“Redeemed”
Ruth 4:1-22
You will remember that we discovered in the last chapter that although Boaz was a near relative and was willing to be her goel (kinsman-redeemer), there was another relative who was closer in line than Boaz. As one commentary states, “So this is not just a story of the covenant faithfulness (chesed) to Namoi and Ruth. It is about God’s covenant faithfulness to Israel.” [Duguid p. 181] God is making provision for a king for Israel even before the Israelites knew they needed or wanted a king.
First, The Transactions At The City Gates. (4:1-6)
Naomi was correct in her assessment that Boaz’s determination to settle the matter as quickly as possible (3: 18). I think it is important to note that Boaz did it all by the book. He followed God’s plan in order to redeem Ruth in the right way. Everything that Jesus did to be our redeemer was by the book. He fulfilled the Law and payed the price for sin and He did legally.
• Boaz had a Plan. (vv. 1-2)
“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.”
Boaz’s first move was to go to the city gates and sit there. The city gates played a large part in the life of the city in those days. Of course it was the place that people came and went from the city. It was also a place where business transactions were frequently made and it was the place where judges and city officials could be found.
Apparently was not too long until Boaz saw the man he was seeking and called out to him, translating the Hebrew idiom (peloni almoni) as “friend” but would be better translated as “Mr. So and So.” “The use of the idiom here has been interpreted as deliberate on the part of the story-teller. As it was shameful not to fulfill the role of kinsman-redeemer, the kinsman was (therefore) unworthy of mention by name.” [F.B. Huey. The Expositor’s Bible Commentary. Vol. 3 “Deut., Joshua, Judges, Ruth and 1, 2 Samuel.” (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1992) p.541]
Boaz prepared the way for this to be a correct legal proceeding by inviting ten of the elders of the city to sit and hear the proceedings (v. 2).
• Boaz Presents His Case. (vv. 3-4)
“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.”
When Israel came into the Promised Land during the days of Joshua, the land was divided among the tribes and then among the family groups. God intended that the land stay within those tribes and family groups, so the land could never permanently be sold. Every fifty years, (the year of Jubilee) it had be returned to the original family group (Leviticus 25:8-17).
But God even provided a way that one did not have to wait fifty years. God made provision for land that was “sold,” that it might be redeemed back to the family by the kinsman-redeemer.
It was the kinsman-redeemer’s responsibility to protect the persons, property, and posterity of the larger family – and all of these duties went together.
Boaz says “I thought to inform you” (v. 4) is literally “I will uncover your ear.” Boaz says there is something I think you need to know. Noami had either sold land belonging to her husband Elimelech or was about to (commentaries are not in agreement about how this should be translated. This was within her rights and was a sign of her poverty. Because of her poverty Naomi needs to raise money to live on, but as a kinsman he could buy it and keep it in the family. When Boaz presents his case to the nearer kinsman, he brought it up as a matter regarding real estate – something any man would be interested in. Anyone would want to buy back a piece of property and keep it in the family name by keeping it for one’s self.
When Boaz put it in terms of purely a land transaction, there was no hesitation on the nearer kinsman’s part. Of course he said, “I will redeem it.” (v. 4)
• Boaz Springs The Surprise.(v. 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.”
In effect Boaz says, “Oh by the way!” Boaz explained what everyone knew – that this was a package deal. If someone was going to exercise the right of kinsman-redeemer towards the deceased Elimelech, he had to fulfill the duty in regard to both the property and the posterity. Because Naomi was older and beyond the years of bearing children, the nearer kinsman was not expected to marry Naomi and raise up children to the family name of her deceased husband Elimelech. But Ruth was another matter – apparently she was able to marry and bear children. As the kinsman-redeemer you must marry Ruth in order to raise up a child for the dead man, a child who will inherit the land when he grows up. When it was just a matter of property, it was easy to decide on; but if he must take Ruth as a wife, that was another matter.
Think of the complications.
This man knew that taking her into his home and raising up her children would “ruin his own inheritance.” The problem of dividing that inherit-ance among future children he would have with Ruth was more than he wanted to deal with.
Not to mention if this man was already married (and he probably was) then he knew that it would be awkward (at best) to bring home Ruth as wife number two.
There is also a racial consideration that in raising up an heir through a union with Ruth would produce a child of mixed blood, a child with Moabite blood.
• The Near Kinsman Withdraws His Offer. (v. 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 exchan-ging, 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.”
The writer says, “it was the custom in former times in Israel” to confirm a transaction by the removing of a sandal. The ceremony is described in Deuteronomy 25:5-10 for when a kinsman declined his responsibility. The one declining removed a sandal and the woman he declined to honor spat in his face. Fortunate for this man no lack of honor was involved and therefore, they just did the part of the ceremony involving the sandal.
The nearer kinsman said, “The land is yours to redeem, because you are also willing to redeem the posterity of Elimelech by taking Ruth as wife, this something I cannot do.”
Boaz says, “I will redeem!”
Boaz Had the right to redeem.
Boaz Had the Resolve to redeem.
Boaz Had the Resources to redeem!
Second. Boaz Redeems Naomi and Ruth. (4:9-13)
“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. 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.”
In the presence of the witnesses that he gathered together Boaz made crystal clear all that had just transpired. David Guzik says that this is a good explanation for those in our day that say a marriage ceremony is not important, and why it should be recognized by the civil authorities.
