A Story of Redemption
Text: Ruth 4
Core Idea: The best is yet to come because God is plotting for our joy. We may not be able to see it, but He is with us – perfectly orchestrating all things to fulfill His purpose in us. Then I pray that we would have the eyes to see God’s kind providence for our lives so that we will praise Him and delight in Him all the days of our lives.
INTRODUCTION
Well, after a month of break, we’re finally back in the Book of Ruth. Some of you may have been eagerly waiting for this but others might have forgotten that we were even in this book. So, let me take this time to recap the story so far. If you remember, the story began by introducing Naomi’s family who fled their hometown, Bethlehem, to escape a famine. But instead of experiencing a better life in Moab, she was crushed by the harsh reality of life because her husband unexpectedly died soon after arriving there. And if that wasn’t bad enough, within the span of 10 years, both of her sons died as well. Just like that, she had lost everything – and because of this, she was convinced that God Himself had turned against her. Listen to the way she summed up her life in Ruth 1:13, 20, “The LORD’s hand has turned against me. The Almighty has made my life very bitter.” But the truth is that God had never abandoned Naomi – which is why we were able to observe evidence of His kind providence for her in Chapter 1. Two things. First, God provided Ruth to Naomi so that she wouldn’t be alone in her journey back home. And second, they came back just as the barley harvest was beginning – indicating that a new beginning was on the horizon. Even though Naomi’s heart was becoming hardened by her pain and sorrow, God was already working to bring about a change in her life – to renew her heart, to give her hope, and to breathe new life in her again.
In Chapter 2, we see Ruth going out and gleaning in the field in order to provide for Naomi. Now, there was nothing glorious about this task – in that, it was hard work for such a small gain. In fact, this was also dangerous as many women were often harassed and mistreated on the field. But Ruth did this because she loved Naomi. So, she went out ready to serve – not realizing that this would lead to an encounter that would change the course of her life. Ruth 2:3-4, “As it turned out, she was working in a field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelek. Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem.” For whatever reason, Boaz was deeply moved by Ruth’s story – so, he went out of his way to provide for her. He gave her water, food, shelter, and even the privilege to glean not from the leftovers but from the harvest itself, which brought great joy to Ruth’s heart. But there was something else that brought this great hope to both Ruth and Naomi. It was to find out that Boaz was their guardian-redeemer – to realize that he was someone who could come to their rescue. Now, at this point, you’re starting to root for them. So, you want to read something amazing – how Boaz publicly proposed to Ruth while she was gleaning in the field and that they both lived happily ever after. But that’s not what we read – listen to the last verse of Chapter 2, “So Ruth stayed close to the women of Boaz to glean until the barley and wheat harvests were finished. And she lived with her mother-in-law” (2:23). With all that build-up, Ruth was still living with Naomi. Hope was growing but it didn’t seem like anything was going to happen. And this made Naomi a little anxious – which is why we saw her taking matters into her own hands in Chapter 3. There, we read that she sent Ruth to the threshing floor where Boaz was so that she could tell him that she was ready to be remarried again – but Ruth took it a step further and actually asked Boaz to marry her. This, understandably, shocked Boaz because nothing about this was culturally acceptable – a woman did not propose to a man, a poor woman did not propose to a wealthy man, and a Moabite woman certainly did not propose to an Israelite man. But Ruth gave him the perfect reason to say yes – it’s that he was her guardian-redeemer. Now, even though this was true, Boaz had no obligation to carry this out because Ruth was a Moabite – a foreigner. And yet he responded with gentleness – thanking her for choosing him because he was being drawn to her as well. But there was just one small problem. It’s that there was another guardian-redeemer – in fact, a closer relative, who had the right to redeem Naomi’s property before Boaz which meant that there was a chance Boaz may not be able to marry Ruth. Can you imagine how disappointed she must have been? But Boaz assured her that he would do everything he could to make a way – and that’s how Chapter 3 ended. Then without wasting any more time, let’s turn our attention to Chapter 4 – and see how this story ends. Let me read this for us.
