DAILY WORD 4/27/21
1. Boaz went to the town gate and took a seat there. Just then the family redeemer he had mentioned came by, so Boaz called out to him, “Come over here and sit down, friend. I want to talk to you.” So they sat down together.
2. Then Boaz called ten leaders from the town and asked them to sit as witnesses.
3. And Boaz said to the family redeemer, “You know Naomi, who came back from Moab. She is selling the land that belonged to our relative Elimelech.
4. I thought I should speak to you about it so that you can redeem it if you wish. If you want the land, then buy it here in the presence of these witnesses. But if you don’t want it, let me know right away, because I am next in line to redeem it after you.”
The man replied, “All right, I’ll redeem it.”
Ruth 4:1–4 NLT
Today’s Passage returns us to the Story of Ruth and Naomi. However, this time the ball is in Boaz’s court. Naomi has tried to manipulate the situation she found herself in by having Ruth indicate to Boaz that she desired to marry him. But Boaz knew that he would have to navigate the waters of Family Redemption to do so.
He told Ruth that there was another man who outranked him in the succession of Family Redeemer. If he were to marry Ruth, that man would have to step down from his responsibility and allow Boaz to step up in his place.
Boaz said that he would take care of it and left both Naomi and Ruth waiting on his answer. Despite Naomi’s meddling in God’s Plans, she now has no choice but to remain patient and see what God’s Will will be.
She tried to insinuate herself into the situation, but God is trying to teach her a Lesson about Faith. If you are going to claim that you are Faithful, there is a price to pay. It’s called Patience. You can’t go interfering in God’s Affairs and claim that you Trust Him. You have to give Him the reins and let Him do His work without your interference.
Now, as Boaz goes to handle the business of encountering the Family Redeemer, the entire gambit is up in the air. Does God even want Ruth to marry Boaz? Is that His Plan, or did Naomi see Boaz as the one she thought was right and jump the gun?
Boaz sits at the city gate and waits where he knows his kinsman will be passing by. When he sees him, he asks him to stop and discuss some business with him. Boaz also has ten city elders sit in on the meeting as witnesses to what he proposes.
These actions are yet another indication that Boaz is an honorable man. Given the customs and laws of the day in Israel, the next in line in the family hierarchy has the privilege of purchasing the land left by a deceased family member.
Boaz is going about this thing lawfully and appropriately. He is not cutting corners or pressuring this man, nor is he bribing or going behind his back. He knows that the right thing to do is be honest and forthright if he is to honor both God and Ruth in this situation.
Once all of the parties are present, Boaz tells his relative that Naomi plans to sell off the land that Elimelech had left when he died. The deal is one that any wealthy landowner would jump at. They are farmers, so any additional land they can acquire will only add to their wealth, and what rich man doesn’t want that?
When Boaz’s relative hears that the land is up for sale, he jumps at the offer. Naomi’s plan is about to fail. All of her meddling and plotting are about to come to naught. If she had just waited on God to do His Work and Engineer His Manufactured Mercies, might things have turned out differently?
Now Boaz, Ruth, and Naomi face a situation that none of them anticipated. If this relative redeems the land, Ruth will not be able to marry Boaz. Naomi’s vision of a new perfect family will be ruined. This is what happens when we try to insinuate ourselves into God’s Plans. We often find ourselves dealing with the repercussions of our own flawed perceptions.
We cannot see the end of a thing the way God can, and when we try to put our nearsighted perceptions into play, we risk rushing in blindly. And we all know what happens when the blind take the reins and try to steer; disaster is imminent!
The redeemer wants the land, but Boaz has one final card to play. Tomorrow we will see what happens next, but for now, consider the Lesson we take from this Passage. When we tell God we Trust Him, we might have to prove our Faith.
It does us no good to claim we have Faith and then go “behind God’s Back” and try to manipulate the situation. We can’t see the end of the problem anyway, but He can. If we Trust Him, we have to Give Him the Reins and let Him Steer!
If you are facing a situation that you cannot control, don’t try. Give it to God, and don’t attempt to take it back when things aren’t happening fast enough for you. He has a Plan, and when it finally comes to fruition, it will be better than anything you could have haphazardly slapped together. The name of the Game is Trust; can you play by the Rules?
Have a Terrific Tuesday and Trust God; He Really Does Know Where He’s Going!
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