When I first read the Book of Ruth in my ignorance, I fell in love with the romance of the story as many people do. However, the aspect of the story I thoroughly enjoyed the most that gave a mystery to God was feeling that He seemed to be condoning the manipulation of circumstances in order for a person to get what s/he wants. Although this seemed unusual to me, I relied on my faith that God knows best; and began to research how my preconceived notions were skewing what God deemed as right. After much study, I finally came up with the concept of positive manipulation.
As I looked around to different registers of the world (i.e. work, home and church), I realized that positive manipulation is essential. Teachers, spouses, parents, employees, etc. all manipulate when, where and how they present a want in order for the want to have the best possible chance of being accepted. A man does not propose to a woman with an apathetic speech next to a city dump, as well as a teacher does not admonish a student’s particular character flaw in front of the entire class in anger. People across cultures and times manipulate things within their control in order to persuade their audience to a preferred answer. Of course, negative manipulation exists and each person needs to ascertain God’s approval for the want before requesting it of someone else.
I will limit my essay to the specific request of marriage found in the story of Ruth, the process of how that request is presented and the choice that is made; and I will focus my discussion on two characters: Ruth and Boaz. I understand that both Ruth and Naomi work together to present their request to Boaz – Naomi gives advice and Ruth brings that advice to fruition in her own way; but, it is in my opinion that women are relationship oriented and they continually seek the advice of other women and incorporate it into their actions. Without Naomi, I would feel that Ruth would not fully encompass the ideal woman. A woman never stands alone in her action; she always has the influences (hopefully good influences) of the many women (i.e. mothers, sisters and friends) with whom she has been in contact either in her past or present. Therefore, I will combine both women’s influences through the main character of Ruth.
I will not burden my essay with the details of the story since the story is so well known. In its most simplistic form the story is about a vulnerable woman who wants the support of a man through marriage. That woman is Ruth and her target is Boaz. Boaz has shown interests in Ruth, but stays passive about marrying her. Though Boaz is considered an honorable man, he does not fulfill his duty as kinsman-redeemer. There are many stipulations for Boaz’s passivity, but I have narrowed them down to three reasons. (1) According to research, the law of the kinsman-redeemer was not always obeyed: “It would seem to be the conclusion of the book, and of Judean society at the time, that one can live a life of sufficient moral goodness – the ‘good-enough life’ – without engaging in acts of redemption. Apparently, it is acceptable to refuse to be a redeemer” (Morgenstern 1999).
(2) Though Boaz is a godly man, he still is able to make mistakes. Many godly people stumble and need admonitions from others to be able to correct themselves. Specifically, one author states that Boaz did not want to get involved with the legal issues concerning Ruth, and “history reveals that this attitude is a sign not of leadership but rather of moral cowardice” (Morgentstern 1999). Thus, Boaz might have just been taking
the easy way out, which is usually not the godly way. And (3) Boaz is a lot older than Ruth and may believe that he is beyond marrying her. This is illustrated when Boaz thanks Ruth on the threshing floor for not going after the younger men. Frieda Clark Hyman concluded in her essay, “Ruth – A Pure Dove of Israel” that “Ruth is considerably younger than Boaz; hence, he did not think himself a suitable husband for her” (1989). Whatever the reasons may be, Boaz is passive about redeeming Ruth; therefore, Ruth has to take control and positively manipulate the situation in her favor.
In order to persuade Boaz to marry her, Ruth positively manipulates when, where and how she presents her proposal to Boaz. Her positive manipulation and the outcome will become the focus of the duration of the essay. First of all, Ruth manipulates when she confronts Boaz with her desire of marriage. Ruth being a Moabitess has a history of hate working against her; hence, she needs time to prove herself. Ruth gleans in Boaz’s fields for several months allowing her character to show itself. By the time she actually presents Boaz with her desire, he professes that her noble character is well known. If she would have gone to Boaz without proving her worth, she would have more than likely received a negative answer to her request of marriage. Just as an employee must wait to prove him/herself before asking for a raise, a person must show him/herself worthy before making any proposal for which the other person will have to sacrifice.
