Bible Verse: At this, the guardian-redeemer said, “Then I cannot redeem it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it.” (Ruth 4:6)
Scripture Reading: Ruth 4:1-12
Thus far in Ruth’s story, we have witnessed great faith and great selfishness. We have seen families leave home and people for both good and bad reasons. We have seen hard work and sacrifice on the one hand and manipulation and using people on the other.
As the story reaches its culmination, the ebb and flow of these elements remains.
Ruth chapter three ended with the assurance that the matter of Ruth’s redemption will be settled that day. Boaz will not rest until some resolution has come to the matter of Ruth and the inheritance of Elimelek’s line.
Boaz, the protector and provider, follows the proper course of action and presents the case to the elders of the town and to the first rightful redeemer—the nearest relative who could purchase the land.
However, due to the intricacies of the laws, this also meant the redeemer would have to marry Ruth, and any offspring coming from the marriage would complicate the man’s inheritance issues.
Rather than endangering his own fortunes for his children, the nearer relative gives up his right and allows Boaz to purchase the land and marry Ruth.
With the particular customs recognized and enacted, Boaz takes possession of the land and the right to marry Ruth. Boaz, the man who takes the high road at every turn of this story, seems to be the dramatic winner. He has increased his land holdings and gotten a younger bride (see Ruth 3:10) who has demonstrated that she is both industrious and dedicated.
It is easy and tempting to import our current sensitivities into this story, to wonder where Ruth is in this scene as she waits to find out her future. She has encountered Boaz and presented herself to him on the instructions of her mother-in-law. Now she waits to find out if he will be her new husband. The heroine has been little more than a pawn or a prop in her own life.
While some of that is cultural, and we must not import undue judgment, it does prompt us to ask how we view others.
Prayer: Father, You have provided for us in ways that we do not always recognize or expect. Help us to see others the way You see them and not simply as obstacles or even tools to be used in our own stories. Amen.
Reflection: Who in your life might you need to reconsider how you treat them? Is there someone who deserves to be viewed differently?
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