The Cost Is Too Great

The first scripture my eyes fell on this morning is a scripture I can't get out of my head. It is Ruth 3:11 which says, "And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you request, for all the people of my town know that you are a virtuous woman." Now here is a little background. Ruth was from Moab. Moab was a heathen town and in fact, God had commanded Israelites to never go to Moab. In disobedience, Elimelech took his wife, Naomi, and his two sons to Moab during a famine. Elimelech died and his two sons married Moabite women. One of the sons married Ruth. Both sons died childless which left Naomi destitute. Naomi knew she needed to go back home. Maybe she knew she would never be blessed of God living in a heathen nation. Ruth insisted on going with her which was a real blessing for Naomi. They were taken care of when they returned to Bethlehem because laws were in place to protect widows but Naomi knew there were also laws in place for close relatives to marry widows to protect inheritances. So Ruth asks Boaz for his protection in marriage and this scripture is his answer. Now there was a closer relative than Boaz so the closer relative had first dibs on Ruth and the inheritance of Ruth's deceased husband but he did not want to risk his own possessions for her. The first son born to Ruth and her future husband would be considered the child of her deceased husband so that child could carry on the family name. Marrying Ruth would be a selfless act of kindness and the honorable thing to do. The closer relative believed the cost was too great for him to do what was honorable but thankfully, Boaz had compassion on Ruth and Naomi and was more than willing to do the right thing and honor God in the process.

Sometimes, doing the right thing costs us something we value greatly but our hearts and affections should be set on things above and not the temporary things we have on this earth. God always blesses our obedience. He certainly blessed Boaz and Ruth because their child is in the ancestry of Jesus. The cost should never be too great to do the right thing in God's eyes.