THE STORY of Boaz and Ruth takes place

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1 Exposition The faithful of old studied by the young Boaz: the merciful and gracious redeemer Joe Mullen THE STORY of Boaz and Ruth takes place in the days when the judges ruled (Ruth 1:1), a time in which every man did that which was right in his own eyes (Judg. 21:25). Yet Boaz stands out from the characters around him as a man who sought to keep in the way of Yahweh. Matthew 1:5 tells us that Rahab (the harlot) was his mother. He therefore would have been brought up to know about the opportunity for the Gentiles to be brought into the covenants of promise through faith, an opportunity which his own wife took. Boaz s redemption of Ruth is a foreshadowing of the work of the Lord Jesus and his attitude towards his Bride. We are introduced to Boaz in Ruth 2:1, where he is described as a mighty man of wealth. The record goes on to tell us of the land he owned (v. 3) and the menservants and maidservants in his employment (vv. 4,8). The same word is used in Deuteronomy 8:18, where God tells Israel that it is [God] That giveth thee power to get wealth, and that it does not come as a result of man s own strength. Paul is inspired to give a similar charge to Timothy regarding the rich in this world : be not high minded, he says, but [trust] in the living God, Who giveth us richly all things to enjoy. A responsibility of the rich is to give to those who are in need: do good... be rich in good works, ready to distribute (1 Tim. 6:17,18). This was a responsibility that Boaz clearly understood and undertook in his dealings with Ruth, an example that we too should try to emulate. Any riches that we might have are freely given to us by God. We should therefore be willing to give them just as freely. To keep the way of Yahweh Boaz s first appearance in the narrative leaves us in no doubt about his character. When he arrives at his fields outside the town of Bethlehem his greeting to his reapers shows us what is uppermost 86 in his mind: The LORD [Yahweh] be with you. And they answer him, The LORD [Yahweh] bless thee (Ruth 2:4). These reapers are portrayed in the story as men of questionable morals, for Boaz charges them not to touch Ruth (v. 9), a word carrying sexual and violent connotations (see Gen. 20:6; 1 Sam. 6:9; cf. 1 Cor. 7:1). He also commands them not to reproach [shame] or rebuke her (Ruth 2:15,16). They are clearly not the sort of men in whose presence a lone young woman would feel comfortable. Despite this, Boaz has shown them the importance of the blessing of Yahweh. Like Abraham, Boaz commanded his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD [Yahweh], to do justice and judgment (Gen. 18:19). Justice and judgement are characteristics that Boaz exhibited towards Ruth, for their use throughout the Scriptures refers to the deliverance of the poor and needy from oppression (see Ps. 103:6; Isa. 5:7). Jeremiah 22:15,16 says that to do judgment and justice is to know... the LORD [Yahweh], to manifest His character (see Ps. 89:14; Job 37:23). As we would expect from a type of the Lord Jesus Christ, Boaz s character reflects that of the God Whom he serves in his care for the poor of the land. He provided for them in their poverty, making sure they had an opportunity to receive a life that was naturally out of reach for them. Pure religion and undefiled Upon his arrival, Boaz notices a young woman gleaning in the field. Instead of being affronted by Ruth working in his fields without seeking his permission, he graciously enquires as to her background so that he can provide for her. He exhorts her to remain in his field and glean there, offering her water. Jesus words, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink (Jno. 7:37), come to mind. These words, spoken by the Lord, refer to the Spirit-Word. As with

2 Instead of keeping the Law in the oldness of the letter, Boaz serves in the newness of the spirit. Let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her. Ruth, so with us; the opportunity to drink in the water of the Spirit-Word is always available to the Bride who works under the burning heat of the sun. Under the Law of Moses, the stranger, fatherless and widow were granted special treatment. The record illustrates that Ruth was all three. She refers to herself in Ruth 2:10 as a stranger, while her husband had died in 1:5, and she had left her father in the land of Moab (2:11). These three social positions would mean that she had no means of provision, being entirely dependent on those around her for support. Boaz, in caring for her, shows the sort of attitude that the children of Israel were commanded to show. Such people were allowed to eat of the tithe (Deut. 14:29; 26:12, 13), and they were to taken into the household during the celebration of certain feasts (16:11,14). God promised Israel that He would hear the cries of their fatherless and widows, and inflict vengeance on their afflicters. If Yahweh s commands were followed, provision would be made for these people. A brief scan of the prophets would tell us that the very opposite was happening in Israel: the strangers, fatherless and widows of the ecclesia were oppressed and ill-treated. This could not be said of Boaz. He is one of the few examples in Scripture of a man following the commands of God in this matter. The Law told them not to gather the gleanings of thy harvest, but leave them for the poor and stranger (Lev. 19:9,10). If Israel was obedient, the LORD [Yahweh] thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hands (Deut. 24:19). Boaz s reapers recognised that this was a command that Boaz had always followed, and that, by implication, Ruth was not the first stranger for whom he had provided. It was they who greeted Boaz with those same words, The LORD [Yahweh] bless thee. Boaz follows this Law by telling Ruth to glean in his field (Ruth 2:8,9). Instead of keeping the Law in the oldness of the letter, he serves in the newness of the spirit, commanding his young men to let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her (v. 16). 87

