A Redeemer Born for You

Intro

Recap

Body

Ruth 4:1–22 CSB

Boaz went to the gate of the town and sat down there. Soon the family redeemer Boaz had spoken about came by. Boaz said, “Come over here and sit down.” So he went over and sat down. Then Boaz took ten men of the town’s elders and said, “Sit here.” And they sat down. He said to the redeemer, “Naomi, who has returned from the territory of Moab, is selling the portion of the field that belonged to our brother Elimelech. I thought I should inform you: Buy it back in the presence of those seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you want to redeem it, do it. But if you do not want to redeem it, tell me so that I will know, because there isn’t anyone other than you to redeem it, and I am next after you.” “I want to redeem it,” he answered. Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from Naomi, you will acquire Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the deceased man, to perpetuate the man’s name on his property.” The redeemer replied, “I can’t redeem it myself, or I will ruin my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption, because I can’t redeem it.” At an earlier period in Israel, a man removed his sandal and gave it to the other party in order to make any matter legally binding concerning the right of redemption or the exchange of property. This was the method of legally binding a transaction in Israel. So the redeemer removed his sandal and said to Boaz, “Buy back the property yourself.” Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses today that I am buying from Naomi everything that belonged to Elimelech, Chilion, and Mahlon. I have also acquired Ruth the Moabitess, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, to perpetuate the deceased man’s name on his property, so that his name will not disappear among his relatives or from the gate of his hometown. You are witnesses today.” All the people who were at the city gate, including the elders, said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is entering your house like Rachel and Leah, who together built the house of Israel. May you be powerful in Ephrathah and your name well known in Bethlehem. May your house become like the house of Perez, the son Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring the Lord will give you by this young woman.” Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. He slept with her, and the Lord granted conception to her, and she gave birth to a son. The women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you without a family redeemer today. May his name become well known in Israel. He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. Indeed, your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.” Naomi took the child, placed him on her lap, and became a mother to him. The neighbor women said, “A son has been born to Naomi,” and they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David. Now these are the family records of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron, Hezron fathered Ram, Ram fathered Amminadab, Amminadab fathered Nahshon, Nahshon fathered Salmon, Salmon fathered Boaz, Boaz fathered Obed, Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David.

4:1

So after meeting Ruth at the threshing floor, Boaz goes immediately to the town council. In Bethlehem the town council met at the city gate. He needed to do official business. he promised that both Naomi and Ruth were taken care of in the redemption.

Boaz needed to do business with the other family redeemer of Elimelech’s property. When Boaz saw him het made him sit at the gate.

From here on, the name of the redeemer is not mentioned. The Hebrew goes out of its way to make him a minor character. “old so-and-so came to town.” we could call him Joe Schmo.

4:2

And when Boaz saw the other elders of the council, he asked them to sit down too. We can assume that Boaz was probably an elder too because of how everyone does what he says.

4:3

Boaz tells so and so that Naomi has returned from Moab and needs to sell the land.

Now, because the land was given by God, the land had to stay as close to the family as possible. God gave portions of land to all the families of Israel. If a someone were to die and have no children to pass off the land to, it was to go to the next closest relative, the redeemer.

were so and so and Boaz brothers to Elimelech?

4:4

Boaz wants so and so to buy Elimelch’s land in the presence of all these witnesses.

he also tells him that if he doesn’t want the land, then Boaz will buy it.

Now, the way Boaz framed this for so-and-so is a deal. He gets to buy extra land, which means more money during harvest time. He and his children will have more.

So-and-so agrees.

4:5

Now, at this moment, Ruth and Naomi would be taken care of financially. Naomi should receive some sort of payment for the land and we can assume she would share it with Ruth.

But we must also remember that Boaz also wanted to marry Ruth. The plan from the previous night was that the same man who redeemed the land would also marry Ruth. Redemption was Boaz way to marry her. Now, So-and-so is in the way.

But Boaz was obviously well versed in the Law. Yes, it is true that if a man dies, his land can be redeemed. But it also true that if a man dies, a brother or close relative should marry the widow. This ensures that the widow is taken care of. This also means that the children that result from this marriage will inherit the dead man’s land.

Boaz tells all of this to So-and-so. He doesn’t like this development. This means that whatever children and money produced from the land will not go to him but to the child and to Ruth.

4:6

So-and-so gives up his right of redemption because of it.

4:7-8

Back in those days, their version of a handshake was to give up one of their sandals.

So now, in the presence of everyone Boaz is now the redeemer.

4:9-10

Boaz lets everyone know that Naomi and Ruth will be taken care of by him. He will buy back Naomi’s land and he will marry Ruth so that Elimelech’s family is not forgotten.

4:11-12

The people at the gate give Boaz a threefold blessing:

First, they pray that God would make Ruth like Rachel and Leah—the mothers of the tribes. They are essentially praying that Boaz and Ruth have children and a great family.

Second, they pray that Boaz and his family would become powerful and well known.

Third, they ask that Boaz’s house will be like Perez’s house. [NEED MORE]

4:13

This verse fast forwards through almost a year of events. Boaz and Ruth get married and the Lord blessed them with a son. Boaz kept his promise from Ruth 3:13

Notice that Ruth is not mentioned as being a Moabitess. She is now considered an Israelite.

4:14-15

The women at the gate from chapter 1 come back. They bless the Lord for taking care of Mara.

Notice that they make 2 different arguments for God’s goodness.

First, they praise God for taking care of Naomi’s future by giving her a redeemer in Obed.

Second, they praise God for giving her Ruth who has taken care of her. In some Hebrew Bibles, you end Proverbs with proverbs 31 and the next book is an example of a proverbs 31 woman—Ruth.

Now it seems that the women are praising God for Obed who was born.

Obed is how Ruth and Naomi stay together.

Boaz redeemed Elimelek’s land and married Ruth so that Elimelech’s son, sickly could have descendants to live in Elimelech’s land. So this means that Ruth and Boaz’s son, Obed is what connects Ruth to Naomi. They are now truly inseparable.

Obed is the first born of Boaz and Ruth. He will also inherit the land of Elimelech, which means that he is now the closest redeemer to Naomi. That’s why the women call Obed a redeemer.

4:16-22

Now this verse gives a scene for what life what like for Obed as a child. He was a kid who always stayed with his grandma.

Its doubtful that Naomi literally adopted Obed. This is just the author’s way of saying that Naomi was restored. She came back to Bethlehem empty but the Lord took care of her and even gave her a baby to care for.

Naomi came back into Bethlehem empty, but now she has a grandson.

Connections to Christmas:

Genealogy (matt 1)

Miraculous birth

The Lord takes care of people through the birth of a redeemer.

Conclusion

The Lord proved his kindness to Naomi by providing her a redeemer (4:14). The Lord proved his kindness to Israel by using a famine in the land to bring about Israel’s future king (4:17). The Lord’s kindness is ultimately proven by him providing the savior of the world through a Moabitess (Matthew 1:5). The book of Ruth provides Christians with the hope that, though life may bring hardship, the Lord promises redemption for his people (Romans 8:22-25).