Ruth 2: 4-12
4 Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters,
“The Lord be with you!” “The Lord bless you!” they answered. 5 Boaz asked the
overseer of his harvesters, “Who does that young woman belong to?” 6 The
overseer replied, “She is the Moabite who came back from Moab with Naomi. 7 She
said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the harvesters.’
She came into the field and has remained here from morning till now, except for
a short rest in the shelter.”
8 So Boaz said to Ruth, “My daughter, listen to me. Don’t go and glean
in another field and don’t go away from here. Stay here with the women who work
for me. 9 Watch the field where the men are harvesting, and follow along after
the women. I have told the men not to lay a hand on you. And whenever you are
thirsty, go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled.” 10 At
this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She asked him, “Why have I
found such favor in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?” 11 Boaz replied,
“I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the
death of your husband—how you left your father and mother and your homeland and
came to live with a people you did not know before. 12 May the Lord repay you
for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of
Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.”
Title: Respect, respect!
Message: Mutual respect results to peace and harmony among people. Despite his
being a master, Boaz demonstrated respect and courtesy before his servants. He
even expressed support among them especially to Ruth who was a stranger. Further,
this part of the book indicates that an expression of reliance on God and encouragement
by a master manifest humility and gratefulness among his servants.
Promise to Claim: God rewards good deeds. Respect
begets respect.
Command to Obey: Let us do good to others.
Just like Boaz, let us demonstrate respect and humility no matter what our status
in life is. Let us remind ourselves to lead without arrogance and to be fair to
all.
Warning to Heed: Unfairness and arrogance
breed hate. As masters or leaders, we need to manifest what we preach. Boaz
spoke of God. He spoke of goodwill and he meant it. He demonstrated what he talked
of, thus making him earn his servants respect.
Application: As a leader, I will see to
it that I manifest Boaz’s humility and respect. I will keep in mind the word
courtesy and see to it that I practice it.
