Ruth 4

Radiant Church, March 24, 2019 Mike Rydman Ruth Chapter 4 God Always has a Plan Ruth 4:1-4 Now Boaz had gone up to the gate and sat down there. And behold, the redeemer, of whom Boaz had spoken, came be. So Boaz said, “Turn aside, friend; sit down here.” And he turned aside and sat down. And he took ten men of the elders of the city and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down. Then he said to the redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land that belonged to our relative Elimelech. So I thought I would tell you of it, and say, But it in the presence of those sitting here, and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it. but if you will not, tell me, that I may know, for there is no one besides you to redeem it, and I come after you.” And he said, “I will redeem it.” Boaz had enough reputation to ask for an immediate hearing Widows did not inherit land from their husbands. It’s only because her sons are dead that she can sell the parcel herself This redeemer wanted the land, which would stay in Naomi’s clan, of which he was apart. Since Naomi had no offspring, he would keep possession. Ruth 4:5 Then Boaz said, “The day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the widow of the dead, in order to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance.” To take Ruth as his wife, the redeemer would not really own the land, as the land would stay in Naomi’s family estate through a son by Ruth. Boaz knew this Ruth the Moabite Foreigner, Moab were traditional enemies of Israel Levirate marriage requirement (first son belongs to the dead father) “Levirate” from the Latin for “brother in law” Ruth 4:6 Then the redeemer said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I impair my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it.” A son born by Ruth would be the owner of the land parcel, inherited from his father Mahlon And/or the redeemer didn’t want to pollute his family with a foreigner And/or the redeemer didn’t want to die because of marrying Ruth, like her first husband died Ruth 4:7-10 Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging: to confirm a transaction, the one drew off his sandal and gave it to the other, and this was the manner of attesting in Israel. So when the redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself,” he drew off his sandal. The Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses this day that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon. Also Ruth the Moabite, the widow of Mahlon, I have bought to be my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brothers and from the gate of his native place. You are witnesses this day.” Ruth 4:11-12 Then all the people who were at the gate and 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 act worthily in Ephrathah and be renowned in Bethlehem, and may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring that the Lord will give you by this young woman.” Ruth 4:13-15 So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. And he went in to her, and the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son. Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel! He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of you old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.” Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her lap and became his nurse. And the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David. Highly unusual: the women of the town name the child Usually, the father or in rare occasions the High Priest give the name Ruth 4:18-22 Now these are the generation of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron, Hezron fathered Ram, Ram fathered Amminadab, Amminadab fathered Nahshon, Nahshon fathered Salmon, Salmon fathered Boaz, Boaz fathered Obed, Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David. Genesis 38 story of Judah and Tamar