By Jennifer Hutchins and Elizabeth Simkins
A Note from Jennifer: I’m really excited to share this chapter with you. Grab your Bible, pen and
journal and let’s dive right in.
The book of Ruth started out with heartache, grief and a family facing the unknown. Now that we come to the end of the book we are seeing how God took all of this and turned it around. We have seen forgiveness, honor and now love and new beginnings. God has a plan for our lives, one to give us hope and a future. We see this so clear here in Ruth 4 as God’s plan of redemption for a family that had no hope is now seeing real hope.
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not
of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11
(1) Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there; and behold, the close relative of whom
Boaz had spoken came by. So Boaz said, “Come aside, friend, sit down here. ” So he came aside and sat down. (2) And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, “Sit down here. So they sat down. (3) Then he said to the close relative, “Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, sold the piece of land which [belonged] to our brother Elimelech. (4) “And I thought to inform you, saying, “Buy [it] back in the presence of the inhabitants and the elders of my people. If you will redeem [it], redeem [it]; but if you will not redeem [it, then] tell me, that I may know; for [there is] no one but you to redeem [it], and I [am] next after you.” And he said, I will redeem [it].
Boaz goes to the city gate knowing that he would run into this man who had a right to Naomi’s land and Ruth first. He invites the man along with 10 other elders of the city to sit with him. Once they all had gathered Boaz started talking business. When Elimelech and Naomi left Bethlehem years before they sold their land. In Jewish law every sale comes with a clause that allows the seller to buy back or redeem the piece of land after a specific amount of time. That time was up for Naomi but she was unable to make the purchase since she had no money. A close relative was allowed to purchase in place of the seller in order to keep the land in the family name. Boaz tells the man that Naomi was unable to buy back her land so he was the next one in line. Then he tells the man if he wants to buy it do so and if not let him know because he is next in line and would make the purchase since there is no one else behind them. The man agrees to purchase the land.
(5) Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also buy [it]
from Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to perpetuate the name of the dead through his
inheritance.” (6) And the close relative said, “I cannot redeem [it] for myself, lest I ruin my own
inheritance. You redeem my right of redemption for yourself, for I cannot redeem [it].” (7) Now
this [was the custom] in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging, to confirm anything: one man took off his sandal and gave [it] to the other, and this [was] a confirmation in Israel. (8) Therefore the close relative said to Boaz, “Buy [it] for yourself.” So he took off his sandal. (9) And Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You [are] witnesses this day that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s, and all that [was] Chilion’s and Mahlon’s, from the hand of Naomi. Ruth 4:1-9
Boaz isn’t finished just yet since that isn’t exactly what he was hoping. He then throws in a little
piece of important information. If this man purchases the land he will also have to redeem Ruth as well. So he would have to buy the land, marry Ruth and have a son with her so the family
name will continue. That’s all it took for the man to put on his brakes. He was already married and had children. His family inheritance was already set. Adding Ruth and another son would mess up what he had planned. So the man tells Boaz to go ahead and redeem the land and Ruth since he was unable to. The man takes off his sandal and hands it to Boaz. This is customary when one man is unable to redeem and passes it to the next. Deuteronomy 25:5-10 describes the ceremony or what takes place in a situation like this one.
(10) “Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, I have acquired as my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brethren and from his position at the gate. You [are] witnesses this day.” (11) And all the people who [were] at the gate, and the elders, said, “[We are] witnesses. The LORD make the woman who is coming to your house like Rachel and Leah, the two who built the house of Israel; and may you prosper in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. (12) “May your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring which the LORD will give you from this young woman.” Ruth 4:10-12
This agreement took place in front of the elders who were also sitting with the two men and all
the people at the gate. They were witnesses when Boaz declared to redeem all that was Naomi’s, Elimilech’s, their two sons and Ruth to be his wife. Today we must sign a marriage license before the marriage ceremony to make it legally binding between the man and woman and the state they live in. Here we see that they verbally agreed, passed a shoe and it was all legally binded. This is just the difference between cultures and time passed. This story is interesting because it was common for a man to marry his relative’s wife to keep the land and name sake. But Boaz is described as very wealthy. The land wasn’t his focus since he had plenty. He was focused on Ruth which is one of the love stories in this book unfolding in front of us. The people or witnesses that day spoke blessings over the couple by using examples from previous scripture.
(13) So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife; and when he went in to her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bore a son. (14) Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed [be] the LORD, who has not left you this day without a close relative; and may his name be famous in Israel! (15) “And may he be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has borne him.” (16) Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her bosom, and became a nurse to him. (17) Also the neighbor women gave him a name, saying, “There is a son born to Naomi.” And they called his name Obed. He [is] the father of Jesse, the father of David. (18) Now this [is] the genealogy of Perez: Perez begot Hezron; (19) Hezron begot Ram, and Ram begot Amminadab; (20) Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon; (21) Salmon begot Boaz, and Boaz begot Obed; (22) Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David. Ruth 4:13-22
Boaz and Ruth married and had a son. Naomi is so happy as the women around her spoke blessings over her and the baby. They pointed out in verse 14 the goodness of God. The Lord has not left you without a close relative. And you now have a daughter-n-law who loves you more than seven sons. She was even able to nurse him which was common back in this day. The neighbor woman named him Obed which means “worshiper”. Starting in verse 17 the genealogy of Obed is mentioned. Not just any genealogy as you can see if you read on. Obed had a son named Jesse who had a son named David. David became the King and if you continue to study Obed’s genealogy it leads to Jesus. So we see God’s
ultimate plan being fulfilled in the book of Ruth through the love story of a kinsman redeemer and his bride. Before Jesus was born Mary and Joseph had to go back to Bethlehem to register for the census. Boaz and Ruth are the reason this family had to travel back and why Jesus was born in Bethlehem fulfilling God’s plan of redemption for the whole world. It’s the place that the story of Jesus began generations before He came. Many commentators compare this redemption story to the one of Jesus. In order for Naomi to be redeemed from all that she had lost a family member had to step in. In order for each of us to be redeemed after the fall in the garden a relative had to step in. So God sent Jesus as human to live on the earth and become our kinsman redeemer. Boaz redeemed the land by the love he felt for Ruth and Jesus redeemed the world out of love for us. Do you see the connection here? Jesus’ life, death and resurrection began here in a little town called Bethlehem.
A note from Jennifer: What a love story we just studied together. The love of a woman and her
God, a woman and her mother-n-law then a man and a woman soon turned into the love of all
people filled with purpose and a savior. I want to point out as a reminder that Ruth was a
Moabite. Not a woman born into a family who loved God but just the opposite. Jesus’ family tree
and blood line included people who were not perfect; they were just called by God. He
redeemed her first by using Naomi and then he pulled Naomi back closer to Him. So if you ever
feel like you aren’t good enough yet to have a relationship with Jesus then you might be able to
relate to Ruth in this story. But God doesn’t see it that way for us. He sent the most important
part of Him to the world to save each of us. No matter what you’ve done or where you’ve been,
call out to Jesus and allow Him to be your Kinsman Redeemer so that His purpose for your life will be fulfilled.
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