信守承诺的波阿斯
路得记四章1至8节
1波阿斯到了城门，坐在那里，恰巧波阿斯所说的那至近的亲属经过。波阿斯说：某人哪，你来坐在这里。他就来坐下。
2波阿斯又从本城的长老中拣选了十人，对他们说：请你们坐在这里。他们就都坐下。
3波阿斯对那至近的亲属说：从摩押地回来的拿俄米，现在要卖我们族兄以利米勒的那块地；
4我想当赎那块地的是你，其次是我，以外再没有别人了。你可以在这里的人面前和我本国的长老面前说明，你若肯赎就赎，若不肯赎就告诉我。那人回答说：我肯赎。
5波阿斯说：你从拿俄米手中买这地的时候，也当娶（原文是买；10节同）死人的妻摩押女子路得，使死人在产业上存留他的名。
6那人说：这样我就不能赎了，恐怕于我的产业有碍。你可以赎我所当赎的，我不能赎了。
7从前，在以色列中要定夺甚么事，或赎回，或交易，这人就脱鞋给那人。以色列人都以此为证据。
8那人对波阿斯说：你自己买罢！于是将鞋脱下来了。
信息分享
波阿斯立即履行他昨晚向路得许下的承诺，一大清早便来到伯利恒城的城门口，等候他所说的那位至亲经过。
当他一看见那位至亲，便立即叫住他；同时，还邀请了城中的十位长老来坐下，一同商议如何为路得的前路作出安排。
本章的3至4节交待了律法的有关细节。那位亲属最初表示愿意赎回拿俄米夫家的田地；可是，当波阿斯告诉他，交易的条件要包括娶路得为妻，那人就立即拒绝。
照我们推断，那人可能是已婚，所以不能再娶路得。又或是他担心为路得的夫家留后，将来可能会分割他的家产，所以便一口拒绝。
但不管如何，我们相信一切事情的背后，都是出于神的掌管。祂带领路得从摩押来到伯利恒，最终嫁给比她年长很多的波阿斯。
这个故事给我们很多启发。神的带领，可以是为我们开门，但也可以是为我们关门。当祂把一道大门关上，或是当祂拒绝答允我们的祈求，其实只表示祂要按照祂主权的带领，成就祂对我们原先的另一项计划。让我们借着路得的经历，提醒我们要信靠神的带领，爱我们的神必将最好的赐给我们。
BOAZ KEEPS HIS WORD
Ruth 4:1-8
1 Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there; and behold, the close relative of whom Boaz had spoken came by. So Boaz said, “Come aside, friend, sit down here.” So he came aside and sat down.
2 And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down.
3 Then he said to the close relative, “Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, sold the piece of land which belonged to our brother Elimelech.
4 And I thought to inform you, saying, ‘Buy it back in the presence of the inhabitants and the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if you will not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know; for there is no one but you to redeem it, and I am next after you.’”
And he said, “I will redeem it.”
5 Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also buy it from Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance.”
6 And the close relative said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I ruin my own inheritance. You redeem my right of redemption for yourself, for I cannot redeem it.”
7 Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging, to confirm anything: one man took off his sandal and gave it to the other, and this was a confirmation in Israel.
8 Therefore the close relative said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself.” So he took off his sandal.
Message
The gates of a vintage or town are often mentioned in Scripture as the place where the council met or where judgments were made. Absalom played traitor to his father David in the gate of the city of Jerusalem as mentioned in 2 Samuel 15:1-4.
Boaz kept his word to Ruth, given at their midnight meeting. Early the next morning, he left everything else and went and sat in the gateway of Bethlehem, waiting for the closer relative to pass by.
As soon as the kinsman came past, Boaz called to him. He also asked for ten elders of the city to sit down with him and work out his problem on Ruth's behalf.
The interesting details are given to us in our reading, verses 3 to 7. At first the kinsman agreed to buy back Naomi's husband's land. But when Boaz told him that part of the bargain was to marry Ruth also, he said 'no' to the whole plan.
It is quite possible that he was already married or that his own land was tied up in such a way that by adding any more he would not be able to cope with all that he would then have and the whole property would suffer.
But whatever the reason, behind it all was the sovereign hand of God. He had brought Ruth from Moab to eventually be the bride of Boaz even though Boaz was much older than she was.
Here again is a lesson for us. God can guide by closed doors as well as by open doors. When he closes one, when he does not give us the first thing we ask for or when he delays his answer, it is only so that he can give us what his sovereign will has planned for us. Can we not learn this lesson again today and trust his loving hand to give us what is best in every way?