Hope Renewed!

Ruth, Sunday Night Study

Series Title: Ruth— God’s Providential Love

Message #9

Ruth 4:13-22.

ETS: God renewed the hope of Naomi through the birth of Obed. ESS: We should be careful to give praise to God because He has renewed our hope.

OSS: [Devotional] {I want the hearers to rejoice in the God of their salvation— He has renewed their hope just as He did for Naomi.}

PQ: Why is this an ironic ending to this narrative?

UW: Reasons

TS: Let us consider the reasons these verses add an ironic ending to this narrative.

The credit is given to God. [v. 13]

Not to Naomi.

Not to Ruth.

Not to Boaz.

Each character has already been highlighted throughout as being people of noble character:

Naomi cared deeply for her family.

Ruth was a lady of model commitment, a loyal friend. She was faithful, physically (and perhaps mentally and emotionally) strong, strikingly beautiful, and hard-working.

Boaz was a strong warrior with a strong commitment to integrity— he did not waiver in following the law at any point regarding his role in the exchange of property or of the family redemption.

As great as each character has already been highlighted to be, the narrative concludes by giving credit to God.

Because the ultime theme and purpose of the narrative is to show God’s providential love— thus, when it is evident that His love has been shown, He is rightly deserving of our praise, admiration, and credit.

The focus shifts to Naomi. [vv. 14-17]

This is interesting. Not much is said of Ruth in these closing verses beyond the fact that she bore a son by the power of God and His granting her to conceive.

Why this shift?

God was not just showing His providential love for Ruth only. That would only include a partial redemption— Naomi would still be hopeless and lonely.

God redeemed both Ruth and Naomi. Actually, more specifically, it was Elimelech’s field being sold… it was Elimelech’s name to be continued… This is the whole point of it all. Ruth is part of that story. Ruth is included in that family. Yet, it is Naomi who is of primary consideration in the full redemption of the family to ensure the family name continues.

God is not a God of halfway redemption. When He redeems— He does so fully. This is demonstrated here; it is also demonstrated in Jesus.

Romans 8:32 “He did not even spare his own Son but gave him up for us all. How will he not also with him grant us everything?”

Ruth is not altogether left out— she is given special tribute:

Because of her love towards Naomi

Because of her special place in her life and story (better than seven sons):

High tribute

Unusual tribute

Address the implications of seven— complete or whole family.

Naomi took the child in her lap and began to nurse him— can you imagine the joy and the sense of overwhelming emotion in these moments? No more lonliness; no more being overlooked; no more despair or desparation.

Interstingly enough, it is the neighbors who named the child, not Ruth or Boaz— or Naomi. They named him Obed meaning servant.

The narrative ends with a geneology. [vv. 18-22]

Interstingly enough, the book concludes with a geneology— not one of exhaustive record. In fact, it is quite concise and selective only mentioning 10 names to cover rough 640 years (Cundall, Arthur E., and Leon Morris. 1968. Judges and Ruth: An Introduction and Commentary. Vol. 7. Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)

This geneology is supported by those recorded in the following places:

1 Chronicles 2:4-15.

Matthew 1:1-17 (specifically, 1:1-6)

The geneology occuring here supports the overarching theme of God’s omniscence. He is all knowing, and He is always working in the details. Here, of course, it is intentional to include that through such a story of hopelessness and despair, lonliness and being overlooked, God established the relationship through which King David would come.. through whom later King Jesus would come.

“These events in Moab and Bethlehem played their part in leading up to the birth of David. The Christian will think also of the genealogy at the beginning of the Gospel according to St Matthew. He will reflect that God’s hand is over all history. God works out his purpose, generation after generation. Limited as we are to one lifetime, each of us sees so little of what happens. A genealogy is a striking way of bringing before us the continuity of God’s purpose through the ages. The process of history is not haphazard. There is a purpose in it all. And the purpose is the purpose of God.” (Cundall, Arthur E., and Leon Morris. 1968. Judges and Ruth: An Introduction and Commentary. Vol. 7. Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.)

Reflective Questions:

[1] Have there been seasons in your life that you have been taken aback by the way God works things out to accomplish His will? Maybe the events seemed ironic to you in the moment.

[2] How have you seen God work in your own life to accomplish His plan and purpose in a bigger way— perhaps that extends beyond your life?