Ruth 4

The period of the Judges of Israel lasted for some 340 years, and they were not good times for the new nation. The people who had witnessed God’s miraculous deliverance from Egyptian bondage through the leadership of Moses, beheld God’s presence in the pillar of fire by night and the protective cloud by day, saw God’s fiery presence on Mount Sinai shielded by massive, black clouds, and received His laws for life on stone tablets, had died and new generations of Israelites assumed leadership roles.

How did the new leaders lead? No well. In short order, they threw God and His archaic, limiting, and seemingly restrictive laws to the wind and chose to devise their own ever-changing laws. What happened? The nation descended into moral and spiritual chaos, crime skyrocketed, and their enemies dominated vast areas of the country. Granted, God did send courageous Judges to bring deliverance when the people temporarily cried out for divine assistance; however, their work was continually trumped by the people’s blind, illogical, and ill-founded love of living for their own versions of truth. The closing verse of the book reminds us of just how disjointed, decadent, and dangerous these times were to the nation:

25 In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes. (Judges 21)

It's a sobering truth, isn’t it? Nations crumble when they turn their backs on God, His teachings, and the notion of absolute truth. Conversely, nations mature and thrive when they embrace God, His teachings, and the pursuit of absolute truth.

When nations like ancient Israel purposefully and willfully descend into spiritual, personal, and geopolitical chaos by turning away from God, God always has a Gideon or a Samson waiting in the wings. These individuals challenge the people to follow them toward freedom and stability. This reality, as depicted in the pages of Judges, underscores how God is always working His long game through spiritually committed families. These families raise children who will love God, His Word, and truth and fearlessly impact countless lives when the time comes.

Along these lines, enter the book of Ruth. During a time of national deconstruction at every level, God sovereignly brought two unseemingly different people together in marriage to not only bless their little village but to continue to perpetuate a family line known for raising fearless and faithful leaders of God who would have local and a national impact for God in time. Such is the story of Boaz, the Israelite, and Ruth, the Gentile Moabitess.

God brought them together through adversity. God guided Ruth, a poor, childless widow from an enemy country, to follow her mother-in-law, Naomi, back to her village of Bethlehem. God caused her to wind up gleaning in the field of a wealthy family bachelor named Boaz. God caused Boaz to notice her and shower grace and care all over her. God worked through Naomi to position Ruth at the feet of a sleeping Boaz, who guarded his grain, to be there when he awakened so she could challenge him to fulfill his duty to the Law of Moses and marry her. God’s fingerprints are all over the pages of chapters one through three. His fingerprints are all over the pages of your life, too, as He leads and guides you to be with the right person at the right time.

Boaz could sense God’s leadership in every facet of his encounter with the widow, Ruth, yet, being a nobleman, a man of character and love for God, he knew he could not fulfill his feelings toward Ruth until he first discovered whether the family member with first rights for the land of Elimelech and the widow, Ruth, desired to fulfill his obligation to the law of Moses. So, he risked everything that early morning by heading to Bethlehem to determine the will of God. As we will see, God blessed him in this quest, for He had long-term plans for Boaz and Ruth to bless others individually and through their future children. However, first, Boaz had to attend to legal matters to ascertain God’s will for his and Ruth’s lives.

All of this is so interesting. Boaz thought his actions, however they would turn out, would rescue Ruth and Naomi from a sad situation. He had no idea of God’s more excellent plan for his life. He had no idea this rescue plan would lead to a rescue plan for the nation and, ultimately, the lost world. The same is true for your life. God is guiding you, and it is above your pay grade to see where He is leading you, but one thing is for sure: God’s eye is on you, leaving a godly legacy behind you, one that will touch countless lives for good, not evil.

So, as you watch this final recorded episode in the lives of Boaz and Ruth unfold, think about your life and how it applies to you as you live in your period of the Judges. Within the first historical panel of Boaz’s quest to determine God’s will for his life and that of Ruth, we encounter what I call . . .

