Four Impossible Chasms Between Ruth and Boaz
This is the eleventh post on the little book of Ruth.
If Ruth and Boaz met today the chances they would marry and raise a child together is smaller than minuscule. By comparison, it would be much easier winning tens of millions in a state run lottery.
Let’s for a moment identify the four barriers stacked against them back in their own time and then add why it would be much less likely to work in today’s “modern” society.
Rich and poor. Marrying way above or below one’s socioeconomic position is filled with problems. How will your family and friends take this? In fact, such a relationship might come at the cost of all others you have up to this moment held dear. Plus the in-laws will likely not get along.
Starkly different cultures. Not only did they speak different languages and worship different gods, their respective nations were sworn enemies.
Man and woman. Yes I know this is what, up until our current time in history, made up the union of all marriages, but it’s never been a cake walk. How very different the two sexes are from one another.
Young and Old. I know this is not uncommon either, except to recall in this instance, Boaz wasn’t looking to get married and Ruth wasn’t looking to marry her father.
Now bring all of this up to our time and place and the likelihood this union would ever work in any good and wholesome way essentially disappears.
Understanding this next part is to actually understand the only reason this relationship could have worked way back then.
In today’s society the value of the individual comes as a result of his or her contribution to the collective. This means the rich person is more valuable than the poor one, and by logical extension, the prosperous nation is better than the poorer ones. Also, thanks to Darwin, the stronger sex rules over the weaker and the young are more valuable than the old. This is because the young have more strength and a longer potential life span in which to contribute. This is also why euthanasia is such a popular endgame strategy pushed by the intelligentsia of our present godless age.
Israel, way back when, was an utterly unique nation ruled by their God and through an elaborate legal and religious system that taught the pricelessness of the human soul. One person in God’s eyes (the One who created and therefore owns it all) is of inestimable worth. In God’s economy gold is pavement material. And because God held Boaz’s heart he could arrange to connect his with the heart of Ruth, one willing to sacrifice her life for the well-being of her mother-in-law.
When we look at the story of Ruth and Boaz in this way, the more miraculous it actually reveals itself to be.
This also is evidence that your life in God’s eyes and hands is more amazing than you can possibly imagine.
But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.
For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you.
Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life.
Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you.
I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Do not withhold; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”
Bring out the people who are blind, yet have eyes, who are deaf, yet have ears!.
Isaiah 43:1-8 (ESV)