Ruth has taken a venture of
faith and lay at Boaz' feet in the middle of the night. Boaz is a
near kinsman and has been asked by Ruth to fulfill his obligation to
marry her. Although Boaz was startled to find a woman laying at his
feet, he answers her proposal in chapter three and verse ten in the
book of Ruth where we read:
And he said, Blessed
are you of the LORD, my daughter: [for] you have shown more kindness
in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as you followed not
young men, whether poor or rich.
Let us
first note that Boaz said, “Blessed are you of the LORD, my
daughter.” Boaz is the wealthy field owner. Boaz is the one who
has given protection and provision for Ruth, and still, Boaz
recognizes from where Ruth's true blessings come. She is “Blessed
of the LORD.” So often the LORD takes a back seat in a sense to
actions of people. It's as if the LORD has not been involved at all,
and the LORD gets little if any acknowledgment. This is not so with
Boaz. He knows where Ruth is truly blessed, and his affection toward
her is demonstrated by calling her, “my daughter.” The
glory of what has been associated with Ruth is truly from the LORD's
leading, and Boaz' acknowledgment gives us a sense of his mind about
the LORD being involved natural events.
Boaz
then gives the reason he believes Ruth to be blessed, “for you
have shown more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning,”.
Ruth simply went about her position of gleaning. Ruth stayed busy
with her work, and Ruth kept with the instructions of both Boaz and
Naomi as she went about her days. Now Boaz recognizes this as “shown
more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning.” It
almost sounds confusing. How was Ruth's faithfulness to what she was
assigned to do “more kindness?” Let's think about this for
a moment. Ruth didn't have to obey Boaz. She could have gone to
another field. She could have strayed, gone after other water and
provisions, and she certainly could have ventured to other places,
but she didn't. Ruth could have ignored her mother-in-laws
instructions and never went to lay at Boaz' feet in the first place
never mind stay in his field. Ruth stayed faithful from the beginning
to the end in her mission, and now she is recognized for it.
Boaz
then tells Ruth why he deems her to have shown more kindness,
“inasmuch as you followed not young men whether rich or poor.”
There were other offerings available to Ruth. She might have found a
younger man with a field available, but she did not stray. Ruth
didn't allow another person's attraction economically to sway her
either. Neither youth nor finances persuaded Ruth to go to another
field. No, rather, Ruth stayed faithful in the field of Boaz, and
Boaz commends her for her faithfulness.
We too
might consider other fields and attractions than those of our kinsman
redeemer Jesus. Perhaps from time to time we will have other offers,
and rather than continue to be faithful in His field, we might desire
to stray. As Ruth was blessed of the LORD, we too could forfeit His
acknowledgment should we choose to go another way. May the
faithfulness and blessing of Ruth inspire us even in our times of
doubt to continue believing and working in the LORD Jesus' field even
when other offerings come our way.
Next
time we will find out more of Boaz' reply to Ruth, so read ahead, and
we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow...there is more...
Look
for the new devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From
Generation to Generation” in all major bookstore sites,
www.amazon.com
; www.barnesandnobles.com
; download
to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore
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