Ruth and Boaz: The Wedding

I love weddings. I love the candlelit churches with flowers hanging from pews, the people that come to wish the bride and groom the best,and  a blushing bride with her eyes fixed on her beaming soon-to-be husband. From the ceremony to the reception, I love a wedding (hey, I'm a girl, I think I'm programed to enjoy a wedding!). Love and romance are beautiful things but these sights and 'feelings' don't last forever. As you read Ruth 4, you might think that there isn't an ounce of romance in their love story, but a relationship founded upon the principles theirs had will be one that will last.
If you are new to my blog, I've written a few posts about relationships and if you would like to read them go to 'lables' and click on relationships.
We see that Ruth and Boaz's relationship:
Put God First 
In the first part of the chapter we see that even though Boaz loves Ruth, he still obeys the law by seeking out the closer relative, and conducting the transaction just as the law commanded (Ruth 4:1-9, Lev. 25:29). Sometimes putting God first isn't easy, but when you start your relationship that way it makes it so  much sweeter. (I write more about this in: http://ayouthpastorswife.blogspot.com/2013/02/jesus-comes-first.html)

Stayed Pure
In chapter 3 we see that even though Ruth had made herself beautiful and lay in the same room as Boaz, they both remained pure and resisted temptation. Because Boaz was putting God and His law first, Boaz waited and made his marriage a public affair (Ruth 4:10-12). If you don't remain pure in your relationship, this can lead to regrets and heartache, which may not come until after the 'lovey dovey' stage is over.

Were Unselfish
Technically, Ruth's first son would have been claimed for her deceased husband, not Boaz (Ruth 4:10). Boaz could have refused to redeem the land, because it entailed having a child that wasn't able to be claimed as his, also he could have refused because Ruth was a foreigner, but he didn't. When we put our spouse, and others ahead of ourselves, we can have a relationship that acts out 1 Corinthians 13. 

Being blissfully in love is a wonderful thing, but a relationship built on a biblical foundation is absolutely beautiful. It will give you a relationship that will last!