Jesus in the Old Testament is a series of posts that will offer my readers a chance to consider pictures or shadows of Jesus in the Old Testament. As mentioned in the introduction to this series, some may be obvious, some may be not so obvious, and some may simply be a facet of the Lord those reading may not have considered previously.

I hope as we venture through this series, we will see the Lord in many wonderful pictures throughout the Old Testament.

When I insert the description of judge, it may be taken two ways.

The first way my reader friend may think of Boaz based on being described as judge is that Boaz was an actual judge in Israel during the time of Ruth. I understand that of the 12 judges in the book of Judges, Boaz isn’t named, but there seems to be a link, a possible connection that a minor judge by the name of Ibzan was one and the same as Boaz. The ancient legends of the Jews certainly link the two, informing us that Ibzan, in his old age, was known as Boaz. This interesting claim has many rabbit trails to fall into, but I shall leave that for another day.

The second way my reader may think of Boaz will be the topic of this morning’s post.

Boaz judged Ruth. Now again there may be an assumption on the part of the reader that I am trying to describe Boaz as one who judged or condemned Ruth. Any quick reading of the book of Ruth certainly argues against that claim. Boaz certainly did not take that position. He actually was her redeemer!

So when I mention Boaz as judge, I suppose I could also use words like discerner, as Boaz was an Israelite who made a proper judgement of Ruth’s character. He did not consider her outside circumstances (foreigner, poverty stricken, widow, childless) as defining elements of who she was, but watched her actions. Note that the verse referred to above speaks of Ruth’s actions of choosing an older man, and not a young man for a possible mate.

Boaz had already considered her faithfulness to Naomi, of Ruth’s long days in the field’s providing for her mother in law, and of her struggles to integrate into her new nation. Boaz had been watching, and now as she connects with Boaz on the threshing floor, Boaz sees her character shine forth again.

She is not allowing her passions to control her life, in that she sought a young man, but in these actions she is showing a submissive spirit to Naomi’s direction, a submissive spirit to the laws of the land, and is willing to become Boaz’s wife. Willing to become Boaz’s wife. This is quite the act of commitment, for it is generally understood that Boaz may have been as elderly as 80 yrs old at this time, and Ruth half that age.

Boaz sees Ruth’s character shining forth, culminating in the actions she takes according to Naomi’s plan for her on the threshing floor with Boaz. Boaz made a correct judgement on Ruth, dismissing the circumstances she lived, and judged Ruth based on the actions she performed.

John 8:16 Yet even if I do judge, my judgment is true, for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me.
John 8:26 I have much to say about you and much to judge, but he who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.”

Boaz was a judge, as our Master also is. Our Judge, in like fashion as Boaz, also does not regard our outward circumstances as determining His opinion of our lives. We know His opinion of His broken creation! He is the ultimate One who judges our lives, knowing what our circumstances are and delivering us out of our bondage and sin.

He is also looking for our actions that prove we seek relationship with Him. Let us show to all that are watching that we are seeking the One who knows us and loves us!

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