So, you might be a bit confused at the discrepancy between the title and the picture. Don't worry, I'll explain. The funniest verse in the Bible happens to be in one of the most romantic books in the Bible (no, not Song of Solomon [Warning: Awkward!] or Hosea [Warning: Angst!]). No, I'm talking about the book of Ruth.

For those of you not familiar with that cute little four chapter book between Judges and 1 Samuel, I'll lay it down for you. There's a famine in Israel, so Naomi, her long-name husband and two long-name sons go to Moab. There the two sons marry Moabitesses Ruth and Orpah (not to be confused with Opal or Oprah). Tragically, all the men die there, leaving just Naomi and her daughters-in-law. 

Then Naomi hears that the famine is over, so she tells her daughters-in-law to go back to their families, but Ruth refuses and does her famous "Where you go, I go" speech. So Ruth goes with Naomi to Israel where she supports her mother-in-law by gleaning wheat from the rich according to Old Testament law (God's own 'welfare' program- the wheat you drop belongs to the poor). She wanders into the field of a distant relative of Naomi's named Boaz and he takes notice.

Boaz takes notice of her, finds out about her, and is impressed by her faithfulness to Naomi. So he makes sure none of his field hands harass her and even drop extra wheat for her. It's a sweet love story, right?

But when Naomi hears about this, the cogs in her head start spinning and she comes up with this matchmaking scheme of sorts, because, turns out, Boaz is a kinsman redeemer, meaning because of his relation to Naomi, he could step in and take care of business... with the stipulation of marrying Ruth (Leviticus 27:9-25).

Side note: When Jesus became human, He became eligible to be a kinsman redeemer to all humanity. Little foreshadowing here in the book of Ruth...

Anyway, Naomi preps the landing field, so to speak, by making sure Ruth only gleans from Boaz's field. Then she decides to send Ruth in with some... bizarrely specific directions that must have been a bit strange to hear.

Paraphrase time...

Naomi: All right, little girl, you did so much for me and now I want to see you happy. You know that guy you've been hanging out in the field of? The one who's are relative?"

Ruth: Yes, I know him. Boaz. The only person it can be. Why are you trying to be cryptic?

Naomi: Look, a little bird told me that he's winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor.

Ruth: Okay...

Naomi (shaking her head at her daughter-in-law's failing to comprehend): What are you standing around for? Go make yourself pretty, put on that perfume I got you- and don't forget your cloak because it's cold out there and you don't need a cold- and go down to the threshing floor. But here's the catch- don't make yourself known to you-know-who until after he's finished eating and drinking. Hanger is horrible.

Ruth: Um...

Naomi: Plus, men find mysterious women appealing. So when he goes to take a nap, make sure you know where it is. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down and he will tell you what to do.

Ruth: What in the...? Is this like a spy exchange or something?

Naomi: Just do it, okay?

Ruth (bracing herself for embarrassment): Okay... All that you say I will do... 

End terrible paraphrase.

Anyway, Ruth does everything Naomi told her to do, and Boaz doesn't notice. Until... cue punchline and funniest verse in the Bible...

"At midnight, the man was startled and turned over, and behold a woman lay at his feet!" (Ruth 3:8)

There is seriously an exclamation point (at least in the ESV), guys. This is one of those moments that remind me I got my sense of humor from God. 

Poor Boaz. He doesn't seem like the kind of guy who is used to finding women... asleep at his feet. Something like that seriously takes you by surprise, right?

Anyway, for the rest of this beautiful tale about hesed (the Hebrew word for steadfast love), read the Bible's mini love story for yourself where the heroine... sleeps on the hero's feet all night.

-Signature by XxEthereal_AngelxX