A Worthy Man

I’m sitting at my desk surrounded by two corner walls covered with photos and cards that each tell a story. The story isn’t written on each one, but looking at the photos and cards, I see a special piece of the story. Each piece brings to remembrance the full story.

In studying Ruth 2, I’ve been learning much. Instead of tackling every aspect of this chapter, I want to focus on Boaz. This snapshot of Boaz will aid us in understanding the full story. Another week we can focus on a snapshot of Ruth from chapter 2.

Please take a few minutes to read Ruth chapter 2.

Now Naomi had a relative of her husband’s, a worthy man of the clan of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz. 2 And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I shall find favor.” And she said to her, “Go, my daughter.” 3 So she set out and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers, and she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the clan of Elimelech. 4 And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem. And he said to the reapers, “The Lord be with you!” And they answered, “The Lord bless you.” 5 Then Boaz said to his young man who was in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?” 6 And the servant who was in charge of the reapers answered, “She is the young Moabite woman, who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. 7 She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves after the reapers.’ So she came, and she has continued from early morning until now, except for a short rest.”

8 Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Now, listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but keep close to my young women. 9 Let your eyes be on the field that they are reaping, and go after them. Have I not charged the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink what the young men have drawn.” 10 Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?” 11 But Boaz answered her, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told to me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before. 12 The Lord repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!” 13 Then she said, “I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, for you have comforted me and spoken kindly to your servant, though I am not one of your servants.”

14 And at mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come here and eat some bread and dip your morsel in the wine.” So she sat beside the reapers, and he passed to her roasted grain. And she ate until she was satisfied, and she had some left over. 15 When she rose to glean, Boaz instructed his young men, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her. 16 And also pull out some from the bundles for her and leave it for her to glean, and do not rebuke her.”

17 So she gleaned in the field until evening. Then she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley. 18 And she took it up and went into the city. Her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. She also brought out and gave her what food she had left over after being satisfied. 19 And her mother-in-law said to her, “Where did you glean today? And where have you worked? Blessed be the man who took notice of you.” So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked and said, “The man’s name with whom I worked today is Boaz.” 20 And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be blessed by the Lord, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!” Naomi also said to her, “The man is a close relative of ours, one of our redeemers.” 21 And Ruth the Moabite said, “Besides, he said to me, ‘You shall keep close by my young men until they have finished all my harvest.’ ” 22 And Naomi said to Ruth, her daughter-in-law, “It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his young women, lest in another field you be assaulted.” 23 So she kept close to the young women of Boaz, gleaning until the end of the barley and wheat harvests. And she lived with her mother-in-law. [1]

In Ruth chapter 2, we are immediately introduced to Boaz (vs 1). He is described as a “worthy man”. In Judges 11:1, this same Hebrew word is translated as “mighty warrior”. We don’t have a record of Boaz being an actual warrior, but the Hebrew word for relative or kinsman in verse 1 refers to the chieftain of a family. Boaz was powerful and important. We can also understand from this text that while Elimelech left Israel during the famine to sojourn in the “greener pastures” of Moab, Boaz remained behind. It also appears that God had blessed Boaz. His fields of wheat and barley were producing abundantly enough that he had many working for him.

But what I want to look at specifically is why Boaz was described as a worthy man. Boaz followed God in both his words and his actions. First, we see that Boaz demonstrated his faith in God through his words. In verse 4, he greeted the reapers in his field with “The Lord be with you!” (vs 4). It is interesting to note that his workers responded with “TheLord bless you.” This speaks to Boaz’s character. He was respected.

Boaz also spoke a prayer and a blessing to Ruth (vs 12-13), as well as encouraging her by acknowledging her faithfulness to Naomi and her new faith in God (“under whose wings you have come to take refuge”). Ruth describes his words towards her as kind (vs 14).

We also see Boaz’s worthiness in his actions. Boaz was obeying the command of gleaning found in Leviticus 19:9-10. “When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, neither shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. And you shall not strip your vineyard bare, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the Lord your God.”

Additionally, Boaz protected Ruth (vs 9), he supplied a full meal and water for her, he placed her in companionship with other women who worked for him, and he wisely provided beyond the normal gleaning for Ruth in a way that he could bless her without causing her to feel like a charity case (vs 15-16).

In a time when Israel as a whole was doing what was right in their own eyes, Boaz did what was right in God’s eyes. We learn even more of this in the rest of Ruth, but even as a worthy man, Boaz was still a man. He was not perfect. He was not sinless. As I thought of Boaz described as a worthy man, I was reminded that there is One who is completely worthy.

Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” 3 And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, 4 and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. 5 And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”

6 And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. 8 And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying,

“Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals,

for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God

from every tribe and language and people and nation,

10 and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,

and they shall reign on the earth.”

11 Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice,

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,

to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might

and honor and glory and blessing!”

13 And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying,

“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb

be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”

14 And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped. [2]

Reflection

Our culture could be described like the time of Judges as everyone doing what is right in their own eyes. Boaz stood apart in his words and actions as doing what was right in God’s eyes.

1. In what ways have you been speaking and acting according to what is right in your own eyes?

2. What are some specific ways this week you can speak and act according to what is right in God’s eyes? As I’m writing this, “My Story” by Big Daddy Weave is playing. It seems fitting.

If I should speak, then let it be of the grace That is greater than all my sin

Of when justice was served, and where mercy wins! Of the kindness of Jesus, that draws me in Oh to tell you my story, is to tell of Him

3. Jesus is the only one who is truly worthy of all blessing, honor, glory, might, power, wealth, and wisdom. Spend time thanking and praising Jesus who is worthy and who has given those in Christ His righteousness.

[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Ru 2:1–23. [2] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Re 5:1–14.