't long. He had worked all day, eaten late, and drunk wine. He was probably asleep in a few minutes. Ruth 3:7-8 7 When Boaz had eaten and drunk and his heart was high, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. Then she came secretly (with intrigue), and she uncovered the place of his feet. 8 At midnight, the man was startled and twisted and bent forward. Behold, a woman was lying with him (in the place of his feet). After Boaz had fallen asleep, Ruth went to him secretly. No one saw her, and she did not awaken him. However, she "uncovered the place of his feet." She got under his robe with him, and began to arouse him sexually. This went on until perhaps Boaz went through his first sleep cycle of about two hours. Anyway, by midnight the effects of the wine had worn off and he was coming out of his deep sleep period. During his dreamlike state Ruth was arousing him sexually. Eventually, he was startled. This word in the Hebrew dr^j* (haradh) refers to the jumping/jerking of awaking from sleep. He was aware of something down below; so he twisted and bent forward, which is the normal way that a person rises up in bed. He discovered to his amazement, "Behold" (an interjection in the Hebrew) "a woman was lying with him (in the place of his feet)." The meaning here is that "the woman was lying with him," but the actual words are "in the place of his feet." So, how can two people occupy the same place at the same time? The answer is obviously, only if they are one. So this is not a case of Ruth warming Boaz's feet. It more like the practice of Moabite love making. He said, Who are you? And she answered, I am Ruth your maid. Spread your wing (of your robe) over your maid because you are a redeemer. (Ruth 3:9) It was obviously a dark night, and there were no street lights or fires nearby. So, Boaz asked, "Who are you?" He didn't ask what she was doing, or why she was there probably because the actions made it clear. However, Ruth answered him with her classic line, "I am Ruth your maid." She let him know that she belonged to him just as the Lord made the right woman for the right man (1 Corinthians 11:9). She then used a metaphor, "Spread your wing over your maid because you are a redeemer." The "wing" was the wing of his robe. Spreading it over a woman was symbolic of marital conjugal love; for the man and the woman sleep on the same robe. She explained to him that it was OK for him to have her because he was "a redeemer," i.e. he was legally qualified to take her as a wife under the Law of Levirate Marriage.

Now, if there had not been a legal technicality, this would have been the consummation of a Levirate Marriage. There would have been no need for additional paperwork or ceremonies. However, since there was actually another relative, even closer kin than Boaz, with the right of redemption, that legal issue had to be handled in court. At any rate, both Boaz and Ruth have recognized each other as Right Man Right Woman in the Attraction Phase. They have passed the Compatibility Test and concluded it with a mature expression of conjugal love. At this point, in the middle of the night and in the middle of their love making, they turned their attention to the spiritual issues which brought them together. Thus, they entered Spiritual Rapport.

SPIRITUAL RAPPORT PHASE

See also: Spiritual Rapport in Marriage Grace2 Description Illustration: Edification Complex of the Soul Spiritual Rapport is the fulfillment of the Right Man - Right Woman relationship based upon harmonious relationship with God. During Spiritual Rapport the Plan of God will be fulfilled; and relationship with God will take precedence over relationship with mankind. The divine solution will bring unshakable stability, profound understanding, and spiritual insight into the marriage relationship. Love and intimacy will reach new dimensions as Marriage Intimacy Love is poured into the soul of the mature believer. The wonderful love and happiness of the Intimacy Room in the soul will fully be operational. The couple will symbolically return to the Garden of Eden for divine Happiness. And God will bless the marriage through His love and grace. Harmony with God will bring a supernatural rapport between Right Man and Right Woman. Spiritual Rapport is the ultimate solution for the problems of Right Man and Right Woman. No problem is ever solved in the physical or soulish dimensions. Until the spiritual solution is achieved, there will be no solution. Spiritual Rapport is the spiritual solution. In Spiritual Rapport Right Man and Right Woman become a unified system by fulfilling the Plan of God. God has a grace solution for marriage, which can only be achieved by executing the Plan of God. The marriage relationship is first a spiritual relationship. God created the Right Man and Right Woman for each other; and for those who are willing to obey His Plan, a wonderful marriage of love and happiness is available. For those who reject the divine Plan, a lifetime of misery is inevitable.

