The road of the righteous is not the easiest road, but they eventually make it home. It’s not always the way they would choose for themselves but God is gracious to lead them the way He knows to be best. Boaz does what is right by asking the man who is a closer kin to Naomi if he will buy Naomi’s property so it stays in the family and the man says “yes”. Everything in us screams “no” at this moment! We all want Ruth and Boaz to get together and live happily ever after. If the man buys the land he must also take Ruth to be his wife. When the man finds out this piece of information he flatly refused to fulfill his call as a kinsman redeemer. But don’t lose sight that Boaz was more committed to right than what he wanted for himself. He was willing to walk away from Ruth though he wanted her badly as his wife. Is that type of righteousness and integrity characteristic of your life? Interestingly, all of the friends of Ruth and Boaz are very excited for them and pray for them as a newlywed couple. Their prayer that Ruth would be like Rachel and Leah was two fold. They were asking that she might take a prominent place in the history of the Israel and in the line of the Messiah like these women but also that she might be able to bear children. We know from 1:4 she appeared to be unable to have children but God graciously opened her womb and gave her a son (4:13). Do you know the lineage of Ruth’s son? If not, you might want to Google it—it’s pretty fascinating what God does with a used-to-be pagan woman from Moab.
-Matthew Anders
senior pastor at www.libcky.com
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