1 Meanwhile Boaz went up to the town gate and sat down there just as the guardian-redeemer he had mentioned came along. Boaz said, “Come over here, my friend, and sit down.” So he went over and sat down. 2 Boaz took ten of the elders of the town and said, “Sit here,” and they did so. 3 Then he said to the guardian-redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our relative Elimelek. 4 I thought I should bring the matter to your attention and suggest that you buy it in the presence of these seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, do so. But if you will not, tell me, so I will know. For no one has the right to do it except you, and I am next in line.” “I will redeem it,” he said. 5 Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the land from Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the dead man’s widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property.” 6 At this, the guardian-redeemer said, “Then I cannot redeem it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it.” 7 (Now in earlier times in Israel, for the redemption and transfer of property to become final, one party took off his sandal and gave it to the other. This was the method of legalizing transactions in Israel.) 8 So the guardian-redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it yourself.” And he removed his sandal. 9 Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, “Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon. 10 I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from his hometown. Today you are witnesses!” 11 Then the elders and all the people at the gate said, “We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the family of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. 12 Through the offspring the LORD gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.” 13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. 14 The women said to Naomi: “Praise be to the LORD, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! 15 He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.” 16 Then Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him. 17 The women living there said, “Naomi has a son!” And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David. 18 This, then, is the family line of Perez: Perez was the father of Hezron, 19 Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab, 20 Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, 21 Salmon the father of Boaz, Boaz the father of Obed, 22 Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David.
Amen. This is the Word of God for you today.
I divided the passage into three parts:
· THE GUARDIAN-REDEEMER
· THE BLESSING
· THE GENEALOGY
1) THE GUARDIAN-REDEEMER
Verse 1. Boaz must have thought that he would have the best chance of running into the other guardian-redeemer by going to the town gate because, in the ancient Near East, this was often the place where business transactions took place, where judicial decisions were made, and where people just hung out. So, he quickly got there, found a spot, and sat down to wait – but at that very moment, that guardian-redeemer just happened to pass by. Isn’t that interesting? In fact, this is something that we saw over and over in the Book of Ruth – these so-called “coincidences” that relieve the tension in the story. For example, in Chapter 1, when Naomi and Ruth came back to Bethlehem, they happened to come back just as the barley harvest was beginning. In Chapter 2, when Ruth went out to glean behind the harvesters, she happened to stumble into the field of Boaz – and at that very moment, Boaz happened to visit the field. And here, we see that as soon as Boaz sat down, the other guardian-redeemer just happened to pass by. Then here’s what the Book of Ruth wants to teach us – it’s that God is able to use these ordinary events of life in extraordinary ways to accomplish His will. In other words, everything that happens in our lives is actually an expression of God’s kind providence for His people. Do you know what this means? It means that just because your life may be out of your control doesn’t mean that they are out of control. Our lives are safe in His hands. Do you believe that today? Do you believe that nothing in your life happens by chance? Are you able to trace the ways that God has been guiding you and providing for you?
Now, I won’t belabor this point now because I’m going to talk more about this later – so, let’s go back to verse 1 again. When Boaz saw the guardian-redeemer, he said, “Come over here, my friend, and sit down.” Now, the Hebrew word that’s translated as “friend” is “peloni almoni” which literally means “such and such” – which is the equivalent of calling him, “Mr. So-and-so.” In other words, he remains nameless in the story – even though he’s undoubtedly an important figure in the narrative (in that, the future of Ruth and Naomi was in his hands), he’s not identified by name. Why? Because the narrator doesn’t want us to remember him. I’ll explain more later. Now, Boaz brought in ten elders as witnesses – and he went straight to business. Verse 3 – he said, “Mr. So-and-so, did you know that Naomi, who just came back from Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our relative, Elimelek? I thought I should let you know since you’re first in line to redeem it – in fact, if you so desire, you can do so today right here in the presence of these elders.” Now, some of you may be thinking, “Wait – Naomi had a piece of land? Why didn’t she use that to support herself?” The commentators explain that Boaz must be referring to the land that belonged to Elimelek which he must have sold before fleeing to Moab. Under Mosaic law, even if someone sells their land because they’re in a dire situation, they’re not really selling it in a permanent kind of way – it was more like they were temporarily transferring the rights of that land over to someone else which can be brought back to the family by having a relative redeem the land which is what Boaz was referring to. So, Naomi had land – but she had no access to it.
