Qualities To Look For In A Husband || Lessons From Boaz

Dear brothers and sisters,

I dug into Ruth’s story today and saw Boaz and smiled.
I thought to share qualities we learnt from Boaz in The women at the well Bible study collection book today.

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Note that this is an excerpt from the book and you can get the book by mailing 4thewomenatthewell@gmail.com

Okay, here goes:

 

BOAZ
(Ruth’s Husband)

Most women want a Boaz and rightly so. Who wouldn’t want a man with no
description of his physical attributes, but one whose inner attributes makes every
woman swoon?
Who wouldn’t want a man who is beautiful at his core – on his inside?

Let’s dig into some qualities of Boaz that you can add to your list of a future
husband.

 

1:A Man Who Is Kind

“Boaz went over and said to Ruth, “Listen, my daughter. Stay with us when you
gather grain; don’t go to any other fields. Stay right behind the young women
working in my field.”
Ruth 2:8, NLT

Boaz totally overwhelmed Ruth with kindness, and this was done at a time when
there was no prospect of a love relationship between them. Meaning that Boaz’s
default character mode was to be kind; he was a kind man on a regular day.

“At mealtime Boaz called to her, “Come over here, and help yourself to some food.
You can dip your bread in the sour wine.” So she sat with his harvesters, and Boaz gave her some roasted grain to eat. She ate all she wanted and still had
some left over.
When Ruth went back to work again, Boaz ordered his young men, “Let her
gather grain right among the sheaves without stopping her.
And pull out some heads of barley from the bundles and drop them on purpose for
her. Let her pick them up, and don’t give her a hard time!”
Ruth 2:14-16, NLT

Boaz was simply kind to a young woman going through difficult times who ended
up becoming his wife. A man who is kind is a blessing in more ways than one. Not
one who is kind because he wants you as a wife but one whose default mode is
kindness.
2:A Man Who Blesses You

“Yes, I know,” Boaz replied. “But I also know about everything you have done for
your mother-in-law since the death of your husband. I have heard how you left
your father and mother and your own land to live here among complete strangers.
May the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take
refuge, reward you fully for what you have done.”
Ruth 2:11&12

Words are powerful. They destroy or build up and what Boaz did from the
beginning was to pour life-giving words over Ruth.
Don’t settle for a man who cuts you down with his tongue. Your man should be
able to bless you with the words from his mouth – calling the things that be not as
though they are.
3: A Man Of Integrity

“The LORD bless you, my daughter!” Boaz exclaimed. “You are showing even
more family loyalty now than you did before, for you have not gone after a
younger man, whether rich or poor.
Now don’t worry about a thing, my daughter. I will do what is necessary, for
everyone in town knows you are a virtuous woman.
But while it’s true that I am one of your family redeemers, there is another man
who is more closely related to you than I am.
Stay here tonight, and in the morning I will talk to him. If he is willing to redeem
you, very well. Let him marry you. But if he is not willing, then as surely as the
LORD lives, I will redeem you myself! Now lie down here until morning.”
Ruth 3:10-13, NLT

Boaz was not a man who cut corners. As much as he wanted to marry Ruth, he
wanted to do it the right way before God and man. So he put himself and even
Ruth’s needs aside and went through due process, asking the higher family
redeemer if he would redeem Ruth first.

The man you chose must follow due process in getting you before God and man,
and let him be one who wants to work with a clear conscience when he gets you as his wife. Going through the right paths of getting approval from your family,
parents and spiritual authority placed over you.
Boaz was a man of integrity, a man who kept his word. Naomi knew this and so
didn’t worry when Ruth came back with feedback from Boaz.

“Then Naomi said to her, “Just be patient, my daughter, until we hear what
happens. The man won’t rest until he has settled things today.”
Ruth 3:18, NLT

Can the words of your man be trusted?

While you make your list, even if you are in a relationship right now, you can also
analyse your partner in the light of these lessons from the scriptures. See through
the eyes of men who are in the word and not your own eyes.

 

4: A Man Who Protects Your Virtue

“So Ruth lay at Boaz’s feet until the morning, but she got up before it was light
enough for people to recognize each other. For Boaz had said, “No one must know
that a woman was here at the threshing floor.”
Ruth 3:14, NLT

Even though Ruth was seemingly vulnerable and right there for the taking, Boaz never took advantage of her. Instead, he held her in high esteem and protected her reputation by ensuring that wrong things won’t be inferred from her being at the threshing floor. He kept her in purity and was concerned for her.

Your man should hold your purity and virtue in such high esteem even as Jesus
does. He should be a man who sees your body as God’s temple that should not be
desecrated.

 

5:A Man Who Provides For You And His Household

“Then Boaz said to her, “Bring your cloak and spread it out.” He measured six
scoops of barley into the cloak and placed it on her back. Then he returned to the
town. When Ruth went back to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, “What happened, my
daughter?” Ruth told Naomi everything Boaz had done for her, and she added,
“He gave me these six scoops of barley and said, ‘Don’t go back to your mother-
in-law empty-handed.'”
Ruth 3:15-17, NLT

These days, women split the house bills with their husbands because of the
economic times. It’s become acceptable but we should also be careful to check if
our proposed spouses have the provider mentality. Love gives and wants to make
his own comfortable. Boaz had this virtue even before he and Ruth got married.
Women today complain of their husbands being men who do not even pay their
children’s school fees. God didn’t intend for such things to be acceptable in a
home.

Dear Sister, ask God for a man who understands his role as a provider and one
who may not have much, but with what he has, he is willing to lay down for his
wife and his family’s welfare.

PRAYER: Lord, give me a man who submits to your authority – one who is humble enough to hear and obey Your voice in private as well as in public. Make him a true leader for me, our children, and the world. Amen.

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And speaking of prayers for a spouse, every Christian lady should get my book “Prayers for your future husband”

Mail okorofrances@gmail.com for your copy.

Hard and soft copy available.