This post follows on from a couple of interesting posts. The first is the warrior meme that exists for modern women. The second is that we see Naomi’s grief for her husband.
We also see th acting of a righteous man. This relates to the thesis of the comments, and something I have tried to say elsewhere, but with difficulty.
But Boaz helps here. For he has already noticed Ruth. He has heard that she has chosen to live as a Jew, to assimilate, to be adopted in. This conversion leads to him considering her a women of noble character, The fact she was working hard gleaning did not hurt, either.
19So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they came to Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them; and the women said, “Is this Naomi?” 20She said to them, “Call me no longer Naomi, call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt bitterly with me. 21I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty; why call me Naomi when the LORD has dealt harshly with me, and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?”
22So Naomi returned together with Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, who came back with her from the country of Moab. They came to Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.
1Now Naomi had a kinsman on her husband’s side, a prominent rich man, of the family of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz. 2And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain, behind someone in whose sight I may find favor.” She said to her, “Go, my daughter.” 3So she went. She came and gleaned in the field behind the reapers. As it happened, she came to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech. 4Just then Boaz came from Bethlehem. He said to the reapers, “The LORD be with you.” They answered, “The LORD bless you.” 5Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, “To whom does this young woman belong?” 6The servant who was in charge of the reapers answered, “She is the Moabite who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. 7She said, ‘Please, let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the reapers.’ So she came, and she has been on her feet from early this morning until now, without resting even for a moment.”
8Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Now listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but keep close to my young women. 9Keep your eyes on the field that is being reaped, and follow behind them. I have ordered the young men not to bother you. If you get thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn.” 10Then she fell prostrate, with her face to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your sight, that you should take notice of me, when I am a foreigner?” 11But Boaz answered her, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before. 12May the LORD reward you for your deeds, and may you have a full reward from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge!” 13Then she said, “May I continue to find favor in your sight, my lord, for you have comforted me and spoken kindly to your servant, even though I am not one of your servants.”
18I am giving you these instructions, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies made earlier about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, 19having faith and a good conscience. By rejecting conscience, certain persons have suffered shipwreck in the faith; 20among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have turned over to Satan, so that they may learn not to blaspheme.
1First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, 2for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. 3This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5For there is one God; there is also one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus, himself human, 6who gave himself a ransom for all – this was attested at the right time. 7For this I was appointed a herald and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
8I desire, then, that in every place the men should pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or argument; 9also that the women should dress themselves modestly and decently in suitable clothing, not with their hair braided, or with gold, pearls, or expensive clothes, 10but with good works, as is proper for women who profess reverence for God. 11Let a woman learn in silence with full submission. 12I permit no woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she is to keep silent. 13For Adam was formed first, then Eve; 14and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. 15Yet she will be saved through childbearing, provided they continue in faith and love and holiness, with modesty.
How does Timothy help us here? Well Paul did not prescribe clothing. He said it should be appropriate and modest. He then describes what the racy set of his culture were wearing — the braided hair and expensive clothes were the costume of the women who were not traditionalists but taking lovers. The kind of woman who has reality show that documents the slow destruction of her conscience.
Which, praise God, is merely a stupid minority. A public one, an honoured one (by the world), but a stupid one. A sensible man will take one look at them, and run somewhere else. (While praying for her; we are commanded to pray for everyone).
Instead Paul commands women to obey their husbands. To submit to them. He commands us all not to sear our conscience — which balances this somewhat, but not in its entirety. For a man, to keep his “man-card”, needs a mission, and the mission is helped by a logistician and base. Being assimilated into the house of God,and into a family is a blessing, not a reason to be a doormat.
And the church needs such families. For us single people cannot breed, and when raising the children from the wreckage of our own marital disasters we need families around us who we can interact with, to show our own children how this should work.
Conversion, and assimilation into the ways of righteousness — is required for a woman to find a righteous man. For they are not like the pickup artist: the requirements are much, much higher.
A quick disclaimer. Boaz was a righteous man. I’m nowhere near that standard.
But being aware of that, I daily need to repent and reform.
But you speak of the Lord often, that says more about your righteousness than many other things.