The Request (Ruth 4:1-4)

1 Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there, and behold, the close relative of whom Boaz spoke was passing by, so he said, "Turn aside, friend, sit down here." Moreover, he turned aside and sat down. (Ruth 4)

In Hebrew, a coordinating conjunction at the head of the sentence is wedded to a noun, Boaz, to create emphasis. The inspired author wanted you to understand that Boaz did not let the grass grow under his feet to determine whether Ruth could be his or not. No, he headed to the city gate, where legal decisions were made. No sooner had he sat down than the family member who had first rights to the land of Elimelech and the widow, Ruth, just happened to pass by. The NIV better represents this man’s title by calling him “the guardian-redeemer.” Emphasis here is placed on the article “the.” He was “the” man who rightfully stood next in line to redeem the land of Elimelech and continue Mahlon's family line (Ruth 4:10) by marrying Ruth. So, what did Boaz do? He quickly asked the man to take a seat.

Did Boaz tell him why? No. He grabbed his attention and told him to sit, and the man obliged. Funny, in a way. I am sure the man, the go’el, or the one suited to be the redeemer of the family situation, wondered, “What is up?”

Without a word, Boaz, a man of prominence in the city, quickly grabbed ten elders to serve as witnesses of the legal situation in question (Deut. 21:18-21). They did not question Boaz either but sat down as he requested:

2 And he took ten men of the city's elders and said, "Sit down here." So they sat down.

Once everyone was in place, Boaz painted the legal details that needed a decision:

3 Then he said to the closest relative, "Naomi, who has come back from the land of Moab, has to sell the piece of land which belonged to our brother Elimelech. 4 "So I thought to inform you, saying, 'Buy it before those who are sitting here, and before the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if not, tell me that I may know; for there is no one but you to redeem it, and I am after you.'" And he said, "I will redeem it." (Ruth 4)

Elimelech’s land was in dispute and degradation because he had died, and no family member had stepped forward to purchase it. Naomi did not have the money to make the land profitable, so a family redeemer was needed. Would this man do it? Would he pay the price to keep the land in the family while investing his money to make it functional again?

Emphatically in Hebrew, the unnamed man said, “I, I will redeem it." (וַיֹּ֖אמֶר אֶגְאָֽל אָנֹכִ֥י). Yes, he would redeem the land by paying the price known by the people at the time. I am sure he thought possessing this “new” tract of land would benefit his bottom line handsomely, so he wasted no time saying he would fulfill his obligation to the law of Moses. There was more to the deal than he realized, however.

The Refusal (Ruth 4:5-8)

Without showing any emotion for the fact he just might lose Ruth, Boaz next moved to explain the entire redemption deal to the unnamed family redeemer:

5 Then Boaz said, "On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also acquire Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of the deceased, in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance."

Ah, now this was a different redemption requirement altogether. The man wanted the land, but another wife and a younger one? No way. So, he offered the following flimsy excuse:

6 And the closest relative said, "I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I jeopardize my own inheritance. Redeem it for yourself; you may have my right of redemption, for I cannot redeem it."

It is not that he could not redeem the property and the widow. He would not be obedient to the Mosaic Law in this instance. Why? If he married Ruth, she could potentially have children, and if she did, his inheritance to his children would be diluted, and that was a potentiality he did not desire to flirt with. So, he passed on the requirement of the Law. This is probably the reason he is not named in the story. He was not worth naming because he would not make the financial and personal sacrifices to help the less fortunate within his family line. What kind of man was this? A selfish, self-centered, and spiritually shallow one.

So, what did he do? He showed he would not be the redeemer by giving his sandal to Boaz, which was a legal sign he would not walk upon this land (Deut. 1:36; Josh. 1:3; 14:9), for it would not be his possession.

7 Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning the redemption and the exchange of land to confirm any matter: a man removed his sandal and gave it to another; and this was the manner of attestation in Israel. 8 So the closest relative said to Boaz, "Buy it for yourself." And he removed his sandal. (Ruth 4)

Once this occurred, Boaz wasted no time stepping forward to pay the price to redeem the land, Ruth, and ultimately Naomi from disarray and destitution.

The Redemption (Ruth 4:9-10)

The speech of Boaz must have captivated everyone who listened, for it illustrated how love can triumph over loss, how those who are outcasts can become family members, how those who are impoverished can become blessed, and how people who seem like lost causes are never so when godly people step in and make the necessary sacrifices to help them:

9 Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, "You are witnesses today that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon. 10 "Moreover, I have acquired Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, to be my wife in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance, so that the name of the deceased may not be cut off from his brothers or from the court of his birth place; you are witnesses today." (Ruth 4)

At a time when everyone tended to live for themselves, here was a selfless saint, a man who sacrificially chose to live for God when he could have kept a firm, comfortable handle on his prosperous, predictable life. His actions did not go unnoticed on earth or in heaven. Bold steps of faith never do.

