A Man and a Woman of Standing

Our text is from Ruth 2:10-13 At this, [Ruth] bowed down with her face to the ground. She asked him, "Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?" Boaz replied, "I've been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband—how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge." "May I continue to find favor in your eyes, my lord," she said. "You have put me at ease by speaking kindly to your servant—though I do not have the standing of one of your servants." In today's text, Ruth askes Boaz, "Why have I found such favour in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?" We already know the answer because Boaz was introduced as: 'a man of standing'. As such, he was wealthy; respected by his peers and admired by younger men. However, it also puts him in very elite company. Only two others biblical characters are described with these words. The first is Job, who was "blameless and upright, he feared God and shunned evil" (Job 1:1). Job's story reveals this is to be accurate. Concerning the other, we read that he "grew up into a man of standing". This is how Luke summarizes Jesus' adolescence and early adulthood (Luke 2:52). Let's recall that these were the day of the Judges, when there was no king in Israel and everyone did what was right in their own eyes. Later the prophets challenged Israel: "This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor'" (Zechariah. 7:9,10). Justice, mercy, and compassion were all uncommon in Naomi's day. As Pastor Anthony mentioned yesterday, it was a dangerous time for a foreign young woman to go out on her own. But the Lord directed her to the fields of Boaz, a man of standing. After the stories in Judges, this narrative is a breath of fresh air. Not all is lost for Israel. There are still those who follow the Lord, who trust in him. Proverbs 3 includes this parental advice, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight" (5,6). It is very possible that the story Boaz and Ruth lurks in the background. Here is the thing, Boaz recognizes that Ruth, a foreigner, has indeed cast her lot in with the God of Israel, "under whose wings you have come to take refuge". He has heard her story told in town. Now his foreman is impressed with both her humility and her industriousness. She is a woman of 'standing'; that is why Boaz notices her. She is a better follower of God than many of the Israelites; that is why he wants her blessed, not recognizing that in his very actions God is answering his prayer. God will use Boaz to bless Ruth for her kindness to Naomi. There are many ways that we can respond to the Scriptures. This story invites us to notice how both Boaz and Ruth's trust in God cause them to live lives of godly justice. And, how God moulds their faithful actions into his grand work of redemption. We cannot know what God will do with our faithful deeds, but this story is given to encourage us to be people of standing not for rewards sake, but because we "trust in the Lord". Go now with God's blessing: May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness: protect you through the storm. May he bring you home rejoicing; at the wonders he has shown you. May he bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.