by John O’Malley
“And her mother in law said unto her, Where hast thou gleaned to day? and where wroughtest thou? blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee. And she shewed her mother in law with whom she had wrought, and said, The man's name with whom I wrought to day is Boaz” (Ruth 2:19).
The childhood game of show and tell comes to mind as the last sentence of this verse is read. The verse indicates that Ruth answered Naomi’s questions with a visual and verbal response. The visual response is not recorded for us save that she directed her attention toward something. Then she offered Naomi a verbal response and identified it was Boaz.
Ruth stood before her mother-in-law and showed her a clear identifier. This would distinguish with whom she had been working. Students of the Bible would love to extrapolate what she possibly could have shown Naomi.
In the cultural setting, relying upon those who are authorities for this time period, she could have been given a garment that identified her as Boaz’s gleaners. She could have also had some vessel with her to convey the barley grains home that identified Boaz. It is possible that some other indicator had been displayed before Naomi, but it would leave any onlooker without question that Ruth had been with Boaz.
The experiences of the day and the emotions of the heart were overshadowed by the fact that Boaz had taken up residence in her heart and this served as a comfort to her. It would be hard to guess which thrilled Ruth more, the visual presentation or the verbal one. Both would have been thankfully thrilling to hear.
Ruth’s voice proclaimed the phrase, “The man's name with whom I wrought today is Boaz.” The words penetrated the silence in Naomi’s home. A home that knew well God’s discipline well had encountered God’s delight. A home that once declared barrenness and bitterness saw that bounty and blessings had come since their choice to return to God.
This show and tell was not a normal display of an item with a short story to accompany it. This show and tell represented the sovereign and providential will of God. Ruth’s verbal and visual display revealed that Boaz had been identified as her benefactor. His gracious response to her needs revealed she had been adopted and accepted. Boaz had chosen to associate himself with Ruth, a Moabitish homemaker in the line of Christ.
Converts to the Eternal Boaz know well that they too have visual and verbal identifiers to distinguish their Benefactor. They have God’s Word that declares they are His. They have The Holy Spirit to comfort, guide, and teach them. They have His ‘ephahs’ of barley that confirm His adoption, acceptance, and association with them.
Do you have something for show and tell today in the classroom of your life? Perhaps you need to show someone today the visual blessing of a recent ‘ephah’ with which He has blessed you. Meditate upon His Word and commune with His Holy Spirit and ask God to give you something today to show and tell.