Boaz and So-and-So

1Now Boaz went up to the gate, and sat down there. Behold, the near kinsman of whom Boaz spoke came by. He said to him, “Come over here, friend, and sit down!” He came over, and sat down. 2He took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, “Sit down here,” and they sat down. 3He said to the near kinsman, “Naomi, who has come back out of the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech’s. 4I thought I should tell you, saying, ‘Buy it before those who sit here, and before the elders of my people.’ If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if you will not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know. For there is no one to redeem it besides you; and I am after you.” He said, “I will redeem it.” 5Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must buy it also from Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead on his inheritance.” 6The near kinsman said, “I can’t redeem it for myself, lest I endanger my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption for yourself; for I can’t redeem it.” 7Now this was the custom in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning exchanging, to confirm all things: a man took off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbor; and this was the way of formalizing transactions in Israel. 8So the near kinsman said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself,” then he took off his shoe.

God has given wisdom to all people. Whether it is spiritual wisdom or wisdom of the flesh, he has given people wisdom to live by. Spiritual wisdom he would have given to be used for bringing souls to life, and wisdom of the flesh he would have granted because it is something human beings need in order to live. But if all that wisdom is used only for oneself and for the world, it is wisdom that is not wisely shared, and so it has no meaning at all.

And it is not only wisdom. When God entrusts wealth to us, he gives it to be used as a tool for saving souls. But if we use the wealth God has given only for ourselves, that too is wealth that is not shared, and so it has no meaning at all. If we use our means to help the poor and the weak, as God wills, or use our wisdom so that the foolish and the dull can meet God, then because they were put to their right use, the means and the wisdom we scattered in caring for the poor will shine all the more and come back to us as a great blessing.

Sometimes I see people who do not believe in God write with great wisdom, or give their whole lives to vain things, and I think how good it would be if they used that effort and wisdom for the eternal God. For however wisely they write, and however faithfully they give their lives for the world, in the end they do not know the eternal world, and so their wisdom is confined to this world. If such a person knew God’s word, they would leave writing that gives life to souls, like clear, cool water drawn up from a deep well.

In the church, too, if a believer who has the ability to carry out a mission with the wisdom of the Word does not devote themselves to it, God would say they are proud, because the wisdom and talent they have are of no use. God gave wisdom and gifts so that we would carry out the mission of a lamp, so that weaker brothers do not stumble. And because this mission cannot be carried out without material means, he has filled us with them so that we can work more easily and comfortably.

Of course, it is not easy to share what is one’s own, but wisdom and understanding are not our own. If only we devote ourselves in faith, God will take responsibility for our lives and will work as there is need. So you must be diligent, if only to receive the blessing God gives, and you must learn to make good and wise judgments quickly.

Look at the people of faith whom God has blessed. They do not judge or decide for themselves what to do with the mission they were given; they quietly live it out with their lives. It is the names of such believers that God remembers. But whoever lives only for themselves, God does not remember even their name, and like a mist that scatters and vanishes, their very existence disappears.

Ruth 4:1

1Now Boaz went up to the gate, and sat down there. Behold, the near kinsman of whom Boaz spoke came by. He said to him, “Come over here, friend, and sit down!” He came over, and sat down.

Ruth had come under Boaz’s blanket without permission, but he knew that she was a worthy woman. So he said, “Tomorrow I will meet your near kinsman and ask him on your behalf.” And he promised that if that man would not do the duty of a near kinsman, then, as Yahweh lives, he himself would do that duty instead.

Boaz knew that God was blessing Naomi’s household through Ruth. That is why he went this far and did his very best. So even though Ruth had done something as startling as lifting his blanket and coming in, Boaz called her a worthy woman and said that if the near kinsman avoided his duty, he would take it on himself. He had no reason to hesitate in choosing Ruth as his wife, because for a man there is no greater blessing than to take a worthy woman as his wife.

Proverbs 14:1

1Every wise woman builds her house, but the foolish one tears it down with her own hands.

Proverbs 12:4

4A worthy woman is the crown of her husband, but a disgraceful wife is as rottenness in his bones.

As Proverbs shows, the same is true when a woman meets a wise and generous husband, but for a husband to meet a wise wife is the blessing of God, who builds up his house; and to meet a worthy woman like Ruth was a reward like a crown that God gave to Boaz.

Boaz knew that taking Ruth, who loved and obeyed God’s word, as his wife would be a great blessing. But because he truly cared for Ruth, he wanted, if possible, to ask first someone younger and more capable than himself, an old man. When morning came, Boaz went promptly up to the gate and waited with ten elders to meet the near kinsman. Boaz must have chosen So-and-So because he surely thought him qualified to be the redeemer who would help Ruth.

