Boaz

Big Idea- God is faithful to His promises and the righteous are not forsaken.

Take Aways

Trust God

Show compassion and Hospitality to others

Let your yes be yes

Today we will be doing a character study on Boaz. But before we dive in we will go over some important background that happened earlier in the Book of Ruth we will do a quick overview of what happened in the first chapter of the book of Ruth.

There was a famine in the land of Judah and a man named Elimelech left Bethlehem and went to dwell in the land of Moab with his wife Naomi and their two sons Mahlon and Chilion who were also from Bethlehem.

While they were there Elimelech died leaving his wife and two sons.

His two sons then went on to marry Moabite women, their wives names were Orpah and Ruth.

The two sons died and Naomi was now alone with her two daughter in-laws. Since Naomi did not have anymore sons to offer her daughter in laws she told them to leave her and to go back to their people and their gods.

However Ruth did not leave Naomi, she said Naomi’s people will be her people and Naomi’s God will be her God.

Now there are a few details that we will want to look at that help us to see the importance of Naomi’s husband moving to the land of the Moabites and the Son’s taking Moabite women as wives.

This will help us as we move in and look at Boaz and his character.

God was the provider for the land of Israel, but because of a hardship Elimelech left his homeland and took his family to a foreign land with people who served other gods and depended on their false gods to take care of them. This is similar to when Abraham went to Egypt when God told him not to.

Genesis 26:1–3 NKJV

There was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines, in Gerar. Then the Lord appeared to him and said: “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you. Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father.

God also told His people not to seek after the Moabites peace and prosperity which is exactly what Elimelech did. Deuteronomy 23:3-6

Deuteronomy 23:3–6 NKJV

“An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter the assembly of the Lord; even to the tenth generation none of his descendants shall enter the assembly of the Lord forever, because they did not meet you with bread and water on the road when you came out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you. Nevertheless the Lord your God would not listen to Balaam, but the Lord your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the Lord your God loves you. You shall not seek their peace nor their prosperity all your days forever.

This call to depend on God for all of our needs is one that is applicable to Believers today. We are to trust in God always.

Elimelech’s sons also were not to marry foreign women who served other Gods but they did when they took on the moabite wives. Deuteronomy 7:1-4

Deuteronomy 7:1–4 NKJV

“When the Lord your God brings you into the land which you go to possess, and has cast out many nations before you, the Hittites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than you, and when the Lord your God delivers them over to you, you shall conquer them and utterly destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them nor show mercy to them. Nor shall you make marriages with them. You shall not give your daughter to their son, nor take their daughter for your son. For they will turn your sons away from following Me, to serve other gods; so the anger of the Lord will be aroused against you and destroy you suddenly.

By the way this call for Gods people not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers is extended to followers of Christ today. This is so that we can serve Him fully and so we are not pulled away from Him. We have a lot of people who profess to be believers but they choose to seek after romantic relationships with unbelievers, this is not something that should be so. 2 Corinthians 6:14

2 Corinthians 6:14 NKJV

Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?

So when Ruth said she will go with Naomi and that Naomi’s people will be Ruth's people and that her God will be the God of the Israelites this was her proclamation of committing to be a follower of God.

Ruth 1:16–17 NKJV

But Ruth said: “Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, And there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, If anything but death parts you and me.”

Now we will take a look at Boaz

Ruth 2:1 NKJV

There was a relative of Naomi’s husband, a man of great wealth, of the family of Elimelech. His name was Boaz.

Now here we see the introduction of an important figure to the story and this is Boaz. The fact that he was a relative to Naomi’s husband that passed is important.

In Jewish culture when a husband died with no seed and wife was left the nearest kin to the husband would take the wife as his and would raise up seed, or have a child to continue the lineage of the dead husband. Boaz has the potential to be this to Ruth.

Naomi’s husband’s father was a carrier of the promised seed and was to pass it on. But his son Elimelech’s two son’s died so there was no one to pass on the seed leading to Christ.

