Virtuous Woman/Dating/Courtship/Modesty

I really enjoyed that! Thank you for sharing it.

Rachel, I thought of Ruth immediately too, and went and got my Bible – the Book of Ruth is one of my absolute favourites! And, indeed, at the prompting of Naomi, she DID pursue Boaz. Now, she didn’t pursue him in a crazy bunny-boiler (LOL!) kind of way. But she initiated the romance, so to speak. Boaz was very active too – indeed I think it’s fair to say that he took the lead in the relationship, once she initiated things. But she DID initiate things, and God certainly doesn’t condemn that! So, I think the pastor misspoke there. We do have a Biblical example of a Godly woman initiating a romantic relationship. Perhaps he meant to say that there are no cases of women pursuing UNINTERESTED men? I think from Ruth, it’s all right to show interest, as long as one then steps back and waits to see if its reciprocated. It definitely ISN’T virtuous or dignified to go chasing after someone, but Ruth made her interest known and she’s definitely Godly. Maybe that was what he meant to say?

I wouldn’t know what a “crazy bunny-boiler” way of pursuing a man is like (LOL) but I do think the way Ruth approached Boaz could be considered seductive. And I really don’t think it was her place to do such a thing . . . Just my thoughts. 🙂

Ashley
http://www.homesteadblogger.com/Jonash2004

Oh Ashley, very true. I went and got out the Joshua to read up on Rahab again before responding – you always know its a great conversation when you’re reaching into Scripture every few minutes!!

Now, I do think there was a difference between the way Rahab is written about and the way Ruth is. Rahab’s lie is immediately followed by an explanation for why she did what she did – she makes it very plain that it was for the greater glory of God “I know that the LORD has given this land to you”.

Also, I have been thinking about the commandment not to lie – and it is, to be exact “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour”. Now, say I am trying to sell my field (like Proverbs 31 woman, LOL – although she was buying!) and I claim it’s tremendously fertile and it’s been lying fallow and I got 50 tons of produce from it just recently. And none of the is true – well I’ve sinned, I’ve borne false witness. But if I lie to protect good people from evil? I don’t think the commandment is about that situation?

LOL, or am I grasping at straws? Perhaps there are other verses about untruthfulness I should mediate on? Because I don’t think Rahab bore false witness against her neighbour, not as I’m reading it..

AND, my original point (finally!) is that while Rahab explained herself (and I’m sure that although the situation is unlikely to come up for us American Christians, there are plenty of our brothers and sisters throughout the world who MAY have to make a Rahab’s lie to protect the vulnerable, I think Rahab’s example shows that they would not be in sin), Ruth doesn’t. And there’s no rebuke from Boaz either, who is definitely a Godly man. In fact the first thing he tells her in Ruth 3:10 is “The LORD bless you, my daughter,” he replied. “This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor”. He’s actually praising her for NOT being loose and immoral with men! So how are we to assume she’s in sin? I just can’t find a verse in Ruth which suggests she’s sinned.

Thanks so much for this, ladies, it’s great!

Oops! Here is the address again – just take the spaces out:
http://www.desiringgod.org/
resourcelibrary/
sermons/bydate/1984/
447_Ruth_Strategic_Righteousness/