In Chapter Three, we saw Ruth at the feet of Boaz on the
threshing floor.
Ruth has come to Bethlehem with Naomi seeking Grace and
Rest. She has found both, and added to those two in service to her chosen
husband.
The Church seeks, first of all, the Grace of Christ. In
gaining that GRACE, she finds her REST in Christ – for the Lord Jesus Christ is
our Eternal Sabbath and Passover.
In finding REST, Ruth has also found the joy of service in
the household of Boaz. That service is not laborious because Boaz has seen to
it that “Handfuls on Purpose” are broadcast before Ruth as she gleans. The
labors of Ruth are those of Boaz, and so the labors of the Church are those of
Christ.
The story of Boaz and Ruth is the story of Christ and His Church in microcosm.
It is a Garden of Grace in the midst of Judgment (Judges) and the rule of the
kings (1 Samuel).
Ruth had no claim on Boaz except by way of Naomi. She would
not have come to Bethlehem except for Naomi. She is a gentile woman whose race
was not well-received by the Israelites. Yet, Ruth comes to be redeemed by Boaz
just as was Naomi – the Hebrew wife of Elimelech.
It is easy to draw herein a parallel between the Jew and the
Gentile who were both redeemed by Christ (the Jewess being Naomi, and the
Gentile being Ruth – the Church).
But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh
good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: For there is no respect
of persons with God.
(Romans 2:10-11))
After being confronted with his love for Ruth, Boaz wastes
no time in finding the nearest kinsman to settle the matter over who will
redeem Ruth and Naomi. He has a plan that works perfectly to his favor.
Then
went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold, the kinsman of
whom Boaz spake came by; unto whom he said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit
down here. (Ruth 4:1)
It was the custom to settle all disputes at the gate of the
city. So Boaz goes to the gate and awaits the accustomed passage of the nearest
kinsman-redeemer. The kinsman redeemer was the closest male relative who could
purchase all of the properties from loss of those he should redeem of his
family’s widowed wives.
Boaz was a very able business man who knew how to negotiate
and close the deal. He would open with the advantage of redemption rather than
its adverse element, but close with the unpleasant aspects thereof.
. . . he
said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside, and sat
down. And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye down
here. And they sat down. (Ruth 4:1-2)
Boaz made the nearest kinsman redeemer feel that he (Boaz)
had no special interest in redeeming Ruth. “What a deal I have for you”
it would seem! Boaz had brought ten men of the city as witnesses to insure the
deal stuck! And he said unto the kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of
the country of Moab, selleth a parcel of land, which was our brother
Elimelech's Ruth. (Ruth 4:3)
*Note that Boaz does not mention the beautiful Ruth to the
man! This kinsman redeemer probably has not seen Ruth.
And I thought to advertise thee, saying, Buy it before the
inhabitants, and before the elders of my people. If thou wilt redeem it, redeem
it: but if thou wilt not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know: for there is
none to redeem it beside thee; and I am after thee. And he said, I will redeem
it. (Ruth
4:4)
Boaz begins by appealing to the man’s greed for land – the
same greed that will finally cause him to refuse the redemption. (The law of
redemption was in place to prevent the land which God had given to Israel from
falling into the hands of strangers.) Boaz has enticed the man with the best of
the story, but will next reveal a most unbecoming feature of the redemption.
Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand
of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to
raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance. (Ruth
4:5)
This last responsibility is a bridge too far for the
kinsman-redeemer. Probably unaware of the value of Ruth, he thinks of his own
inheritance and his own children who would be losing out if he redeemed Ruth.
And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I
mar mine own inheritance: redeem thou my right to thyself; for I cannot redeem
it. (Ruth
4:6) Boaz is
inwardly elated as his plan is successful. He will now seal the deal according
to tradition!
Now this was the manner in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and
concerning changing, for to confirm all things; a man plucked off his shoe, and
gave it to his neighbour: and this was a testimony in Israel. 8 Therefore
the kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for thee. So he drew off his shoe. (Ruth
4:7-8))
And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye are witnesses
this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, and all that was
Chilion's and Mahlon's, of the hand of Naomi. Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the
wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the
dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off from among
his brethren, and from the gate of his place: ye are witnesses this day.
And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, We are
witnesses. The LORD make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and
like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in
Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem: And let thy house be like the house
of Pharez, whom Tamar bare unto Judah, of the seed which the LORD shall give
thee of this young woman. (Ruth 4:9-12)
The blessings uttered by the witnesses were more profound than they understood
for Ruth truly would preserve the line of Jacob as through Leah and Rachel –
the whole of Israel – but by means of the womb of a gentile.
So perfectly preserved was the accounted line that Jesus
Christ would be accounted of the line of Boaz and Ruth – one Jewish, the other
Gentile. Do you see God’s perfect plan of redemption coming into focus here?
So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in
unto her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bare a son. And the women said
unto Naomi, Blessed be the LORD, which hath not left thee this day without a
kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel. (Ruth
4:13-14)
It is important to point out that, like Christ for His
bride, Boaz was not ashamed of his bride, Ruth – the Moabitess gentile of a
cursed race.
We are all of the race of Adam and we are cursed by his
blood; in fact, the last Word of the Book of the Old Testament is “CURSE” for
the Law is a curse to us; but the last Word of the New Testament is:
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. (Rev
22:21)
Please observe the blessing which the women of Bethlehem
convey upon Naomi, Ruth, and her seed:
Blessed be the LORD, which hath not left thee this day
without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel. 15 And
he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine
old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to
thee than seven sons, hath born him. (Ruth 4:14-15)
There is no name like unto that of Jesus – either in Israel
or beyond. He is the most known ever born of woman. Jesus is a restorer to life
of Naomi and all who sleep in the dust of the earth and know Him. And
Jesus is a nourisher of our old age. And in that day there shall be a root
of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the
Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. (Isaiah
11:10)
It should be remembered that Ruth became the grandmother of Jesse, the father
of David, through which the recorded line of Jesus descended. Jesus is
that Root of Jesse and that Ensign behind which the Church rallies.
It is seemingly by the magic of Grace by which Ruth, a member of the accursed
Moabite Gentiles, became presumed ancestor of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and
became nurse unto it. And the women her neighbours gave it a name,
saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the
father of Jesse, the father of David. Now these are the generations of Pharez:
Pharez begat Hezron, And Hezron begat Ram, and Ram begat Amminadab, And
Amminadab begat Nahshon, and Nahshon begat Salmon, And Salmon begat Boaz,
and Boaz begat Obed, And Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David. (Ruth
4:16-22)
Remarkable is the fact that Ruth (a Gentile) gave birth to
the child, and Naomi (a Jewess) nursed it. (You can’t make this stuff up! God
is amazing!)
This completes our cursory study of the Book of Ruth. It is
the desire of the writer that this presentation will spur a greater interest in
the Book of Ruth and be a means by which far greater study is made by the
reader.
