Women with a Story to Tell: Ruth 6

 And so, Ruth and Boaz were married and lived happily ever after. Hah! Like that’s ever gonna happen!

 We can presume that they were happy, anyway. Also, that Naomi, Ruth and Boaz lived out their days in peace. However, even this story is not about them. As with every book, the story of the Bible is about God and his work to bring the opportunity for salvation to the nations, tribes, families, and languages of the earth. That is the larger plan of which Ruth and Naomi are but a small part; but they did their part and carried out their part of the mission.

 When we left Boaz at the gate, the closer next-of-kin had just used his ‘right of first refusal’ to refuse to redeem the land and the legacy of Elimelech’s sons. The way is now open for Boaz who stands second in line to be the go-el for the land and the lineage. 

 Once again, we see how far removed this story is from our times, and what it takes to interpret what happened, and then to apply it to our lives. Boaz was an honorable man and he lived according to the customs of his community, which was the town of Bethlehem.

  Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging to confirm a transaction: the one took off a sandal and gave it to the other; this was the manner of attesting in Israel. So, when the next-of-kin said to Boaz, “Acquire it for yourself,” he took off his sandal. Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses today that I have acquired from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon. I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, the wife of Mahlon, to be my wife, to maintain the dead man’s name on his inheritance, in order that the name of the dead may not be cut off from his kindred and from the gate of his native place; today you are witnesses” (Ruth 4: 7-10).

 Transparent. That’s what Boaz is. He told the truth to his cousin who was first in line. Boaz did not tell lies to deceive him in order to get his own way. We can respect that. Now, Boaz asks all the people and specifically the elders that he had seated to hear the transaction to be witnesses. He specified exactly what he was doing so that there would be no question about what he acquired and how he acquired it.   

The elders and other witnesses are also upright people. When they observed the mechanics of the transaction and heard exactly what had been accomplished, they responded with this stamp of approval.

Then all the people who were at the gate, along with the elders, said, “We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman who is coming into your house like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you produce children in Ephrathah and bestow a name in Bethlehem; and, through the children that the LORD will give you by this young woman, may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.” (Ruth 4:11-12).

 Interesting. These people know their own story and their place in it. Rachel and Lead are the mothers of Israel, even though some of the 12 brothers were born to their maids. Legally, all the children were theirs. The blessing of the people draws on the notion that Ruth will become the mother of a lineage in Israel that will build up a great house. 

 Second, they know the story of Tamar which we explored earlier in this series. Remember that Tamar was Judah’s daughter-in-law but Judah’s sons died without producing children. Tamar broke custom to be impregnated by Judah in order to continue that line. And, we know that Judah became one of the most important tribes of Israel. 

 The other comment about Ephrathah, which is another name for the town of Bethlehem, is a hope that Ruth and Boaz’ family will establish Bethlehem’s place among the towns and cities of Israel.

 Well, all of these blessings were fulfilled. Boaz and Ruth stayed in Bethlehem and had children. The first son they named Obed. The women of the village congratulated Naomi and said, 

"Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without next-of-kin, and may his name be renowned in Israel! He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has borne him.” (Ruth 4:14-15).

 What’s more, the text says that Naomi was a wet-nurse for this baby. Motherhood was shared in ancient Israel. Obed was raised to become a man, and he married and had a son named Jesse. Jesse grew to be a man, and he married and had a son named David. Yes! That David. 

God’s larger plan? You know that when Jesus born he was called the Son of David, and so this lineage that ran back through Ruth, Rahab, and Tamar, is the lineage through which the promises of God about a Savior for the Nations were fulfilled. 

 God’s plan is still ongoing because the nations, including ours, still need to come to Jesus. The nations are still being called to repent, be saved, and be transformed into a transparent disciple of Jesus Christ. A lot of people say that they believe, but they have not been transformed into a person whose character would remind them of Jesus: loving, offering mercy, full of grace, kind to the poor and downtrodden, offering water, food, clothing, and shelter to those without (see Matthew 25). Work out your part in God’s plan.