Today's Bible Translation
Bible translation used in today's episode: Ch. 1-4 NIV
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Thoughts
I love this little book. The main characters Naomi, Ruth and Boaz are good and honorable people. Some of the people we’ve read about recently have not been overflowing with integrity, so it’s nice to read about good people for a change, don’t you think?
Naomi and Ruth seem to be gently and loving women.
And Boaz seems so gracious. Notice how he greeted those who were working in his field. “The Lord be with you.” It seems like he genuinely liked them, that he didn’t look down on them as mere servants. I think their response confirms that: “The Lord bless you!”
Notice how the Lord directs our paths even before we know Him. Ruth had no idea that this field belonged to a relative of Naomi. But God knew, and He brought Boaz’s attention to her as she followed the harvesters, picking up the scraps they left behind.
Speaking of Ruth, there was something we read today that might have caused you to raise your eyebrows a bit. When Boaz was sleeping on the threshing floor and Ruth came in to lie at his feet, did that seem to you that she was being improper? Like maybe she was throwing herself at him?
It wasn’t, really. According to Hebrew law, when a man died, his closest relative was to take his wife as his own. And since Ruth’s mother-in-law, Naomi, was not aware of a closer relative than Boaz, she must have told Ruth that Boaz was to be her husband, since Ruth’s husband had died.
So actually, Ruth’s actions that night were somewhat restrained, since she laid by Boaz’s feet instead of lying next to him.
And Boaz, this man of integrity, carefully restrained himself as well, even taking care to have her leave before anyone should see Ruth there. He knew that there was a closer relative that had first right of refusal, and he didn’t want Ruth’s good name compromised.
These were, without a doubt, good and honorable people.
Do you remember how yesterday’s episode ended? Remember that I told you that Perez is in Jesus’ genealogy? Well, guess what. So is Ruth. Yep. So that’s a nice bit of history to tuck into your memory banks.