The Response (Ruth 4:11-12)

The sacrificial, godly, obedient actions of Boaz indeed moved the masses who witnessed this legal proceeding:

¹¹ And all the people who were in the court, and the elders, said, "We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built the house of Israel; and may you achieve wealth in Ephrathah and become famous in Bethlehem. ¹² "Moreover, may your house be like the house of Perez whom Tamar bore to Judah, through the offspring which the LORD shall give you by this young woman." (Ruth 4)

Beyond stating they were, in fact, witnesses to this legal decision, the people waxed eloquently, uttering blessings over Boaz and Ruth. For the most part, the people, who were probably aware that Ruth had been infertile for at least ten years, spoke blessings directly related to fertility.

First, they asked God to make Ruth as fertile as Rachel (who was buried in Bethlehem, Gen. 35:19) and Leah, the two wives of  Jacob who had, apart from the assistance of their concubines, been instrumental in bearing the men who became the twelve tribes of Israel (Rachel board Joseph and Benjamin, Leah bore Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, and Dinah, while Bilhah, the concubine, bore Dan and Naphtali, and Zilpah bore Gad and Asher).  Interesting. They did not ask God to give this new couple children but to give them special children who would positively impact the entire nation.  Their words were almost prophetic, as we can see.  This is a great prayer of blessing to pray over young couples.  Pray that God gives them children who will love and live for Him while also serving to turn the troubled nation back to God.

Second, they prayed that God would make Boaz wealthier than he already was and that his name would become famous.  God blessed him on both counts. He not only had wealth, but he became, as we shall see, the great-grandfather of King David, the man who set the bar for what a godly king should look and live like.  Amazing. From this out-of-the-way, nowheresville village came King David. Moreover, it all started when an old bachelor named Boaz stepped out in redemptive faith and married a Gentile, just like his father had done when he married Rahab, the harlot.  No wonder Boaz became a man of great fame.

Finally, the people asked God to bless this new couple as He had with Tamar, a Canaanite, who gave Jacob twin sons, Pharez (or Perez) and Zarah (Gen. 38:29-30).  Perez became the leader and progenitor of the tribe of Judah, a man of great renown. The tribe of Judah, of course, was that of David, and it would also be that of the King of Kings, Jesus Christ (Matt. 1).  Interesting. At a time of great societal upheaval and uncertainty, the people prayed for God to bless their country through the children who would come through this new union between Boaz, a man from the tribe of Judah, and Ruth, a woman from Moab.  Amazing.  How are you praying for the young couples around you? How are you praying for their children? How are you praying for your children? May God give you a Perez or a David, men who will courageously live for God and call others to do the same.

After the blessing came a marriage and some jaw-dropping realizations:

The Realizations (Ruth 4:13-16)

From the beginning, God blessed this couple for His lofty purposes. God removed Ruth’s barrenness, which He had caused to shape and mold her soul, and this enabled her to have a son right away:

¹³ So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife, and he went in to her. And the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son.

Imagine her joy.  God’s hand was heavy on her in the first chapters of her life, but she stayed close to Him anyway.  In the next chapter of her life, she enjoyed His divine blessing of a baby boy.  What a gift.

The presence of a new baby in the lives of Boaz and Ruth moved the women in town to utter another blessing. This one was directed at Naomi:

¹⁴ Then the women said to Naomi, "Blessed is the LORD who has not left you without a redeemer today, and may his name become famous in Israel. ¹⁵ "May he also be to you a restorer of life and a sustainer of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him."

In the opening chapter, Naomi struggled with being in a foreign country, losing her beloved husband, and then losing her two big, strapping young sons.  In all of this loss, she did not fare too well, for she felt God’s heavy hand was against her.  Disillusionment and depression were the order of the day.

