Ruth 4

PRAY & INTRO: Don’t you often wonder how certain struggles (difficulties, sorrows, challenges) in your life will be resolved, how certain questions will be answered, if certain unknowns will ever be known, and whether or not certain dreams will come to fruition the way you desire?

We do not, nor can we, see all that God is doing, even in our own lifetimes, let alone across generations. But when we read God’s word, some of what God is doing comes into focus for us, and by it we learn to trust him with the very details of our lives. Nowhere is this more plainly taught than in this book of Ruth.

God is working His…

Chapter 4: God’s Extraordinary Purposes to and through Ordinary People

The final chapter of this story will resolve several threads for the reader: Will Boaz and Ruth be married? After all the hurt that Naomi has been through, will God choose to give Naomi rest (even as she desires rest for Ruth)? And does God’s providential care and kindness to these particular people have an impact on his greater plan, proving God’s loyal lovingkindness to his people through all generations?

The first series of events, with Boaz at the center, reveals how Ruth becomes the wife of Boaz and not of the other guardian-redeemer.

Ruth 4:1 ESV

1 Now Boaz had gone up to the gate and sat down there. And behold, the redeemer, of whom Boaz had spoken, came by. So Boaz said, “Turn aside, friend; sit down here.” And he turned aside and sat down.

[example city gate image, archeological excavation from ancient Beersheba] The city gate served as a meeting place at the center of civic life in ancient Jewish towns. It was a space between the gates of the city’s outer wall and inner wall that also served as a kind of town courthouse and meeting place. And because it was the entrance to the city, it was also an ideal place to wait for an opportunity to speak to someone. Boaz is therefore able to use this location for both purposes, as we shall see.

Ruth 4:2–6 ESV

2 And he took ten men of the elders of the city and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down. 3 Then he said to the redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land that belonged to our relative Elimelech. 4 So I thought I would tell you of it and say, ‘Buy it in the presence of those sitting here and in the presence of the elders of my people.’ If you will redeem it, redeem it. But if you will not, tell me, that I may know, for there is no one besides you to redeem it, and I come after you.” And he said, “I will redeem it.” 5 Then Boaz said, “The day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the widow of the dead, in order to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance.” 6 Then the redeemer said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I impair my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it.”

[Comments while going through the verses]

v. 2 Boaz probably sent servants to collect other elders of the city, who could serve as witnesses, so that whatever was decided could be shown as a formal decision, and one that is above reproach.

vv. 3-6 As Boaz explains the situation of the land to the other nearer relative, increasing his own land and stature sounds good to this other man. But when Boaz introduces the additional part that Naomi has a daughter-in-law whom he will need to take as his wife, that means that if she bears a son, that son can claim ownership and there is less benefit to this relative’s own estate. In fact, in his response he words it like it could threaten his own inheritance. We don’t know the details as to why he thinks this, but once he has found out that the real purpose of the purchase is in fact to preserve it for Elimelech’s family, then he is not interested.

Ruth 4:7–12 ESV

7 Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging: to confirm a transaction, the one drew off his sandal and gave it to the other, and this was the manner of attesting in Israel. 8 So when the redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself,” he drew off his sandal. 9 Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses this day that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and to Mahlon. 10 Also Ruth the Moabite, the widow of Mahlon, I have bought to be my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brothers and from the gate of his native place. You are witnesses this day.” 11 Then all the people who were at the gate and the elders said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman, who is coming into your house, like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you act worthily in Ephrathah and be renowned in Bethlehem, 12 and may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring that the Lord will give you by this young woman.”

[Comments while going through the verses]

vv. 7-8 By the time Ruth was written, the readers evidently no longer practiced this custom and needed explanation (us too!). As to the custom itself, there really isn’t any need speculate about its symbolic significance, as the unknown author doesn’t seem to think it necessary either. - What we might overlook, though, is the aim at historical accuracy, which has been verified as a custom in the Nuzi documents from Mesopotamia (another archeological find… in what is now northern Iraq). Archeological evidence continues to the support the biblical record, which makes perfect sense to those of us who have come to understand that this is the very word of God.

vv. 9-10 The juxtaposition of buying the land from Naomi and buying Ruth too sounds to our ears as if Ruth is somehow property. But knowing both Boaz and this context of redemption, the point made is that Boaz is formally redeeming Ruth as well, to produce an heir who will “perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance.” In other words, this is a willing and selfless thing he is doing so that the two things are inextricably intertwined.

vv. 11-12 The elders and townspeople present say a blessing over these people and purposes, in order that God might bless this endeavor with an heir through Ruth. Remember that Rachel and Leah were the wives of Jacob, who, together with their servants, bore 12 sons to Jacob, whose descendants make up the tribes of Israel. Recall also that Tamar (Gen 38) was the daughter-in-law of Judah who, when her husband Er died, was denied levirate marriage by the remaining son, Shelah. She then took matters into her own hands, and immorally and deceptively conceived twins from her father-in-law, Judah. Perez was the eldest of the twins born to her and is the direct ancestor of the Ephrathites, these Bethlehemites.

