The Blessing of the Lord

In American culture, the bride and her family have historically planned most wedding details. The bride chooses the colors, décor, and—of course—the dress. She is the focus of the celebration. So much so that many people call the wedding day “her day.” Marriage ceremonies in the ancient Near East …

We Are Witnesses

Witnesses played an active role in ancient Israel’s judicial system. They were necessary to ensure fairness and accountability. As the nearer guardian exited the courtroom, Boaz turned to the elders and the crowd and reminded them of their place in these legal proceedings: “Today you are witnesses”…

Boaz Negotiates

In many stories, there is a moment when “all hope is lost.” It’s that pivotal point when the main character suffers a seemingly final defeat. We wonder, will he ever achieve his goal? In today’s passage, Boaz faces an “all hope is lost” moment. Having engaged the nearer guardian-redeemer and havin…

Preparation for Confrontation

The King William County Courthouse in Virginia was built in 1725 and is considered the oldest courthouse in continuous use in the United States. Its architecture is beautiful, in classic colonial style. In the time of Ruth and Boaz, cities also provided a place for judicial business. Many cities w…

Steadfast Love

Michael Card writes about lament: “One of the fascinating features of biblical laments…was the way every one transitions. These psalms begin lamenting…and then at some unpredictable point they transition and begin to praise…In three important laments, Psalms 13 and 69 and Jeremiah’s Lamentations, t…

Naomi’s Evaluation

Elisabeth Elliot once wrote: “Waiting on God requires the willingness to bear uncertainty, to carry within oneself the unanswered question, lifting the heart to God about it.” At its core, waiting isn’t about passing time. It’s about exercising trust. Today’s scene takes place at Naomi’s house, ju…

Enduring Covenant Love

One of the most powerful practices to engage in—especially when we’re feeling discouraged—is to lift our voices in praise, rejoicing in who God has been and how He has worked. Today we’ll sit in the sanctuary of the hesed love of God. Psalm 136 is a rich liturgical hymn that recalls the mighty act…

Boaz Responds

Have you ever wanted something badly but were completely unsure how it would turn out? Achieving the goal feels impossible. For Ruth, certainly, her situation was complicated. At Naomi’s request, Ruth had approached Boaz, asking him to be her redeemer. But another complication will come between th…

Seeking Refuge

In a story, when a character makes a bold and risky move, the reader wonders what the outcome will be. The suspense keeps us engaged! In the book of Ruth, we see this kind of suspense. After Naomi laid out her plan for Ruth to visit Boaz by night (vv. 1–5), Ruth went to the threshing floor and put …

Radical Trust

Have you ever wondered: Should I take initiative, or should I wait on God? We can imagine that Naomi might have been asking this of the Lord. Some time had passed, and the harvest was finished. Yet, Naomi had seen no relational progress between Boaz and Ruth. No doubt she was impatient. She felt re…