“Boaz had a love for Ruth that was public, a love that wanted to be publicly witnessed and registered.
Sometimes, people wonder why a marriage ceremony or a marriage license is important. “Can’t we just be married before God?” But there is something severely lacking in a love that doesn’t want to proclaim itself; that does not want witnesses; and that does not want the bond to be recognized by the civil authorities. That love falls short of true marital love.
So, to those who say “Well, if we were on a desert island and no one was there to marry us, could we still be married before God?” need to hear the answer: “Yes – on a desert island. But you aren’t on a desert island. There are witnesses and civil auth-orities for you to proclaim your commit-ment of marital love to. God wants you to do it!” [David Guzik. Commentary on the Book of Ruth. https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/ruth-4/]
• Boaz receives Praise. (vv. 11-12)
“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.”
Part of the blessing pronounced on Ruth and Boaz was that of children (v. 12). That may well have been a common blessing given to a married couple but in this case it held even greater meaning. In the ten years Ruth was married to Mahlon, she had not been able to bear a child, but through the Lord’s intervention she conceived and bore a son for Boaz. For in the next verse we read, “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.” (v. 13). Note that the writer specifically gives the credit for the conception to the Lord.
Third, The Descendants of Boaz and Ruth. (4:14-22)
“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!
Perhaps no one, including Boaz understood that Boaz’s name would indeed be remembered in Bethlehem and famous in Israel. And although Mr so and so nor Boaz realized at the time a lasting name was at stake her.
The woman that Boaz was not only a woman of beauty and character and strong work ethic and the ability to lift and carry eighty pounds of grain. (my wife says that I should not have said she was a hoss of woman- but she was) but he also now had an important role in God’s plan.
Verse fifteen says, the blessing continued with, “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.”
It was fitting that these blessings in the life of Naomi be given so much attention at the end of the book. Naomi was the one whose original returning to the Lord began all this great work of God. This is a marvelous demonstration of what God can do through one poor woman who gets right with Him.
It is also fitting because Naomi was the one who said in chapter one, “the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me . . . the Lord has brought me home again empty . . . the Lord has testified against me” (Ruth 1:20-21). If only Naomi could have seen then how greatly the Lord would bless her at the end! Naomi had earlier lost all things she had been clinging to, to find her earthly fulfillment. “Yet even the loss was a part of God’s gracious plan for her good. If she had not first lost everything we would never have known about her, and she would never have learned to appreciate Ruth’s true worth or grow in her own understanding of the Lord. She had to lose her two sons to appreciate the one who was better than seven sons (4:15). It was through the crucible of suffering, painful as it was for her, was necessary for her spiritual growth and he place in God’s plan. [Duguid p. 184]
But we really can’t blame Naomi – we cer-tainly do the same kind of thing. But we should also learn from what she learned. We should learn that God’s plan is perfect and filled with love, and even when we can’t figure out what He is doing, He still knows what He is doing. We should learn that really is true that “all things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
Naomi who had despaired of living a lonely old age had because of Ruth’s devotion now once again belonged to a family. Verse sixteen says,
“ 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. (meaning to serve or one who serves) Obed as that delight of his grandmother no doubt did serve to deliver her former bitterness.
This book opened with statement “in those days when the judges ruled” closing with a genealogy of Israel’s most famous king. For in verse seventeen we read,“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.”
Conclusion
Ruth the Moabitess of questionable ancestry found acceptance among the people of God. Perhaps a closing point of application for us as a church is this: Is our church a place safe place where people with notorious reputations can come and be accepted! Is there any danger what-so-ever that our church could be accused of “that church where all the sinners go!” That is not just a concern for the pastor and church leadership to ponder. Each of us has a role to play in what people feel when they come through our church doors!
“Redeemed”
Ruth 4:1-22
First, The Transactions At The City Gates. (4:1-6)
• Boaz had a Plan. (vv. 1-2)
• Boaz Presents His Case. (vv. 3-4)
God intended that the land stay within those tribes and family groups, so the land could never permanently be sold. Every fifty years, (the year of Jubilee) it had be returned to the original family group (Leviticus 25:8-17)
• Boaz Springs The Surprise. (v. 5)
Think of the complications.
The problem of dividing that inheritance among future children.
It would be awkward (at best) to bring home Ruth as wife number two.
• The Near Kinsman Withdraws His Offer. (v. 6)
Second. Boaz Redeems Naomi and Ruth. (4:9-14)
• Boaz’s Receives Praise. (vv. 11-12)
Third, The Descendants of Boaz and Ruth. (4:14-22)
“Redeemed”
Ruth 4:1-22
First, The Transactions At The City Gates. (4:1-6)
• Boaz had a Plan. (vv. 1-2)
• Boaz Presents His Case. (vv. 3-4)
God intended that the land stay within those tribes and family groups, so the land could never permanently be sold. Every fifty years, (the year of Jubilee) it had be returned to the original family group (Leviticus 25:8-17)
• Boaz Springs The Surprise. (v. 5)
Think of the complications.
The problem of dividing that inheritance among future children.
It would be awkward (at best) to bring home Ruth as wife number two.
• The Near Kinsman Withdraws His Offer. (v. 6)
Second. Boaz Redeems Naomi and Ruth. (4:9-14)
• Boaz’s Receives Praise. (vv. 11-12)
Third, The Descendants of Boaz and Ruth. (4:14-22)
