If we are to know the story of Boaz, we must read the book of Ruth. It is a good story. Boaz is a type of Christ, and Ruth is a type of the church. The book of Ruth tells us that Boaz redeemed Ruth; he also redeemed the birthright for her. This means that Christ, as our real Boaz, has redeemed both us and the birthright.
Boaz redeemed his kinsman's inheritance and married the man's widow (Ruth 4:1-17); hence, he became a notable forefather of Christ, a great associate of Christ. As a brother and a Boaz, you should take care of others' birthright of Christ, not only your own birthright. In other words, you should not only take care of your own enjoyment of Christ, but also others' enjoyment of Christ.
Ruth was the daughter-in-law of Naomi. As we read this story, we see that Ruth and Naomi had lost the enjoyment, the birthright, but according to God's regulation there was a way to restore the birthright, to redeem it. But it had to be redeemed by someone else. The principle is the same in the church life today. If I lose the birthright, the brothers have a way to redeem it for me. Quite often, some dear ones lose their enjoyment of Christ. In a sense, they become Naomi or Ruth. If so, you need to be a Boaz, able to redeem the lost birthright and marry the redeemed one.
Suppose I am a real Ruth who has lost her husband. To lose the husband means to lose the enjoyment of the birthright. I have the birthright, but I have lost the enjoyment of the birthright. Thus, I need you, as my brother, to redeem my birthright. But you need to be somewhat richer in Christ. You need to have some riches with which to redeem my birthright. Then you pay the price to regain my birthright, and you also marry me. This means that you become involved with me. This kind of spiritual involvement will produce Obed, the grandfather of David. Boaz became one of the great forefathers of Christ. In a spiritual sense, he was the one who enjoyed the largest and richest portion of Christ. If a brother becomes a Boaz to me, he will be the one with the greatest enjoyment of Christ. Because he redeemed my birthright and became so involved with me, our involvement in the Lord will eventually bring forth the full enjoyment of Christ.
In the church life today we need to have a number of Boazes. The book of Ruth tells us that there was another kinsman who was even closer to Ruth than Boaz was. But that man was selfish; he only took care of his own birthright. He was afraid that taking care of another's might mar his own. This is exactly today's situation. Some brothers should take care of me, the poor Ruth, but they are selfish in the spiritual enjoyment of Christ. Even in the spiritual enjoyment of Christ it is quite possible to be selfish. However, a Boaz will be generous and pay the price to redeem my birthright. All this indicates that we should take care of not only our own birthright, but also others' birthright. Day by day we should take care of other's enjoyment of Christ. The more we do this, the better.
We come now to Ruth (Matt. 1:5). We may say that Ruth was certainly a good woman, but she had a great shortage. Although she herself was not involved in incest, her origin was a matter of incest. Ruth belonged to the tribe of Moab (Ruth 1:4). Moab was the son of Lot, the fruit of Lot's incestuous union with his daughter (Gen. 19:30-38). According to Deuteronomy 23:3, the Moabites were forbidden to enter the congregation of the Lord, even to the tenth generation. Thus, Ruth was an excluded one. However, not only was she accepted by the Lord, but she became a wonderful person who partook of the enjoyment of Christ.
Although, as a Moabitess, Ruth was not allowed to enter the congregation of the Lord, she was seeking God and God's people (Ruth 1:15-17; 2:11-12). This reveals a most prevailing principle: no matter who we are or what our background is, as long as we have a heart which seeks after God and God's people, we are in a position to be accepted into the birthright of Christ. Ruth married Boaz, a godly man among God's people, and brought forth Obed, the grandfather of David the king.
Boaz's mother was Rahab, a Canaanitess, and his wife Ruth was a Moabitess. Both were Gentiles. Nevertheless, they were associated with Christ. This is a strong proof that Christ is joined not only to the Jews, but also to the Gentiles, even the Gentiles of a low and mean class.
You may have been born of a poor origin and have a pitiful background, but do not be bothered or frustrated by that. Forget it! Nothing can be worse than a person born of Moab. But as long as you have a heart to seek after God and God's people and as long as you become involved with the proper person, such as Boaz, you will enter into the double portion of the enjoyment of Christ.