Just then the near kinsman came by, and Boaz stopped him. He told him about Naomi and Ruth and pleaded with him to be the one to redeem that family’s inheritance. When So-and-So heard Boaz’s request, he thought for a moment, judged that it would likely be a great gain to him, and agreed. Rather than thinking deeply about what it meant to redeem Naomi’s inheritance, he thought first of how much he stood to gain. In Israel there is a law that land a person has bought must be given back to its owner after fifty years. Land with no heir does not have to be given back in the Jubilee, the fiftieth year, so this man must have thought it would be a great gain.

When Boaz heard him say he would be the near kinsman, he explained once more in detail. He explained that whoever bought the land and became the near kinsman would have to give the land back to Naomi’s family, and that besides the land, he would have to marry Ruth and give the son born to them as the firstborn, so that the family of Elimelech would not be cut off. Then So-and-So realized that the land would not become his property, and it struck him that if he married Ruth and had a son, that son would have to carry on Elimelech’s family and could not be his own. So-and-So judged that there was no reason to spend his own wealth rescuing a widow, and he refused.

The So-and-So whom Boaz met here had been given the chance to serve God deeply and the chance to receive, through Ruth, the blessing of heaven that God gives. Yet because of a human judgment that there was no worldly gain in it, he threw that chance away all too easily. Although God had clearly set down in the law the duty of a near kinsman among relatives, he thought only of profit and loss.

We too are always being given chances by God. But we often miss them while we weigh profit and loss. It is our lack of wisdom that kept us from turning the chances he gave into blessing, and yet we complain, asking why he does not bless us. To turn the chances God gives into blessing, we must train ourselves to live with God’s word at the center. For only then can we turn moments that pass quickly into chances for blessing.

The Bible does not even record the name of this man who turned down Boaz’s request. Verse 1 records only that Boaz called him so-and-so. The names of many people are recorded in the Bible, yet this man, who refused to become Naomi’s near kinsman, did not have even his name recorded. When he heard from Boaz about Naomi’s situation, if he had not reckoned it as his own profit and loss but had thought just once more about why God had let him hear it, we would know his name today.

He answered easily that he would not be the near kinsman. That shows what kind of faith he had been living by day to day. From his actions we can judge which he considered more important, the things of the flesh or the things of the spirit. Believers, too, often show this kind of faith. Even after learning the Word and living the life of faith for a long time, they think that believing in God means living well, seeing their children do well, and entering heaven to eat well and live well forever. So at the smallest difficulty they easily throw their faith away.

Ultimately it is true that those who serve God well live well and enter heaven, but what matters is the standard by which living well and doing well are measured. For depending on which of the two a person focuses on, spirit or flesh, their life and their life after death will differ. Like So-and-So, those who serve God for the sake of the world cannot receive blessing, but those who hold their faith in order to serve God will be blessed.

So-and-So refused Boaz’s request, yet God did not take away his wealth. Still, we now think that he did not receive God’s blessing. That is because the standard of blessing we are speaking of is not the world but heaven. Just as becoming a near kinsman involves self-sacrifice, becoming a believer with right faith must involve self-sacrifice. Those who look only at what is right in front of them end up missing many chances. So rather than living foolishly, thinking only of what you can see in front of you, if you think a little more deeply and have the wisdom to look ahead, you would be able to live far more easily.

Human desire and the work of the Holy Spirit will always clash. Human desire wants the gain of the world, but the Holy Spirit works for the glory of God, so the work of the Holy Spirit and human craving cannot be the same and cannot go the same way. So you must act as the Holy Spirit leads. For those who do not obey the Word will in the end, like So-and-So, not have their names written in the book of life that lies open before Christ. In the end such people will become chaff that vanishes into darkness without a name, like So-and-So, who refused Boaz’s earnest request. So-and-So, who could not see the world through God’s eyes, missed both God’s blessing and the blessing he could have received in the world.

When So-and-So refused, Boaz declared, just as he had first intended, that he would be the near kinsman.

Ruth 4:8

8So the near kinsman said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself,” then he took off his shoe.

Glad to think he had pushed a heavy burden onto Boaz, So-and-So quickly took off his shoe and gave it to Boaz in front of the ten elders. By doing this, So-and-So was declaring that he gave up his right to that land. From now on he will be remembered forever as one who defied the law by which God appointed kin to be redeemers for their own flesh and blood, and as one who avoided his duty and took off his shoe.

Had So-and-So not decided so hastily, he would have known that becoming the near kinsman was not so much a worldly loss as a blessing from God. But now that he had taken off his shoe and given it to Boaz, he had made a decision he could not reverse, even if he wanted to turn back. It is very easy to throw away the faith God has given, but it is not easy to repent of that sin. So you must not make any decision lightly. I hope you will not judge by the world’s standards as So-and-So did, but will weigh God’s will and decide carefully in everything.

Later, when Boaz married Ruth and had Obed, David’s grandfather, So-and-So would have seen people bless them with all their hearts and give glory and praise to God. Seeing that, he would have realized what a great blessing the moment had been when Boaz asked him whether he would be the near kinsman, and he would have regretted losing that chance forever through a wrong judgment. That is why having God’s wisdom matters so much.

