THERE IS A REDEEMER (Ruth 4:1-22)
INTRODUCTION:
For the nation of Israel, the idea of redemption and a redeemer went back to the time of Moses when God rescued the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. They were God’s people, and they were in trouble; they cried out to Him, and God came to their aid. He sent plagues on the land of Egypt until Pharoah gave in, at the death of his firstborn son, and let the Israelites go. Then Pharoah changed his mind and went after the children of Israel to try and recapture them and bring them back. God parted the Red Sea and Israel crossed over on dry ground through the middle of the sea. This was a mighty act of rescue, and from then on Israel referred to God as their Redeemer—the One who had rescued them from slavery in Egypt. Right after the Egyptians had drowned in the sea trying to pursue the Israelites, they sang a song in Exodus 15 that speaks of the LORD redeeming them, then right on through the Old Testament He is remembered as Israel’s Redeemer. (Exodus 15:11-13; Psalm 78:35; Proverbs 23:11; Isaiah 47:4; 63:6) So the history of the nation of Israel began with redemption, and this principle became a part of the Law that God gave them through Moses. God told them through the Law that He wanted them to be redeemers too.
In Leviticus 25:23-25 they were told that when an Israelite family became very poor and had to sell their land to survive, the nearest relative (the kinsman-redeemer) had the responsibility of rescuing them from poverty by buying their land back and restoring it to the family. This was called the redemption of property. In that same chapter of Leviticus in verses 47-55 the Law stated that if an Israelite had become poor and they had to sell themselves into slavery, a rich relative had to rescue them by buying their freedom. This, too, was redemption. Finally, if a man died leaving his widow without children (the situation that Ruth and Naomi have found themselves in), their nearest male relative had to step in and marry his widow and enable her to have a child, so that he could inherit his father’s property and keep it in the family. This child would take on the name of his mother’s deceased husband. This is a third kind of redemption.
In this third situation marriage was not primarily about love, at least not in the romantic sense. It was much more about ensuring that families survived, and that the property of the deceased man’s inheritance remained in the family and his name lived on. For Boaz, though, it was different because he loved Ruth and wanted to marry her. But first, there was Naomi to consider and the land that had been the inheritance of Elimelech and his sons. She would need this land redeemed to survive. This is what brings to the city gate as this new chapter opens. Let’s pray and then read this chapter.
--PRAY--
SCRIPTURE:
Turn in your Bibles this morning to Ruth 4:1-22, we will be finishing up the book of Ruth this morning. Please stand, if you are able, in honor of the reading of God’s Word. Follow along as I read.
Ruth 4:1-22,
“Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there, and behold, the close relative of whom Boaz spoke was passing by, so he said, ‘Turn aside, friend, sit down here.’ And he turned aside and sat down. He took ten men of the elders of the city and said, ‘Sit down here.’ So they sat down. Then he said to the closest relative, ‘Naomi, who has come back from the land of Moab, has to sell the piece of land which belonged to our brother Elimelech. So I thought to inform you, saying, “Buy it before those who are sitting here, and before the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if not, tell me that I may know; for there is no one but you to redeem it, and I am after you.”’ And he said, ‘I will redeem it.’ Then Boaz said, ‘On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also acquire Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of the deceased, in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance.’ The closest relative said, ‘I cannot redeem it for myself, because I would jeopardize my own inheritance. Redeem it for yourself; you may have my right of redemption, for I cannot redeem it.’ Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning the redemption and the exchange of land to confirm any matter: a man removed his sandal and gave it to another; and this was the manner of attestation in Israel. So the closest relative said to Boaz, ‘Buy it for yourself.’ And he removed his sandal. Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, ‘You are witnesses today that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon. Moreover, I have acquired Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, to be my wife in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance, so that the name of the deceased will not be cut off from his brothers or from the court of his birth place; you are witnesses today.’ All the people who were in the court, and the elders, said, ‘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. Moreover, may your house be like the house of Perez whom Tamar bore to Judah, through the offspring which the Lord will give you by this young woman.’ So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife, and he went in to her. And the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. Then the women said to Naomi, ‘Blessed is the Lord who has not left you without a redeemer today, and may his name become famous in Israel. May he also be to you a restorer of life and a sustainer of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.’ Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her lap, and became his nurse. The neighbor women gave him a name, saying, ‘A son has been born to Naomi!’ So they named him Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David. Now these are the generations of Perez: to Perez was born Hezron, and to Hezron was born Ram, and to Ram, Amminadab, and to Amminadab was born Nahshon, and to Nahshon, Salmon, and to Salmon was born Boaz, and to Boaz, Obed, and to Obed was born Jesse, and to Jesse, David.” (Ruth 4:1–22, NASB95)[1]
