He was kind to Ruth and even gave her extra grain. Naomi wanted to find a safe home for Ruth so she devised an odd scheme where Ruth went to where Boaz was sleeping at night, uncovered his feet and lay down.
Apparently, this gesture was a customary means of requesting marriage. So, when Boaz saw her there, he knew that Ruth was asking him to marry her. But he had to check with someone else first as there was another possible kinsman-redeemer…. This man is their kinsman-redeemer. Boaz goes to the town gate where legal transactions were made. He asks ten elders of the town to be witnesses as he discusses Naomi and Ruth with the man who was an even closer relative.
But then he discovers that he would also need to marry Ruth as part of the bargain. To show that this decision was legal and final, he took off his sandal and gave it to Boaz. We may think this is odd—but so did the people who first read the book of Ruth. And the people at the gate were so overwhelmed by his selflessness that they asked God to make Boaz and Ruth like the patriarchs and matriarchs of Israel vv.
Boaz is a preeminent example of selflessness, willing to risk the loss of his own name so that he could make sure that the name and line of his relative Elimelech would not pass away. This kind of selflessness in which we put others ahead of ourselves is a character trait toward which all believers must strive.
Let us seek ways to be selfless this day, asking the Lord to help us put others first. Teaching Series. Conference Messages. Tabletalk Magazine. Gift Certificates. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website.
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