ANOTHER “GOʼELʹ” INTERPOSES

10. Why was this not immoral action on the part of Naomi and Ruth, and how did Boaz view Ruth’s proposal of levirate marriage?

¹⁰ This was not immoral action on the part of Naomi and Ruth. It simply manifested confidence in the honor of the one in the position of a repurchaser, a goʼelʹ. That Boaz did not misunderstand her motive or misinterpret her proposal of levirate marriage as an unvirtuous overture is evident from his reply. “At that [Boaz] said: ‘Blessed may you be of Jehovah, my daughter. You have expressed your loving-kindness better in the last instance than in the first instance, in not going after the young fellows whether lowly or rich. And now, my daughter, do not be afraid. All that you say I shall do for you, for everyone in the gate of my people is aware that you are an excellent woman. And now while it is a fact that I am a repurchaser, there is also a repurchaser closer related than I am. Lodge here tonight, and it must occur in the morning that if he will repurchase you, fine! Let him do the repurchasing. But if he does not take delight in repurchasing you, I will then repurchase you, I myself, as sure as Jehovah lives.”’​—Ruth 3:10-13.

11. (a) Why did Boaz not immediately accept Ruth’s proposal and act toward her as a repurchaser? (b) How does this apply in the antitype?

¹¹ Boaz is an honorable man, a man of great self-control, and he reminds Ruth that there is a man in the family relationship that is closer to Naomi than he is. He himself is the nephew of Naomi, whereas this closer relative is a brother-in-law of Naomi. He is the one who should have the first opportunity to buy this hereditary possession of Naomi, to act as the repurchaser, the goʼelʹ. This does not mean that Boaz is not willing, after being an old bachelor for so long without family responsibilities, to do his duty, even if it means becoming father of a family. He is willing to make his contribution to the royal line leading up to the promised Shiloh of the tribe of Judah, to which Boaz belongs. This applies in the antitype to the Lord Jesus Christ as the heavenly goʼelʹ, Repurchaser or Redeemer. But first of all he leaves the Naomi class and the Ruth class exposed to whoever is pictured by “So-and-so,” the brother-in-law of Naomi. This brings about a test of the Naomi and Ruth divisions of the remnant of today. Who wins? Who fails? The account tells us.

12. How do Ruth and Naomi react to the position Boaz has taken?

¹² Ruth goes her way to her mother-in-law before the first rays of the morning sun light upon the city. She is joyful as she carries wrapped in her cloak six measures of barley that Boaz has given her as a token of his promise. She is greeted by the aged Naomi with the words: “Who are you, my daughter?” Recognizing the import of Naomi’s expression, she points out that she is not yet the wife of Boaz, but relates everything that occurred and that Boaz told her. Naomi then says: “Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will turn out, for the man will have no rest unless he has brought the matter to an end today.” Ruth waits expectantly, with a bright hope for the future; Naomi waits with the hope of fulfillment of a lifelong desire.​—Ruth 3:14-18.

THE REPURCHASER FACES A CHALLENGE

13. What action did Boaz take to bring the matter to an end?

¹³ Now the climax of events on this significant day rapidly begins to unfold. “As for Boaz, he went up to the gate and began to sit there. And, look! the repurchaser was passing by, whom Boaz had mentioned. Then he said: ‘Do turn aside, do sit down here, So-and-so.’ Hence he turned aside and sat down. . . . He now said to the repurchaser: ‘The tract of the field that belonged to our brother Elimelech, Naomi, who has returned from the field of Moab, must sell. As for me, I thought that I should disclose it to you, saying, “Buy it in front of the inhabitants and the older men of my people. If you will repurchase it, repurchase it; but if you will not repurchase it, do tell me, that I may know, for there is no one else but you to do the repurchasing, and I am next to you.”’ At that he said: ‘I shall be the one to repurchase it.”’​—Ruth 4:1-4.

14. How did “So-and-so” respond to the challenge of becoming the repurchaser?

¹⁴ Ah, yes, “So-and-so” is willing to buy the property; that will increase his own proprietary holdings in Bethlehem. And as for this old woman, Naomi, she has lost her power of reproduction, so there is no fear of having a child by her to whom the property will pass on; so he will have the whole property of Naomi to himself, in addition to what he already has. “Then Boaz said: ‘On the day that you buy the field from Naomi’s hand, it is also from Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead man, that you must buy it so as to cause the name of the dead man to rise upon his inheritance.”’ Ah, now that is a different matter. It is too much responsibility; it might complicate matters. Faced with this unexpected challenge, the repurchaser replies to Boaz: “I am unable to repurchase it for myself, for fear I may ruin my own inheritance. You repurchase it for yourself with my right of repurchase, because I am not able to do the repurchasing.” So he takes off a sandal and hands it over to Boaz as an attestation of the agreement.​—Ruth 4:5-8.

15. What course did Boaz follow?

¹⁵ “So-and-so” has failed to meet the challenge. But not Boaz. He accepts the arrangement; he is happy to do so. And he says to the closer relative and all the people: “You are witnesses today that I do buy all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon from the hand of Naomi. And also Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, I do buy for myself as a wife to cause the name of the dead man to rise upon his inheritance and that the name of the dead man may not be cut off from among his brothers and from the gate of his place. You are witnesses today.” Thus Boaz fulfills Jehovah’s purpose regarding responsibility toward a brother, whereas “So-and-so” is disgraced in the eyes of all the people in the gate.​—Ruth 4:9-12.

17. How are Boaz and Ruth blessed in accepting the challenge presented to them, and in what way are Naomi’s interests intertwined?

¹⁷ On the other hand, Boaz, true to his promise, takes Ruth as his levirate wife. (Ruth 4:13-15) Their marriage did not produce a king or the Shiloh; the time of the Kingdom of Israel had not yet begun. But they did produce one who became the grandfather of King David, the eleventh in line from Judah and with whom Jehovah made a covenant for an everlasting Kingdom (Matt. 1:3-6; 2 Sam. 7:12, 13) and one in the line that leads eventually to the Lord Jesus Christ, the permanent heir of King David. (Luke 3:23-31; 20:41-44)