Now, when Boaz presented this offer to Mr. So-and-so, he immediately said, “I’ll redeem it.” He must have thought that this offer was too good to be true since Naomi had no children and was already old. Yes, it’s true that he would have to take care of her until she died – but after that, this land would belong to his family. And if that wasn’t good enough, he would also receive honor and respect from the townspeople by taking care of Naomi just for a short period of time – so much to gain for such a small price. No wonder he was so quick to respond. And at this point, we as readers may be a bit disappointed, maybe because we’ve been secretly rooting for Boaz – “How can this Mr. So-and-so jump in at the last minute and save the day? What about this great love story between Boaz and Ruth?” Well, as Mr. So-and-so was celebrating this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Boaz almost nonchalantly added this comment – “Oh, by the way, the land is a package deal, in that, it comes with Ruth the Moabite. If you redeem the land, you also have to marry her and raise up offspring in the name of her dead husband’s family. But you knew that already. Right? Of course, you did. Then let me just take off my sandal and we’ll settle this matter.” It almost made me chuckle reading this because, verse 6, “At this, the guardian-redeemer said, ‘Then I cannot redeem it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself.’” Just as he was quick to enter the deal, he was quick to back out knowing that it came with a steep cost that he did not want to pay. He was not ready to share his land with others – and he really was not ready to have the reputation of being married to a foreigner which by the way was looked down upon in Israel. And it’s here that we see why he remained nameless in the story – it’s because his actions were not righteous before the eyes of God, in that, he was incredibly self-centered and self-preserving. He only cared about himself – no wonder God kept him nameless so that we would quickly forget him. Then let’s ask ourselves, “Are we at times more concerned about appearing righteous than actually being righteous? Do we love and serve others insofar as it benefits us – or do we give ourselves to others generously, even if the cost is great, knowing that that’s exactly what Christ did for us? Is the gospel causing you to be more loving and more selfless – or are you still busy calculating the pros and cons of your service?
Now, if we go back to the text, we see Boaz, unlike Mr. So-and-so, joyfully and willingly redeeming Ruth and Naomi even though there was so little to gain and so much to lose. In fact, because of this, many commentators say that Boaz is a type of Christ – in that, he was foreshadowing and pointing to the ultimate Redeemer to come, Jesus Christ. Galatians 3:13-14 says, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.” Jesus Christ sacrificed His life on the cross, shed His blood, and endured the heavy wrath of God that we deserved so that all who trust in Him as their Lord and Savior would be forgiven and be saved. He paid that cost. He made that costly sacrifice. He gave up everything for us (though He didn’t have to) – so that we could be redeemed from the power of sin, so that our citizenship in heaven will be preserved, so that we could call God, “Abba, Father.” Then, friends, do you know Christ as the Redeemer of your soul? Have you placed your faith in Him yet? If not, you can do that today. This world will offer you many things – but they will never satisfy you. At the sight of any cost, they will quickly turn their back on you – leaving you behind. But that’s not how Christ is. He will love you and will never let you go. If He gave Himself for us on the cross, there’s nothing He’ll withhold from us. So, don’t delay your decision. Give your life to Christ today. Trust Him with your life because He won’t disappoint you.
