Part 14: The Prayer
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Tonight, we will look at the next couple verses in Ruth 4 for our fourteenth message out of this wonderful book.
Last week we looked at the completion of the transaction between Boaz and Mr. Such-A-One. The transaction I'm referring to was the redemption of Ruth.
Now the meeting is over. The negotiations are finished. The legal process is done. Boaz has given his speech. But one more significant thing happens at the city gate: a three-fold prayer of blessing from the people and the elders.
So, tonight, we are doing to look at the Prayer made by the witnesses to the redemption.
When we look at these verses, we find a blessing directed to Ruth,
Ruth 4:11a
“…The LORD make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel...”
a blessing directed at Boaz,
Ruth 4:11b
“…and do thou worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem:”
and a blessing directed to the family as a whole...
Ruth 4:12
“And let thy house be like the house of Pharez, whom Tamar bare unto Judah...”
Back in chapter one, Ruth seemed to be giving up on her best chance of marriage by leaving her native land of Moab and giving her heart and life to the God of Israel.
But as Ruth put God first, He brought her together in a relationship greater than she could have imagined.
Boaz had a love for Ruth that was public, a love that wanted to be publicly witnessed and registered.
The people there that day Prayed a three-fold prayer, specifically covering four things for Boaz and Ruth and I want to dive into them for a little while tonight.
You know? We should pray these same things for our loved ones today.
Marriages would probably last a lot longer if we would start them this way instead of with a wine or beer party at the reception.
Let's take a look at four things about this Prayer...
1-A Prayer for Favor
1-A Prayer for Favor
And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. The LORD make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem:
As I’ve already mentioned tonight, this part was a prayer of blessing directed at Ruth…It was a prayer for Favor...
These witnesses wished a divine favor upon Ruth.
The prayer mentions Rachel and Leah...Rachel and Leah were the wives of Jacob: with their two handmaidens, Bilhah and Zilpah, they bore him twelve sons, whose descendants made up the twelve tribes of Israel (Genesis 29–30; 35:16–18).
The Lord is the One who enabled both Leah and Rachel to have children; in each case he “opened her womb” (29:31; 30:22). Leah was the mother of Judah (29:35), the ancestor of the tribe of Naomi and Boaz.
The witnesses, then, are asking the Lord to give Ruth a place alongside these mothers of the people of God: that is, that she may be given a key role among God’s people.
Like Ruth, they didn’t always know God, yet they were engrafted into God’s people!
This speaks of high Divine favor. They wanted Ruth to have the same favor.
They wished her to be favored of God to the extent that she would also build up the family of God.
The prayer was answered, for Ruth was highly favored in that she gave birth to a son who was an ancestor of Jesus Christ. And that certainly did some building, for upon Christ is built the church.
2-A Prayer for Fortune
2-A Prayer for Fortune
The word worthily in verse 11 is the same word as wealth in
1 And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband’s, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz.
This word means strength, might, efficiency...
Let me cut to the chase here…They are wishing that they would do well!
The name “Ephratah” is another name for the town of Bethlehem.
This part of the prayer is a request for the prosperity of Boaz. The prayer for prosperity is something you would expect from friends of a newly wedded couple.
This is not just a prayer for prosperity and a good reputation; it is a prayer for righteousness. Boaz’s renown will come from his worthy actions—the kindness, compassion, and integrity that we have seen in the book of Ruth...
Wishing Boaz prosperity in “Ephratah” (Bethlehem) was logical, for that is where Boaz’s fields of grain were located.
Think about this...
Ruth’s years of sorrow are now past...
Ruth’s worry about her livelihood is now gone...
There’s no more gleaning in the fields...
But look at her now…She’s feasting at his table!
Ruth’s poverty has now turned into plenty!
Thank God, you and I that used to be Gentile nobodies are now feasting at the King’s table!
3-A Prayer for Fame
3-A Prayer for Fame
In verse 11, we find the phrase, “…Be famous in Bethlehem...”
The word famous means to obtain a name. Indeed, Boaz obtained a name and became famous in Bethlehem and through the ages because of His redemptive work.
His willingness to redeem the land and the lady put Boaz’s name in the Word of God which has made his name a very famous name. However, the name of the nearer kinsman’s, who refused to do the work of redemption which was connected to Jesus Christ is unknown, all we know for him is “Mr. Such-A-One...”
Let me just say right here that true fame is found in promoting the cause of Christ.
The name of Jesus Christ, like the name of Boaz, has also become great because of His redemptive work. Paul writes that because of Christ’s willingness to be mankind’s Redeemer...
9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
The kind of fame that Boaz and Christ gained was gained by doing the will of God. Not many people are interested in that fame. But it is the best and most lasting fame of all. And it won’t destroy character like the fame obtained for worldly deeds often does.
4-A Prayer for Fruitfulness
4-A Prayer for Fruitfulness
And let thy house be like the house of Pharez, whom Tamar bare unto Judah, of the seed which the LORD shall give thee of this young woman.
This is the prayer that was directed to the family as a whole...
Tamar was the widow of Judah’s son.
6 And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar.
7 And Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him.
Tamar, like Ruth, had lost her husband and was childless.
Like Ruth, Tamar’s family line was threatened, and it seemed that her husband’s name would die out. Tamar had no prospect of marrying again: her father-in-law, Judah, had promised that she would marry another of his sons, as the law demanded, but he had not kept his promise (v 11, 14).
11 Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in law, Remain a widow at thy father’s house, till Shelah my son be grown: for he said, Lest peradventure he die also, as his brethren did. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father’s house.
14 And she put her widow’s garments off from her, and covered her with a vail, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place, which is by the way to Timnath; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given unto him to wife.
So, here’s what happened, Tamar disguised herself as a prostitute, deceiving her own father-in-law, so that she might have a child by him (v 15–16).
15 When Judah saw her, he thought her to be an harlot; because she had covered her face.
16 And he turned unto her by the way, and said, Go to, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee; (for he knew not that she was his daughter in law.) And she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me?
Both Ruth and Tamar went out in active pursuit of a child and a better future.
Of course, Ruth revealed her identity and received a child legitimately through marriage, whereas Tamar concealed her identity and deceived Judah.
Here’s the difference in these stories, Boaz’s behavior toward Ruth was only ever godly, whereas Judah’s conduct was precisely the opposite. Both unions, however, in the providence of God, proved to play an important role in salvation history.
God promised that the Messiah would come through Judah (Genesis 49:10), and Judah’s strongest son was Perez; of all the sons of Judah, it is Perez’s descendants whose line is followed in the tribal genealogy of 1 Chronicles 2:3–3:24.
It absolutely blows my mind ya’ll at who the Lord used to bring His Son into this world!
He used a bunch of imperfect people, to accomplish His perfect will!
That ought to encourage us tonight!
Conclusion
Conclusion
The prayer is for Boaz to have a renowned lineage in Bethlehem. Little did they know just how great Bethlehem would be because of his descendants!
David, Israel’s greatest king, would come from Boaz’s family in Bethlehem—and, of course, eventually the Messiah would come from the same family tree (Matthew 1:1–17).
So these prayers were answered.
Ruth did become a key person in the story of redemptive history. Boaz’s family did have renown in Bethlehem. And it was through Boaz that Israel’s king would come.
At this point, the people of Israel had not even asked for a king, but from this man, Boaz, King David would emerge.
What a prayer that these witnesses prayed!
You know what this stuff about the genealogy means? God has always known what’s going on, He knows what is going on right now, nothing has caught Him by surprise! Not even what’s going on in your life tonight!