Behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said to the reapers, “The LORD be with you!” And they answered him, “The LORD bless you.” Ruth 2:4
True love is genuine and characterizes every relationship in life!
Faith and its fruit, love, can be either genuine and heart-felt or disingenuous and false. The good fruit comes from the good work of the Spirit within a believer’s life. The false fruit is the sad consequence of unbelief. When Boaz is first introduced into the narrative of Ruth, he is described as “a relative of Naomi’s husband” and “a man of great wealth.” (Ruth 2:1) This, of course, leaves his character a matter of speculation, because one’s relatives and financial status do not speak to a person’s values or viewpoints.
However, the first words out of Boaz’s mouth, as he greets his workers out in the field and their response to him in return, speak volumes concerning this man’s faith and his character! “The LORD be with you,” he said to them, and they responded, “The LORD bless you.” Boaz’s words and the thoughts which guided them were not immediately directed towards or limited to the business at hand. He did not approach his workers and say, “Well, how is it going today, men? What does the yield look like in this field? When will you be ready to move on?” No, his thoughts were rather on the LORD and the vital role He plays in every person’s life. The LORD, after all, is the God of grace and mercy, of promise and providential care. Boaz’s thoughts expressed a deep desire for the welfare of his workers and his wish that the LORD would watch over and be with them for their good. The response of his workers suggests the same…a genuine desire that Boaz prosper and receive the blessings that only the LORD’s providential care might provide.
This simple conversation speaks well of Boaz and predicts for us his future words and actions which reflect a true love that was both genuine and, as later revealed, characterized every relationship in his life…including his future relationship with Ruth!
O LORD God, fill our hearts with a genuine faith and love, so that our Christian character will be evident within our lives and will form the basis for our every relationship in life. Amen.