2) THE BLESSING
Verse 9 – Boaz announces that he has bought all the properties that belong to Naomi and that he will take Ruth as his wife so that the family line can continue. And the people at the gate began to bless their union with these wonderful words – verse 10, “May the LORD make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the family of Israel. May you be famous in Bethlehem. Through the offspring the LORD gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez whom Tamar bore to Judah.” These words must have meant so much to Ruth because it meant that the people were now embracing her as one of their own – to invoke the names of Israel’s founding mothers, Rachel and Leah, was no small thing. It implied that Ruth the Moabite was now being engrafted into the people of God. And so, the moment we’ve all been waiting for is finally here – Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. Boaz must have been beaming from ear to ear – but I wonder if Ruth was still somewhat heavy in her heart because she wasn’t sure if she would be able to conceive. She must have been thinking, “What if I can’t get pregnant? What if God doesn’t give us a child? I remember how disappointed Naomi was when I couldn’t get pregnant in my first marriage. How devastated would she be to find out that I’m still barren?” Not just that – considering that the whole town was rooting for her, we can only imagine how pressured and overwhelmed she must have felt. But we don’t have to wait long to see what happens because it says in verse 13, “When [Boaz] made love to [Ruth], the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son.” Can you imagine how grateful and joyful Ruth must have been? Once again, we see God’s kind providence for Ruth.
Now, this would’ve been a wonderful way to close the story. But the narrator goes on – and he shifts his attention to Naomi. And here, we see this beautiful picture of Naomi holding her grandson and caring for him. Isn’t that interesting? Because after all, this is the Book of Ruth, not the Book of Naomi. Then why does the narrator end with Naomi, not Ruth? Because he wanted us to know that God hasn’t forgotten Naomi – to show us that God’s plan of redemption included not just Ruth, but Naomi as well. I don’t know about you, but this encouraged me so much knowing that there were so many setbacks Naomi went through in her life. Life was hard for her – sometimes even unbearable. I’m sure she must have been tempted to just give up. Think with me. She suffered through a great famine in Bethlehem. She moved to a foreign country to make ends meet – but there, she lost her husband and both of her sons. No wonder she thought she was cursed by God. And because she was so desperate, she put her daughter-in-law, Ruth, in danger by sending her out to glean in the fields. And just as she thought that everything was finally going to work out between Ruth and Boaz, she was informed that there was another guardian-redeemer who could claim their land for himself – setback after setback. Can you imagine how devastated and tired she must have been? Then you can’t help but ask, “God, don’t You care? How can You let this happen? Can’t You see that she is in so much pain?” Now, even though she must have felt like there was no way out every time, what we see at the end of the book is that God was with her through it all. Even though she must have felt like everything was falling apart, God was sure how her life was going to turn out – which meant that He was never concerned, never panicking, and never anxious because He Himself was actually carefully and perfectly ordaining all things so that His purpose would be fulfilled in her life. Then, brothers and sisters, this should bring great comfort to our hearts knowing that the same God who rescued Naomi is with us today – ready to redeem us, bless us, and empower us to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord. Friends, are you in one of those dark valleys that are causing you to be in a place of despair? Are you utterly crushed and discouraged because it feels like your life is just a constant series of setbacks? Do you feel like there’s no future and that there’s no way out this time? If so, let this picture of Naomi holding her grandson remind you that God has never let you go. Even though you may not be able to see it, through it all, God was there for you – in fact, God is still here for you and God will always be there for you because He loves you. Pastor John Piper said, “The life of the godly is not a straight line to glory, but they do get there. There are rockslides, dark mists, bears, slippery curves, and hairpin turns that make you go backward in order to go forward. But all along this hazardous, twisted road that doesn't let you see very far ahead, there are frequent signs that say, ‘The best is yet to come.’ The book of Ruth is one of those signs for you to read. It was written to give you some encouragement and hope that all the perplexing turns in your life lately are not dead-end streets. In all the setbacks of your life as a believer, God is plotting for your joy.” Brothers and sisters, the best is yet to come because God is plotting for your joy. God has a plan. We may not be able to see it, but He is walking with us in the valleys. Then knowing this, let’s trust Him and cling to Him.
