Ruth's Dating Practices

April 27, 2009

Today's Reading: Ruth 3-4 and 1 Corinthians 12

The other day, I mentioned how God tends to use very unconventional ways. Today, I would like to talk about how God uses relationships.

Yeah, is this the devotional where I talk about sex and dating? Man, I hope not. I have seen way too many things in the Christian world that deal with sex and dating. Of course the reason is obvious. The Bible specifically talks about how premarital sex is wrong, but the world today just doesn’t seem to be down with that.

I suppose this is where I could talk about how your body is a temple, and you should avoid the appearance of evil, and blah blah blah and yadda yadda yadda. Of course, you have probably read enough of my blog to know that I am not down with that.

So for those who were looking forward to “the sex and dating” entry, here it is. It might not be what you are expecting, though.

Our reading comes from the Book of Ruth. Some of you might know it, as I suppose it is the best example of the romance genre in the Bible. However, this romance kind of breaks a lot of Christian tradition.

Take a look at how Ruth presents herself to Boaz. It is after a night where Boaz had been drinking and had been in “good spirits”. I remember reading this and thinking: “so he was drunk, then?” I would probably look that up in Strong’s Concordance, but it is on the other side of the room.

Yeah, I don’t like keyword studies.

Anyway, Ruth goes to see Boaz while he is sleeping, and then asks him to “spread the corner of your garment over me”. And then they all lived happily ever after.

Now, you ask any Christian about dating, and they would probably never recommend that a Christian woman do what Ruth did. As a pastor, would you recommend any woman in your flock to approach a man sleeping with an amorous proposal? Especially after he has had too much to drink. Then to ask for him to cover her with a garment?

Honestly, isn’t that just opening up the door to sexual temptation? What if Boaz had covered Ruth with a blanket, and then they have sex?

I am assuming that didn’t happen, because the Bible doesn’t say it happened that way. Even if it did, does that change the fact that Ruth and Boaz eventually sired a line of kings.

In other words, Ruth and Boaz might not have gotten together perfectly, but they did get together, and a great destiny was made because of it. So Christian, think twice the next time to condemn a cohabitable couple, a child born out of wedlock, or some other union that doesn’t seem godly. Who are we to say what God can and cannot do with a couple.