Whereas, the soul is tested in the Compatibility Phase, spiritual understanding and relationships are tested in Spiritual Rapport. The roots, or foundation of the Edification Complex of the Soul (ECS), are tested during the Compatibility Phase. The roof of the ECS is tested in Spiritual Rapport. In Compatibility Testing love was the issue for the believer. In Spiritual Rapport, authority is the issue. The authority of the Plan of God and the authority of the Right Man must be obeyed. God will not compromise His Integrity for mankind. Neither emotion nor arrogance are compatible with the Integrity, or Holiness, of God. Only the divine solution provided through the love of God by means of the grace of God is acceptable in Spiritual Rapport. For those who achieve Spiritual Rapport, the blessings of God will be possible in the marriage relationship. Spiritual Rapport is itself a phase and not a one-shot experience. Grace promotion in Spiritual Rapport is achieved only through executing the Plan of God. A multitude of daily tests are brought onto the Stage of Life. The tests challenge every aspect of the Spiritual Life. There are tests of the Personal Sense of Destiny of Right Man and Right Woman, tests of the Plan of God, tests of authority, tests of all categories of Spiritual Warfare, and Evidence Testing. During Spiritual Rapport Testing, Spiritual Warfare enters a new dimension. The angels of God bring divine support onto the battlefield of human history while the fallen angels seek to nullify the Plan of God. Daily perception and application of Bible Doctrine are required to handle the tests. The Problem Solving Devices must be deployed to stand and withstand the counterattacks from Satan's Cosmic System, the world, and the Old Sin Nature. Since marriage is a Divine Institution, it is opposed by Satan. Only by succeeding in Spiritual Warfare can the blessings of Spiritual Rapport be achieved. Success in Spiritual Rapport like Compatibility Testing depends upon relationship with God - not relationship with mankind. Social adjustment cannot solve spiritual problems. The issues of Spiritual Rapport cannot be solved by improving the relationship of Right Man and Right Woman with each other. When Spiritual Rapport with God occurs, the byproduct will be harmonious relationship between Right Man and Right Woman. The only real problems in life are spiritual, and the only real solutions are spiritual. The spiritual problems will never be seen without Bible Doctrine circulating in the stream of consciousness. Without Bible Doctrine, it is impossible to please God. Spiritual Rapport is a demonstration of the Bible Doctrine resident in the soul combined with the Plan of God. In Spiritual Rapport, Right Man and Right Woman serve God and reap the blessings of grace. Boaz Seeks Spiritual Rapport

After Ruth expressed her love for Boaz in a way that left no doubt of her belief that he was her Right Man, Boaz prayed for her to be blessed in Spiritual Rapport. Then he said, May you be blessed of the Lord, my daughter. You have shown your last kindness to be better than the first by not going after young men, whether poor or rich. (Ruth 3:10) Boaz recognized the Lord as the source of all blessing. So, he prayed for Ruth to be blessed from the Lord. He called her "my daughter" because of the age difference between them. He was old enough to be her father. He was probably in his fifties and she was perhaps nineteen. In Spiritual Rapport physical differences such as race and age are overcome because in this phase the issues are spiritual - not temporal. Then Boaz expressed his gratitude toward Ruth by saying, "You have shown your last kindness to be better than the first." The word "kindness" is Hebrew ds#j# (chesedh), which means gracious love or lovingkindness. It is a word for divine love, which indicates Spiritual Rapport with God. The last gracious love was Ruth's expression of love for Boaz as her Right Man along with the demonstration through sexual love at the end of the Compatibility Phase. The first gracious love was Ruth's response to Boaz in the Attraction Phase. She responded to Boaz in the Attraction Phase, but the latest response at the end of the Compatibility Phase was better because she chose her Right Man and did "not go after young men, whether poor or rich." Her decision to chose her Right Man over attractive paramours demonstrated her faith in the Plan of God. She did not deviate from the Plan of God for youth nor the love of money, two worldly standards. Boaz recognized Ruth's virtue and values. She was motivated by the love of God. Although she was not yet in Spiritual Maturity, as the reflected glory of Boaz, she was receiving divine blessing and was motivated to love the Lord and obey His commandments. Her love response was so strong that she actually proposed to Boaz. Boaz then answered: Now, my daughter, do not fear. For all that you ask I will do to you, for all my people in the city know that you are a right woman of virtue. (Ruth 3:11) He told her not to fear because he would fulfill all that she asked. He agreed to accept her through Levirate Marriage as she had requested. He offered proof that he could have her as a wife by saying, "all my people in the city know that you are a right woman of virtue." What all the people thought was important because he would have to settle the issue of being a redeemer in court. He stated that Ruth already had a reputation of "a right woman of virtue." Right Woman is the meaning of the Hebrew hV*a! ('Ishah) here. The word for "virtue" is Hebrew ly!j^ (chajil), which means the strength or capacity for life and love of the Integrity Envelope (or ECS) which clothes the soul. Virtue is the expression of the Integrity Envelope.

