Boaz perceives that what has and is going on in Ruth’s life is a reflection of something greater taking place spiritually. She sees herself as a poor foreigner struggling to make a living; Boaz sees the spiritual harvest of her work and sacrifice on behalf of her mother-in-law as “wages…from the Lord“, a greater reward than any earthly treasure could bring. He knows that such spiritual character is not a happenstance result, but the result of one running TO God “under whose wings you have come to seek refuge”.
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Consider the salient points in this vivid picture of salvation and how they build individually into the biblical definition of the visible life of one dedicated to and saved by the One True God:
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The proof of faithfulness comes not in times of peace and prosperity but hardship and testing. It’s easy to remain faithful during the good times, but more of a direct challenge to one’s strength of character when everything seems to be going wrong. Naomi trained her daughters-in-law the best that she could, putting their needs before her own, and in their choices was revealed the true depth of each one’s faithfulness. There is affection displayed in the course of Orpah’s departure, but the greater strength of love in Ruth’s clinging to Naomi, refusing to be parted. Only Ruth was truly faithful.
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And so closes the book of Judges with a one-line commentary on the spiritual conditions that allowed such things to happen as documented in the book: Awful things which no one thought possible. Not solely limited to individuals, even the whole of Israel was gripped by spiritual bankruptcy. Of course, our notion these many centuries later is that this was rooted in primitive man’s ignorance and natural barbarism. Nothing like this could happen today, right?
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I truly wish I could categorically state my empathy with Israel’s follow-up to carrying out God’s judgment on Benjamin, but such is not the case. There is no gray area regarding the sin committed by Benjamin nor the judgment brought on them as the result of the rest of Israel taking action based on God’s response to their specific inquiries. Benjamin is the undisputed, absolutely, without-a-doubt guilty party deserving of everything they received. And yet, at the end of the event, it wasn’t Benjamin that rushed to God’s feet to seek reconciliation, but the innocent—the rest of Israel.
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Twice before the sons of Israel inquired of God on this very issue. ^{[1] [2]} The first time God responded, “Judah shall go up first”, but they were defeated. When asked again, God affirmed, “Go up against him.” And they were defeated yet a second time. Only in His third response did God stipulate, “I will deliver them into your hand.” There appears to be a strange tension between having one’s prayers answered, following God’s instructions, and still experiencing defeat.
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None of the native residents paid attention to the needs of the visitors, only a visitor himself seemed to care. The custom of the day was for visitors to go to the town square and accorded hospitality voluntarily by its citizens. But no one responded to the needs of the outsider except an outsider himself.
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