Bible with Brandi – Week 7 – Ruth Chapter 3

This week’s assigned reading in Ruth takes us to the threshing floor under the cover of night, where vulnerability and covenant hope meet. The clear theme is submission. That word carries a negative connotation in our culture, but Scripture treats it very differently. Submission is dearly loved by the Lord. It is the language of covenant. Christ, our Lord and Savior, submitted to the Father to make a way for us to walk in a new covenant. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, submission is “the act of accepting the power or authority of someone else” (https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/submission). At its core, it is willingly laying down one’s own plans in order to trust another’s wisdom. Ruth models this beautifully.​

When Naomi devises a bold and culturally delicate plan, one that could easily expose Ruth to misunderstanding or slander, Ruth responds with simple obedience. “All that you say I will do” (Ruth 3:5). There is no recorded hesitation. Ruth places herself under Naomi’s guidance, trusting her understanding of Israel’s redemption customs and the role of the kinsman redeemer, the go’el (גֹּאֶל)(https://biblehub.com/hebrew/1352.htm). Later, when Boaz instructs her to remain at his feet through the night and promises to settle the matter lawfully, Ruth yields again. She does not attempt to force the outcome or demand immediate answers, nor does she retreat now that her request has been made. Instead, she entrusts herself to Boaz’s integrity and to the covenant structures he honors.

The deepest submission comes at the end of the chapter when Naomi tells her, “Wait, my daughter, until you learn how the matter turns out” (Ruth 3:18). Ruth has risked, trusted, and obeyed, but now she must be still. She must allow the matter to rest in Boaz’s hands. This posture mirrors the believer’s stance before the Lord as we entrust ourselves to His authority and rest in His timing. Submission here is not weakness or loss of identity. It is covenant trust. Ruth places herself beneath the covering she has requested, confident that the one who redeems will act righteously. We daily do the same. 

Reflective Questions:

1. Ruth said, “All that you say I will do.” Is my obedience to the Lord that simple, or do I tend to negotiate with God’s instructions?

2. Naomi’s plan required trust in covenant promises she understood. Do I trust God’s Word and His redemptive structure enough to step forward when He prompts me?

3. When Ruth placed herself at Boaz’s feet, she entrusted her future to a redeemer. Have I truly placed my future at the feet of Christ, or am I still trying to control the outcome?

4. Waiting was Ruth’s final act of submission. What situation in my life requires a “be still and know” posture right now?

5. Submission is not weakness but covenant trust. How would my relationships change if I viewed submission through that biblical lens rather than a cultural one?

6. The threshing floor became a sacred space where trust was tested. What threshing floor moment is God using in my life to refine my faith?