BOAZ AT THE GATE (Ruth 4:1-6)
When Ruth had returned to Naomi after the night that she spent at the threshing floor, her mother-in-law told her to wait until she knew how the matter turned out, she said that Boaz would not rest until he settled the matter that day. Chapter four opens with Boaz going up to the city gate and sitting down. The city gate was an important place in ancient Israel. This is where the village elders gathered to hear complaints and settle disputes among the citizens of the community. It was also the place where business was conducted, especially business that required formalities to be observed, such as the witnessing of agreements. Boaz came to the gate expecting to settle the business of Naomi and Ruth that day. It does not seem that he had to wait long, and we are told that Boaz spots the closer kinsman-redeemer possibly going out to his fields. As the closer relative to Naomi and Ruth this man has the right to act on their behalf if he chooses to do so. All that had transpired between Boaz and Ruth during the night depended on what this man decides to do. Boaz understands that this issue has to be resolved before there can be any future for himself and Ruth. As an honorable man Boaz is at the gate to transact this business legally and before witnesses.
Upon spotting this kinsman-redeemer he calls to him to come and sit down. Notice this man is not even given a name. He comes and takes a seat, then Boaz asks ten of the city elders to sit and function as witnesses to the business these two men are about to discuss. Boaz says to the closer redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from the land of Moab, has to sell the piece of land which belonged to our brother Elimelech. So I thought to inform you, saying, ‘Buy it before those who are sitting here, and before the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if not, tell me that I may know; for there is no one but you to redeem it, and I am after you.’ ” (Ruth 4:3b–4a, NASB95)[2] Boaz’s begins with the business of the property, the phrase, “…has to sell the piece of land which belonged to our brother Elimelech” is a difficult phrase to translate. In Israel this land that belonged to Elimelech would not have transferred to Naomi upon her husband’s death, land was passed down to sons or daughters if there were no sons. It is possible that Elimelech sold the land or mortgaged it to someone when he moved his family to Moab. That person still owns it, and it needs to be redeemed so that it can be used to support Naomi. The closer kinsman-redeemer upon hearing about the land says that he will redeem it. He says that he will buy it and keep it in the family. This was not the outcome that Boaz was hoping for because there is more than property involved here, and so Boaz continues on to the next item of business that must be dealt with, and it is more critical than the land. What is this man going to do about Ruth? Boaz could be completely cut out of this issue altogether, but being an honorable man, and because of the promise he made to Ruth he has to lay all the cards on the table. Verse 5 says, “Then Boaz said, ‘On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also acquire Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of the deceased, in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance.’” (Ruth 4:5, NASB95)[3] Now it is all out in the open, what is needed for this to be a complete redemption. For the closer relative this changes everything, this is not just about land, this includes a widow and a Moabite widow at that, which may have played a part in this man’s decision. He decides that he cannot redeem the land after all, this might jeopardize his own inheritance. It is not completely clear what he means by this, but he may have already had children and he did not want to have to share the inheritance with another child who would not even be considered his own, but would bear the name of Ruth’s deceased husband. He cannot risk it. He tells Boaz to redeem it for himself, for he cannot redeem it.
BOAZ THE KINSMAN-REDEEMER (Ruth 4:7-13)
Suddenly Boaz’s promise to redeem Ruth is possible, the closer redeemer has relinquished his right to redeem the land or Ruth. The author gives us a parenthetical note in verse seven concerning a custom that was no longer used when the book was written and so had to be explained to the readers. He informs us that this custom concerned redemption and the exchange of land, when giving up the right the man giving up the right would remove a sandal and give it to the man who he relinquished his right of redemption to, so this kinsman-redeemer removes his sandal and gives it to Boaz to legalize his giving up his rights to the land and to Ruth. As he hands the sandal to Boaz, he tells him to redeem the land. Then this nearer kinsman-redeemer fades away and we never here of him again because God had not chosen him to be the redeemer.
