Hidden Heroes Of Faith: Boaz Series

A woman by the name of Naomi set off for Moab, a country just on the other side of the Dead Sea, with her husband and two sons at her side. This family had to leave behind their hometown of Bethlehem for a time because famine had struck. While there, in that foreign land, tragedy struck again and her husband died. This was in a day and age where women were not able to work to provide for themselves. They required the assistance of man. Thankfully, God had not taken her two sons from her. Both of whom married Moabite women after their father died.

Yet, within ten years of moving to this country, tragedy struck two more times. Both sons died. Not only was she left grieving for the three men of her life, but now she was unable to provide for herself. The only thing left for her to do was to say goodbye to her daughters-in-law, and return to her hometown, where thankfully the famine had stopped. When she gathered together with these women, she left them each with the blessing of the Lord that they may return to their parents so as to find rest in the home of another husband. Both, though, refused to leave her side. So, Naomi tried again. She laid out the logical sequence of events that were surely to follow. And only after more weeping did Orpah, one of the daughters, leave. However, Ruth refused. She, with ferocious love, replied, “Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.”

Thus, these two widows made their way to Bethlehem. God, though, had not forgotten about them. In fact, many of the laws he had given his people, the Israelites, were established for the blessing and purpose of people just like them, people in need. One such rule was that when the workers went out to harvest the grains, they were not to take all of it. Rather, they were to leave some behind for the poor and the foreigners. So, having returned for the barley harvest, Ruth set off to find grain left behind by the workers so that she and Naomi would have sustenance.

Yet, her choice of fields was but another way that God provided. For, as she was collecting the grain, the owner of the field came by, a man by the name of Boaz. Boaz took notice of Ruth and asked the overseer of the harvesters about her. He told Boaz about her story, which led Boaz to lend his protection. He made sure that she would be safe with his men, drink the water he provided, and then told his men to leave behind even more grain so that she might have plenty. After collecting her day’s work, she went home to Naomi.

Once there, Naomi’s experienced eyes could see what was happening. So, she went about helping her daughter-in-law with the game of love. She clued Ruth in as to what she should do, and Ruth followed her advice to a T.

Yet, there was a bit of hiccup with the plan. According to the Levitical laws, there were some sticky points which needed to be ironed out if Ruth and Boaz wanted to get married. Although they were both single, Ruth was a widow, and God had put certain laws in place to protect women like her. The law at play was that of the guardian redeemer. If a young woman’s husband died, it was the duty of his closest relative to raise up the name of the deceased. This could be done through marriage and children, but also, the inheritance was a factor too. The issue for Boaz and Ruth was that Boaz was not the closest surviving relative of her deceased husband.

Oh, I suppose, Boaz could have solved this problem in the typical fashion of Hollywood romance. He could have swept Ruth up and eloped in a faraway land. But that was not the kind of man Boaz was, nor was it the kind of woman Ruth was. This would have brought disrespect upon Ruth, Boaz, and their God. God is a God of order, and he wants his people to reflect that orderliness.

So Boaz went about this all in a God-pleasing and official manner. He gathered up the elders (who would be like our judges or lawyers) along with this other man, the guardian redeemer. With them in place, he laid out the situation.

Naomi, having been widowed and having lost her only sons, wished to sell her land. The one who had the first right of refusal was none other than the guardian redeemer. So, Boaz asked the man if he’d like to buy her land, to which he said that he did. However, the man did not know about the situation with Ruth. Boaz then informed him that he was going to marry her, which was his right, for this other man was not the brother of Ruth’s deceased husband. This then created an issue for the man. For, if Ruth conceived and gave birth to a son, this son would then receive the rights to the land in question, even though the other man had bought it. The other man would simply have to forfeit the money he spent on the land. Having heard this, he refused the offer, and allowed Boaz to become the guardian redeemer. And, as you would imagine, he accepted, choosing both the land and Ruth.