In Ruth

1 Meanwhile Boaz went up to the town gate and sat down there just as the guardian-redeemer he had mentioned came along. Boaz said, “Come over here, my friend, and sit down.” So he went over and sat down. 2 Boaz took ten of the elders of the town and said, “Sit here,” and they did so. 3 Then he said to the guardian-redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our relative Elimelek. 4 I thought I should bring the matter to your attention and suggest that you buy it in the presence of these seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, do so. But if you will not, tell me, so I will know. For no one has the right to do it except you, and I am next in line.” “I will redeem it,” he said. 5 Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the land from Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the dead man’s widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property.” 6 At this, the guardian-redeemer said, “Then I cannot redeem it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it.” 7 (Now in earlier times in Israel, for the redemption and transfer of property to become final, one party took off his sandal and gave it to the other. This was the method of legalizing transactions in Israel.) 8 So the guardian-redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it yourself.” And he removed his sandal. 9 Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, “Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon. 10 I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from his hometown. Today you are witnesses!” 11 Then the elders and all the people at the gate said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the family of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. 12 Through the offspring the Lord gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.” 13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. 14 The women said to Naomi: “Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! 15 He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.” 16 Then Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him. 17 The women living there said, “Naomi has a son!” And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

THE WORD OF GOD, FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD

Simple Story

Easy read with familiar topics

The Tribe of Judah - Boaz, David, Jesus

Town of Bethlehem - Boaz, David, Jesus

Much like the Gospels - we’re dropped into the story and watch it unfold

Acts of Kindness

We’re drawn into the story

Powerful Story

Love - Ruth > Naomi; Naomi to God’s People; Boaz to Ruth

Loyalty and Decency - Keeper of the Law

Security - Ruth found security in Boaz; we find security in Christ

We realize there is power in the story - the Gospel shares the message of redemption

kinsman-redeemer (gō’ēl) = A relative that has the right of redemption over a deceased relative's household. A man who was legally able to redeem his close male relative’s wife in order to bring up sons for the deceased’s lineage. (guardian redeemer)

Similar to Year of Jubilee in Leviticus 25

Eternal Story

Abundant Provider - verse 13 - only place God acts in Ruth. Others mention Him throughout - but God acts!

Verse 14 - famous sons - David and Jesus

Redeemer - most understand but Kinsman - Jesus became human - God as “Father” but not as one of us. Intimate kinship.

God as kinsman-redeemer in OT - His covenant love

Jesus in the gospel and NT - like Boaz he is

A relative (human)

with resources (supernatural power)

to pay the price (his shed blood on the cross)

and take the bride (the church).

Boaz & Ruth are Great-Grandparents to David; Jesus is a descendant

Jesus for the Gentiles - Ruth was a gentile.

Jesus for all people who will come to him - they will spend eternity with Him.

Ephesians 2:12–13 NIV

12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Jesus is our Kinsman-Redeemer

He became human - to relate to us

His shed blood redeems us from the consequences of sin

Jesus is in Ruth!

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