3 Israelites were not to take this attitude to the strangers, fatherless and widows only because God required it of them, or because it was a caring thing to do. More than this, it was the attitude of Yahweh Himself to the poor of the land: He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment. Love ye therefore the stranger (Deut. 10:18,19; cf. Ps. 68:5; 146:9). The Israelites were to copy their God in their love for those who needed it most. Boaz certainly did so in his treatment of Ruth. Nothing should be different in our ecclesias, for Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction... (Jas. 1:27). We, like God, should give those things which are needful to the body (2:16) to our brothers and sisters who are naked, and destitute of daily food (v. 15). This connection to the words of the Holy Spirit, penned by James, gives rise to a number of other links between the two narratives, tabulated below (Table 1). Since James is inspired to write of how brethren should deal with each other in their ecclesias with pure and undefiled religion it should come as no surprise to us that Boaz is set forth as an example of such a man. He was a rich man who was willing to help the poor, not Table 1 Boaz (Ruth) [Elimelech] dwelled [in Moab] about ten years, despite only having gone there to sojourn (1:1,4) despise and oppress them like those to whom James wrote. Sons and daughters of Abraham Boaz speaks of Ruth s actions towards Naomi since the death of her own husband (Ruth 2:11). He then commends her for leaving her father and her mother, and the land of her nativity, citing this as a reason why God would reward her. It would appear that Ruth s family were still alive when she made the decision to follow Naomi back to Bethlehem a quality that was clearly attractive to Boaz. The language he uses reflects the call of Abraham, who was commanded by God, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father s house, unto a land that I will shew thee (Gen. 12:1). In Psalm 45:10,11 the royal Bride is exhorted to do the same: forget also thine own people, and thy father s house; so shall the king greatly desire thy beauty. This attitude of leaving behind one s country and family is a prerequisite to receiving the love of the husband in the case of both Ruth and the queen of Psalm 45, and the means by which the promises to Abraham are given. As brothers in Christ, this must be the key quality we too look for in our prospective wives: a desire to leave the James mighty man of wealth (2:1) rich men (2:6; 5:1) we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain... ye know not what shall be on the morrow (4:13,14) reapers (2:3,4,6, etc.) labourers who have reaped down your fields (5:4) found grace in his eyes (2:2,10,13) the Lord is... of tender mercy (5:11) the LORD bless thee [Boaz] (2:4) this man shall be blessed in his deed (1:25) the LORD God of Israel, under Whose wings thou art come to trust (2:12) Abraham believed God (2:23) Blessed be he/thou of the LORD (2:20; 3:10) Blessed is the man... (1:12) she did eat, and was sufficed, and left (2:14) Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled (2:16) thou hast spoken friendly unto [me] (2:13) If any man offend not in word (3:2) he went to lie down at the end of the heap of corn (3:7) firstfruits (1:18) fruit of righteousness (3:18) precious fruit of the earth (5:7,18) Blessed be the LORD (4:14) Therewith bless we God (3:9) Salmon, married to Rahab (Mt. 1:5) (4:20) Rahab the harlot (2:25) 88

