To Love Like This.
Lenten Love and Loyalty, Week 3
Welcome to a new weekly series where we will examine a virtue from the Book of Ruth and how it can strengthen and inspire our Lenten journeys. These reflections are inspired by my new bible study, Love and Loyalty: Heart Lessons from the Book of Ruth. Let’s dive in!
BOAZ THE BOLD
In the book of Ruth, we only interact with one man by name. Boaz is a wealthy landowner whose generous and bold loves blesses Ruth and Naomi in beautiful ways. He is a gem in his own right, filling out the story lines with Ruth and Naomi in a masterful story that draws our hearts in as we watch their lives intertwine in ways so lovely that only God could be the Architect.
Boaz shows us what it means to possess Godly masculinity, heroic selflessness, loyalty and mature love. The word love has so many convolutions and connotations in our modern society, but the love that Boaz displays is deep and wide and vast, while also being intentional, kind, and so very purposeful.
We meet Boaz when we discover that Ruth is gleaning, or picking grain, in his field. He immediately takes note of her, and his words to her tell us a lot about who he is.
But Boaz answered her, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before.The LORD recompense you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!” —Ruth 2:11-12
Boaz has heard of Ruth. As the daughter-in-law of Naomi who chose to follow her and her God back to Bethlehem, this brave girl has not gone unnoticed among the townspeople. When Boaz meets Ruth, he takes this opportunity to truly see her as the beloved, unique, and beautiful daughter of God that she is. He seems to see right into her pure and virtuous heart, and blesses her in a most reverent and holy way. He proceeds to instruct his workers to let her glean freely, and to make sure she is not bothered or chastised, as could have easily happened in those days to widows in her position. Immediate protection and provision – this is the kind of love Boaz shows. He doesn’t just admire her, give her a passing glance, and move on. He acknowledges her, blesses her, and makes sure she will be safe in his fields.
Later on, when Ruth meets him at the threshing floor to ask him to consider marriage (spoiler: she proposes to him!), Boaz once again displays masculine virtue that should make us all take note:
And he said, “May you be blessed by the LORD, my daughter; you have made this last kindness greater than the first, in that you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich. And now, my daughter, do not fear, I will do for you all that you ask, for all my fellow townsmen know that you are a woman of worth. — Ruth 3:10-13
Boaz is stunned by Ruth’s request, as he knows he is far from the handsomest or youngest prospect Ruth has. But she sees his goodness and holiness and is drawn to that, and his response is one of gratitude and awe. Boaz is treating Ruth as every woman deserves to be treated by men – with dignity, respect, honor and integrity. He is a beautiful witness of what we yearn to see in our own lives with our husbands and sons – and he relies on his faith to guide his next steps.
LOYAL AND TRUE
The third iteration of Boaz’s remarkable love for Ruth is shown when he insists that he must settle the matter of marrying Ruth according to the law and customs of this time. Instead of acting with impulse and selfishness, he recognizes that a Godly union with Ruth depends on following God’s will. In this case, it means holding a meeting with the town elders because Ruth does have a nearer kinsman of Naomi’s that technically would be next in line to marry her. He explains:
And now it is true that I am a near kinsman, yet there is a kinsman nearer than I. Remain this night, and in the morning, if he will do the part of the next of kin for you, well; let him do it; but if he is not willing to do the part of the next of kin for you, then, as the LORD lives, I will do the part of the next of kin for you. Lie down until the morning.” Ruth 3:12-13
How incredible is this love of Boaz!! I just love him and I love that God uses him in this story to witness authentic, masculine love for his soon-to-be bride. He surely wants to take her into his home and life and provide for her, yet he endeavors first to do God’s will. Boaz is an example to us all of a life lived well-ordered. When we give it all to God, we will receive grace upon grace. True Christian love means to will the good of one another, and Boaz certainly does this for Ruth. We pray that the men in our lives would be lifted up and encouraged in their faith journeys by strong men like Boaz.
TO PONDER
Where am I showing love in my life: in my heart, mind, and soul? Where is love most authentically present and full of depth and richness? Where is it more surface-level and needs tending by the Lord?
If you want to go deeper with Boaz (and find out if he and Ruth get their happily ever after!), grab my bible study, Love and Loyalty: Heart Lessons from the Book of Ruth!
He really is a catch!