(Audio and Text Available)
Title: Honorable Men and Honorable Deeds
Intro:
I have a confession to make…I was high when I wrote this sermon. Does anyone want to know how high?
About 32,000 feet over the Grand Canyon.
Y’all missed me, didn’t you?
And he said, “I will redeem it.”
- Boaz purposefully goes to the place where he is likely to meet with the man. He does not delay his duty to sort this matter out (one way or another) for Ruth. He is a man of purpose and principle, and Naomi was certainly right when she said “He will not rest until the matter is resolved this day.”
- He does not procrastinate. He goes to the place where he is most likely to meet the man, and as soon as he sees the man, he engages him concerning this business.
Pastorally Embarrassing Follow Up Questions:
- How many times do we “work up” to something, hesitate, and thus miss our opportunity?
- How many times do we say something like, “Sure, I’ll ask him about it the next time I see him.” (And then secretly hope to not run into him, or even take routes to lessen the chance of avoiding him, because we really don’t want to deal with the situation?)
3. Boaz immediately gathers credible witnesses from the City’s Elders.
Why the Elders? (Take answers)
These are men of good reputation, who can verify all the business that is conducted. Back then your contract was your word, and the more public your word, the more binding the contract.
If Boaz is going to redeem Ruth and make her his wife, it will be by the utmost standard of the law, beyond any question of foul play.
2 Examples of this principle:
Ron and Casey when dating (Ron would not follow Casey into her home alone because of Gary’s wishes that they “avoid even the appearance of evil”)
(Cite) Peter tells us to have our reputations be so pure, that if anyone should bring an indictment against us, they would be laughed out of the room.
(Want me to prove this principle still exists today? Want me to prove how powerful a thing reputation is? What would be your honest reaction if Rhonda Bland came in today and said, “I saw a picture of our pastor on someone’s instagram page and he was kissing another woman!” Or, even worse, “I saw a picture of our pastor and he was wearing a Baltimore Ravens hoodie!”)
Why are these examples equally ridiculous?
4. Boaz then carefully explains the situation before BOTH parties: The other relative who is first in line to be the redeemer, AND the elders of the city serving as binding witnesses to the events.
Brian and Loree recently closed on their first house. (How many of us today have gone to a closing for a mortgage?)
How many times do they need your signature? Your initials?
How many pieces of paper do they walk you through and explain carefully what it is your are signing?
(Have any of you ever walked away from a closing and said something like, “I’m not sure what just happened, but I’m pretty sure we are now Freemasons…”)
Why does Boaz go to such lengths to explain this business carefully and publicly to BOTH parties?
Answer: HE wants to be as bound to the relative’s answer as the relative himself. He is either going to bind this man to Ruth, or bind himself to Ruth. In either case, Ruth (and Naomi) WILL BE taken care of.
Another way to think of it: Boaz is putting aside his own desire (to marry Ruth) to ENSURE that the greater good is achieved (Ruth and Naomi’s protection.)
Our Country needs more Boaz’s, amen?
Christ’s Church needs more Boaz’s amen?
Pray/QA