4 Boaz wakes to find Ruth at his feet. Spread... thy skirtover thy handmaid: for thou art a near kinsman. house of sin and a love of the hope of Israel. As sisters in Christ, this attitude has to be shown in the choices we make and the words we speak. As the Bride of Christ, our attitude of separation from the world determines the love Christ has for us, as part of our true and undefiled religion. The express image of His person So Boaz allows Ruth to glean in his fields, and glean more than she would expect to do under the Law. Ruth returns home to Naomi to speak of the kindness shown to her by Boaz, who, it transpires, is her near kinsman and able to redeem her. In Ruth 3, Naomi encourages Ruth to seek out Boaz in order to marry him. Boaz, at the time, is celebrating his bounteous harvest, truly blessed by the Lord. Boaz wakes to find Ruth at his feet, hearing her request, spread... thy skirt [kanaph] over thy handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman (Ruth 3:9). She wants him to be her redeemer. In making such a request, she compares him to God, using Boaz s own words. It was he in 2:12 who spoke of Yahweh Elohim of Israel, under Whose wings [kanaph] thou art come to trust. Ruth clearly views Boaz in a similar light to the God Who has brought her from the darkness of Moab. A comparison of this phrase elsewhere shows that Ruth was proposing marriage. Ezekiel 16:8 speaks of God doing the same to Israel when he brought them out of Egypt to become His wife. Again, Boaz s actions are shown to be a reflection of the character and actions of the God Whom he served. The skirt or border (kanaph, see Num. 15:38) of Boaz would have sewn into it the ribband of blue that all Israelites were to wear to remind them of the commandments of Yahweh. The operative force in any marriage, as in this case and as was shown earlier, should be the Word of God and one s attitude towards it. Throughout the book of Ruth we note a number of similarities between Boaz s relationship with Ruth and the interaction between the angel Gabriel and Mary in Luke 1. These are outlined in Table 2 overleaf. How wise the mind of God, Who recorded the similarities between these four people in the line of David, separated by 89

5 Table 2 Boaz and Ruth Gabriel and Mary (Luke 1) The LORD be with you (2:4) the Lord is with thee (v. 28) in whose sight I shall find grace (2:2,10,13) highly favoured (v. 28) she did eat, and was sufficed (2:14) filled the hungry with good things (v. 53) handmaid (2:13; 3:9) handmaid of the Lord (v. 38) Blessed be thou of the LORD (3:10) blessed art thou among women (v. 28) build the house of Israel (4:11) reign over the house of Jacob (v. 33) the LORD gave her conception (4:13) The Holy [Spirit] shall come upon thee (v. 35) thou shalt conceive in thy womb (v. 31) thousands of years and yet joined by the mind of the Spirit! Boaz, in his dealings with those around him, was in figure an angel of God, one who did His commandments, excelled in power and hearkened to the voice of His word. Eternal redemption The concluding episode in the Scriptures regarding Boaz tells us of his redeeming of Ruth. He was clearly a man of some authority in Bethlehem, as he knew the mood towards Ruth of the elders who sat in the gate (Ruth 3:11, mg.; cf. Deut. 16:18; Ex. 18:21). He seems to have spent some time talking to these elders, who are obedient to his requests without any hesitation in Ruth 4:2. He is like the husband of the virtuous woman, who is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land (Prov. 31:23). Boaz is given permission by the near kinsman to redeem Ruth in Ruth 4:6, which he does by purchasing her (v. 10). We are reminded of the words of Paul in Acts 20:28, saying that the ecclesia of God was purchased with His own blood ; and also those of Peter: ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold... but with the precious blood of Christ (1 Pet. 1:18,19). Therefore Boaz, in redeeming Ruth to marry her, typifies the Lord Jesus Christ in his redemption of his ecclesial Bride. In the Scriptures, Boaz is presented as a man who practised pure and undefiled religion before the Father by caring for the strangers, fatherless and widows. He was a man of Abrahamic disposition towards his household; a man whose marriage was based on a shared love of the inspired Word; and a man who revealed God s character in his own life. Now what principle of preference may be imagined to have governed David when he committed his family to the dangerous keeping of the Moabites? Was it a mere matter of chance? It might seem so, as far as appears to the contrary in David s history, given in the Books of Samuel; and if the Book of Ruth had never come down to us, to accident it probably would have been ascribed. But this short and beautiful historical document shows us a propriety in the selection of Moab above any other for a place of refuge to the father and mother of David; since it is there seen that the grandmother of Jesse, David s father, was actually a Moabitess... And, moreover, that Orpah, the other Moabitess, who married Mahlon at the time when Ruth married Chilion his brother, remained behind in Moab after the departure of Naomi and Ruth, and remained behind with a strong feeling of affection, nevertheless, for the family and kindred of her deceased husband, taking leave of them with tears. She herself then, or, at all events, her descendants and friends, might still be alive. Some regard for the posterity of Ruth, David would persuade himself, might still survive amongst them. An interval of fifty years, for it probably was not more, was not likely, he might think, to have worn out the memory and the feelings of the relationship, in a country, and at a period, which acknowledged the ties of family to be long and strong, and the blood to be the life thereof. Thus do we detect, not without some pains, a certain fitness in the conduct of David in this transaction, which marks it to be a real one. J. J. Blunt, Undesigned Coincidences, pp