Boaz acknowledged Ruth's request to marry her according to the custom of Levirate Marriage as altogether right. In Spiritual Rapport he understood that Ruth was his Right Woman and that her request was spiritually harmonious with the Plan of God. However, there was a legal hurdle that had to be handled. Now, truly I a redeemer, but there is a nearer redeemer than I (Ruth 3:12). Boaz recognized his limitations. He was not the closest legal redeemer to Ruth. Unlike Lot who chose the verdant valley of the Pentapolis in arrogant disregard for Abraham, Boaz deferred to protocol. He wasn't about to violate authority. He had waited all his life for this woman, but obedience to God's authority was more important to him than the greatest blessing of his life, his Right Woman. Boaz Leads in Spiritual Rapport Boaz had the humility to admit his limitations, and he had the courage to fight for his Right Woman. He would have to take the issue to court to win her legally. As a great leader, he immediately assessed the situation, formulated a plan of action, and proceeded to implement it. Stay here tonight. Then in the morning, if he will redeem you, well, let him redeem; but if it does not please him to redeem you, I will redeem you as surely as the LORD lives. Lie down until morning. (Ruth 3:13) Having formulated the plan of action, Boaz explained the plan to Ruth and gave her very clear orders. The Right Man has authority over the Right Woman. The Right Woman must come under the Right Man's authority in Spiritual Rapport. Boaz commanded Ruth to stay put. This is the Qal imperative stem in the Hebrew and is very clearly a command. Then Boaz explained that in the morning he would take the issue of their Levirate Marriage to court. He would not violate protocol but would confront the nearer redeemer in court to settle the matter legally. Then he said to Ruth, "Lie down until morning." She was to sleep with him the rest of the night. The verb in the Hebrew is bk^v* (shakabh, Qal imperative). This is a command also. It is not a demand for sex, though the verb in the Hebrew can mean in other cases to lie down to have sex. It cannot mean that here because sex does not involve authority, and Boaz is very clearly exercising authority. Either the Right Man or the Right Woman may initiate love or even a request for sex, but such a request does not come from authority. It comes from love only. Boaz told Ruth to lie down and go to sleep. The implication was clearly to sleep with him. He did not send her away. Whether sleeping with Boaz the rest of the night included sex is not stated, though it is within the possibility. This is a beautiful description of Spiritual Rapport. Right Man and Right Woman are perfectly relaxed

with each other. Ruth in the boldness of her love had brought them into legal jeopardy. That is why the first thing Boaz told her was not to be afraid. After explaining their legal problems, Boaz told Ruth lie down and go to sleep. Who could sleep at a time like this? Right Man and Right Woman in Spiritual Rapport can because they have the capacity for life and love through the Integrity Envelope to handle the sensitive situation. The question will be asked, did they sin by sleeping together before they had a legal right? The answer is no, because what they did was to fulfill the Plan of God. It was right because God created them right for each other, and nothing else mattered. Marriage is a Divine Institution for believers and unbelievers. It is a legal relationship under the Laws of Establishment; but it is first and foremost a spiritual relationship of the grace of God. In the case of Ruth and Boaz, the temporal relationship had not been instantiated when the spiritual relationship became operational. Such is the nature of Spiritual Rapport as well as faith. The spiritual precedes the temporal. The Supreme Court of Heaven had already approved the marriage of Ruth and Boaz even though the courts of the land had not caught up. The Lord is the ultimate judge of marital issues (Hebrews 13:4). The doctrinal believer acts on the spiritual before the temporal; whereas, the legalist demands the temporal and ignores the spiritual. It does not take a legal document to be married in the sight of God. Adam and 'Ishah did not have a marriage certificate. In spite of all this logic, there is no reason the believer cannot comply with the laws of the state, and that is exactly what Boaz proceeded to do. So she lay in the place of his feet until morning and rose before one could recognize another; and he said, It must not be known that this right woman came to the threshing floor. (Ruth 3:14) Ruth obeyed Boaz implicitly. It was not demeaning for a man to be telling her what to do. They were a system. They were in this thing together. They were wrapped in the same robe together. He was the leader; she was the follower; and they were both blessed because they had obeyed the Plan of God in Spiritual Rapport. They put each other foremost in this life, and left the rest of establishment to catch up. In case there is any doubt due to the other translations of this verse. Ruth was not sent to lie down at Boaz's feet. She was so close that she was with him in the same place as his feet. Her Space-Time Coordinate System was perfectly aligned with her Right Man. That is what being in the place of his feet means. She arose to leave before daybreak before there was enough light to recognize anyone's face. Boaz cautioned her of the need for privacy. Although what she had done was not wrong since they were in Spiritual Rapport, women who went to the

