Ruth 3: Excellence on Display

How are you known by others? What do they know about you that would give an accurate description of who you are? Ruth 3 deals with a few characters that are known for exceptional character. They are known by others as men and women of excellence.

It begins with Naomi. A widow and mother-in-law back home after the severe famine. She’s accompanied by her daughter-in-law Ruth. Naomi realizes Ruth’s faithfulness and devotion to her and seeks security for Ruth out of her own love and devotion for her. So Ruth listens to all that Naomi commands her to do, to go into the fields after Boaz has finished eating and drinking for the night to be near him to see if he would take care of her. Ruth was being instructed to prepare herself as a bride. She was appealing to Boaz’s kinsman obligation. Her actions were a request for marriage. And Boaz once again is impressed with Ruth’s character. Her kindness (v.10) was shown to him because she didn’t simply go after the younger men. He knows of her history (see Ruth 2) and how faithful Ruth has been to Naomi. But now he sees another side of her. In fact, he says “all the people in the city know that you are a woman of excellence.” He’s impressed.

It can also be said that Boaz is a person of excellence. You see he could have simply accepted Ruth’s approach without any further discussion. But, he knew there was a relative closer to Ruth than himself. So the right thing, the law, indicates the closest relative has the first right as kinsman redeemer for this relative, or the first right of refusal so to speak.

What do you do when you’re in a situation that benefits you and you can easily get past the letter of the law? Ruth and Boaz were in this position. Both are examples of excellence on display. Ruth didn’t have to stay with her mother-in-law, she didn’t have to leave Moab and come to Naomi’s home. Ruth had nothing except her relationship with Naomi and her character. Boaz demonstrated excellence when approached by Ruth for one reason – because it was the right thing to do. Do we do that in our culture? Do we do the right thing because it’s the right thing? Or do we need other reasons to do what is right? Let’s remember Ruth and Boaz as examples of excellence, as examples of doing the right thing because it’s the right thing to do. And let’s remember that we’re all faced with so many situations in our lives, every day and every week. And that we’re ambassadors of Christ, called to live righteous lives in all our ways. So let’s do the right thing – let’s put Christ’s excellence in us on display everyday.

Posted by Joe Stecz