4:1-2 Boaz gathers Ruth's kinsmen redeemer and 10 elders of the city; he means to settle the matter honestly and legally. A man of God, Boaz understands that the will of the Lord will unfold beautifully, no matter the barriers in front of them; His children need only to live righteously.
4:3 Boaz explains that Naomi seeks a husband for her daughter in law; Naomi is also selling the land of her husband. The man who purchases the land will redeem it and receive Ruth as a bride.
4:4 Boaz is honest with his intentions; he explains that if the man will not redeem it, he plans to.
4:5 Boaz explains that whoever purchases the land from Naomi but then also purchase it from Ruth, the rightful heiress of the land (as she is the former wife of the deceased heir).
4:6 The man decides not to redeem the land; he has his own inheritance to take care of and plan for and does not want to add the responsibility of Ruth and Naomi's land.
4:7-8 Following custom, the man and Boaz make the deal official by taking off a sandal and offering it.
4:9-10 Boaz then declares himself to purchaser of Naomi's land and the kinsmen redeemer, husband, of Ruth.
4:11 The elders and people at the meeting witness (officially) that the deal is done. Moreover, they bless Boaz and his new wife. They pray that Ruth will be provided for by God as Rachel and Leah were. This foreshadowing lets us know that like those women, Ruth will, by God, become a mother and pillar of the children of Israel.
4:13 Ruth was married to her former husband for many years but never had children; we can reasonably assume that God disallowed conception because He had a brighter future planned for Ruth. God planned for Ruth to have a righteous and loving husband: through their union would come prophets and eventually, Jesus.
Ruth and Boaz conceive a child, a son and he is named Obed. Obed meaning: obedient, worshiper. Obed is born out of righteous, unconditional faith; both of his parents are firmly secured in the will of God.
4:14 Naomi's acquaintances are happy for her; Naomi rose out of despair, back into faith and is now a grandmother. Naomi never saw such beautiful prospect for her life in her time of hopelessness and brittle faith. Naomi's restoration of faith is prominent and instructive in this book of Ruth.
4:15-16 Not only is Naomi a grandmother, but she is also a mother to Ruth. Their bond is a strong as blood. Naomi is the only to help Ruth raise little Obed.
Naomi's story is a reminder to us that even though there are moments in life where all we can see ahead of us is a brick wall, God sees and plans far beyond that for us. He knocks down what we believe to be indestructible. Therefore we should never allow fear or hopelessness to convince us that we are at an end. Road blocks do not stop a God with wings.
Naomi and Ruth are intricately blessed by God. In their time of desolation, God knew about His plan: He knew he would introduce Ruth to Boaz. He knew that they would have a son. God sees the beauty and the future blessings that we do not.
4:17 Little baby Obed will become the grandfather to David, who wrote a substantial portion of the Bible and through whom Jesus would come.
4:18-22 The genealogy of Perez is given. Perez is the child of Judah and Tamar, Genesis 38. The parents of Judah are Leah and Jacob Genesis 29. The parents of Jacob (renamed Israel by God) are Issac and Rebekah. The parents of Isaac are Sarah and Abraham, Genesis 21. Abraham began the covenant between God and humanity. The genealogy is given as reminder of God's continued and purposeful covenant with the children of Israel, as He promised Abraham.
God has plans for each child in his family. He knows each of our lineages. He knows our past, present and future. He knows our place and purpose on the earth and in heaven. All we need to do is awaken to Him, to faith, and to allow His will and plan to drastically transform our lives.
Ruth was widowed in a famine. She was not born with the blessings of the children of Israel. Without the prospect of a future. But she clung to God and He illuminated her life. No matter what our situation, desperate or stagnant, God will bring us life.
Ruth was not even of the children of Israel; she was a Moabite. Yet God adopted her into the family to join the ranks of Sarah, Leah, Rachel and Rebekah. Ruth's pure and genuine compassionate, as well as her faith, identified her as a child of God - offspring of Abraham or not.
God began the restoration of his relationship with humanity through the children of Israel. He chose them because they were small and weak, Deuteronomy 7:7. Through a small and weak group, God evidenced that He could bring down nations through the meek and humble as long as they were righteous. But God never disowned the rest of the world. God disowned evil. Whoever will declare themselves a child of His, a child of the Creator, by living as He has taught, is welcome to every blessing the children of Israel ever received.
Ruth was widowed in a famine. She was not born with the blessings of the children of Israel. Without the prospect of a future. But she clung to God and He illuminated her life. No matter what our situation, desperate or stagnant, God will bring us life.
Ruth was not even of the children of Israel; she was a Moabite. Yet God adopted her into the family to join the ranks of Sarah, Leah, Rachel and Rebekah. Ruth's pure and genuine compassionate, as well as her faith, identified her as a child of God - offspring of Abraham or not.
God began the restoration of his relationship with humanity through the children of Israel. He chose them because they were small and weak, Deuteronomy 7:7. Through a small and weak group, God evidenced that He could bring down nations through the meek and humble as long as they were righteous. But God never disowned the rest of the world. God disowned evil. Whoever will declare themselves a child of His, a child of the Creator, by living as He has taught, is welcome to every blessing the children of Israel ever received.
