NOW
BEHOLD BOAZ CAME FROM BETHLEHEM AND SAID TO THE REAPERS "MAY THE LORD BE WITH YOU":
(Ps 118:26;
129:7
129:8;
Lu 1:28;
2Th 3:16;
2Ti 4:22;
2Jn 1:10
11)
"Some
time later Boaz himself arrived from Bethlehem"
(TEV)
"Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the
harvesters" (NIV)
"Jehovah is with you" (YLT)
"Boaz,
as it happened, had just come from Bethlehem. ‘Yahweh be with you!’ he
said to the reapers" (NJB)
"Presently
Boaz arrived from Bethlehem"
(Tanakh)
Behold (02009) (hinneh) (translated "just then", "and lo", "now
behold", "presently") is a marker used to enliven a narrative, to
change a scene, to emphasize an idea or to draw attention to an
important fact, detail or action that follows. It's an exclamation
that demands the reader's attention and so it is variously translated
with words such as Here!, There!, Look!, Behold! Now!
The
Septuagint
(LXX) translates
"hinneh" with the Greek verb idou which
is in the aorist tense, imperative mood (aorist
imperative),
calling for an urgent attention. Do this now.
Don't delay. It could be loosely paraphrased "Pay attention!"
or "Listen up!" to arouse attention and introduce a new and
extraordinary fact of considerable importance.
Now with an
understanding of this interjection "behold", you can see that the narrator is
drawing the reader into the
scene that gives us our first "personal" introduction to Boaz.
It is also worth nothing
that often when one encounters the word "behold"
in the book of Ruth there is a sense that the hand of God is controlling and
directing the scene (see note
Ruth 3:8;
Ruth 4:1).
In other words it is no "accident" that Boaz has come out from the
city at the same time Ruth is gleaning in his field!
So dear reader, "Behold!"
the sovereign working of your God and stand in awe and assurance that
He is likewise involved in every detail of your life even though you
may not always see His hand, sense His presence or "feel" like He is
aware of what you are currently going through. Mark it down - Jehovah
is aware and He does care! Our Kinsman-Redeemer Himself
reminds us
"Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one
of them will fall to the ground apart from (the will of) your
Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Therefore do
not fear; you are of more value (worth more) than many
sparrows." (Mt
10:29
10:30
10:31)
And so we find that the wealthy landowner Boaz just ‘happened’
to come to that particular field that same day, and then ‘happened’
to notice the young woman Ruth, who ‘happened’ to be in the
shelter at the time of his visit (see note
Ruth 2:7).
In summary, ‘behold’
draws our attention to this chain of circumstances and directs the
perceptive reader to the activity of the Almighty God behind the
scene. Behold, God has just introduced two of the
progenitors (ancestors in the direct line) of Jesus Christ to each other!
Matthew Henry
comments that on the fact that Boaz visits his own
fields, writing that
"This
was both for his own interest (he that wholly leaves his business to
others will have it done by the halves; the master's eye makes a fat
horse) and it was also for the encouragement of his servants, who
would go on the more cheerfully in their work when their master
countenanced them so far as to make them a visit. Masters that live at
ease should think with tenderness of those that toil for them and bear
the burden and heat of the day."
Observe that
"May the LORD be with
you" are the very
first words Boaz speaks. The point is that Boaz brought the Lord into his daily
life, here in the form of a blessing
from a master to workers. This observation gives us
an insight into the character of this man who would be eventually
prove to be Ruth and Naomi's
kinsman-redeemer.
The psalmist declares
"Blessed is the one who
comes in the name of the LORD" (Ps 118:26)
This verse was quoted by the
Jewish multitudes in Jerusalem announcing
the arrival of the Messiah, the fulfillment of the Kinsman-Redeemer (Mt
21:9).
Parenthetically, it is sad that often as pious
expressions become part of the language, they lose their original
meaning. For example “Good-bye” originally meant “God be with you”
but one can
hardly deduce piety from a person’s use of “good-bye” today! In Boaz’s
case we perhaps can. Though the greeting may have been conventional,
it is not recorded elsewhere in Scripture nor attested in
archeological finds.
Solomon instructs us that
"Words from the mouth of a wise man are gracious (are sweet to all, win him favor, bring him
praise, brings them honor)." (Eccl
10:12).
"He
who walks in his uprightness fears the LORD" (Pr
14:2)
"How
blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in His
commandments." (Ps 112:1)
From these observations and those that follow, it is reasonable to
conclude that Boaz was a "God-saturated", God fearing man and his farming
business and relationship to his employees was permeated with a God-consciousness.
Not only is Boaz a man of great wealth but a great man of God.
