by John O’Malley
“Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this?” (Ruth 2:5).
Boaz had one question on his mind after he surveyed the harvest work. He turned to the servant who was set over the reapers and wanted to know, “Whose damsel is this?”
This question indicates that Boaz inspected his harvest frequently enough to know who was new. Boaz noticed the new lady in the field as he scanned the harvest field and its surroundings. The question he asked should make each reader consider the concern and character of Boaz.
Boaz saw Ruth as she stood and wiped her brow, pushing back the wisps of hair clinging to her brow. He saw this lone figure seeking refreshment in the field house. She held her vessel gently and had a distant look. She seemed to stand in the present, but was able to see both yesterday and tomorrow with her gentle eyes.
God wanted Boaz to notice this Gentile gem that He would soon place and display prominently in the setting of Boaz’s life. Ruth would not have to seek Boaz. Boaz would be led by God to seek Ruth.
Boaz had noticed both Ruth’s work ethic and her demeanor. Ruth was not the typical gleaner. There was something special about her. Ruth had come to glean in his harvest, and Boaz found that she already had gleaned his heart. Boaz had yet to hear Ruth’s voice, but he cared for her as his own.
Was Ruth the sole gleaner in the harvest that day? Certainly not! Why did Boaz notice Ruth? Was it because she was flirtatious and arrayed in a revealing fashion? Boaz’s attraction was not drawn to Ruth by her revealing fashion or her flirtatious ways. You see, Boaz saw her at a time when most women would not feel that they were at their best. When Ruth seemed to be at her worst, he noticed her and wanted to know more about her.
God noticed us. He was drawn to us when we were at our worst.Our Eternal Boaz loves us more than Boaz loved Ruth. Pause this day and thank Him for His love. “…In that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).