Dover Assembly of God
As we continue our study on the life and book of Ruth, let’s recap last week. Ruth listens to her mother-in-law and lays at the feet of Boaz. This was a sign of a wedding proposal.
He awakens and covers her with his blanket, indicating that he accepts her proposal and now begins to work out the details that would finalize the deal.
Boaz is a redeemer, but we know there is another that is closer in line than him, so he has to work that out.
Ruth goes home and her mother-in-law wants to know if she was able to put the past behind her and move on. Ruth said basically yes, and that Boaz was working it out.
Naomi assures her that he will make sure it works out in her favor.
Ruth 3:18 NIV
Since Boaz is a type of Christ, we closed with the truth that sometimes we have to wait for God to work things out.
He didn’t forget about you. Sometimes, like Ruth, all we can do is wait for God to work.
Ruth really couldn’t help him, nor did he ask for her help. He said wait and I’ll handle it.
Sometimes waiting is the hardest part.
So now we come to the final chapter. One commentary notes that the book of Ruth starts with 3 funerals and ends with a wedding.
To understand this transaction, we need to now the Jewish law behind it. God set up this redeemer law to preserve the name and protect the property of families in Israel. God owned the land and didn’t want the land to be exploited by rich people buying all of it up.
This would then lead to abuse to the widows and families of the guy who died. The law made sure that the man’s name didn’t die with him and that his property stayed within his clan, and not sold to anyone outside of the clan.
So this redemption was always a part of God providing for his people.
The word redeem means “set free by paying a price”
When the bible said that we as believers have been redeemed, it means that we were set free by someone paying a price.
Galatians 3:13-14 NIV
Titus 2:14 NIV
Colossians 1:13-14 NIV
What was the price that we had to pay before being redeemed?
Romans 6:23 NIV
Another aspect of a redeemer was that he had to be related to the one being redeemed.
Leviticus 25:25 NIV
Christ had to be “related” to us before he could redeem us.
How else could he be related unless he became one of us. He couldn’t redeem us from heaven.
He had to become a man in order to be related.
Hebrews 2:14 NIV
In order to be redeemed, the redeemer had to be able to pay the right price for the property.
Ruth and Naomi were too poor to buy it back. But Boaz had all the resources he needed.
None of us has the ability to buy our own redemption. What could we offer to god that would be sufficient?
Christ, however has everything needed to buy us back from slavery.
1 Peter 1:18-19 NIV
Psalms 49:5-9 NIV
Lastly the redeemer had to want to redeem. We’ll see that the other guy didn’t want to.
Boaz wanted to.
Christ wants to redeem you. He already paid the redemption price. But what are we doing with it?
Ruth 4:1 NIV
The gate was the town business office. Most official business was done at the city gate.
So Boaz goes and waits because he wants to do business.
Ruth 4:1 NIV
Here is another indication of God’s providence. What are the odds that this guy just happens to be walking by at the same time Boaz is there?
It doesn’t seem he was coming to the gate to do business, he was just out for a stroll.
And he walks right by Boaz so Boaz could actually see him and within enough distance that he could just talk to him. It doesn’t say he had to get up and run after him or yell to get his attention.
He was in the right place at the right time.
Romans 5:6 NIV
God arranges things on His time table, which is always just the right time.
So Boaz calls him over.
Ruth 4:2 NIV
In any trial, God always wanted there to be 2 or 3 witnesses to an event.
Boaz called 10 so there would be no doubt.
Our lives should be lived in such a manner that we now become witnesses of what Christ has done, and there shouldn’t be doubt left in anyone’s mind.
Ruth 4:3-4 NIV
Notice what he is saying or what he is NOT saying.
He is first setting up the other redeemer by mentioning the land, but not Ruth.
The Bible tell us to be wise as serpents and harmless as a dove.
I think he’s setting up the conversation to get the outcome he wants.
He pitches the property, probably confident that he would jump at the offer.
Ruth 4:4 NIV
Sure, why not, it’s just property, just costs me a few dollars with no down side.
Easy decision. But then when that decision was made, then Boaz threw in this little caveat.
Ruth 4:5 NIV
Oh, by the way, along with the land you now get 2 dependents that you have to take care of.
So its going to cost you more than just the land.
It doesn’t tell us this, but I think he was separating these two items so that the focus was on Ruth, not the land at this point.
He already said yes to the land, so now he’s only thinking about the Ruth part.
If I ask you to focus on 2 things at once, the land and Ruth, you are going to think about both items together.
But taking the land out of the conversation by asking about it first, and now laying this little tidbit out, all he’s thinking is about the complications of taking Ruth with it.
