Women with a Story to Tell: Ruth 5

 Boaz was an honorable man, a God-fearing man. From a lifetime of devotion to God and through following the practices prescribed by the Law of Moses, Boaz had become a godly man. 

 Consider the situation in which he finds himself. We suspect that he is a widower and at least a middle-aged man. He is rich (Ruth 2:1 “a prominent rich man”) and he has laborers, hired hands, including young women (Ruth 2:8 “my young women”). He is of the same family as Naomi’s husband (Ruth 2:2-3 “of the family of Elimelech). He has been told the story of Naomi and Ruth (Ruth 2:11-12). Then he comes out from his town, Bethlehem, to greet his laborers and finds that Ruth has joined the gleaners in the field.

 Last week’s devotional tells of a fond relationship that develops between Boaz and Ruth. Ruth signals her love and her willingness to marry this older man (Ruth 3:10). Boaz responds with a plan to fulfill the responsibilities of redeeming the family of Naomi and Elimelech by marrying Ruth (Ruth 3:11-13). 

 However, Boaz points out to Ruth that there is an obstacle in their way, a reason why this plan may not work out. Now, prominent rich men have ways to remove obstacles, don’t they? 

 Prominent rich men can, if they are so disposed to do so, rage and rant against the person who stands in the way. In this way they may intimidate the person or turn public opinion against the obstacle so that social influencers make it difficult for the person to function in society.

 Prominent rich men can take the person to court and try to win a favorable judgement. It matters not if that judgement tends to bend or sidestep the law. Remember that Paul advised against just this practice (I Corinthians 8:1-6).

 Boaz is a prominent rich man, but he is also a godly man, and so he does the right thing. Boaz does convene a court such as was the custom in Israel in those times. He sits at the gate of Bethlehem and brings in witnesses. 

   No sooner had Boaz gone up to the gate and sat down there than the next-of-kin (go-el) of whom Boaz had spoken came passing by. So Boaz said, “Come over; sit down here.”  And he went over and sat down. Then Boaz took ten men from the elders of the town and said, “Sit down here,” so they sat down. He then said to the next-of-kin, “Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land that belonged to our kinsman Elimelech. So I thought I would tell you about it and say: Buy it in the presence of those sitting here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if you will not, tell me, so that I may know; for there is no one prior to you to redeem it, and I come after you.” So he said, “I will redeem it.” Ruth 4:1-4).

 Fair enough. Boaz spoke, and it was the truth, social or not. Boaz treated the perceived obstacle with respect. Boaz made himself vulnerable, but that was his nature to trust in God rather than in the shenanigans of prominent rich men. Boaz will not bend the law to get what he wants. He seems instead to want what God wants for himself and others. The nearer next-of-kin has spoken, he will redeem the property of Elimelech and Naomi.

 Boaz speaks again.

Then Boaz said, “The day you acquire the field from the hand of Naomi, you are also acquiring Ruth the Moabite, the widow of the dead man, to maintain the dead man’s name on his inheritance.” At this, the next-of-kin said, “I cannot redeem it for myself without damaging my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it.” (Ruth 4:5-6).

 This is not a trick deployed by a prominent rich man. This is the truth according to the law and customs of ancient Israel. It is the obligation of the go-el to redeem an ancestral allotment that is in danger of being lost to the larger family of the deceased (Leviticus 25:25). It is also the obligation of the go-el to redeem a brother’s genealogical legacy by marrying his widow to provide children for the deceased. Boaz clearly states both of these legal obligations.

 Why did the closer go-el then change his mind? The text does not say. I imagine that the man was younger than Boaz, married, but without children yet. If he takes Ruth and has children, then those will be his first-born children and they will inherit his share of the family allotment as well Elimelech’s. Perhaps that is what he means by “I cannot redeem (the dead man’s inheritance) for myself without damaging my own inheritance.”

 Boaz, the prominent rich man from Bethlehem did the right thing. He did not rant and rage, he did not disrespect or bear false witness (lie), he did not misuse the law, and he did not try to turn society against his enemy. Boaz, after a long devotion in the same direction, is a godly man. 

 “O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie.”