Then Boaz Said, “On the Day You Buy the Field From the Hand of Naomi, You Must Also Buy It from Ruth, the Wife of the Dead, to Raise Up the Name of the Dead on His Inheritance.”

We can see how Boaz gradually revealed the intention of the other redeemer and exposed his true attitude of mind. Now it was obvious to all the elders in the gate that the redeemer wanted only the field. He loved the goods. But then Boaz came to the main point.

“On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also buy it from Ruth, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead on his inheritance.” Now it was no longer a matter of pursuing his own interests, but it was a question of serving the others. He was not allowed to raise up a name for himself, but he had to raise up the name of the dead. This was the most important thing in the eyes of the Lord. But the redeemer wanted to raise up a name for himself on the field of his dead brother. This is what revealed his bad attitude. Spiritually speaking, he was his brother’s murderer who would have liked to see his brother’s name erased in this world, if only he himself could live and flourish.

If we have the mind of Christ, we will seek to help the others come to a name, each one on his own lot of inheritance. We have no right whatsoever to raise up our own name on someone else’s lot of inheritance. It is spiritual thievery and is inconsistent with the laws of the Spirit. I can be the main person on my own lot of inheritance, but I shall see to it that the others become the main person on their respective lots of inheritance. You may ask: How can this be understood?

If you are more gifted than your brother, if you have a stronger spirit than he has so that you have sufficient strength to control and subdue him in the spirit, so that only your name shines in the whole wide world, and all the others are just your tail, then you must not use your power in that way. You must help your brother, remind him, and be good to him, so that he can grow and thrive on his own lot of inheritance like a plant in its own garden. All of us—each on our lot of inheritance—shall grow up to the head, to the maturity of manhood in Christ, by this mutual goodness to each other and by this mutual help.

We can see how it goes when the preacher rules over the others’ lot of inheritance. When he dies, everything is dead and quiet, for each man was not raised to be lord on his own lot of inheritance. They were slaves and tax payers for the preacher who ruled over them, instead of serving them.

It would now become evident whether this redeemer cared for the things of the Lord and was careful to observe His laws, or whether he only thought of himself and cared for himself. Boaz puts him to a hard test in the presence of the city’s ten most prudent and wisest men. I can almost see the redeemer squirm in the vise each time Boaz tightened the screw by one more turn of the handle.

Everyone who seeks his own will sooner or later end up in the same tight spot. Therefore, seek to save yourself before you end up in such embarrassing circumstances in the presence of witnesses. We should learn to find the nakedness of our shame ourselves, before we are revealed in the eyes of the others for what we are.