An Excellent Woman - "He Is One of Our Repurchasers"

From the barley harvest in April until the wheat harvest in June, Ruth kept gleaning in the fields of Boaz.  As the weeks went passed, Naomi no doubt thought more about what she could do for her beloved daughter-in-law.  Back in Moab, Naomi had been convinced that she could never help Ruth find another husband.  (Ruth 1:11-13)  Now, though, she was beginning to think differently. She approached Ruth and said: "My daughter, ought I not to look for a resting-place for you?" (Ruth 3:1) It was customary in those days for parents to find mates for their children, and Ruth  had become a true daughter to Naomi.  She wanted to find Ruth "a resting-place - referring to the security and protection that a home and husband might provide. But what could Naomi do?

When Ruth first mentioned Boaz, Naomi said:  "The man is related to us. He is one of our repurchasers." (Ruth 2:20) What did that mean?  God's Law to Israel included loving provisions for families who had a result of poverty or bereavement fell on hard times. If a woman was widowed while childless, she was especially devastated because her husband's name, his posterity, would cut off, lost to future generations. However, God's Law allowed the man's  brother to marry the widow so that she could give birth to an heir who might carry on her deceased husband's name and care for the family property. - DEUTERONOMY  25:5-7.

Naomi related to Ruth a plan of action. We might imagine the young woman's eyes widening as her mother-in-law spoke.  Israel's Law was still  new to Ruth, and man of its customs were still quite foreign to her. Even so, she held Naomi in such regard that she listened carefully to ever word. What Naomi advised her to do might have seemed awkward or embarrassing-even potentially humiliating-yet Ruth meekly said:  "All that you said to me I shall do." - RUTH 3:5.

Sometimes it is difficult for young persons to listen to the advice of those who are older and more experienced. It is easy to assume that older ones do not really understand the challenges and problems the young face. Ruth's humble example reminds us that listening to the wisdom of older ones who love us and have our best interests at heart can be very rewarding.  (Read Psalm 71:17, 18) But what was Naomi's advice, and was Ruth really rewarded for heeding it?

Next time: An Excellent Woman - Ruth at the Threshing Floor

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