Ruth 4:6 NIV
Notice his reasoning. It would endanger his estate. What’s that mean?
If he marries Ruth and has a son with her, that might mean that that son would inherit not only Elimelech’s part of his estate, but some or all of the estate he currently has.
In other words, he was afraid of the personal cost to himself.
Instead of thinking how God could use this situation, he was being pragmatic and making that type of choice.
Salvation to us is free. We receive eternal life solely on the grace of God.
However, once we commit ourselves to Christ, there will probably be a cost to that.
Matthew 16:24-25 NIV
John 15:18 NIV
John 16:2 NIV
Are we like this guy, the cost is too great for me. I don’t want to be redeemed.
The rich young ruler-Jesus said there’s a cost-sell your possessions and give to the poor.
What’s the bible say?
Matthew 19:22 NIV
He didn’t want the personal cost. So this redeemer rejected the offer-not willing to endure the cost.
Ruth 4:7-8 NIV
He was forfeiting his right to the land, and Ruth and ultimately to be in the family line of Christ.
He was making a business decision, not a spiritual decision.
There will be many times in a believer’s life or even a church’s life where we need to make a spiritual decision that might sometimes conflict with a rational business-type decision.
When God asks us to tithe, every business model would tell you that is an unnecessary expense, don’t do it.
Why would missionaries leave the comfort of their home here to go to a 3rd world country?
One author says: God does not always call us to the normal or logical.
The point is, there will usually be a cost to following God and we need to be ready to pay it
This redeemer counted the cost and turned it down. After this, he is never mentioned again in scripture.
Boaz was willing to endure the cost because he love Ruth.
Christ was willing to endure the cross because he loved us.
Ruth 4:9-10 NIV
Boaz was proud to announce to everyone there, that he was soon to marry Ruth.
Boaz was proud of Ruth. It means something when someone says they are proud of who you are.
We say it all the time to our kids. “I’m proud of you”.
Hebrews 2:11 NIV
Jesus is proud of you. Boaz even mentions her past.
Ruth 4:10 NIV
When he accepted Ruth, he accepted all of her past without reservation.
Remember, we said that when the term Moabitess is used, it us supposed to define who she was.
Something in her life that she can’t change.
Boaz was saying, yeah she was a Moabitess, yeah she was a widow of a guy that really shouldn’t have married her in the first place.
Jews weren’t supposed to marry outside the Jewish faith.
Even though everything says she is the wrong person for me to marry. I’m doing it anyways because I love her.
Ruth really brought nothing to the table in this relationship. It was all Boaz’s (and God’s) doing.
Everything says she didn’t deserve Boaz’s favor, but she received it.
Everything in the world tells us that we don’t deserve God’s grace.
Romans 3:10-12 NIV
And yet God in his love chooses you.
John 15:16 NIV
Ruth 4:11 NIV
In this prayer and celebration, these witnesses accepted her into the Jewish family.
She was considered by them to be a true Israelite. Able to receive all of God’s covenant blessings.
When we receive Christ’s forgiveness, we also receive all of God’s blessings.
Ephesians 1:3 NIV
They prayed that she be like Rachel & Leah.
Wow what an awesome prayer. They not only accepted her even though she was a Moabitess.
They wanted her to be as revered and honored as these 2 ladies.
They were the mothers of the 12 sons who made up the 12 tribes of Israel.
Ruth 4:11-12 NIV
They wanted her name to be synonymous with being a prominent mother in God’s economy.
Ephrathah means fruitful. They wanted her to be fruitful (having children was seen as a blessing from God). So fruitful would also mean blessings.
Ephrathah is also where Rachel was buried. And more importantly, where Jesus would be born.
Micah 5:2 NIV
Ruth followed Naomi to learn about her God and because she trusted that He would take care of her.
Ruth 4:13-15 NIV
Notice her progression from foreigner, to maidservant, to maiden to wife to old age.
God sustains us thru all walks of life.
This didn’t happen overnight and sometimes God’s blessings and provisions don’t happen overnight.
Ruth had to persevere thru each step trusting that God would complete the good work in her life.
Ruth 4:15-17 NIV
Finally God has given back to Naomi what was taken from her.
She has a grandson. I imagine that her heart was full.
Just the opposite of when she first arrived.
Ruth 1:20-21 NIV
David wrote psalm 30 many years after this, but I think Ruth and Naomi would say it applies to them.
Psalms 30:11-12 NIV
We don’t know how long all this took, but no matter how long, we see that God is faithful to bring about His perfect will in our lives, if we can just wait for His timing.