However God provides what is called a kinsmen redeemer in Boaz who will pass on the promised seed with Ruth.

Ruth 2:2–5 NKJV

So Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, “Please let me go to the field, and glean heads of grain after him in whose sight I may find favor.” And she said to her, “Go, my daughter.” Then she left, and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers. And she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech. Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said to the reapers, “The Lord be with you!” And they answered him, “The Lord bless you!” Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?”

So here we see in Gods divine plan, Ruth and Boaz intersect with Ruth working in the field of Boaz and with Boaz noticing her.

There is a significance to Boaz’s interaction with His workers. This interaction seen in verse 4 where Boaz greeting his workers with a “The Lord be with you” and they blessed him back in their greeting shows that he is a follower of God.

Back to the Text Ruth 2:6-9

Ruth 2:6–9 NKJV

So the servant who was in charge of the reapers answered and said, “It is the young Moabite woman who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. And she said, ‘Please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves.’ So she came and has continued from morning until now, though she rested a little in the house.” Then Boaz said to Ruth, “You will listen, my daughter, will you not? Do not go to glean in another field, nor go from here, but stay close by my young women. Let your eyes be on the field which they reap, and go after them. Have I not commanded the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn.”

So here we see the Character of Boaz, He hears of a widow who is a foriegner who has taken on the Israelites as her people and who has treated her mother in law well even though there is nothing that she could gain from her mother in law. Boaz sees this widow who is a foreigner and he acts righteously in looking after her.

This is also how believers are to teat widows and foreigners today, we are to care for the fatherless, the widows, the sick, and the poor. This is the heart and character of a believer. This passage shows the character of God and what is expected of His people

Deuteronomy 10:18–19 NKJV

He administers justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing. Therefore love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.

James 1:27 NKJV

Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

Gods standard for righteousness does not change, just as Boaz acts righteously in caring for Ruth we also should care for those in need.

Ruth 2:10–13 NKJV

So she fell on her face, bowed down to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?” And Boaz answered and said to her, “It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before. The Lord repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.” Then she said, “Let me find favor in your sight, my lord; for you have comforted me, and have spoken kindly to your maidservant, though I am not like one of your maidservants.”

Here we see that Ruth shows humility in recognizing that she is a foreigner and that she is treated well when Boaz dosent have to treat her so well especially being that she was a Moabite.

Ruth 2:14–16 NKJV

Now Boaz said to her at mealtime, “Come here, and eat of the bread, and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar.” So she sat beside the reapers, and he passed parched grain to her; and she ate and was satisfied, and kept some back. And when she rose up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her. Also let grain from the bundles fall purposely for her; leave it that she may glean, and do not rebuke her.”

So here we see Boaz further caring for Ruth. This time he not only shows great generosity but he shows hospitality in inviting her to have a meal with him. In the ancient near east having a meal with someone was more than just eating, it was a strong expression of hospitality and welcoming others.

This trait of hospitality is also a trait of righteous living for one of Gods people.

1 Peter 4:9 NKJV

Be hospitable to one another without grumbling.

Just as Boaz showed Hospitality, with Ruth, we are also to be hospitable both to believers and strangers.

Ruth 2:20–23 NKJV

Then Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “Blessed be he of the Lord, who has not forsaken His kindness to the living and the dead!” And Naomi said to her, “This man is a relation of ours, one of our close relatives.” Ruth the Moabitess said, “He also said to me, ‘You shall stay close by my young men until they have finished all my harvest.’ ” And Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, “It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his young women, and that people do not meet you in any other field.” So she stayed close by the young women of Boaz, to glean until the end of barley harvest and wheat harvest; and she dwelt with her mother-in-law.

So here we see Ruth’s mother in-law recognized that this interaction was one that was done through Gods sovereign plan. She also recognized that Boaz could be the kinsmen redeemer for Ruth.

