Ruth 3
We have already seen the book of Ruth to be a great love story, with Ruth’s devotion to her mother-in-law. This chapter adds 3 more love scenes:
#1 – Naomi’s love for Ruth (v. 1 – 4) Naomi now sees Ruth as her daughter, so she assumes the role of her mother in helping to provide a husband for Ruth. Today we would call that “match making” or just downright meddling in a person’s romantic affairs, but back then it was an expected duty. So Naomi sends Ruth to Boaz, who was a relative of Naomi, and could redeem the land property owned by Naomi’s family, and could also marry a widow (Ruth) within the family. This was a Hebrew law at the time.
#2 – The love between Ruth and Boaz (v. 9 – 18) He is surprised by Ruth’s appearance to him, but Boaz realizes his position in being a relative of hers to take care of the property issue, and also to marry Ruth. He explains to her that there is another man who is a closer relative than he that is actually responsible for the dealings of this property. But Boaz desires to marry her, and “will not rest until he settles it today”. (v. 18)
#3 – God’s love for us – There is a beautiful picture in this of God being our relative and redeemer. Some translations use the word “kinsman” for relative. As humans, we are children of God, the special part of His creation. Often times people of the “sub-culture” are thought to be strange because of your fashion and musical tastes, and disregarded by “the norm”.
But God does not dismiss you in such a way. He is your Heavenly Father and loves you so much that he desires to redeem you. It’s not a piece of land property that He redeems. It’s you! Boaz wanted to keep this piece of land in his family. God wants to keep you in His family, eternally. That is why He gave us his son, Jesus, to redeem us of our sinfulness. His life and death on the cross paid the price that we were supposed to. When it comes our turn to die, then eternal life is ours because of this redemption. There is no greater love than that! (John 15:13)
If this is something that you are coming to believe for the first time, I would like to be in contact with you. Please e me at CLCLans@juno.com, or phone at 517-482-2252. Praise and thank God for His redemption of you! You are His child through the redeeming love of Jesus.
You are valuable. He paid for you with his blood. – Richard M