Ruth 4

Boaz promised to resolve the issue of redeeming Ruth and he moved on it immediately. Boaz went to the gate of the city, where most business transactions took place, and waited for his close relative. He found his relative and he found ten elders of the city to verify the transaction. The scene is set for a legitimate and legal discussion of redemption.

Boaz told him that their brothers wife, Naomi, has land inherited from her late husband, their close relative, and she needs to sell it to provide for herself. The land should be redeemed by a close relative to keep it in the family. At first, he is interested in the land, but Boaz tells him there’s more. The daughter-in-law of their deceased brother is now part of the family and she comes along with the land as a wife. Thus, the land will remain in the family as well as the off spring of the new wife, Ruth.

I love you to the moon and back

In response, the man says, “I cannot redeem for myself, because I would jeopardize my own inheritance. Redeem for yourself; you may have my right of redemption, for I cannot redeem.” Boaz turned to the elders and repeated the terms of the transaction and confirmed his right to purchase the land and marry Ruth. For Boaz, it was both a transaction and an act of love. Ruth had truly gripped his heart from the first time they met. He must have been over the moon!

The prophetic blessing

Before Boaz departed the gate to take the good news to a Ruth, the elders responded by saying, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built the house of Israel; and may you achieve wealth in Ephrathah and become famous in Bethlehem.” The elders blessed the future offspring of Boaz and Ruth. This is especially amazing in that Ruth is a Moabitess and not a Jew by birth. But Ruth is being blessed as if she had all the rights of a Jew. And not just the “rights” but she is being blessed alongside the most significant matriarchs of Israel, Rachel and Leah.

Redeemed

Lord, this is a beautiful picture of what you have done for us. We are orphans, foreigners, rebels against You. Nevertheless, you redeem us and give us all the rights of a child of God. Boaz was the earthly kinsman redeemer of Ruth. Lord, you are our kinsman redeemer placing us into an eternal covenant of blessing. You are our rescuer and our hero. We love you and thank you always. Amen!