Ruth 3:1–4 NKJV

Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, shall I not seek security for you, that it may be well with you? Now Boaz, whose young women you were with, is he not our relative? In fact, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. Therefore wash yourself and anoint yourself, put on your best garment and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. Then it shall be, when he lies down, that you shall notice the place where he lies; and you shall go in, uncover his feet, and lie down; and he will tell you what you should do.”

So here when Naomi mentioned seeking security for Ruth what she was referring to was the security of a responsible husband. The husband would act as the wings of God offering security and protection to his wife and all that are in his household.

Naomi also gave Ruth wise council on how to position herself to be blessed.

Ruth 3:5–9 NKJV

And she said to her, “All that you say to me I will do.” So she went down to the threshing floor and did according to all that her mother-in-law instructed her. And after Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was cheerful, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain; and she came softly, uncovered his feet, and lay down. Now it happened at midnight that the man was startled, and turned himself; and there, a woman was lying at his feet. And he said, “Who are you?” So she answered, “I am Ruth, your maidservant. Take your maidservant under your wing, for you are a close relative.”

So here Boaz woke up to a strange woman and found out it was Ruth. Ruth then was able to make her request, “take your maidservant under your wing”.

When Naomi says that it is hinting back to Ruth 2:12 When Boaz blessed Ruth and said.

Ruth 2:12 NKJV

The Lord repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.”

So here God would use Boaz as His wing to cover and protect Ruth.

Ruth 3:10–13 NKJV

Then he said, “Blessed are you of the Lord, my daughter! For you have shown more kindness at the end than at the beginning, in that you did not go after young men, whether poor or rich. And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you request, for all the people of my town know that you are a virtuous woman. Now it is true that I am a close relative; however, there is a relative closer than I. Stay this night, and in the morning it shall be that if he will perform the duty of a close relative for you—good; let him do it. But if he does not want to perform the duty for you, then I will perform the duty for you, as the Lord lives! Lie down until morning.”

Here Boaz’s character is shown, He is willing to Honor her in performing the duty of a kinsman redeemer. However his righteousness shows in that he wants to make sure that if there is another who is first up that they have a chance.

Ruth 4:1–6 NKJV

Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there; and behold, the close relative of whom Boaz had spoken came by. So Boaz said, “Come aside, friend, sit down here.” So he came aside and sat down. And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down. Then he said to the close relative, “Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, sold the piece of land which belonged to our brother Elimelech. And I thought to inform you, saying, ‘Buy it back in the presence of the inhabitants and 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 but you to redeem it, and I am next after you.’ ” And he said, “I will redeem it.” Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also buy it from Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance.” And the close relative said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I ruin my own inheritance. You redeem my right of redemption for yourself, for I cannot redeem it.”

So Boaz goes about it the right way and works with the closer relative to redeem Ruth, however he did not have it in him to do so, so Boaz was now the one to redeem Ruth. This also shows his character in that he is a man of his word. This is also a trait that all believers should have.

Matthew 5:37 NKJV

But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.

Ruth 4:9–10 NKJV

And Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses this day that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s, and all that was Chilion’s and Mahlon’s, from the hand of Naomi. Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, I have acquired as my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brethren and from his position at the gate. You are witnesses this day.”

So here we see Boaz who was a righteous man, faithful to God redeemed Ruth and would bring forth seed on behalf of the dead Mahlon and in this he would continue the line of the promised seed.

Ruth 4:18–22 NKJV

Now this is the genealogy of Perez: Perez begot Hezron; Hezron begot Ram, and Ram begot Amminadab; Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon; Salmon begot Boaz, and Boaz begot Obed; Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David.

Ruth and Boaz were great grandparents of King David, who was in the line of Jesus.

Many times people look at the book of Ruth and they wonder why its there. The book of Ruth connects the genealogy, it continues the story of the promised seed. Without the book of Ruth we would have a hole in the genealogy.

Take Aways

Trust God

Show compassion and Hospitality to others

Let your yes be yes