Ruth: Lesson 4

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

Ruth: A Blogged Bible Study
Beerlahairoi.blogspot.com

Syllabus

5/20/08 Introduction

5/27/08 Chapter 1: Losses and Gains

6/3/08 Chapter 2: Gleaning

6/10/08 Chapter 3: Redemption Requested

6/17/08 Chapter 4: Redemption Manifested

Chapter 4: Redemption Manifested

I love Naomi's words at the close of chapter three: For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today. That is such a contrast to the usual assurance of deliverance ...sometimes it seems God's favorite words are things like 'in due season' or 'soon' or 'in the fullness of time' or some other such thing that really doesn't tell us when we can expect Him to show up. Oh, we know He WILL show up...but we seldom know when to expect Him. And, in all honesty, Ruth and Naomi had no real idea of when to expect redemption, either. The guy who was nearer kin than Boaz did not appear to be in a hurry to do any redeeming. But things had changed subtly; Ruth had requested redemption of Boaz and he declared that he would put the guy into a position of either redeeming the inheritance or allowing him to redeem it. Naomi understood he meant 'today'.

And Boaz did mean that very day. He left the threshing to take care of it. He went to the city gate, the place where all transactions that needed legal witnesses took place. When the guy who was ahead of him in the redemption line came through the gate, Boaz called him over and asked him to have a seat. Since this was the place for legal business, there were always city elders there at the gate and Boaz collected ten in a group and asked them to come sit with him, too.

Now he had official witnesses for what was going to transpire. First, he mentioned the property that Naomi had to sell... Elimelech's inheritance. "I thought I would bring the matter to your attention," Boaz said, giving the fellow the benefit of the doubt that just perhaps he was not aware of the situation. This would scarcely be news to any of them; Boaz was being polite. The kinsman-redeemer should already have acted on the issue, but he had not. By collecting the witnesses, Boaz placed the fellow in the position of having to act...at that moment.

First, the guy replied that he would buy the property. Fine. But Boaz pointed out...in the presence of the witnesses...that redeeming the property would also entail taking Ruth as a wife in order to raise up a son to inherit that property, in accordance to what was termed the 'levirate law' (see Deuteronomy 25: 5- 10). The first son born to Ruth from that union would be counted as a descendant of Elimelech.

Now the fellow states plainly that that won't work for him as it might endanger his own inheritance. I'm going to do a little guessing here and guess that this guy had no sons of his own to inherit after him...or, at least, he didn't at that time. If he did not, then Ruth's son would not just inherit the property from Elimelech, but could possibly also inherit his and he didn't want to risk that. So he formally declined to redeem the property, and gave his sandal to Boaz to indicate that Boaz now had the right of redemption.

Y'all, this is a wedding now...and we don't even see the bride. Boaz declares to the witnesses that he:
1) has bought all the property of Elimelech, Kilion and Mahlon from Elimelech's widow, Naomi
2) has acquired Ruth as his wife, in order to maintain the property as the inheritance of Elimelech, in his name, so that the name of Elimelech will not disappear from the town records.

The elders who were the official witnesses agreed that these things were true, then spoke blessings over Boaz and Ruth. At that point, all Boaz had to do was pay Naomi for the property and take Ruth home as his wife. There wasn't an engagement period; there wasn't a wedding feast. Under the law, Ruth was his wife the moment he redeemed the property.

But Boaz's duty...Ruth's duty...was actually to raise a son to inherit that property. And, in the course of time, Ruth did indeed become pregnant and give birth to a son, and Naomi became his nanny. The gloom of Naomi's life had broken; now she had something she had never had...a grandson (do you not think it significant that 'Obed' means 'Worshiped?'). And the only time 'love' is mentioned is in verse 15: '[Obed] will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For you daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.' There's a little commentary note in my Bible that says 'Ruth requited with marriage'...but, not intending to belittle Mr. Scofield, I believe Ruth's real reward wasn't marriage...it was a son. That meant she had a future and a legacy.

And what a legacy...the last verses trace the linage of Obed, from Perez (whom Tamar bore to Judah, as noted in verse 12) down through to David...who we know became a man after God's own heart and the king of all Israel.

One thing I'd like to point out, though...I've heard teaching in odd places about how things must've gone badly for Obed and/or Jesse. By David's time 'son of Jesse' was not exactly high praise. The implication was that either Obed or Jesse had squandered the inheritance of Boaz, since Boaz had been a man of means and property and respect. But remember...Obed did not inherit Boaz's property! I believe Boaz had older sons who inherited his property; there was no risk to his inheritance by marrying Ruth. Obed inherited Elimelech's property, and that was passed down to Jesse.


I don't mean to cast this whole transaction as cold business and duty! Ruth respected and honored Boaz, Boaz honored and respected Ruth. And in many ways that is a much better foundation for a marriage than the heat of passion that passes for love in our society. They were working together to fulfill an an ancient law, and that work required a lifetime: raising a son to be an heir.


Closing Thoughts: Notice verses 9 & 10 use the past tense of the verb! Boaz says "I have bought... I have also acquired..." The money had not yet changed hands, but the transaction was considered done. Ruth and Naomi were still at home, wondering what was going to happen, and it was already done. Now, think of the things that God has put in the past tense for us...phrases like 'you have been set free' (Romans 6:22), 'Christ accepted you' (Romans 15:7), 'God...has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ' (Ephesians 1:3); 'God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms' (Ephesians 2:6); '...by his wounds you have been healed.' (1 Peter 2:24); 'His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness...'(2 Peter 1:3); just for example. How would my life change if I really, really understood what God has already done on my behalf?

Ruth is also a study in submission; we see Ruth submitting to Naomi and to Boaz, but she has entrusted her life to the God of Israel. To modern American women, this kind of submission is the equivalent of emotional death. Yet it is a picture of the submission we are all to display (not just women, by the way) to the working of God in our lives. In what areas am I still trying to 'do it my own way' or 'get my fair share (of happiness, of respect, of...whatever)? Am I really willing to trade the legacy God intends for me to leave for the opportunity to have it my way? How do my thought patterns need to change in order for me to choose the legacy/inheritance?

I'll have a little follow-up on this study next week...thanks for sticking with me through it!