threshing floor were usually prostitutes. If people knew that the marriage of Ruth and Boaz started like the relationship with a prostitute, Ruth's reputation of "a woman of virtue" would be damaged. He said, Give me the cloak that is on you and hold it. So she held it, and he measured six measures of barley and laid it upon her. Then he went into the city. (Ruth 3:15) As Ruth was about to leave, Boaz gave her six measures of barley to carry back to her mother-in-law. The six measures were six seahs, which were equivalent to two ephahs1 (1.6 bushels). This would weigh 40 - 50 pounds. So Ruth was given all the barley she could carry. She was obviously a very strong woman. Then Boaz went into the city. The Hebrew does not say, "she." Further, since Boaz had loaded the barley on Ruth, he obviously did not accompany her home. Ruth Reports to Naomi When Ruth returned home, Naomi was obviously waiting for her to learn how it went. Ruth 3:16-17 (NAS) 16 And when she came to her mother-in-law, she said, How did it go, my daughter? And she told her all that the man had done for her. 17 And she said, These six measures of barley he gave to me, for he said, Do not go to your mother-in-law empty-handed. Ruth reported to Naomi all about what Boaz had told her including the legal problem with the nearer redeemer. Then she told her that Boaz sent the six measures of barley to her. This was an act of hospitality to a widow in keeping with Deuteronomy 24:19. The six measures were symbolic. The number six is the number for a man, and therefore it represented Boaz as the Right Man. Barley was the first fruit of the land and symbolized the blessings of the first-born under the law of primogeniture. Thus, a fruitful marriage was implied. The six measures also symbolized Jesus Christ, Who was perfect humanity and the first fruits of the Church (1 Corinthians 15:23). Then she said, Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the legal issue turns out; for the right man will not rest until he has settled the legal issue today. (Ruth 3:18) Naomi told Ruth to "sit still", which is the Hebrew bv^y* (jashab). This is a word for Faith-Rest. There is nothing more that Ruth can do to solve the legal issue. She should leave the matter in the Lord's hands and wait for Him to solve it. Jashab is also a word for a wife sitting in a house,3 which in the English vernacular is called a house-wife. Ruth should wait in faith. She was symbolically on the teeter totter with Boaz. She should wait patiently on the Lord rather than get ahead of the Plan of God. She should stick with the timeline of the time axis of the Space-Time Coordinate

System. Though she could not solve the legal issue, she could by disobedience to doctrine jeopardize the situation. The mature believer knows when to act and when to wait. Naomi also called Ruth her "daughter," which means Ruth is young enough to be her daughter. Naomi and Boaz could have been nearly the same age. The word that has been translated, "legalissue," is Hebrew rb*D* (dabar), which means a formal specification, hence, a legal issue. Naomi told Ruth to "sit still" because she recognized that Boaz would not rest until he had settled the legal issue that day. The word for "rest" is Hebrew fq^v* (shaqath), which means to be quiet or to rest. Boaz would act while Ruth rested.

THE TRIAL PHASE

Boaz Goes to Court That morning Boaz went to the gate of the city because that was where court was held. Boaz had gone up to the gate and had sat down there. Behold, the redeemer of whom Boaz spoke came by; so he said, Turn aside, friend. Sit down here. And he turned aside and sat down. (Ruth 4:1) "Boaz had gone up to the gate." In the scripture going up symbolizes victory whereas going down symbolizes defeat. Going up symbolizes taking the high ground, the place of strength. Going up also symbolizes going up to a higher court for justice (Deuteronomy 17:8-9). Boaz sat down and waited for the other redeemer to come by. Here Boaz was practicing Faith-Rest. He was waiting for the Lord to bring the redeemer onto the Stage of Life so that the legal issue could be settled. Boaz did not go to the man's home and interrupt him, but he allowed the Plan of God to run its course. As a grace-oriented believer, Boaz did not open doors for himself, although he was very bold when the Lord had opened the door. That morning the man came by. The sentence begins with, "Behold!" which is an interjection. The Lord had opened the door for Boaz to bring the legal case to court. Boaz called the redeemer aside and, in essence, said, "Meet me in court." He did not try to cut a friendly deal with the man. The reason is that the Mosaic Law required a public proceeding. For Boaz to obtain Ruth, the other redeemer would have to relinquish his rights in a public. He took ten men of the elders of the city and said, Sit down here. So they sat down. (Ruth 4:2)

