Ruth: Part 4

[Insert Music Here]

Welcome! To Our Ancient Future Story: Navigating Scripture Through the Eyes of Family. Where I share with you, Biblical stories, as a family member would tell a story around the dinner table. As children of God, we are a part of God’s family, and His family story has a lot of history. Each week, we will take one story and talk about it, the cultural, historical, geographical, and sociological impacts. We will be looking at these stories from the perspective of our ancestors, through the lens of ancient times, in hopes of learning more about our family. This is Our Ancient Future Story.

[Insert Music Here]

WELCOME: 

Welcome back to Our Ancient Future Story, I’m Vic, and I am so excited to continue our story of Ruth and Naomi! Today we will dive into the conclusion the story of Ruth. We will see how Yahweh was faithful to Naomi and to Ruth, far beyond anything they could have hoped or imagined. And he did it through the Family Redeemer. Whose act of honor would eventually bring forth the Ultimate Redeemer, Jesus into the world. 

So, sit back, grab your cup of coffee or something to drink and get ready to hear the final part of the story of Ruth.

[Insert Music Here]

TELL THE STORY:

When we left off last time, Boaz was going into town to do what had to be done to redeem Ruth and Naomi. So, the final chapter opens with Boaz hanging out by the town gates, where the Elders would reside, when he saw the closer family redeemer walk by. He called him over and offered this proposition. “Naomi, who has come back from the land of Moab, is selling a parcel of land, that was our brother Elimelek’s. Buy it in the presence of those sitting here, and before the elders of my people. If you want to redeem it, redeem it. But if not, tell me, so that I may redeem it for I am next in line after you.”

The Closer family redeemer, said, “I will redeem it”

But then Boaz throws in the catch. “When you buy the field from Naomi you will also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the wife of our dead relative, so that you may preserve his name, and family line. 

At this the closer family redeemer declined. “I cannot redeem her for it will damage my own inheritance. You take the right to redeem, because I cannot redeem it.”

The closer family redeemer, took off his sandals and said, “Boaz redeem it for yourself.” 

Boaz turned to the  people in the gate and the Elders watching this exchange and said, “You are witnesses today, that I have acquired all that was Elimelek’s and all that was Mahlon’s and Chilion’s. Including Ruth the Moabite, to be my wife and preserve the family line of Mahlon. So that future generations will not forgot his name. Today you are all witnesses.” 

All those standing around the gates including the Elders confirmed, “We are witnesses! May the LORD make her like Rachel and Leah who together build the house of Israel. May you prosper in Ephrathah and become famous in Bethlehem. May you be prosperous like Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.” 

So, Boaz took Ruth to be his wife and they conceived, and she bore a son and named him Obed. 

The whole city of Bethlehem was ecstatic about this baby born to preserve the line of Mahlon. And the woman gathered around Naomi, and they celebrated the faithfulness of Yahweh. Who provided a family redeemer to bring back life and hope to Naomi. Then Naomi held Obed and cared for him. 

And that is how the story of Ruth ends. When Ruth and Naomi had no hope. No chance of a future. Yahweh provided and gave them light, joy and hope. Naomi had said that she had left Bethlehem full but returned empty. But now Yahweh has over blessed her. She just didn’t know by how much yet. 

See, Obed, would grow up to be the father of Jesse, who is the Father of King David. And from this family line, would come the Ultimate Redeemer. Jesus! 

[Insert Music Here]

LOCATION: WHERE ARE WE? 

Our story takes place in City Gates. Now you might be thinking that isn’t really that significant. But it is actually very intentional. Because the city gates was the place where the Elders, and the decision makers would reside and make judgements on disagreements, exchange of property, or any other simple disputes that needs to be resolved. 

Kind of like our local government today. They handle the small cases. And only after going through several levels of government does a case go to the Supreme court. Likewise, Israel had Elders in every town who would preside over on simple cases and took things to the Judge of Israel only when it was too difficult for them to decide. This was the governmental style Moses set up during the 40 years in the desert. 

So, Boaz goes to the city gates to meet with the other family redeemer in the presence of the Elders so that it would be a legal transaction. 

MAIN POINTS

If you grew up in church you probably have heard this story a few times, or at least parts of this story a few times. But there is one thing that I think is interesting and will help us shape the context of this story. The Process of Redemption. 

NUMBER ONE: Process of Redemption

            Remember the Family redeemer was intended to keep the land owned by the family, in the family, even when the owner fell on hard times. But the Family Redeemer also held the responsibility of continuing the family line of their deceased brother. This was to ensure the lineage and name of that brother would continue.