For everyone wants blessing, but the blessing God gives does not show itself only as the success people want. If only to see whether believers judge rightly, God reveals it through hardship and the fire of testing, through loneliness and failure, or through success in the world. So if they do not judge rightly, they may fail to receive it even though he has given them the chance.

People think their prayers have been answered only when they succeed greatly in the world or earn a lot of money. But we must know that God’s answers are entirely different from what people think. The blessing God wants to give is the saving of souls. So if your life is heading toward salvation, you have already received a great blessing from God. If your life is now in hardship and the fire of testing, God is testing your perseverance; and if you have received wealth, he is testing whether you devote yourself with a faith that gives thanks in all things.

What kind of faith are you living by now? Though God has commanded you to live by the Word, are you thinking that doing God’s work brings you no great benefit? Though God has told you to obey, have you moved over to the seat of sin because there is nothing you can see right now and nothing you can hold in your hands? I hope you will make every decision by the Word, thinking hard about how God may receive glory. If you do, you will be able to live a life without mistakes and without regret.

Boaz came to hold a beautiful wedding with Ruth, the worthy woman, before God and before the people. He had only made the good decision God commanded, yet the wedding held on this earth became a wedding of blessing that fulfilled God’s plan. Until now Naomi and Ruth had lived as poor and lowly women, but from now on they would live peaceful and happy lives under Boaz’s love and protection.

The Book of Ruth is the story of how life turned around for women who tried to serve God. Now they no longer had to bow and scrape in someone else’s field, gleaning ears of grain. Boaz would be a strong fence around them and protect them, so they no longer had to fear the world. Naomi and Ruth would live happy lives, holding Obed in their arms and raising him, and Obed would be a shield for his grandmother and his mother. All this happiness they enjoyed was theirs because Boaz willingly sacrificed himself.

In the same way, believers can hold the marriage supper with Christ only because of Christ’s absolute grace of redemption. Without Christ’s grace of redemption, how could a sinner meet God, and how could sinners who have lived all their lives by their own will become the bride of Christ? That is possible because the Holy Spirit has helped believers without rest until they become the bride of Christ, and has held back Satan’s attacks. This beautiful marriage supper with the Lamb is a blessing that only believers who have lived by faith on this earth can enjoy.

When poor, weak Naomi and Ruth endured every hardship in faith, they came to live the kind of life the people of the world envy. Now the two women would enjoy peace and live happy lives. The people of the world all work hard, dreaming of a life like this. Of course, there are many in the world, too, who seize a great chance and live well.

But the blessing they speak of is confined to this world. It is the kind of worldly blessing that disappears when life reaches its end. But what you must know is that a believer must receive an eternal blessing where there is no time, for a believer has received the privilege of enjoying the blessings of the world even after death.

Ruth 4:15

15He shall be to you a restorer of life, and sustain you in your old age, for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.”

Naomi, who had lost her husband and her sons and was like one dead, found new life through the baby Ruth bore. The name Obed means ‘one who serves.’ It is said that the women gave him this name, but I have wondered whether it perhaps carried Naomi’s heart, earnestly longing that he would not waste his life as she had, but live a life that served God alone.

Though she was one of the people of Israel, she had come under God’s punishment and had come back by a truly long road. So she must have wanted her descendants to serve God alone. God, who gladly received Naomi back, granted the blessings of the world through Ruth, the fruit of faith, and granted as well the blessing of becoming an ancestor of Jesus. When believers turn back in faith, they become the lovely bride of the Lord who is coming again, and so, like Naomi and Ruth, they receive this blessing.

Ruth 4:22

22and Obed became the father of Jesse, and Jesse became the father of David.

David was born through the line of faith that ran through Tamar and Ruth. For the sake of Jesus, who would come as the root of David, God used the faith of Tamar and Ruth and carried on the promise of salvation. Because there were believers like this, who carried out God’s will by faith, the promise that Jesus would come into this world as the root of David was fulfilled.

Through the Book of Ruth we have seen a sinner born in Moab enter the congregation of God, and we have also seen that when someone leaves the place of sin in faith, they receive a heavenly inheritance. Naomi did not come back to Bethlehem on purpose in order to become an ancestor of Christ, but we have seen that when one person strives to live by faith, God’s work and plan are fulfilled. Like Ruth, who became the wife of Boaz, all of us too were born sinners, but God chose us and called us, and we have become believers born again as a worthy woman who will be the wife of Christ.

Now you must bear the fruit of salvation in Christ. Just as Boaz’s love grew deeper when Ruth bore Obed, if you bear the fruit of Christ, God will pour out a love that fills and overflows. If you live like Naomi, who boldly turned back, like Ruth, who obeyed the Word, and like Boaz, who willingly sacrificed himself, God will pour Obed, the fruit of blessing, into your life.