Godly Grandparents Series

Among the many things that makes man unique in

creation is the presence of, and the influence of,

grandparents. F. W. Boreham many years ago pointed out

that in the vegetable world, "The bursting buds of spring

push off the last lingering leaves of the previous season, and

thus decline to have anything to do with the generation that

preceded them, to say nothing of the generation before that.

Among animals and birds a certain filial affection is

sometimes found for fathers and mothers, but of the

grandfather and grandmother never a trace. But a man is

so much greater than either a tree or a beast that a special

factor is introduced into his training. He comes under the

influence not only of teachers and tutors, of fathers and

mothers, but grandfathers and grandmothers as well."

The impact of grandpas and grandmas in history is

beyond calculation. Most of the famous people of the Bible

from Adam and Eve on were grandparents. Often the

grandparents played a key role, if not the major role, in the

way history went. Hezekiah was one of the best kings God's

people ever had, but his father was Ahaz, and he was one of

the worst they ever had. But his grandfather was Jotham,

and he did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord.

Hezekiah took after his grandfather rather than his father,

and the result was victory for the kingdom of God.

Because of the powerful influence of grandparents there

is always hope even if one generation goes astray, because

the next generation can be brought back, and in that lies the

glory of grandparents. They often bridge the gap between

parents and children, and they make major differences in

the course of history. The relationship of grandparents and

grandchildren is so unique because it is so full of hope and

expectation. This explains the mystery of how a boy who is

not good enough for your daughter can father such

marvelous children. And it explains why the girl unworthy

of your son can bear such brilliant beings as your

grandchildren.

It is a strange question to ask, but the book of Ruth

makes us ask it: Is a baby on the day of its birth more a

child or a grandchild? In other words, who is to be more

congratulated, the parents or the grandparents? For some

reason the book of Ruth votes for the grandparents, and it

makes this passage one of the most powerful exaltations of a

grandmother you will find anywhere in human literature.

It is almost as if the goal of this book was to come to a

happy ending with grandma Naomi holding grandson Obed

in her lap, and everybody singing her praises.

Note how suddenly the story of Ruth and Boaz comes to

an end. Their romance has dominated the stage for most of

the book, but their wedding and 9 months of pregnancy,

and their whole life together is wrapped up rapidly in verse

13. When Ruth gave birth to that baby boy, she and Boaz

left the stage, and the spotlight focuses on grandma Naomi

for the closing scenes of the story. There is not one more

scene about the parents, for the star now is grandma. All of

the praise and rejoicing now revolve around her. Naomi

has a kinsman- redeemer. Naomi has a comfort for her old

age. Naomi has a grandson, and they say she has a son.

This radical removal of the parents, and this thrusting of

grandma and grandchild front and center is a powerful

revelation of just how important a role grandparents play in

the life of a child, or should we say, can play, or should

play? Every person in the blood line from Adam to Christ

was a grandparent. The genealogy that ends this book is a

list of people all of whom became grandparents. Obad, the

baby of Ruth, was the grandfather of King David. What a

delight it would be to know more about these grandparents,

but the book ends with a special emphasis on grandparents,

and with such a deliberate focus on Naomi that I do not

know of anywhere in the Bible where you can find a better

text for grandparents day.

Someone may point out that Naomi was not Ruth's

mother, but her mother-in-law, and so technically she was

not the grandmother, but just the opposite is the case. This

first child of Ruth and Boaz was to preserve the name and

inheritance of Ruth's first husband and Naomi's son

Mahlon. It was equivalent to Mahlon's son, and thus,

technically it was her grandson. But who cares? Who cares

about the grandparents of George Washington, or Lincoln,

or any other famous man or woman? Apparently God

cares, for the book or Ruth only exists because all of these