Lesson 4
Ruth Marries Boaz
NO CLASS NEXT WEEK ON OCT 23rd!!
We will see you on October 30th as we begin Esther.
We have completed the book of Ruth! This short love story is so much more than meets the eye. Is it short, but there is SO much in this story. It appears to be a love story, but there is SO much more than a love story going on!!
We began by briefly discussing "the encounter" on the threshing floor. There's a bit of mystery here. It seems so strange for us, from our cultural point of reference and our time in history. However, for THIS time and THIS culture, it was completely acceptable and part of a plan that Naomi had been contemplating for some time.
A couple of reasons why this encounter not only makes sense but also was not of a physical nature:
First, Boaz is an older man. He probably does not see Ruth as "in his league" (v10 "you have not run after the younger men"). He often remarks on her "noble character".
And, he knew of the 1st in-line kinsman - he obviously has given this some thought and has been contemplating Ruth and a potential relationship with her.
For Ruth, she is a widow.
She has been married before, and any woman who finds herself either divorced or widowed and interested in marrying again will certainly look at marriage with different eyes, not the fleeting attraction that youth might seek.
She has seen the beautiful caring protection and provision that Boaz can provide, and felt flattered and honored (2:10 "why have I found such favor in your eyes?")
These reasons are part of the picture of how this encounter on the threshing floor makes sense. Naomi wanted Ruth to be very clear to Boaz about her desire. Boaz had already shown his wilingness to provide for Ruth when she was in his fields. Boaz probably finds Ruth to be out of his league, and knows that there is a kinsman redeemer 1st in line before him. Also, it has been threshing time, so he would not have been able to deal with this matter.
So, Ruth is there, very clear about her intentions - saying, "I am interested in you"….what courage that must have taken. She waits for the response. Will he reject her or redeem her?
NOW setback. v12 There is another who is closer than I. Boaz commits by oath to redeem her and to follow the law and even supplies her with grain (a generous gift).
Honorable MAN, that Boaz! I don't think this scene would play out in much popular culture, which makes it all the more precious. Which is why anytime a man says, we can wait, THAT is the kind of guy you want - not a yes, now, me first, my needs kind of guy....
I wonder if you have ever experienced setbacks or times when God has said WAIT. It is for our blessing. And it is for our protection. Our good. Can you think of times in your life when you have had to wait or had a setback, but later you see God's blessing in that? Maybe you feel like God has you in a waiting period right now!! Can you trust him with his perfect timing???
On to Chapter 4: Ruth did not have to wait long. The very next day, as promised, Boaz went to the town gate (which was the place of all formal business, the town hall so to speak, for business and legal transactions).
Naomi needs a male family member to "redeem" her land - and the closest male relative to Elimelech is the first in line to do so. He does not have a name, but in v 4 "I will do it" but when he learns about Ruth the Moabite, he then says I cannot redeem it, for fear of endangering my own estate"v6. So Boaz, who apparently has no hiers or members of his family who would be displaced, perhaps he lost his wife and children (not unusual in those times) gets his chance. Then they do the sandal thing/in front of witnesses/etc and the people pronounce their blessing upon the transaction: may you be like Rachel & Leah, Perez etc..
And who do we see a picture of at the end of this story? Naomi. Yes, Naomi is the one perhaps whose joy is most complete "Naomi has a son"! verse 4:16
Now the theme here: Redemption. Let's talk a bit more about this idea of "redeeming Ruth". Just what is it to redeem a person? For Ruth, it saved her, gave her new life, gave her family - including Naomi - new life and property rights, continued the line of Elimelech and Naomi.
The idea of a kinsman redeemer is directly connected to the idea of Redemption in the NT.
Redeem=
verb Always takes an object. You can't just say "I redeem". We redeem SOMETHING>
1 compensate for the faults or bad aspects of:
2gain or regain possession of (something) in exchange for payment:
3fulfil or carry out (a pledge or promise):
Well, When we were in Sainsburys this past weekend, after checking out with our groceries, my receipt said I had a certain amount of Nectar points and I could redeem them for more than 40£ of value. I thought, I’d better redeem these points soon. I had not even realized I had those points!
If I gave you all a voucher today, and said this voucher is good for a free meal in the cafe. Now, that is a nice gift. You’d think, great, a free meal! I don't have to cook. Wonderful.
But is the end? NO. You must take action. You have to physically GO to the cafe, present the voucher, and the person at the counter must accept it. It is a transaction. It is not passive. Some people might not redeem their voucher for the free lunch. Some people might be too busy. Some people might say, I'm not hungry. Some people might be too proud (I dont need a lunch, I have my own lunch thank you). Some people might go and look at the menu and decide they don't like the offerings.
All of these people then, have something that goes to waste.
And so it is with Christ.
He has given each of us a voucher.
Each of you has that voucher. All of us have the opportunity to redeem it. But we must feel the need to do so. You must take action!
John 1:12 To all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God
2 Corinthians 5:17 Anyone who is joined to Christ is a new being, the old is gone, the new has gone!
Ephesians 2:8-10 For it is by God's grace that you have been saved, through faith. It is not the result of your own efforts, but God's gift, so that no one can boast about it"
Each of us has a free voucher from God. We can present it to him, admitting our need (that we are sinners) and humbly coming to his feet, like Ruth did to Boaz. It takes courage to do this. Pride must be put aside. The action must come from YOU. Otherwise God doesn't know you are interested!
Boaz redeems Ruth. Through their marriage, Naomi is also redeemed, because now she has gone from emptiness to fullness, she has gone from destitution to security and hope. Ruth's great-grandson, The Great King David, redeems Israel to peace and prosperity in the early days of Solomon. The ultimate redeemer, we know, follows this genealogy and is called "Son of David" - he fulfilled prophecy and will to bring US to rest. To redeem us. To redeem you and Me!!
Have you redeemed your voucher?
Have you been humble enough to lay at the feet of Jesus and ask him to redeem you?
If yes, then thank him!! Thank him for being your redeemer! For filling your emptiness, for protection and provision!! If not, I say, do it today!! Do not let that voucher go unredeemed. Do not wait any longer.
I hope that you can see now, at the end of Ruth, that ALL of Ruth was more than a love story. It was about redemption for us.
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