Can We Talk About Boaz?

You may have heard the name Boaz a time or two but if you haven’t, here’s a very quick synopsis. Boaz is the man who married Ruth after finding her working in his fields. He immediately showed favor toward her and her mother in law, Naomi (Mara). From this union came the lineage of David and eventually Jesus.

Many people associate Boaz with a great love story for he and Ruth, and it was. However, many do not think about the journey Ruth took to get her “Boaz”. She was a Moabite woman who married a man from Bethlehem. In a time where a woman was valued for her ability to conceive and give birth to sons, Ruth never conceived. To add insult to injury, her father in law, brother in law and husband died, leaving three widowed women to provide for themselves. Talk about feeling lost and confused!!

Her mother in law, Naomi, then says she will go back to her home of Bethlehem. Naomi attempted to send her daughters in law back to their own people, but Ruth refused. Historically, these two peoples did not get along because Moab was considered a lower class. So, not only did she not have children, she lost her husband and now she was going to a land where she would not be accepted because she was a foreigner. She could potentially be attacked or worse and she had no real protection. Yet, she went with Naomi anyway.

This is where Boaz enters. Ruth, in need of food for Naomi and herself, had to find someone who would allow her to glean their fields. You see, although the law mandated the treatment of the poor, not everyone observed this law, especially when it came to foreigners. She risked being banned from fields and other humiliations. Nonetheless, she asked Naomi if she could go and attempt to glean in the fields. She received permission and found Boaz’s field.

The concept of “Boaz” can represent many things: a love relationship, your desired career, a dream home, etc. Often, we may envy others who’ve received their “Boaz” while we wait on ours, but we have no clue what they have gone through to get theirs. So, if you are searching for or still waiting for your “Boaz”, take heart!!! You are definitely not alone and will be greatly rewarded for your patience and steadfastness.