3) THE GENEALOGY
Verse 18 – when you thought that this would be a perfect way to end the story (with Naomi holding her grandson), the narrator adds one more thing – a short genealogy. And you have to wonder, “Why?” This doesn’t seem like an exciting way to close such a wonderful love story – but the narrator did this because he wanted to put Ruth’s story in the context of a bigger story. Let me explain. In Chapter 1, we saw that this story was set in the days of the judges when everyone did as they saw fit. People indulged in all kinds of immorality which caused great chaos in the land. As a result, so many people were starting to cry out for help – for God to intervene and rescue them. Now, we would think that the story of these two ordinary women would have little consequence in Israel’s history – but that’s where we would be wrong because this genealogy shows us that their story actually played a critical role in God’s plan to save His people. Here, we read that Boaz and Ruth’s son, Obed, is actually the grandfather of David – the greatest king that Israel has ever seen. He’s the one who bravely conquered nations, wisely governed over Israel, humbly led the people to righteousness, and wholeheartedly worshiped the Lord – so much so that he was called the man after God’s own heart. In other words, he was the one whom God used to save and sanctify Israel. Then think with me – this amazing king would not have been there if Boaz and Ruth’s story had not taken place. Now, did Boaz and Ruth know that this was going to happen? Of course not. But that’s exactly what the narrator wanted us to see. Yes, Boaz and Ruth may not have been aware of it, but their ordinary love story was used in extraordinary ways in the story of God.
What does this mean for us? It means that even though we may not be able to see it, our ordinary lives can be used in extraordinary ways in the story of God as well. Brothers and sisters, we live in a world where it’s so easy to be occupied with trivial things – to spend most of our days focusing on unimportant things in the context of eternity. As a result, we begin to think that our lives are also meaningless. We think that it doesn’t really matter how we live our lives today. But that is not true. Friends, your choices and actions can have an eternal impact. Here’s what I mean. Let’s say that you’re having a difficult time forgiving someone. But what if you knew that your forgiveness would lead that person to experience the love of God and become a Christian? Wouldn’t you be more eager to forgive? What if you knew that your words of encouragement to your friend, your spouse, or your child can make a huge difference in the way they perceive life from this point onward? Wouldn’t you be quick to encourage them? What if you knew that your generous giving was an answer to this person’s prayer? Wouldn’t you be more excited to give? I can go on and on with different examples, but the point is this – it’s that our ordinary life, ordinary decisions, ordinary actions can have an extraordinary, eternal impact on someone else. God can use it to do mighty things – things that you never have thought possible. Then let me ask you, “How will you live today?” Brothers and sisters, be faithful in the place that God has called you to be. If you’re a student, study for the glory of God. If you’re working, work for the glory of God. If you’re married, love your spouse for the glory of God. If you’re a parent, raise your children for the glory of God. If you’re suffering, stand firm for the glory of God. If you’re able, give generously. Because who knows? Maybe God will use it to do extraordinary things. Believe that your life can leave a lasting legacy that will bring great joy to our God. Then knowing that our labors in the Lord are never in vain, let’s use our lives to bless others and glorify His name.
CONCLUSION
Lighthouse family, the best is yet to come because God is plotting for our joy. We may not be able to see it, but He is with us – carefully and perfectly orchestrating all things to fulfill His purpose in us. Then I pray that we would have the eyes to see God’s kind providence for our lives so that we will praise Him and delight in Him all the days of our lives.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1) Can you recall moments in your own life where things seemed to “just happen,” but in retrospect, you saw God’s hand in it? How did this shape your faith in God?
2) The nameless guardian-redeemer chose not to redeem Ruth because it would endanger his estate. How can the gospel challenge us to be selfless in our relationships and actions? What are some areas in your life where you struggle with balancing self-preservation and self-sacrifice?
3) Naomi faced many hardships, yet God was working in the background to bless her. How does this encourage you when you face difficult or painful circumstances? Have you experienced a time when what felt like a setback actually led to unexpected blessings or growth?
4) The genealogy at the end of the book ties Ruth’s story to King David, showing that God used Ruth and Boaz’s ordinary lives for His extraordinary purposes. What can you do today to ensure that your life is used for God's glory, even in the small things?