However, God directed them to the redeemer, Boaz, and, boy, did he redeem her and Ruth. Previously, they were poor and needy; now, they were well-off and comfortable. Previously, they thought the joy of a child would never be a reality, but then God gave them a new life.  No wonder then we read these words:

¹⁶ Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her lap, and became his nurse. ¹⁷ And the neighbor women gave him a name, saying, "A son has been born to Naomi!" So they named him Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David. (Ruth 4)

Can’t you see the proud grandmother clutching and rocking the little child?  What was his name? Obed.  One way to translate his name from Hebrew is “to serve.” He most certainly served Naomi and Ruth as he grew and matured, and they aged.  What an unexpected gift from God.

Moreover, just who did this little boy grow up to be? The father of a boy named Jesse, who, in turn, grew up to father a little shepherd boy named David.  It took several generations, but through the lives of this one godly couple, God brought a king to Israel who knew how to lead the nation and how to show them how to know and worship the living God.  I cannot help but wonder who your children or future children will be. More precisely, I cannot help but wonder how God will use them to turn our nation away from sin and back to God. Right now, you might be raising an Obed or a Jesse, but in due time, God might give you, and us, a King David.  It is true that when God moves nations towards spiritual light, He typically does it through seemingly insignificant people who bear significant spiritual leaders.  May your legacy be rich with them.  Moreover, if you are a couple who cannot have children, like my two sisters, then determine, like them, to pour your lives into the children around you while looking for God to raise a whole new generation of saints with the courage of young David.

The ancient writer did not realize that God gave Boaz and Ruth a son, who had a son, who produced a son who would become Israel’s greatest king. However, there was so much more to the story about God’s sovereign provision.  As sin increased and flourished, God worked in and through a godly family line.  That is what I call . . .

The Reality (Ruth 4:18-22)

Long before God brought David onto the earthly scene to give us a taste of what the Messiah’s rule would be like when He returned (Isa. 2; Rev. 19), He worked profoundly through the line of Judah.

¹⁸ Now these are the generations of Perez: to Perez was born Hezron, ¹⁹ and to Hezron was born Ram, and to Ram, Amminadab, ²⁰ and to Amminadab was born Nahshon, and to Nahshon, Salmon, ²¹ and to Salmon was born Boaz, and to Boaz, Obed, ²² and to Obed was born Jesse, and to Jesse, David. (Ruth 4)

My father, Al, died 16 years ago this last Wednesday. What pains me is that my grandchildren never got to know and learn from him.  How quickly do we pass from the earthly scene. How quickly does our family line forget us as they move on.  However, it is not so with God. He remembers who we are, what we have done, and how our lives impact those in our family lines.

As I said, Perez was the first great, godly leader of the tribe of Judah from which David and the Messiah would come.  From Hezron, his son, eventually came Ram, whose brother Caleb eventually gave birth to the famous Israelite spy with the same name. Not much is known of Amminadab, but became the father of Nahshon, the commanding officer of the tribe of Judah’s 74,600 soldiers (Num. 2:3-4).  He was also the first officer to bring costly offerings to dedicate the Tabernacle to worship the living God.  Of course, Salmon, another fearless Israelite warrior married Rahab the harlot after the defeat of fortress Jericho.  Imagine.  David had the blood of these great, godly saints flowing through his veins, and so did his father, Jesse, his grandfather Obed, and his great-grandfather, Boaz.  Granted, the entire family line had its issues with some members, spiritual and otherwise; however, it always had a strong legacy of bold believers who submitted to and listened to God and were not afraid to confront evil and call people to follow God, too.

David, therefore, did not appear out of thin air. He was no genealogical fluke, either.  No. His memorable, remarkable life for God resulted from a family line of selfless saints like Boaz and Ruth.  All of this causes me to pause and ask some questions: What are we doing to raise children who will shine brightly on our dark days? Do we read the Word to them? Do we pray with them? Do they see us pray? Do they see us make strategic sacrifices to alleviate the needs of others? Do they see us in worship? Do they watch us love those who are outcasts? Do they see us live out our faith with great consistency?

Our national times smell of sunset, as they did in the Judges' time.  However, God calls us to be Boaz and Ruth in our times.  God calls us to raise the next Obed, the next Jesse, and who knows, the next David . . . a young man with a heart for God and the courage to take on the Goliaths of the age.  Can God count on you to permit Him to be the Lord of your legacy? You might think you are insignificant, but God specializes in using insignificant people to accomplish significant things in tumultuous times. That just might be you and your family.