Moreover, Ruth waits until a time when Boaz is most receptive to hear her request. The Bible states specifically that Boaz “was in good spirits” the night Ruth confronts him with her proposal. Boaz is surrounded by friends, and they are all celebrating, which includes drinking and eating. Ruth comes to Boaz directly after the
festivities when Boaz is relaxing replete with the buzzing of a joyous evening. What would be a better time for an individual to reveal a want to another? Sons and daughters do this very thing all the time with their parents. They do not ask to borrow the car when their parent is in foul mood from a busy day at work. Instead, they ask their parent the question when that parent is in a particularly good mood. People are emotional beings and there is nothing wrong with preserving a request until the emotions are favorable, especially when the request is of God.
Furthermore, Ruth waits with her request until Boaz finishes reaping his harvest, and he is literally surrounded by the fruits of his labor. He has exerted all of his energy and is now filled with satisfaction from a job-well-done. The demands of Boaz’s work are met, and he has no further pressing obligations. He is free to exert his energies elsewhere. According to the book, His Needs Her Needs, by Willard F. Harley, Jr., one important component that builds a man’s sense of masculinity is the feeling of being needed (2001). Now that Boaz’s harvest is complete, the sense of being needed is gone. Therefore, Ruth’s waiting until that exact moment on the threshing floor when Boaz is open to provide support is the perfect time for her to reveal her need. Manipulating the time when Ruth asks Boaz for help not only benefits her needs, but also benefits his needs as well.
Second of all, Ruth positively manipulates where she gives her request. Since Boaz is being passive about his job as kinsman-redeemer, Ruth can present her request to the entire city. If a kinsman-redeemer does not fulfill his role, the woman can make a public complaint: “If he does not, the woman shall not go directly to the brother-in-law, but make a complaint about him to the ‘elders at the gate’” (Saxegaard 2001). Ruth could have publicly humiliated Boaz because of his passivity, and she could have tried to force him to marry her. Many people try this technique of negative manipulation today and succeed. But what they find is that they forced the other person to give into their request, but they have caused a lot of hard feelings in the process. Instead, however, Ruth reminds Boaz of his obligation in the secret of the night and empowers him with the ability to make the right decision, rather than force him to do so.
Also, Ruth gives her request to Boaz in the domain in which he is most comfortable. In the fiction book based on the Biblical story of Ruth called, Unshaken, the author, Francine Rivers, describes Boaz as most comfortable working in his fields (2001). In Rivers’s version of the story, Boaz is never home and almost always amongst his workers surrounded by his harvest. So, for Ruth to present her request at a place that Boaz is most familiar with and most comfortable in is an excellent strategy. People are able to think more clearly and act more mercifully if they are in a register where they are most relaxed and in control. Asking anyone a giant favor while that person is in an uncomfortable and unfamiliar place is not the best option. Ruth’s willingness to go to Boaz where he is at the pinnacle of his glory provides him authority and partiality to make the right decision.
Third of all, Eve manipulates how she presents her marriage proposal to Boaz. The plethora of speculations based on Ruth’s actions on the threshing floor is diverse to say the least. The two that I want to discuss are Ruth’s show of sexuality and vulnerability, both of which have an affect on Boaz’s masculinity. The importance of Boaz’s masculinity and its affect on his godly leadership will be crucial to his acceptance of Ruth’s indirect marriage proposal.
Ruth demonstrates her sexuality in order to positively manipulate a desired response to her requests. Many scholars believe that she expresses her sexuality when she uncovers the lower half of Boaz’s body and lies next to his feet. Esther Fuchs in her essay states that “the Hebrew term for ‘feet’ is often used in the Bible as a euphemism for genitals” (Fuchs 1982). Is this merely a “sexual ploy?” Joan D. Chittister asks in her book, The Story of Ruth: Twelve Moments in Every Woman’s Life, or is there another reason (2000)? I feel that if Ruth does demonstrate her sexuality on the threshing floor, she does it in order to remind Boaz of his masculine need for sex. Though many people may view her demonstration as vulgar, according to His Needs Her needs, the number one need for men is usually sex, while the number one need for women is usually security. Ruth is asking Boaz to provide her need for support while simultaneously showing him that she would provide his need for sex, a God-given gift to married couples.
