Ruth 3:10-13 – “R.E.S.P.E.C.T.”

As always, here’s my fairly literal translation of these verses:

¹⁰And he said, “[May] you [be] one blessed by the LORD, my daughter. You have done well. Your kindness, the former from the latter, not to go after the young men, either poor or rich. ¹¹And now, my daughter, do not be afraid. All which you are saying I will do to you because the all of the gate of my people [are] knowing that you [are] a virtuous woman. ¹²And now because [it is] truth because a redeeming one I [am] and also there is a redeeming one nearer from me. ¹³Remain tonight and it will be in the morning if he will redeem, good, he will redeem and if not he is pleased to redeem you and I will redeem you, [as] the LORD lives. Lie down until the morning.”

What a treat it has been to study this book, just to get to spend time with these people. I’ve read this passage over and over and always come away amazed what a good man Boaz was.

Here he is rich, powerful, established – everything a man could want to be – and here is Ruth, a poor, destitute foreign widow. Certainly anyone can imagine Boaz “helping” this girl, but doing it from the perspective of “big, rich man reaches down and helps poor, pitiful girl.” But instead, every time Boaz speaks to her, he makes it sound like she’s the one to be admired and it’s his honor to speak with her. She asks him to “spread the corner of your garment over me,” and he responds not only by saying, “Yes,” but doing it in a way that communicates very deep respect for Ruth.

First, he responds by saying, “The Lord bless you, my daughter.” She just stuck her neck out. She asks him to redeem her, then hangs there in space waiting for a voice in the darkness to answer her. He could have just said, “Yes” but first he has to lift her up. I don’t know how the first few words out of his mouth could have been more comforting. He immediately brings the Lord and His blessing into the conversation – this in itself offers to Ruth comfort and stability and assurance (none of which she had 10 seconds before). Then he calls her “my daughter,” a term of endearment assuring her of the kindest, warmest, most gentle loving intentions. He might as well, like a good father, have wrapped his big strong arms around her, kissed her head, and said, “Don’t worry about anything, Angel. I’ll take care of it all.”

Then, again before he has even said yes, he praises her, “This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after the young men, whether rich or poor.” You see what he’s doing? Anyone else would look at the situation and say the big issue is Boaz’s kindness to Ruth. He’s the rich one. Yet, he pushes Ruth’s kindness to center stage and makes her feel like he’s the one being blessed. She’s the one doing the blessing! Here’s this rich, powerful man, telling this poor destitute widow, “I can’t believe you’d even notice me!”

Finally, he comes to an answer, and listen how he says it: “And now, my daughter, don’t be afraid, I will do for you all you ask.” What a sensitive man he is. Again, he uses the fatherly, “my daughter” to communicate warmth and affection, then he says, “Don’t be afraid.” Notice he knows she is! This rich man with nothing to fear realizes this girl is scared. Of course she is. Her whole world is uncertain. And he realizes even in asking him to redeem her, she had reason to fear. He doesn’t take those things lightly and speaks directly to the issue, “Don’t be afraid.” And he could of just said, “Yes, I’ll redeem you,” but he did not, he says, “All you are asking, I will do for you.” He’s wanting to assure her that he not only intends to redeem her, but that everything she’s concerned about, everything she’s dreaming of, everything will be taken care of.

But his kindness doesn’t end there. Once again, he’s the “catch.” He’s the rich one. He could have said, “I will fulfill my duty as a kinsman-redeemer.” But, no; he says, “Yes, I’ll do it because all my fellow townsmen know that you are a  woman of noble character.” Once again, he’s making it sound like he’s the one being blessed, that she’s the “catch.”

He talked to Ruth the same way back in chapter 2, always lifting her up, always being very kind to her. He’s just a good man. He always, always, always treats her and speaks to her with respect. You already know he will be a very good husband to her.

I have been amazed over the years to see how important it is that a man respect his wife. I’ve observed young men who simply do not respect a woman and so they never respect their wife, no matter how much of a treasure she is. And I’ve watched one such young man after another end up losing that treasure of a wife only to see her snatched up by some man far more deserving of her love. What is heart-warming in this story is knowing without a doubt that Boaz will be a wonderful husband to Ruth – knowing it because from the very beginning, he is a man who will respect her.

If we just slow down enough to really think about what is happening and what is being said, Boaz is a man all men should be like!