Then Boaz gathered ten elders of the city to hear the case and asked them to sit in as a jury to witness the legal proceedings. The number, ten, symbolizes the Laws of Establishment just as there were Ten Commandments in the Decalogue. The Court Session Boaz proved to be a brilliant lawyer in presenting the case. Then he said to the redeemer, The piece of land which belonged to our kinsman, Elimelech, Naomi, who has come back from the land of Moab, has sold . (Ruth 4:3) According to the Law of Inheritance (Numbers 27:8-11), when the husband died, his property went to his children. If he had no children, then it went to the nearest relative. However, according to the custom, the transfer of property did not occur immediately if the husband left a widow. The widow kept the property until she died, and then it was transferred to the next of kin of the children. Naomi, in poverty, had sold the land that belonged to her deceased husband, Elimelech. However, according to the Mosaic Law, land that was sold could be redeemed in order to keep it in the family ( Leviticus 25:26, 48, 49). If a Jew sold his land due to poverty, his nearest relative had the legal right to redeem it. The redeemer was to pay a prorated amount for the land based on the numbers of years to the next Jubilee when it would revert back to its original owner anyway. The key to the legal arguments here is that Boaz was bringing a legal case to redeem, or buy back, the land that Naomi had sold. Since the woman went with the land according to the custom, Ruth would also be acquired for Levirate Marriage along with the land. So I have thought I will open your ear (inform you), saying, Buy it before those who sit here, and before the elders of my people. If you will redeem, redeem; but if you will not redeem, tell me that I may know it; for there is none beside you to redeem it, and I am after you. And he said, I will redeem. (Ruth 4:4) Boaz presented a summary of the problem to the redeemer in front of the ten elders. He said simply that Naomi had sold the property, and that if the redeemer would redeem the property to say so. Otherwise, he (Boaz), who was next in line, was interested in redeeming the property. The redeemer agreed to redeem the property. Boaz was prepared for this and countered with a brilliant legal argument. Then Boaz said, On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you are also buying it from Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of the deceased, in order to restore the name of the deceased upon his inheritance. (Ruth 4:5) Boaz pointed out to the redeemer that not only did Naomi go with the field, but also Ruth, the Moabitess; and that he would be expected to fulfill his duty in Levirate

Marriage to have children by her so the property would have an heir. In other words, when Elimelech died, he passed the property on to his children; and when his children died, he passed the property on to the nearest relatives of his children. However, there was no set time in the Law when the transfer of property would take place. So, the transfer occurred according to the custom when the widow died. So, Naomi had the property as long as she lived; and since Ruth was the wife of Mahlon, she also had a share in the property. Furthermore, Naomi had sold the property; and the two closest relatives were haggling over who should redeem it. Whether Boaz was playing upon the racial prejudices of the other redeemer or whether he was playing on his business acumen, isn't obvious; but his argument worked. Then the redeemer said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar my own estate. Redeem it for yourself, my right of redemption; for I cannot redeem it. (Ruth 4:6) The redeemer rejected the right of redemption on the grounds that it would mar his own estate. The word for mar is Hebrew tj^v* (shachath, Hiphil imperfect), which means to mar, devalue, corrupt. The point he was making was that if he bought the field, it would very shortly go to the son of Ruth. If he could have simply bought the field, it would have added to his own estate. But if he had to buy it and then give it away shortly to the son of Ruth, then the net present value of the field would not be adequate to cover his initial investment. If Ruth had a son within a year, he couldn't make enough from the field to cover his expenses in buying it. When viewed from a monetary perspective, Ruth wasn't worth it. Boaz, however, did not see it that way. He saw Ruth as his Right Woman, someone more valuable than all the money in the world. In Spiritual Rapport, his values were love of God and love of Right Woman. He wasn't about to walk away from Right Woman just because she was a poor business investment. 7 Now this was formerly the custom in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging to confirm every transaction: a man removed his sandal and gave it to another; and this was the manner of attestation in Israel. 8 So the redeemer said to Boaz, Buy it for yourself. And he removed his sandal. (Ruth 4:7-8) This was "formerly" the custom in Israel means that at the time the book of Ruth was written the custom was no longer extant. The custom which existed among others in the ancient world besides Hebrews was that since fixed property was acquired by treading upon it, then taking off the shoe and handing it to another was a symbol of the transfer of ownership or the right of possession of the property (Deuteronomy 25:9).1 So, the redeemer renounced his right of redemption, and removed his sandal

