by John O’Malley
“And I thought to advertise thee, saying, Buy it before the inhabitants, and before the elders of my people. If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it: but if thou wilt not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know: for there is none to redeem it beside thee; and I am after thee. And he said, I will redeem it” (Ruth 4:4).
Boaz made it understandable for the nearer kinsman. The nearer kinsman had to make a decision. Boaz wanted him to decide and make his declaration of redemption in the presence of these ten witnesses.
Boaz wanted the nearer kinsman to know that, if he was not going to become kinsman-redeemer for Elimelech’s family, he was willing to do so. He stated, “If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it: but if thou wilt not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know: for there is none to redeem it beside thee; and I am after thee.”
You have to wonder, as Boaz said these words, what was going through his mind. Was it thoughts of panic or peace? Did he ponder upon the worst or the best? Ruth’s heart and hope rested in him. Nothing else mattered now. He had made his statement, and the decision of redemption was in the hands of the nearer kinsman.
The nearer kinsman, it seems, was enchanted by the possibility of obtaining good land and responded immediately. His statement came without delay: “I will redeem it.”
Oh, how the heart of Boaz could have fallen! That one statement seemed to change everything. However, in the will of God, things may appear to be negatives, when really they are His positives for us; they are just disguised.
How do you handle the disappointments that come as you follow God’s word? Do you struggle with bad news and those who bear it? Take heart, fellow servant. “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way” (Psalms 37:23). How delighted are you in His way?
Think about it...