And so they wish that in such blessing Boaz might also act worthily and be renowned for this noble act, becoming as integral to their lineage as Perez. Also, as we see by the conclusion of the chapter, we are reading of the renown of Boaz and Ruth and Naomi precisely because of God’s providential work to make Boaz the great-grandfather of King David.

Let’s continue toward that finish line.

Ruth 4:13–22 ESV

13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. And he went in to her, and the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son. 14 Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel! 15 He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.” 16 Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her lap and became his nurse. 17 And the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David. 18 Now these are the generations of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron, 19 Hezron fathered Ram, Ram fathered Amminadab, 20 Amminadab fathered Nahshon, Nahshon fathered Salmon, 21 Salmon fathered Boaz, Boaz fathered Obed, 22 Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David.

[Comments while going through the verses]

vv. 13-14 From the decision at the gate, the story progresses quickly through Boaz and Ruth’s wedding, consummation of the marriage, and the Lord giving conception, and even to the son’s birth.

The authorial note that it was the Lord who gave conception, and the women’s response to Naomi of “Praise be to the Lord,” draws specific attention to the author’s belief and desire to communicate God’s providence. None of this has been chance, but instead has been the orchestration of a God who is kind and gracious, working out his extraordinary plans by ordinary means.

So too, there is indication from the words of these women that the redeeming act from Boaz is to be carried on through this son and his lineage, that they should be guardian-redeemers for God’s people. God’s people at this point are Israelites of faith and any foreigners who should come to God in faith, like Ruth. Obed and David and the future kings of Israel after David represent these guardian-redeemers, who reflect a God who is redeeming his people by his power and grace in his perfect plan. And we, having the NT in our Bible’s as well, know that it is the Lord Jesus Christ who is God’s ultimate redeemer who pays the penalty for our sin and rescues us from enslavement to sin and its consequences, making us heirs with Jesus as God’s chosen children.

v. 15 As the focus returns to Naomi, we are reminded of how our very lives, like Naomi’s, can be connected to this bigger picture that God is painting. We see these same women, to whom Naomi, in her misery, had told to call her Mara, now responding to her to tell her what a great blessing God has given to her life with this grandson. And they do not say this without also noting the love and value of her daughter-in-law Ruth, “who is more to you than seven sons.”

vv. 16-17 That Naomi became his nurse probably means simply that she did a lot of helping to care for him, as an active grandmother in her situation would do. Unsurprisingly, this little tike becomes the center of her life, a constant and present reminder of God graciously choosing to reverse her fortunes. Time and time again, God is often pleased to take “the least of these” and to bless them as instruments for his grand purposes.

Oddly, this is the only place that speaks of anyone other than family naming a child, as a male child would be named by the family at his circumcision on the 8th day. Perhaps here they are less naming him and more proclaiming the significance of his name, Obed, which means “one who serves.” In their view, this child born to Naomi serves as a constant and present reminder of God’s care for his people (and Naomi in particular).

In God’s providence, through the lovingkindness displayed first in Ruth and then in Boaz, the once-tragic Naomi becomes the grandmother of Obed, who was the grandfather of David.

vv. 18-22 The concluding genealogy of David, only going back to Perez for these purposes, is added to reinforce the importance of these providential events in God’s plan. We’ve already stated the significance of this both to OT readers and to NT readers as well. David was the king from the tribe of Judah who received God’s promises of an everlasting kingdom that would lead to the blessing of the whole world. Jesus is the God-Man who came and fulfilled that promise, securing the redemption of those who have faith in him, and inaugurating a world-wide kingdom of God’s people with Jesus as our Lord.

With that full scope as our context, perhaps we might see better how the book of Ruth shows us…

Chapter 4: God’s Extraordinary Purposes to and through Ordinary People

We do not, nor can we, see all that God is doing, even in our own lifetimes, let alone across generations. But when we read the little book of Ruth, we learn that yes, we are ordinary people, but we serve an almighty God who not only has the power and plan to work out his purposes, but in the process he is also providentially caring for his people, displaying his trustworthiness and lovingkindness in the very details of our lives. But how are we responding to this truth revealed in God’s word?

We must respond in faith to Jesus as the Lord who redeems us.

Romans 3:23–24 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,”

We should marvel in awe at God’s kindness to bring us into his purposes.

Colossians 1:13–14 “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

We should let our trust in God’s character and providence shape our character and goals.

Romans 5:1–5 “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

PRAY

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