The prince of preachers, C H Spurgeon, addressed his
congregation in a similar way declaring:
"How better could I salute you this morning than in the words of
Boaz to the reapers, “The Lord be with you”? What kinder answer
could you give me than “The Lord bless thee”?" (from
his Sermon on Joseph: A Miniature
Portrait, Ge 39:2)
A devotional in
Our Daily Bread
draws a practical application from this exchange of greetings:
"It
is clear from what we know about Boaz that he was not a harsh
landowner, but a man who genuinely cared for others. The response of
his workers revealed their goodwill toward him and their desire for
God's blessing to be upon him as well. As we think about our
relationship with Christ and the people God has placed around us, we
would do well to consider the importance of our greetings. Are "good
morning" and "God bless you" just empty, insincere phrases? Or do our
words show that we truly care for those whom we are addressing?...
What is the difference between an empty greeting and a meaningful one?
When you talk to someone, how can you communicate genuine love,
interest, and concern? A heartfelt greeting can energize the
weary and encourage the lonely." (Albert Lee)
Zeisler comments
"How do
satisfying relationships begin in the real world? We live in a culture
that would probably answer that question in one of two ways. One
answer is that good relationships happen by dumb luck, fate, or some
arrangement of the stars. You just stumble into a relationship. We
occasionally hear the phrase "lucky in love." Consider the folk wisdom
about positioning yourself so that a lucky strike will hit you. For
example, if you catch the bouquet thrown by the bride, you'll be the
next to get married. The other answer is that technique is everything.
We learn how to manipulate, seduce, persuade, and captivate somebody
by saying exactly the right words, looking exactly the right way...The
Bible has a different way of talking about the creation of love and
marriage." (Ruth
2:1-16: One Fine Day)
AND THEY SAID TO HIM "MAY THE
LORD BLESS YOU:
(see note
Ruth 4:11;
Ge 18:19;
Josh 24:15;
Ps 133:1-3;
1Ti 6:2)
"Jehovah doth bless thee." (YLT)
This pious, considerate
interchange shows that even in the days of the Judges there were godly
individuals in Israel. The
book of Ruth is an oasis of fidelity in a time of Israel’s idolatry,
sin, and infidelity. When Boaz came to his workers, he prayed a
blessing over them. They expressed their kindness by praying a
blessing over him. As Paul declared
"let those who have believers
as their masters not be disrespectful to them because they are
brethren, but let them serve them all the more, because those who
partake of the benefit are believers and beloved." (1Ti 6:2)
Boaz shows interest in people and we should emulate him, for people
are more important than projects in God's eyes.
People don't care
how much you know
Until they know how much you care.
Matthew Henry
comments that their mutual blessings show
"Their
joint-dependence upon the divine providence. They express their
kindness to each other by praying one for another. They show not only
their courtesy, but their piety, and acknowledgement that all good
comes from the presence and blessing of God, which therefore we should
value and desire above any thing else both for ourselves and others."
McGee
adds a pithy comment
"There was no labor problem in his field.
Management and labor were on speaking terms, and these were of the
friendliest sort. The most remarkable part is the inclusion of the
Lord’s name and a gracious recognition of Him in all relationships of
life. To his “The Lord be with you,” they responded with the cheery
and gracious greeting, “The Lord bless thee” (Ru 2:4). God was
reverently recognized in the harvest field by both the owner and the
laborers. This all transpired in the days of the judges when there was
decline, decay, and disintegration. The remainder of Israel might
forget God and turn to idols, but there was one man who did not forget
Him but remembered Him even in the extension of a morning greeting."
(McGee,
J V: Thru the Bible Commentary: Nashville: Thomas Nelson)
What about us? Are we in such close fellowship with God, that His Name
is a part of our everyday conversation? Or do we reserve His Name for
Sundays and class socials?
Many today do indeed use God's holy Name but sadly more often for
profanity than for praise.
><> ><> ><>
Do We Truly Care - When I
first became a Christian, my friends and I had a way of helping each
other memorize portions of the Bible. We would greet one another by
asking the other person to quote a verse. Knowing of my poor memory,
one friend used to humorously say to me, "Quote John 11:35!" He knew
that it would be easy for me to remember this two-word verse.
Although it was a game, we didn't do this just for fun. These
greetings reflected our desire to be people of God's Word.
In the book of Ruth, we read that Boaz greeted his workers by saying,
"The Lord be with you!" and they responded, "The Lord bless you!" (see
notes
Ruth 2:4). It is clear
from what we know about Boaz that he was not a harsh landowner, but a
man who genuinely cared for others. The response of his workers
revealed their goodwill toward him and their desire for God's blessing
to be upon him as well.
As we think about our relationship with Christ and the people God has
placed around us, we would do well to consider the importance of our
greetings. Are "good morning" and "God bless you" just empty,
insincere phrases? Or do our words show that we truly care for those
whom we are addressing? —Albert Lee (Our
Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI. Reprinted by
permission. All rights reserved)
Thinking It Over - What is the difference between an empty
greeting and a meaningful one? When you talk to someone, how can you
communicate genuine love, interest, and concern?
A heartfelt greeting can
energize the weary and
encourage the lonely.
