10.02.06 Boaz and Ruth’s Responsibility and Accountability A Biblical Revelation

Boaz and Ruth’s Responsibility and Accountability

A Biblical Revelation

One early morning in Bethlehem, Ruth, a young Moabite widow, gathered her belongings and headed out to glean alongside the other women (Ruth 2:3). This routine had been running for weeks, ever since Naomi had connected her with the local gleaners in the quiet village. The early mornings no longer felt ‘hard’, given that it was a small price to pay for the chance to provide for her beloved and poverty-stricken mother-in-law, Naomi.

Ruth's mind flashed back to her life as a princess in Moab and the luxuries of palace life. It had been a rough road; her husband and father-in-law had died, leaving her with a penniless life. Truth be told, Naomi had insisted that Ruth return to the palace but the young widow had made a choice, to leave behind the comfort and security of her old life and become part of Naomi's people and her God, the God of Israel, who had promised to be a God of provision and protection (Deuteronomy 28:1-14).

As Ruth walked to the fields, Naomi's words from the previous night echoed in her mind: “The name of the man I worked with today is Boaz,” Ruth had disclosed. “The Lord bless him!” Naomi had responded to the daughter-in-law. “He has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead.” She added, “That man is our close relative; he is one of our guardian-redeemers” (Ruth 2:20). Naomi had disclosed. Maybe it was time they told him about their situation; Ruth mused, feeling a glimmer of hope. “Could it be that God was working things out for them after all?”, she could not help but wonder

With a determined heart, Ruth joined the other gleaners, her eyes scanning the field for any leftover grain. The harvesters were already hard at work and Boaz, the owner of the field, was overseeing the harvest (Ruth 2:4). He was a tall, sturdy man with a kind face and a warm smile.

As Ruth worked, Boaz approached her with a gentle and respectful demeanor, his eyes filled with kindness. He instructed his harvesters to leave extra grain for the young widow to collect, a gesture that reflected the law of gleaning (Leviticus 19:9-10, Ruth 2:15-16). In no time, Ruth's basket was full and she felt grateful for Boaz's kindness.

That night, Ruth went to the threshing floor, where Boaz was overseeing the grain processing (Ruth 3:6-7). He was touched by her bravery and loyalty to Naomi and they discussed the possibility of him redeeming Naomi's land and marrying Ruth, a union that would fulfill the custom of levirate marriage (Deuteronomy 25:5-10, Ruth 3:9-13).

The next day, Boaz took steps to secure Ruth's future, following, through on their discussion (Ruth 4:1-12). Boaz decided to marry Ruth, a decision that would change the course of their lives. The news spread quickly through the village: Boaz and Ruth were getting married! Naomi was overjoyed.

The wedding was a grand affair, with the whole village in attendance (Ruth 4:13-17). And as they walked away, hand in hand, the villagers cheered and celebrated, knowing that this was just the beginning of a beautiful story. A Moabite woman, once a foreigner and an outsider, had become part of the family of God and the great-grandmother of King David and part of the lineage of Jesus Christ.