Day 18: Ruth 4:1-4 - I Will Redeem It

4 Meanwhile Boaz went up to the town gate and sat down there just as the guardian-redeemer he had mentioned came along. Boaz said, “Come over here, my friend, and sit down.” So he went over and sat down.
2 Boaz took ten of the elders of the town and said, “Sit here,” and they did so. 3 Then he said to the guardian-redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our relative Elimelek. 4 I thought I should bring the matter to your attention and suggest that you buy it in the presence of these seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, do so. But if you will not, tell me, so I will know. For no one has the right to do it except you, and I am next in line.”
“I will redeem it,” he said.

Boaz goes to the place of business…the town gate. He sits, waiting for his competition for Ruth. He motions him to come over. To sit with him and hear what he has to say. He brings elders to do the same. I’m nervous for him. Did he plan out his words? What he would say, how he would say it? Did he run a million scenarios in his mind? Did he pray to God for the outcome he desired?

Boaz presents the facts to the closer relative.

“I will redeem it,” the man says.

Oh no!  Wait a minute. How can it end like this? Everything has fallen into place so perfectly up to this point. Boaz is trying to do right thing, the right way. We want Boaz and Ruth to be together.

But the nearest relative is agreeing to be the redeemer. It is looking like Ruth’s future husband will not be Boaz after all.

What do you think is going through the mind of Boaz? Do you think he is discouraged at this point?

Are you quick to get discouraged when something doesn’t go your way?

Have you ever had to gracefully watch someone get something that you really wanted (a spot on the team, the job, the part, the accolades and attention, the guy, the winning ticket)? How did you handle it?

Perhaps Boaz isn’t yet discouraged. Perhaps he knows exactly what he is doing and how he is going about it. Look closely at the description given by Boaz. He mentions only the land that belonged to Elimelek. There is no mention at all of Ruth.
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The whole story has yet to be told.