as the symbolic gesture of legal formality associated with the renunciation. The redeemer told Boaz that he could buy the property himself. Boaz seized the opportunity to redeem the property. Through brilliant legal maneuvers, he had won the case, and secured a clear legal right to acquire Ruth, his Right Woman in Levirate Marriage.

MARRIAGE
Boaz Redeems Naomi's Property As soon as the other redeemer forfeited his legal rights to redeem the property of Naomi, Boaz seized the opportunity and redeemed it. Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, You are witnesses today that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon. (Ruth 4:9) Boaz made a public proclamation that he had redeemed the property of Naomi before the elders and all the people who had gathered to listen to the proceedings. The court session was apparently a very popular event in the history of the city and a crowd had gathered to witness the proceedings. Boaz's redemption was witnessed before the elders and the people. The Marriage Ceremony Boaz further proclaimed that he had acquired Ruth in the deal to be his wife according to the Law of the Levirate Marriage. Furthermore, I have acquired Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, to be my wife in order to restore the name of the deceased on his estate, so that the name of the deceased may not be cut off from his brethren or from the gate of his birth place. You are witnesses today. (Ruth 4:10) The public marriage ceremony between Ruth and Boaz was before the court and the people who had come to hear this high-profile case. And Ruth was not even present. She was still "sitting" at home in Faith-Rest. Boaz was a wealthy aristocrat and undoubtedly known by everyone in the small town of Bethlehem. As soon as word got out that he was in court, the townspeople had gathered to witness the proceedings. Then when Ruth, the Moabitess, became involved, the land deal suddenly escalated into a drama. After buying the land of Naomi, Boaz publicly proclaimed that he was marrying Ruth also. Ruth 4:11-12 11 Then all the people who were at the gate and the elders, said, We are witnesses.

May the Lord make the woman who shall come into your home like Rachel and like Leah, which two built the nation of Israel. You manufacture strength (ECS) in Ephrathah and make yourself a well-established name in Bethlehem. 12 May your house be like the house of Perez whom Tamar bore to Judah, through the descendants that the Lord shall give you by this young woman. After Boaz proclaimed his marriage vows, the crowd of people expressed the wishes for a successful marriage. The power of these wishes verify that Boaz was a bachelor who had waited for his Right Woman. The wishes of the people were also prophetic. FIRST WISH "May the Lord make the woman who shall come into your home like Rachel and Leah, which two built the nation of Israel." Rachel was the Right Woman of Jacob, who bore Joseph and Benjamin. Leah was the other wife of Jacob, who bore seven children. The maids of Rachel and Leah also bore children to Jacob. The first wish was for family blessings in fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant (Genesis 12:2). SECOND WISH "You manufacture strength (ECS) in Ephrathah." The second wish was for Boaz and his family to manufacture strength, which is Hebrew ly!j^ (chajil) and refers to the strength of the Edification Complex of the Soul. The ECS is the strength of the soul (Proverbs 31:17). It is not referring to physical strength. The strength of the ECS is manufactured through metabolization of Bible Doctrine. "Ephrathah" was another name for Bethlehem (Genesis 35:19) THIRD WISH "Make yourself a well-established name in Bethlehem." The third wish was for Boaz and his family to establish an honorable family name that would be revered. This was not a wish for fame or the glory of the world, but for a name that was worthy of remembrance. FOURTH WISH May your house be like the house of Perez whom Tamar bore to Judah, through the descendants that the Lord shall give you by this young woman. Boaz was descended from Perez, who was the son of Tamar and Judah. Judah was the greatest of the tribes of Israel. It was the leader and the tribe through which Jesus Christ, the Messiah, would be born. The fourth wish was another wish for family