Boaz announces before the elders that they are witnesses that he would buy back the land that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to his sons, Chilion and Mahlon. He continued that the redemption of the land included Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon and he would take her as his wife to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance, so that his name will not disappear from among his brothers nor from the gate of his birthplace. He again announces that the elders and the people standing there hearing him and watching these proceedings are witnesses.
The elders and the people respond that they are witnesses and they pronounce the blessing of the LORD upon Ruth and Boaz, praying that the LORD will make Ruth like Rachel and Leah, the two wives of Jacob that built the house of Israel. Then they pray that the LORD would cause Boaz to achieve wealth in Ephrathah (the ancient name for Bethlehem) and that he would be famous in Bethlehem. Then speaking more specifically of the tribe from which the people of Bethlehem were descended they ask that Boaz’s house be like the house of Perez whom Tamar bore to Judah through the offspring which the LORD will give you by this young woman. The witnesses offer a blessing of prosperity and fruitfulness on Boaz and Ruth.
With the official duties taken care of, Boaz wastes no time in fulfilling his promise to Ruth to redeem her. We read that He took Ruth, what a happy celebration that must have been when he arrived at Naomi’s house with the good news of the outcome of the matter. Ruth had been patiently waiting for the news. Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife, and they consummated their marriage, and the LORD answered the prayers of the witnesses and enabled Ruth to conceive, and nine months later she gave birth to a son. The name of her deceased husband and the name of Elimelech would live on in the city of Bethlehem through this child.
OBED THE REDEEMER (Ruth 4:14-17)
Naomi has a grandson, and as she takes this child into her arms the women of Bethlehem pronounce a blessing on her too. Listen carefully to what they say, “Then the women said to Naomi, ‘Blessed is the Lord who has not left you without a redeemer today, and may his name become famous in Israel. May he also be to you a restorer of life and a sustainer of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.’ ” (Ruth 4:14–15, NASB95)[4] This blessing can only mean one thing, this baby boy that Naomi holds is a redeemer too. He is a gift from Ruth, who has stuck with her mother-in-law and loved her all the way through the grief and loss that she has suffered. He is a gift from Boaz, who has acted honorably by taking Ruth as his wife. But most of all this baby is a gift from God, and the final answer to Naomi’s bitterness and emptiness. Naomi is not an extremely old woman yet, there is time for this baby to grow into a young man who will renew her life and support her in her old age. More than this, this redeemer is a baby born in Bethlehem which opens this history toward the future—not just the near future, but the distant future as well, as we will see by the way this book ends.
JESUS CHRIST, OUR KINSMAN-REDEEMER (Ruth 4:17-22)
This chapter and the whole book of Ruth ends with the naming of the newborn son and an account of what followed from his birth. Verse 17 tells us that the neighbor women gave this newborn his name, I am sure that Boaz and Ruth had some say as they named him Obed. The fact that the baby lies in Naomi’s lap instead of Ruth’s and is named by the neighbor women instead of by Boaz suggests that something is going on here that the parents could not have predicted and cannot control. The child has a larger significance than simply being theirs. This baby born in Bethlehem turned out to be the grandfather of King David! And that was only the beginning. The royal line of David continued right through the Old Testament and into the New Testament until it reached its climax in another baby born in Bethlehem in Matthew chapter 1. These words in verses 18-22 of Ruth four that say, “Now these are the generations of Perez: to Perez was born Hezron, and to Hezron was born Ram, and to Ram, Amminadab, and to Amminadab was born Nahshon, and to Nahshon, Salmon, and to Salmon was born Boaz, and to Boaz, Obed, and to Obed was born Jesse, and to Jesse, David.” (Ruth 4:18–22, NASB95)[5] These same words are reproduced by Matthew in the genealogy of Jesus Christ in the opening verses of Matthew 1. What happened in Bethlehem “in the days when the judges governed” was small, but it was also big—very big! Was this second baby born in Bethlehem also a redeemer? Yes, He was. The angel told Joseph in Matthew 1:21, “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21, NASB95)[6] The name Jesus means Savior and “save” is another word for “redeem.” Jesus came to redeem people and we know from God’s Word that this plan of redemption was to extend far beyond Israel and include people of all nations. With