             The act of taking off one’s sandals was a sign that you were disgraced. You were choosing to not do the honorable thing and therefore you were shamed. Remember this is an Honor/Shame culture, so they valued what was honorable. And one of the most honorable things you could do was preserve the family line, so that the family member would not be forgotten. This was established way back with Moses and the Levitical Law. When we look back at Deuteronomy 25:5-10 we get the full picture of what the process of Redemption was supposed to look like, as well as the punishment for not redeeming.

If brothers are living together and one of them dies without a son, his widow must not marry outside the family. Her husband’s brother shall take her and marry her and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to her. The first son she bears shall carry on the name of the dead brother so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel. However, if a man does not want to marry his brother’s wife, she shall go to the elders at the town gate and say, “My husband’s brother refuses to carry on his brother’s name in Israel. He will not fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to me.”

Then the elders of his town shall summon him and talk to him. If he persists in saying, “I do not want to marry her,” his brother’s widow shall go up to him in the presence of the elders, take off one of his sandals, spit in his face and say, “This is what is done to the man who will not build up his brother’s family line.” That man’s line shall be known in Israel as The Family of the Unsandaled.

The Unsandaled one. Doesn’t seem like that much of an insult to us today, but that name sticks with the one who took off their sandal for the rest of their life. In fact it sticks with their kids for their lives as well. This is generational shame! That means for generations everyone would know that their father acted dishonorably by refusing to uphold his responsibility as the family redeemer. 

            So, it begs the question what was the inheritance the closer family redeemer was trying to protect? And was it worth it? His legacy is forever altered because of his refusal to redeem Ruth. In truth, we don’t really know what the inheritance he was talking about or how it would be disrupted with taking on Ruth. But we can assume he has a wife and children already who have been promised all his possessions. And to add another wife and child to the mix would cause him to not be able to provide for his current wife and children. So, instead he took on the generational shame and refused to redeem Ruth. 

POINTS TO JESUS

             We end the book of Ruth with Genealogy, which can be a weird way to end a story. But in this case, the genealogy tells us why this story is so important. It is the story of King David’s great-grandparents. Without Ruth’s kindness and Boaz’s Redemption there isn’t a line of David. And without the line of David there isn’t the promise of Jesus.

            And as we have discussed in the last few Episodes Jesus is the Ultimate Redeemer. He bought us back from slavery of sin so that we can be united with Him forever. It is not by accident that the third cup at Passover meal is the Cup of Redemption. When Jesus took that cup at the last supper and said, “This is my blood, poured out for you!” He was quoting an Israeli marriage proposal liturgy. It’s a promise of a covenant. By receiving the cup, we are agreeing to this new covenant of Redemption. He has bought us back! We are free! And with it comes new life, joy, and hope! 

READ THE PASSAGE

Before we go, I want to close our time together by reading the scripture from which our story comes from today in Ruth 4. I hope that as you listen to this chapter being read that you will embrace all that we have learned, and that this passage will be illuminated for you. Let’s Read.

Meanwhile Boaz went up to the town gate and sat down there just as the guardian-redeemer he had mentioned came along. Boaz said, “Come over here, my friend, and sit down.” So he went over and sat down. Boaz took ten of the elders of the town and said, “Sit here,” and they did so. Then he said to the guardian-redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our relative Elimelek. I thought I should bring the matter to your attention and suggest that you buy it in the presence of these seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, do so. But if you will not, tell me, so I will know. For no one has the right to do it except you, and I am next in line.” “I will redeem it,” he said. Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the land from Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the dead man’s widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property.”

At this, the guardian-redeemer said, “Then I cannot redeem it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it.” (Now in earlier times in Israel, for the redemption and transfer of property to become final, one party took off his sandal and gave it to the other. This was the method of legalizing transactions in Israel.) So the guardian-redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it yourself.” And he removed his sandal. Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, “Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Chilion and Mahlon. I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from his hometown. Today you are witnesses!” Then the elders and all the people at the gate said, “We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the family of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. Through the offspring the LORD gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.”

So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. The women said to Naomi: “Praise be to the LORD, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.” Then Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him.

The women living there said, “Naomi has a son!” And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David. This, then, is the family line of Perez: Perez was the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, Boaz the father of Obed, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David.

Thank you for listening to today’s episode of Our Ancient Future Story, I hope that you really enjoyed it! This episode was written and produced by me Vic Harmon. Music is Embarking on Adventure by Evan MacDonald. Please Subport the show by subscribing and Rating us. And be sure follow us on Instagram and Facebook @ourancientfuturestory.

See you next time! Bye!