blessing. The wish was for the family to come by means of grace - "that the Lord shall give to you." The phrase, "by this young woman," specifies Ruth as the wife of blessing. "Young woman" is Hebrew hr*u^n^ (na`arah), which means a young woman of marriageable age.3 The term was commonly used for young virgins 14 to 16 years old. Ruth was probably around nineteen at the time. This was obviously a very joyous wedding ceremony. After a drama at the city gate where court was held, Boaz, the most eligible bachelor in town had married a Moabite girl, who was a widow in poverty and without a place to call home. The whole town turned out for the wedding ceremony except for Ruth and Naomi, who were still "sitting" in their house and practicing Faith-Rest. Of course, what they knew about Right Man - Right Woman was beyond the scope of most of the populous. The wedding ceremony was probably over before noon. What had begun earlier that day when Boaz awoke with Ruth caressing him on the threshing floor had now climaxed in marriage before noon. The temporal had now caught up with the spiritual. The spiritual always precedes the temporal. Both Boaz and Ruth had already concluded they were Right Man - Right Woman. They had suffered through a brief separation during Compatibility Testing. Having been in Spiritual Rapport for less than 12 hours, they were now formally married. Boaz never hesitated to formalize his marriage to Ruth after they discussed it once on the threshing floor. He knew what was happening and accepted responsibility for his actions. She knew what she was doing and accepted responsibility for her actions. They were executing the Plan of God the whole time; and things worked out for them, as they always do in the Plan of God. To put this is perspective, Boaz and Ruth are now spiritually where Abraham and Sarah were when Isaac was conceived. They are where Isaac and Rebekah were when they were married. Boaz and Ruth are Right Man - Right Woman in the blessing of maturity. Boaz was in Spiritual Maturity and Ruth received the blessings of maturity as his reflected glory. All the wishes of the crowd at the wedding can be fulfilled in this marriage in Spiritual Maturity. A marriage of Right Man - Right Woman in Spiritual Maturity passes the blessing of maturity as an inheritance to their family. Consummation of Marriage When the wedding ceremony was over at the city gate, Boaz went to Ruth who was at Naomi's house still "sitting" in Faith-Rest. Now the joy that Ruth and Naomi had when they heard the good news from Boaz and saw the crowd following him was undoubtedly beyond anything experienced by anyone else. For they had waited patiently for the grace of God to fulfill His promises. They had been waiting in faith with confident expectation that what God had promised, He would deliver. They had

waited quietly in recognition of the principle that "the battle is the Lord's." And they had seen the fulfillment of human history from divine viewpoint through the eyes of the spiritual. They were rejoicing with the Happiness of God as recipients of the unfathomable grace of God. Thus, Boaz took Ruth; and she became his wife; and he went in to her. And the Lord enabled her conception, and she gave birth to a son. ( Ruth 4:13) The marriage of Ruth and Boaz was consummated with sex on their honeymoon after a fever-pitched night on the hay that led to their engagement, proceeded through the courts, and included a wedding ceremony in front of the whole town without the bride - all within a 24 hour period. Boaz was not a man of procrastination, and Ruth did not lack courage. The next thing Ruth was pregnant. The Lord enabled her conception, which is interesting because she didn't have any children with Mahlon. This, too, was necessary in the Plan of God for Ruth to marry her Right Man. Without an heir, she needed a redeemer; and God provided Boaz. Needs are the open doors for fulfillment of the grace of God. Ruth soon gave birth to a son, and the women all gathered around to ooh and aah over the new baby as women always do. At that time they said to Naomi: Ruth 4:14-15 14 And the women said to Naomi, Blessed is the Lord who has not left you without a redeemer today, and may his name be renowned in Israel. 15 May he also be to you a refresher of the soul and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him. The women gave thanks to the Lord for the birth of the son. They called him Naomi's redeemer not because he would one day redeem all of Naomi's possessions, but because the son of Ruth was also the son of Naomi. The birth of the son took away Naomi's reproach of being childless and having no one to comfort her and provide for her in her old age. The women wished the boy to be renowned in Israel as a great person. The women remarked that Ruth who had left her homeland out of love for Naomi and in obedience to the Plan of God was better to her than seven sons. Seven is a large number of sons and a symbol of categorical prosperity, i.e. complete prosperity. Leah, for example, had seven children (6 sons and 1 daughter). Ruth 4:16-17 16 Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her lap, and became his nurse. 17 And

the neighbor women gave him a name, saying, A son has been born to Naomi! They named him Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David. Naomi became the child's nurse, and the neighbor's in their excitement saw the irony and said, "A son has been born to Naomi!" They named the boy Obed, which means the serving one.1 He served his grandmother. He lived for her and would one day take care of her in her old age. Now, Obed was the father of Jesse, the father of David. David became the greatest king in the history of Israel.

