Ruth 4:1-12

Introduction

Self introduction

Hope for God to instruct and challenge us

Request for grace

We are in Ruth 4

If you have read through Ruth you know what’s about to happen, but...

REVIEW

Naomi’s journey and tragic loss of her husband and sons

Ruth’s devotion to Naomi on the way back to Bethlehem

God’s providence in leading Ruth to Boaz

Ruth’s approach to ask Boaz to ask redeem and marry her

Now we are waiting to see how everything will turn out

Ruth 3:18

I. Boaz Takes Action

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.

Boaz is a man of action - he does not tarry, but gets to work in order to settle the matter

Have there been times in your life when God presented you an opportunity to be obedient to him, and if so how quick were you to respond?

Example: After coming to faith, I heard a sermon from Malachi 2

I was convicted deeply on several levels

But I didn’t immediately obey God

I was challenged to radical obedience and learned about how we at times

Boaz understood the requirements of the Torah and was seeking to faithful to his role as the kinsman redeemer

II. Boaz Redeems Ruth

Boaz goes to the gate

Not just an entry, but also a place where town business was settled and transactions took place, a court of law

Behold, the man came and walked by!

Boaz is not slow to act, and neither is yahweh

Boaz tells the man to, “sit down, friend”

Peloni almoni - this is a no name, Joe schmo, man of no character

This is in stark contras with Boaz, who is a man of upright character

This character is everything that Boaz is not

Boaz gathers the elders of the town together

Again, Boaz wastes little time getting down to business

He gives the other man a chance to redeem Naomi and Ruth, and he initially accepts

What is redemption?

Redeem used 12 times in first twelve verses of Ruth

Torah passages that help us understand redemption

Leviticus

Land does not belong to a particular person, but to God

Out of his goodness, God gives Israelite families the chance to reclaim what was once theirs - and if they are poor, they can reclaim their land through a goel buying it back for them

Likewise, we do not own what we have, but God does

Numbers

Land ownership was not transferred to widows upon the death of their husband

Deuteronomy 25:5-10

Levirate marriage - instituted by God to protect widows and perpetuate the name of the dead

Naomi is not of child bearing age, but Ruth is

Ruth 4:5 - Boaz introduces a complication for the transaction

What is the complication?

Ruth 4:6 - Peloni declines to redeem

Boaz Redeems Ruth

He does not care about his own well being and the risk to himself - he cares about providing for Ruth no matter the cost

God calls us to selflessly love one another

III. Boaz is a type for Jesus

Philippians 2:3-

Boaz’s redemption of Ruth was an act of grace

It was an act of love

It came at a price

But it was also priceless - Ruth could not pay for it or warrant it

Conclusion