Responsibility, What's That?

Our last episode ended with Boaz’s promise to settle things today. Settle what? Remember Ruth proposed to Boaz and he is excited to marry her, but there is another relative closer to her that has rights to redeem the land. At the very onset of this newly forming relationship is a huge obstacle, but Boaz shows determination and promises to find out right away where they stand.

The custom of the day was that the closest relative could redeem Elimelech’s land, but in redeeming the land would also include marring Ruth. Boaz had observed Ruth’s faithfulness, heard her reputation and has known her character, therefore he is willing to redeem her. However, he had a responsibility to God’s law to make known the opportunity to the relative closer then he.

Responsibility isn’t a popular word these days. The temptation is always to do whatever we want to do without worrying about the consequences. Responsibility recognizes that everything we do carries consequences and acting appropriately in response. An old Christian punk band once wrote, “responsibility, what’s that, responsibility not yet…I’m still young and I want to stay that way…”

My dad and mom raised me to “run” toward responsibility. That a sign of maturity is to be willing to take on responsibility when others wont. As a teenager I got a job as soon as I could. I became a counselor at camp. I was the van driver for my ministry team. And so on. Each decision I made to take on responsibility limited my freedom but trained me to become the man I am today.

Boaz took up the charge to put aside his feelings and desires and to responsibly proceed according to the law.

When he encounters his relative at the city gates, which would be like going to the court room to complete legal transactions today, he sat down with him and presented the offer. He told him, “Elimelech’s land and property is available to be redeemed and you are the closest relative and have first rights.” What was Boaz leaving out? Oh the marriage to Ruth.

Nowhere in the story up to this point has the family’s land been the object of discussion. There is a romance between Ruth and Boaz that has been growing, but Boaz doesn’t open with that. Instead, he brings attention to the land and properties of Elimelech.

The relative, like any other savvy businessman of the day, responded with a desire to redeem the land. It was only then that Boaz revealed that redeeming the land would also require marrying Ruth. The relative responded with “in that case, I cannot redeem the land lest I impair my own inheritance, it is yours.” In front of the town leaders, Boaz was able to get his cousin to pass on the opportunity and promise it to him.

I like to think that Boaz new his cousin’s situation. He knew that being a redeemer was a weighty matter and he hoped that his cousin would be unwilling to follow through with it. There would be a lot of responsibility placed on whoever was the redeemer.

Even in this part of the story we see a beautiful illustration of God’s love for us. A redeemer had to be willing to redeem his people, and God showed His willingness in His Son Jesus Christ. He took on the responsibility of our sins and provided a way for forgiveness and reconciliation.

Boaz’s willingness to redeem Ruth is a picture of Christ’s love for the church. True love is a sacrificial love, a responsible love and a love that takes on responsibilities, even when they are not convenient or fun. That’s why Paul says in Ephesians “husband’s love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.”

 Boaz kept his promise that very day. He was able to control his own desires and emotions to risk the very thing he wanted by fulfilling his duty to make known the option to his cousin. His obedient faithfulness to God’s law was rewarded when his cousin was unwilling to be the redeemer freeing up Boaz to marry Ruth. When we obey God’s in all circumstances we are positioning ourselves to see His blessings in our lives.