True Love–Illustrations in Ruth
“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.” So she lay at his feet until morning, and she arose before one could recognize another. Then he said, “Do not let it be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.” Ruth 3:12-14
Throughout the narrative of Ruth, Boaz exhibits personal integrity. Nothing, however, reveals that integrity more than his response to Ruth’s request to serve as her kinsman-redeemer. The role of kinsman-redeemer in the Old Testament reflects the role of our Savior. The kinsman-redeemer was a restorer of life and family. When a husband died, the kinsman-redeemer would marry the widow. Their first child would be the heir of the deceased husband, thereby restoring life to that family. The kinsman-redeemer had to be related, able, and willing to perform the role.
That Boaz truly loved Ruth and wanted to fulfill the role of kinsman-redeemer for her is self-evident from the storyline. But his response to Ruth’s request demonstrates not only Boaz’s integrity, but also his true love for her, and his even greater love and respect for the LORD.
This was the case because Boaz chose not to ignore God’s laws in pursuit of selfish desire. That law outlined both who and how the kinsman-redeemer was chosen. If Boaz had simply desired Ruth, he could have ignored God’s guidelines and easily compromised her reputation in the eyes of that closer relative. Having done so, he could have taken her for himself. But Boaz neither compromised his faithfulness to God nor put Ruth’s reputation at risk. On the contrary, he took decisive steps to prevent false rumors from arising, while entrusting their future to the LORD. True love both honors God and seeks to uphold the reputation of others!
O Lord God, help us to demonstrate true love by honoring Your word while upholding the good reputation of others. Amen.