Mar 5, 2017
Throughout history, men would settle and secure a city, then elders would organize and run it. Historically, men often provide the ‘what’ and ‘where’ of living, but women provide the ‘why’ and ‘how’. Masculinity dictates the creation of civilization but femininity dictates the color. The gate of a city served multiple purposes—protection, public announcements, civic activities, legal judgments, and punishments. Business transactions also happened there as it was a secure, public place where contracts could be signed with witnesses. Before Boaz could redeem Ruth and Naomi, there was a redeemer more closely related than he who would have the first right of refusal, so he waited at the gate for him to pass by. Boaz sought God’s will in a probably negative situation. God is good all the time. Most often, a person’s ‘good’ is the same as God’s, however, when it is not, believers trust that God’s good is going to be done (Matt. 6:10; Rom. 8:28). Just because an end can’t be comprehended doesn’t mean it won’t be completed (Is. 55:8). As believers can’t see the end result in the present, faithfulness is required to acquire God’s desire. A good end is not achieved if a good God is not believed!