Mention the Bible character “Boaz” and a portrait of a benevolent, kind, honorable, and godly man comes to mind. For Ruth, Boaz was quite the catch. Boaz was a wealthy landowner. He was well respected in his community. Boaz showed unusual regard for the young widow woman from Moab.
Boaz married Ruth. Their great-grandson David, the most famous king of Israel, was called, “a man after God’s own heart” and penned a large portion of the Old Testament.
Not only that, but Boaz and Ruth are in the genealogy of the King of Kings, the Lord Jesus Himself.
In the book of Ruth, Boaz is seen as a redeemer, one who rescues the widow Ruth and her mother-in-law Naomi. Boaz the Redeemer is a type, a foreshadowing of the Ultimate Redeemer, the Lord Jesus.
While spending time in the Word, Christy made some powerful observations about Boaz that I thought profound. Her observations give us great hope in parenting Claire. Parenting has been a subject on our minds lately as Claire grows and begins to assert her independence.
Boaz displays the kind of character that parents want in their sons, and many parents pray that their daughters will marry someone like Boaz. But what makes the character of Boaz so astounding—the fact that had escaped my notice until Christy pointed it out the other night—is that Boaz’s mother was none other than Rahab the Harlot. Boaz was raised by a former prostitute.
Rahab, a Gentile, is known for hiding the spies who came to scout out Jericho before the “walls came a-tumbling down.” Her actions revealed her faith in the God who delivered the people of Israel from the Egyptian Pharaoh 40 years earlier. Her faith is memorialized in the “Hall of Faith” found in Hebrews 11. Not only was she the mother of Boaz and the mother-in-law of Ruth, but she also stands in the genealogy of Jesus (Matthew 1:5).
Who can miss God’s grace at work in taking a woman from the Red Light District, incorporating her to be part of God’s Chosen People, and helping her raise a son who became a powerful and respected leader in his city? Despite her checkered past, God empowered Rahab to make a break with her heritage, raise a godly son, and leave a legacy of faith.
We draw great strength from this story as we, two young parents, struggle to raise our daughter, because we see that our limitations place no limits on God.