Although it is true that I am a guardian-redeemer of our family, there is another who is more closely related than I. Stay here for the night, and in the morning if he wants to do his duty as your guardian-redeemer, good; let him redeem you. But if he is not willing, as surely as the Lord lives I will do it. Lie here until morning.” So she lay at his feet until morning, but got up before anyone could be recognized; and he said, “No one must know that a woman came to the threshing floor.” He also said, “Bring me the shawl you are wearing and hold it out.” When she did so, he poured into it six measures of barley and placed the bundle on her. Then he went back to town. When Ruth came to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, “How did it go, my daughter?” Then she told her everything Boaz had done for her and added, “He gave me these six measures of barley, saying, ‘Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’ ” Then Naomi said, “Wait, my daughter, until you find out what happens. For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today.”

Sometimes we must humble ourselves and lay at the feet of another for rescue and help. We see multiple examples of this in the Bible from Joseph receiving help from the Pharoah to get out of prison after he interpreted his dream, to Jonah receiving God’s help in the form of a whale. Here we have, in Jewish society, a role established for this very purpose: the Guardian Redeemer. The Guardian Redeemer is a man of standing who can step in if the normal system of help does not work and rescue the destitute. The normal system was that if a woman’s husband died, the brother next in line would take up the wife as his own. If that brother died, then the next one, and so on. In this case, both brothers had died, there were no brothers left. So, the Guardian Redeemer is able to step in and help. A few things to note about this marriage: 1) it was arranged, 2) it was between a younger woman and an older man, and 3) it was as much about provision as it was attraction. Not everything is as perfect and planned in life as we imagine.

Naomi was the advisor and set the plan in motion. And Boaz was an eager party. But he was also honorable. He did not want a poor reputation to fall on Ruth. So, he tells her to keep quiet, he did not follow manly impulse to sleep with her, and he does not agree until he checked with the closer relative. He sends her on her way with a gift for Naomi, his relative.

We can learn a few things here: 1) God always grants us more than we could dream or imagine if we follow him. Ruth followed God and his prompt on her heart to take care of her mother-in-law. And she would have done this even if she had remained poor forever, so passionate was she to be faithful to Naomi, out of respect and honor. But God chose to provide for her a wealthy landowner, who was kind and Godly, as an advocate and possibly a husband. What a bigger blessing. 2) Boaz took his role of Guardian Redeemer seriously and was willing to help no matter the cost. He also did not want to quarrel with others regarding Ruth. So, he went to the closer relative. He wanted to live at peace and follow God’s law. He was righteous. 3) Ruth had to be patient and wait a little bit for her bigger blessing. Sometimes (I find even most of the time) this is required when God wants to bless us big time!

Lord, thank you for your provision for Ruth in the person of Boaz. Help me to trust and believe that you have a big blessing in store for me too. Help me to be patient and seek your will and your ways even as I wait! And help me to seek out and help those who need a rescue from time to time — only by your power can I do it!