Jesus, “His people” was to take on a whole new meaning—not just Jews but Gentiles as well, people like us, of whatever background we are. So the acceptance of Ruth into Israel in the time of the judges was a sign of a greater reality to come. And from what did Jesus Christ redeem us? From our sins that had broken our relationship with God, from the emptiness of life without God, and from the judgment we deserved for rejecting God. And how did Jesus Christ do this? By His death for us on the cross. As our Redeemer He was a near kinsman, having become like us, taking on human flesh he became related to us. As our Redeemer He was able to redeem us, the death of the sinless Son of man was the required payment for sin. As our Redeemer He was willing to redeem us because like Boaz loved Ruth, Jesus Christ loves us. Finally, as our Redeemer He was free from the calamity which occasioned our need for redemption. The calamity was sin, and as the sinless Son of God He was the only One who could redeem us. Peter wrote in his first epistle, “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.” (1 Peter 1:18–19, NIV84)[7] Jesus Christ is the greatest Redeemer of all.
CONCLUSION:
This morning I asked that our closing hymn be “There is a Redeemer” written by Melody Green, the wife of Keith Green. No song could be a more perfect theme song for the book of Ruth, especially this last chapter. This theme is prepared for in the first chapter and the description of Naomi’s desperate condition. Then it is very so softly hinted at in chapter two verse one with the introduction of Boaz, a relative of Naomi’s husband and a worthy man. Then at the end of that chapter this theme is directly introduced with the revelation that “he is one of our kinsman-redeemers. Then this theme is taken further by the promise to redeem Ruth (and by extension Naomi) in chapter three. It is not until chapter four that the theme bursts into full bloom and opens out toward its fulfillment in Christ. The book of Ruth is a true history and within this history we find the story of redeeming love. First, there is the redeemer who did not redeem because he did not love, then the redeemer who did redeem because he loved. Then comes Obed who is God’s love gift to Ruth and Naomi. And finally, already beginning to lighten the sky like the rising sun in the closing verses of Ruth, comes Jesus, the great Son of David, God’s love gift to you and me. And through all of this we have seen the work of a sovereign God quietly but powerfully working all things together for good for the sake of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. God’s redeeming love can be seen as He sovereignly orchestrates His perfect plan.
Judges and Ruth have taken us on quite a trip through history. From the seeming chaos of the judges’ period to the calm of Bethlehem, from the seemingly impossible problem of Israel’s cycle of sin to the birth of a redeemer. Judges ended in the muted hope of a king; Ruth ends with King David. Who can help but see here the work of a sovereign God who never gives up on His people in spite of their sin? And who cannot see here the great, reassuring, and shining truth that chaos is not all-powerful, but God is? That truth is laid down at the very beginning of the Bible as a foundation stone for all that follows: “The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters.” (Genesis 1:2, NASB95)[8] Genesis 1 and 2 are about God bringing order, life, and beauty out of the chaos of unformed matter. The rest of the Bible is about God bringing order out of the moral and spiritual chaos caused by human sin, and the end result is the new heavens and the new earth of Revelation 20-21 where there is no more chaos. And the key to it all is a Redeemer born in Bethlehem. The Old Testament looks forward to His coming; the New Testament announces His arrival and recounts all that followed from it. The books of Judges and Ruth are just one part of that great history of creation and redemption.
There is a Redeemer! That is the message with which Judges and Ruth leave us. It is a wonder to marvel at, something to sing about, and a truth never to be forgotten, especially when we find ourselves betrayed again by our own sinfulness. And when the moral and spiritual chaos all around and within seems overwhelming, we need never despair, because a baby has been born in Bethlehem. Light has come into the world, and darkness never has and never will be able to put it out. Remember that God is always with you even in the midst of the chaos.
[1]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.
[2]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.
[3]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.
[4]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.
[5]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.
[6]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.
[7]The Holy Bible: New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1984.
[8]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.