Reminding Boaz of sex also reinforces his masculinity, which is crucial to his decision to marry Ruth. In Ruth’s time only men are able to provide for a family. Since Ruth is asking Boaz to provide for herself and her family (including the lineage of another man), she needs to appeal to Boaz’s masculinity. Ruth ends the sexual innuendo quickly and does nothing further to tarnish her reputation. In fact, Boaz cements Ruth’s honor by requiring her to leave the threshing floor before others can see her presence. He wants to maintain her virtue, and he shows his integrity by keeping his intentions godly. The other method Ruth utilizes that positively manipulates how she presents her need to Boaz is through vulnerability. Ruth’s vulnerability is not use deceptively; rather,
Ruth’s vulnerability is used to give Boaz an honest portrayal of her desperate situation. Ruth’s honesty enables Boaz to make a godly decision based on accurate information. Instead of believing that Ruth uncovers Boaz’s body and lies down next to his feet for a sexual reason, I feel that she does this as a demonstration of her vulnerability.
Earlier in the chapter of the Book of Ruth, Boaz says to Ruth, “May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.” These words are easily said, but Ruth wants Boaz to fulfill them. Boaz understands that Ruth is under God’s blanket of protection, but what he does not comprehend is that she still needs to be under man’s protection. When Ruth uncovers Boaz’s feet, she is symbolically showing him how it feels to not be under man’s protection, and he is startled awake by his own vulnerability. Then as he remains awake not knowing what is wrong, a woman’s voice is heard next to him saying, “Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a kinsman-redeemer.”
In a beautiful play on words, Ruth softly reminds Boaz of her need for support and of his obligation to support her, while at the same time indirectly proposing to him. “Spread the corner of garment over me” is a request for marriage. Instead of humiliating him and de-masculating him, Ruth lovingly shows Boaz where he has gone wrong and gives him a wonderful way to redeem himself and become the spiritual leader he should be: “By the end of the book Boaz has come to recognize in Ruth the redemptive aspects of kindness and self that she exemplifies and that he wants to incorporate into his own life” (Morgenstern 1999). Ruth positively manipulates the wrong that has been done to her so that her future husband can save face and change his indifferent actions to match his voice of concern. Therefore, by positively manipulating when, where and how she gives her request for marriage to Boaz, Ruth in turn receives a favorable answer. Chittister explains it best in her book when she writes, “The women move Boaz beyond the letter of the law to the spirit of the law.” Boaz wants to do what is right not because the law demands it of him, but because he demands it of himself. He desires to marry Ruth.
Because Ruth took time to lovingly encourage Boaz to make the right and godly decision, God ultimately blesses her. Because Ruth uses positive manipulation, Boaz not only accepts Ruth’s proposal for marriage, he fights for the right to marry her. Boaz tells Ruth that there is another kinsman-redeemer closer than he. So instead of being passive and allowing the closer kinsman-redeemer to make his choice, Boaz takes control of the entire situation. Without going into details, Boaz’s actions are no longer passive; rather; his actions are reminiscent of the knight-in-shining-armor image: He acts quickly, aggressively and decisively. Ruth’s redemptive actions toward Boaz ignite his determination to redeem her. The sheer romance of the story could sweep any reader away, but we should not forget the work Ruth invested in order to receive a spiritual leader as a husband.
Many people might not want to put so much effort into presenting their requests to others, but the difference in the outcome if they do is worth it. Ruth’s example can be used in every person’s life in every situation. The more effort people put into positively manipulating a requests, the better chances of a good outcome. If people invest such time into their spouses, children, co-workers, employees, students and friends, they will have a much better influence over the decision that will be made. Most importantly, we as Christians need to positively manipulate the choice of salvation. We cannot humiliate, force or make someone become a believer. We cannot choose bad timing, choose a bad location and choose a bad way to present the call of Christ and expect anyone to accept.
However, if we invest the time to prove our worth, wait until the person is more receptive, choose a place where the person feels most comfortable and demonstrate God’s love with our actions and words, then maybe we can win a soul to Christ. Positively manipulating a request can make a difference between an eternity in heaven and eternity in hell. The work involved will be worth it in the end, and maybe we will get swept away into the romance of it all. God is obviously a romantic. Why not work hard toward the advancement of His kingdom and surround ourselves by God’s romance and mystery too? Ruth did and God blessed her actions. She is blessed to be part of the wonderful line of King David, which leads to the sacred line of Jesus Christ, the Messiah.
Work Cited
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< xml="true" ns="urn:schemas:contacts" prefix="st2" namespace="">Rivers, Francine. Unshaken. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2001.
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