At the end of Judges we have a story of how Israel had abandoned God’s law. A man in need is abandoned by his brothers and, when taken in by an elderly man, is then severely wronged by the townspeople to say the least. It is a story designed to exemplify the extent of the corruption of Israel in the time of the Judges. But here, in the midst of this same dark time, we see a shining example of love and kindness that captures the very spirit of God’s law. The law had made provision for poor people like Naomi and Ruth in stipulating that those who harvest should leave some gleanings for the poor (Leviticus 19:9-10). Boaz not only observes this law of compassion but goes beyond this, instructing his men to deliberately drop some of what they harvest to bless Ruth without her realising that it was done on purpose. It is a wonderful ray of light in a dark time. This little bit of kindness didn’t cost much for Boaz. But it became an important increment in God’s plan of redemption for a family, a nation and ultimately for the world. They say a little kindness goes a long way. Never was this more so than at this point. Boaz was simply being kind to someone in need. Little did he know that his simple actions were to be part of a plan for the salvation of the world. A little bit of kindness goes a long way indeed!
Look for an opportunity today to show a little bit of kindness.
Read Ruth 2
