‘Boaz went to the town gate and took a seat there. Just then the family redeemer he had mentioned came by, so Boaz called out to him, “Come over here and sit down, friend. I want to talk to you.” So they sat down together. Then Boaz called ten leaders from the town and asked them to sit as witnesses. And Boaz said to the family redeemer, “You know Naomi, who came back from Moab. She is selling the land that belonged to our relative Elimelech. I thought I should speak to you about it so that you can redeem it if you wish. If you want the land, then buy it here in the presence of these witnesses. But if you don’t want it, let me know right away, because I am next in line to redeem it after you.” The man replied, “All right, I’ll redeem it.” Then Boaz told him, “Of course, your purchase of the land from Naomi also requires that you marry Ruth, the Moabite widow. That way she can have children who will carry on her husband’s name and keep the land in the family.” “Then I can’t redeem it,” the family redeemer replied, “because this might endanger my own estate. You redeem the land; I cannot do it.” Now in those days it was the custom in Israel for anyone transferring a right of purchase to remove his sandal and hand it to the other party. This publicly validated the transaction. So the other family redeemer drew off his sandal as he said to Boaz, “You buy the land.” Then Boaz said to the elders and to the crowd standing around, “You are witnesses that today I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelech, Kilion, and Mahlon. And with the land I have acquired Ruth, the Moabite widow of Mahlon, to be my wife. This way she can have a son to carry on the family name of her dead husband and to inherit the family property here in his hometown. You are all witnesses today.” Then the elders and all the people standing in the gate replied, “We are witnesses! May the Lord make this woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, from whom all the nation of Israel descended! May you prosper in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. And may the Lord give you descendants by this young woman who will be like those of our ancestor Perez, the son of Tamar and Judah.”’ Ruth 4:1-12(NLT)
As you will read in Book of Ruth, Boaz was drawn to Ruth so much, that buying a field to redeem Ruth wasn’t even a concern. Boaz wanted Ruth to be his wife, and if that is what it took, he was ready, willing and able to do it.
Now what?
My youngest son just got married some four days ago, and while we all spent over a year planning all the details that go into a wedding, after the “I Do”…now what? There was a sudden end to all the preparations for us, but it was just the beginning for them. Thirteen months of details that will lead to many years of marriage hardly seems like enough time to get ready for it.
My wife and I have been together for 35 years. We are in the thick of the “now what” of it all. We men have a tendency to be drawn to the bright and shiny and flashy stuff. They put chrome on Harley Davidsons and trucks for a reason. It gets our attention. They don’t care about keeping our attention; they just want it long enough for us to buy it. We are so predictable that there are phrases for us.
The 7-year Itch
Mid-life Crises
Middle Age Crazy
Change of Life
The Back Nine
But God wants us to stay connected to our wives from the “I Do” and beyond. What are you doing to ensure that you and your wife are ready for the day/month/year after the I Do?
We were having dinner with an older couple, and I happened to lean over to my wife and whispered, “I love you, angel.” The other woman must have heard me and turned to her husband and said, “Why don’t you tell me you love me?” You’d think this would be an easy win for the guy to say, “Sweetheart, I love you so much.” Think again! He said, “I told you I loved you when I married you. If something changes, I’ll let you know.” That, my friends, is not winning at your marriage.
That woman may have started off with her soulmate, but ended up with a roommate.
Uncommen Questions:
When was the last time you felt you were winning at your marriage?
If you and your wife were asked if you had a good marriage, do you think she would give the same answer as you?
Uncommen Challenge:
Men, we can do better than having our wives beg for attention and love. You and I were called to be more than that. Speak love into your marriage, invest time studying and growing your marriage and most importantly, pray for your marriage.
Scripture Reference:
Ruth 4 :1-12
from UNCOMMEN: Husbands Part 2