Ruth 4:13-22
Ruth and Boaz Marry
13 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. 14 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! 15 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 given birth to him.” 16 Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her lap and became his nurse. 17 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.
The Genealogy of David
18 Now these are the generations of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron, 19 Hezron fathered Ram, Ram fathered Amminadab, 20 Amminadab fathered Nahshon, Nahshon fathered Salmon, 21 Salmon fathered Boaz, Boaz fathered Obed, 22 Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David.
In our study, Ruth is usually mentioned and referred to as Ruth the Moabite. The Moabites were idolatrous pagans and accursed by God. In their pagan beliefs, they would sacrifice their own children to their gods, an atrocious and horrific evil that angered God. However, here in our passage today, Ruth 4:13 says, “So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife.” She is no longer referred to as Ruth the Moabite. She’s been redeemed and is called Boaz’s wife. Blessings come upon blessings for Ruth because of her virtue. God gave her a new identity, a new family, and a new life. God also gave Ruth and Boaz a son, who they named Obed.
When God saves, he gives a new heart and a new life to all who believe and trust in Him. For example, Naomi returned to Bethlehem after her family sojourned for 10 years in Moab. The people could not believe what they were seeing and asked, ‘Could this be Naomi?’ That was then. Naomi and Ruth came home with no means of support. They were poor, tired, and filthy from their long journey. But now, Naomi and Ruth have been redeemed. These same townspeople who once were appalled, are now rejoicing with Naomi and said in Ruth 4:14-15, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel! 15 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 given birth to him.” Where once, Naomi and Ruth suffered from their plight, yet now they have been restored in the eyes of many witnesses. Ruth was blessed with a son, Obed, who grew and became the father of Salmon. Salmon grew and became the father of Jessie. Jessie grew and became the father of David, who became king of all Israel! And to David, God promised that through him, His kingdom would never end. Through this lineage of David, from Ruth and Boaz, our Kinsmen Redeemer came, who is Jesus Christ our Lord God and Savior. Ruth’s name is pinned in Scripture in Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus Christ along with four other women who made notoriety: Tamar (who deceived her father-in-law and became pregnant by him), Rahab (who is referred to as the prostitute), Ruth (the idolatrous Moabite), Bathsheba (who committed adultery with King David), and Mary (a young virgin). These are a few examples of those who are blessed when they are redeemed!
Another example happened centuries later. The people of Judah rejected God and worshiped other gods. The prophet Jeremiah says to the people of Judah they will go into exile to Babylon because they rejected their God. They will serve in Babylon for 70 years. But God will visit them in their sorrow and bring them back to their land. In this prophecy, Jeremiah 31:11-13 says,
11For the Lord has ransomed Jacob
and has redeemed him from hands too strong for him.
12 They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion,
and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the Lord,
over the grain, the wine, and the oil,
and over the young of the flock and the herd;
their life shall be like a watered garden,
and they shall languish no more.
13 Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance,
and the young men and the old shall be merry.
I will turn their mourning into joy;
I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow.
In the same way, we who were once sinners, but now by the grace of God that comes through faith in Jesus Christ, are now saints and children of the living God. No longer are we considered slaves to sin, useless, and unworthy because of our sinful desires. We have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb of God. Jesus Christ took our sins upon himself when he died on the cross on Calvary’s hill. Oh, what a great price God paid for such undeserving people. The Apostle Paul describes this changed life in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” Zaccheaus, the tax collector in Luke 19:1-10, is another great example of a changed life because of Christ. Zaccheaus said if he had extorted any money from anyone, he would pay back four times the amount of money.
In application, how do we know we have been redeemed? The answer is in Scripture. Yet, so sadly, many do not take heed. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 7:13, “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many.” This is why Jesus said, “For many are called, but few are chosen” in Matthew 22:14. Who then can be saved? Jesus answered this question in Matthew 19:26 and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” To get it right, we must believe in Jesus Christ, God’s Son who came to die so we may have the free gift of eternal life. With our changed hearts, we deny ourselves of worldly pleasures, take up our cross, and follow Jesus. Are you following Jesus? Are you living for him, becoming like him, and imitating Him? When people look at you, do they see Jesus? Are you redeemed by the blood of the Lamb?
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My Redeeming Lord God! I praise and worship you for choosing me when i was unlovely and an enemy of God. But You gave me a new heart and a new life in Christ Jesus my Lord. Thank you. I worship You. I do confess that I many times trample upon the blood of Christ when I sin. Forgive me of my sins and restore my heart. Make me pure by loving Your Word and trusting in You. In Jesus’ Name, I pray, amen!
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Since I Have Been Redeemed, by Edwin O. Excell in 1884
