Ruth 3:18 (NIV)
“Then Naomi said, "Wait, my daughter, until you find out what happens. For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today."
I have a feeling Naomi had been busy since returning to Bethlehem. It had been many years since her husband gathered the family up and moved from Judah to the country of Moab. At some point Elimelech, Naomi’s husband died.
We don’t know the complete timeline, but Naomi’s sons found women to marry and after about 10 years they also died, leaving Naomi alone with two daughters-in-law.
When the older woman returned to Jerusalem, “the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women exclaimed, ‘Can this be Naomi’”? (Ruth 1:19) I know when I run into someone I haven’t seen for a number of years I question if I am seeing correctly? Time changes us, we either mature or improve with age and experience, or we become crusty and bitter and even undergo a moral change. Whatever the case, we don’t stay the same.
So, for Naomi to be guiding Ruth toward Boaz, she must have been researching his reputation and character. At the very least she talked with the women in town. She would listen intently to the talk to determine if Boaz was the right man for her daughter-in-law.
Boaz had a stellar reputation. He was a man of integrity, and maybe that is why he was so impressed with Ruth. There is quite a lesson here for us. Ruth wanted to find a second husband, but she wouldn’t want to settle for just anyone. He needed to be a man of God, one who shared her new faith. He needed to be approved by her mentor and mother-in-law, Naomi. She wasn’t hunting for someone to grow old with, she was securing her future.
This is how God wants us to seek out friends or even a spouse. Material possessions are not the gauge we should use when ascertaining worthiness, but their heart is.
When the older woman returned to Jerusalem, “the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women exclaimed, ‘Can this be Naomi’”? (Ruth 1:19) I know when I run into someone I haven’t seen for a number of years I question if I am seeing correctly? Time changes us, we either mature or improve with age and experience, or we become crusty and bitter and even undergo a moral change. Whatever the case, we don’t stay the same.
So, for Naomi to be guiding Ruth toward Boaz, she must have been researching his reputation and character. At the very least she talked with the women in town. She would listen intently to the talk to determine if Boaz was the right man for her daughter-in-law.
Boaz had a stellar reputation. He was a man of integrity, and maybe that is why he was so impressed with Ruth. There is quite a lesson here for us. Ruth wanted to find a second husband, but she wouldn’t want to settle for just anyone. He needed to be a man of God, one who shared her new faith. He needed to be approved by her mentor and mother-in-law, Naomi. She wasn’t hunting for someone to grow old with, she was securing her future.
This is how God wants us to seek out friends or even a spouse. Material possessions are not the gauge we should use when ascertaining worthiness, but their heart is.
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