Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Hear My Daughter!”

Boaz, a servant of a deeper, spiritual life, now began to look after Ruth, and the first thing he said to her, was: “Hear, my daughter!”

This is precisely the entrance to all the blessings. The first man listened to the serpent’s voice and reaped corruption, but he who now listens to God’s voice shall reap life and incorruption. “Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live.” Isa. 55:3. “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” Matt. 11:15. “He awakens me morning by morning, He awakens my ear to hear as the learned.” Isa. 50:4.

The ears of the natural man are stopped up, and if God didn’t awaken our ears we would never hear. God says, “Hear!” and the ear is awakened just as when He said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. Hearing takes place by the Word of God. Great grace was shown to Ruth, and Boaz showed a deep understanding when he said, “Hear, my daughter.” Once we have learned to know the voice of our heavenly Shepherd we do not wish to hear any other voice except a voice that is permeated by His Spirit.

Boaz called Ruth his “daughter.” This has a divine ring to it, for love exalts the one we love. And as far as that goes, it takes a good portion of a father’s mind to be able to say, “My daughter.” Ruth said about herself, sensing her unworthiness, “Though I am not like one of your maidservants.” V. 13. God’s love crushes and humbles a soul and leads the person to Himself by innumerable invisible bonds: works of love under the most diverse circumstances. No one but the soul and God understands this. The Father says, “Son, daughter,” but the Spirit of adoption cries out, “Abba, Father!”