CONCLUSION
The story of Ruth is a testimony to the faithfulness of God, Who keeps His promises to mankind. The book of Ruth is a synopsis of Marriage Culture. It is a great love story, and a great lesson about the grace of God. Through it is revealed the lengths that the Lord will go to fulfill His promises to mankind. Boaz was perhaps the greatest husband in the Bible. He was a worker, a leader, an entrepreneur, a businessman, an agriculturist, and a brilliant lawyer. He was spiritually mature and the recipient of the blessings of God. He was the tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth his fruit in his season. The only other great marriage in the Bible that can compare to the marriage of Boaz and Ruth is the marriage of Abraham and Sarah. But Abraham and Sarah got married before they reached maturity; whereas, Boaz and Ruth waited until Boaz had reached maturity. The teachings of Paul in the epistles to the Church recommend the approach that Boaz and Ruth took. At first glance, the marriage of Ruth and Boaz would not appear to be a marriage made in heaven. After looking at the facts, however, it was a marriage that could only have been made in heaven. Ruth was a Moabite. Moabite girls were expected to lose their virginity as prostitutes of Baal. Ruth's early life is not known, but she probably did not become a believer until her marriage to Mahlon, who was not her Right Man. If she married Mahlon at age 14 or 15, she would have been a believer for only 4 or 5 years when she met Boaz. During that time the events that had to transpire to bring her to her Right Man were: 1. 2. 3. 4. There had to be a famine in Israel. She had to marry a Jew (wrong man) and convert to Judaism. She had to become a widow. Three men had to die (her father-in-law, her husband, her brother-in-law).

5. She had to be barren. 6. She had to separate from the world, and leave her family and homeland. 7. She had to be reduced to poverty and get a job as a gleaner. Boaz was a Jewish aristocrat of the Tribe of Judah. He married a Moabite who was young enough to be his daughter, poverty stricken, and working a gleaner in the fields. Yet, Boaz never blinked. When he saw Ruth for the first time, he took an interest and began to find out about the soul, virtue, and values of another human being. He didn't care how rich she was. He had enough money for both of them. He didn't care what race she was. All he cared about was who she was. He had been actively looking for his right woman for many years, but the Lord had never brought her. Within seven weeks (Attraction Phase) after meeting Ruth, he knew she was his Right Woman. Within seven more weeks (Compatibility Phase), he knew he could not live without her. Within 24 hours he went from a roll in the hay, to engagement (Spiritual Rapport), to court, through a marriage ceremony without his bride present, to consummation of his Levirate Marriage on his honeymoon. God blessed the marriage of Boaz and Ruth because they were Right Man - Right Woman and Boaz was in Spiritual Maturity. The formula for blessing produced a son, Obed, who was the grandfather of David, the greatest king in the history of Israel. Through the line of David, came the Messiah. And Boaz and Ruth are in the genealogy of Christ (Matthew 1:5). Through the Divine Institution of Marriage, God blesses or curses the human race. Those who will believe Bible Doctrine, advance to Spiritual Maturity, and marry Right Man or Right Woman, become the basis for blessing the family, the nation, and all mankind. Marriage is the basis for blessing or cursing the culture. The formula for blessing is: Spiritual Maturity + (Marriage of Right Man to Right Woman) = Blessing Any other combination will lead to cursing. The story of Ruth is the vindication of the concept of Marriage Culture. Through it can be seen how the Lord overcomes every obstacle to fulfill his promises to mankind and how the Plan of God provides for marriage. The ultimate testimony to the importance of Marriage Culture was the birth of Christ through a predefined lineage and the Right Men and Right Women in His genealogy. Ruth and Boaz were two of the greatest examples of the faithfulness of God in the genealogy of Christ and in all of human history. Front

References 1. C. F. Keil and F. Delitzch (James Martin, Translator), Commentary on the Old Testament, Vol. II, ISBN 0-8028-8036-3 (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans Publishing Co.), 1978. 2. Larry Wood. "Marriage Grace," August 25, 1997. 3. Francis Brown. The New Brown, Driver, Briggs, Gesenius Hebrew and English Lexicon. (Lafayette, Indiana: Associated Publishers and Authors, Inc., Lafayette, Indiana 47902), 1978, p. 443, 655.