Ruth 4:9-12
In the movie Princess Bride, there are a lot of iconic lines. Lines like “Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father prepare to die”. Or “Mawage. Mawage is wot bwings us togeder today” (it was hard to get that line through spellcheck-LOL). If you are familiar with this movie then these and many other lines will make you laugh. The theme of the movie is true love and how it cannot be stopped. In the movie there is loss, separation, and crisis that seem to foil Westley and Princess Buttercup’s relationship. In this last chapter of Ruth, we see Boaz on a mission to secure Ruth as his wife. Boaz is a godly man that has noticed Ruth, her character and her beauty. Ruth’s character is what really stood out to Boaz. We can idealize true love like in the movies or every Hallmark show ever made but love in a godly marriage relationship must be based on character. The fruit of the Spirit comes to mind. Patience, kindness, faithfulness, and self-control among others. Proverbs 20:7 says, “The righteous who walks in his integrity - blessed are his children after him!” (ESV). Character and integrity are a blessing to those around us. These characteristics in Ruth drew Boaz to her. Godly character and integrity give a relationship the ability to last a lifetime. Ruth had every excuse not to do things the right way. She suffered loss, poverty, and the uprooting of her whole life. The harder it seemed to go; the closer Ruth moved toward God. True love in the movies is a physical and emotional reaction that is supposed to end in a happily ever after. Real life relationships take work and effort and must be based in the pursuit of God to be truly purposeful. Boaz was willing to sacrifice and “redeem” Ruth. She was precious to him, and he was willing to do and make the necessary steps to secure her. Boaz was willing to sacrifice to do God’s will. Pursuing and doing God’s will is a noble pursuit which includes developing character and integrity. Like in the movie Princess Bride, true love couldn’t be stopped; a believer pursuing God’s will and purpose cannot be stopped from receiving God’s blessings. Boaz was pleasing God by pursuing Ruth and the blessing for them both was a child that would become the grandfather of King David. Boaz and Ruth loved God, pursued God, and were blessed because of it. This is a great example for us today
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