Ruth & Naomi - Part 4
Welp, I hope you have enjoyed this summer series called The Wonder of a Widow.
I am excited this chapter changes Ruth’s status, and also her legacy and her future genealogy.
Let’s get to it….
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. Boaz took ten of the elders of the town and said, “Sit here,” and they did so. 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. 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. 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.” 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.” (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.) So the guardian-redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it yourself.” And he removed his sandal. 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. 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!” 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. Through the offspring the Lord gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.” 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. 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! 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.” Then Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him. The women living there said, “Naomi has a son!” And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David. This, then, is the family line of Perez: Perez was the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, Boaz the father of Obed, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David.
-Ruth 4:1-22 NIV
I want to start this post like I started the first one with names and meanings. I think it’s interesting and lifts some additional things off the page.
Family Lineage
Perez or Pharez = "breach"
Hezron = "surrounded by a wall"
Ram = "high" or "exalted"
Amminadab = "my kinsman is noble"
Nahshon = "enchanter"
Salmon = "garment"
Boaz = "fleetness"
a high rate of movement or performance
Obed = "serving"
Jesse = "I possess"
David = "beloved"
We finished last week talking about Boaz having integrity, and we see it play out at the beginning of this chapter with how he came to town where all the official conversations happen. He calls the elders to witness this exchange and potential land and wife transfer of ownership, all to carry this bloodline on, which is part of what the kinsman redeemer is all about, at least that’s what I think. He went through the proper channels to see if this other man wanted Ruth and this land. As we see, he said NO. So, Boaz officially took ownership of all that was Naomi’s, and that included his soon-to-be wife named Ruth.
It doesn’t really reveal the relationship they had, but it makes me think in those days it was less about romance and more about generational blessing. It says, “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.” Carrying on bloodlines is part of Kingdom legacy. Boaz stepped up to the plate, and he ended up with a date. 💒
He married Ruth and loved her, and a son was birthed through their union. The neighbors gave a blessing over Naomi, for the Lord’s amazing mercy was clearly seen and felt upon her life. The child was brought to Naomi and she became his nurse, but I believe that is more about just becoming his grandmother. Something deep broke within her when she held this little bundle of joy. Can’t you feel it? Hope awoke within her again!! 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! 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.”
The chapter ends with names, and the last being the father of David. Ruth could have never known that her losses would be mended by her kinsman redeemer, which would allow her to have a son that is in the lineage of King David. This got me curious, and so we will end this series by going to the beginning of the book of Matthew to cross examine.
This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham: Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar, Perez the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife, Solomon the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asa, Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram, Jehoram the father of Uzziah, Uzziah the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amon, Amon the father of Josiah, and Josiah the father of Jeconiah and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon. After the exile to Babylon: Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel the father of Abihud, Abihud the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, Azor the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Akim, Akim the father of Elihud, Elihud the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah. Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah.
-Matthew 1:1-17 NIV
And there you have it folks. Ruth had a son, and that son is in the lineage of Jesus. Only eternity will be able to explain the majesty of this divine union. I am happy to say the second half of her story far exceeded her first. Glory!
Wow, wow, wow, what a wonder-full story to behold. Ruth and Boaz got pizzazz!!!
I wonder if they were 14 years apart in age?
I wonder if they had any other children?
I wonder if he loved her at first sight?
I wonder if he felt something different deeply inside?
I wonder if Ruth felt seen by the Father, or was she just following orders?
I wonder how long this all took from start to finish? Days, weeks, months, even years? I don’t feel like it was long. Before the end of the harvest season, it was a go, I suppose. Boaz knows how to makes things happen. I like that. He didn’t wait around. He got down to business, and that risk and hopefully desire to fulfill this role of kinsman redeemer is probably his deepest purpose and calling. Yes, he was a good businessman and someone of integrity, but him taking on this land and family was his greatest accomplishment.
I wonder what more the Father has for me and you, my fellow widow warriors? All I know to say is stay the course. Listen for His voice. He is always speaking. We just have to stay low and humble enough to hear Him clearly.
May we continue becoming someone that makes people wonder, could the God she/they serve be this true? This good? This faithful? The answer is YES! 100 times over YES!
I’m going to end with this song, for I love it so much and it’s coming to mind as I finish writing this line.
Is Anyone Worthy by Chris Tomlin
Until next time,
Keep gliding 🪁
Abiding 🙇🏼♀️
& Smiling 😁