“Love Wins! And So Do We!!”
By Pastor Rich Paradis
Ruth 4:13-22
We’ve
made it! But not so fast. As in so many books of the Bible, the last few words
have a powerful connection and impact going forward. Some might be led to
believe that this genealogy as the conclusion is nothing more than a postscript
on all that’s happened, but nothing could be further from the truth. The
connection is made in these concluding verses to David and our Lord and Savior,
Jesus Christ!
I.
A Marriage and a Baby Ruth
4:13-17
a.
Sometimes
when you are studying the Bible, there are sets of verses that cover a lot of
time and sometimes less. As we get to this short portion of Scripture, let’s
notice a few time measurements:
i. Ruth 1:1-5 was a
timeline of not shorter than 10 years.
ii. Ruth 1:6-4:12
was a timeline of no more than 2-3 months.
iii. Ruth 4:13 is a
timeline of at least 9 months.
b.
As
we open Verse 13, we are given no
details on the wedding, the reception or the honeymoon. Perhaps in this lack of
detail we are given confirmation that the author of this book, though unnamed, must be a man! But
all humor aside, we now have the synopsis of the first year of marriage in this
verse alone. Boaz and Ruth are married, and a son is born. It is noteworthy to
see that the Lord is the One who enabled her to conceive. Remember that for the
10 years that she and Mahlon had been married, she had not had any children.
c.
Whether
we are re-connecting with “the women” of Ruth 1:19 or not is unknown, but there
does seem to be a difference in the groups as the Ruth 1:19 women are the “town
women”, while the group currently being discussed are the “neighborhood women”.
Whatever the case, we now hear again from a group of women in the community.
The women of chapter 1 were speaking with a Naomi that was empty and bitter.
But now, these women are talking with a Naomi that is full. Verse 14 shares the account of their
meeting following the birth of a son to Boaz and Ruth. The women are quick to
give glory to the One who had provided a redeemer for Naomi, the Lord Himself!
But who is this redeemer? Is it Boaz? The Lord Himself? No, the redeemer that
has been provided for Naomi is the baby! While they don’t know the magnitude of
their own words as they pronounce blessing on the Lord and a desire for the
baby’s fame in Israel, they are really saying a mouthful as we will see in a
moment.
d.
Any
woman who has enjoyed the news of a baby born to their children will understand
Verse 15. For the grandmother
especially, the birth of a grandchild is a “restorer of life” and a “sustainer
in their old age”. A grandchild, to an older woman, is a blessing beyond
compare. At a time when life may be settling out a bit, a grandchild introduces
a new and exciting chapter to her life.
e.
Another
recognition of the wonderful relationship that Naomi and Ruth had is noted as
the verse continues. Ruth loves her! This baby is here and the implied desire
for the boy to have a meaningful relationship with Naomi is an important part
of the story. In fact, in light of the incredible emphasis that is put on males
in the Old Testament, the statement regarding Ruth’s worth as that of “7 sons”
is amazing. For those of you interested in numerology, note the “7” in relation
to sons. Seven is the number of completion and perfection. What a huge
compliment to Ruth and her relationship to this new grandma!
f.
The
story continues to unfold in Verse 16
with Naomi taking the child and laying him in her lap. The word “nurse” here
means guardian or caregiver. Naomi will have an important role in raising and
caring for this little on going forward. Can you imagine the incredible sense
of gratitude and reflection that must have been going on in the mind and heart
of Naomi as she held this little boy in her lap and remembered all that had
happened in her life up to this point?
g.
The
importance of this connection and the provision of God toward this once empty
one are emphasized in Verse 17. In a
strange happening, the women of the neighborhood name the child of Ruth and
Boaz. Again noting the importance of
this grandson to Naomi and the provision of God to her (as well as Boaz and
Ruth!), the women note that “a son has been born to Naomi!”
h.
His
name would be Obed. The name is not only beautiful, but fitting, in that it
means “servant”. This little one, Obed, would serve the parents as a great
blessing, his grandmother as a blessing and reminder of God’s provision to her,
the family in that he is of the line of Judah, and the nation of Israel as will
be noted in his connection to King David in the next verses.
i.
And
“Oh, Yeah”. This little one will serve us in that he will be in the direct line
to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!!!
II.
A
Connection Worth Noticing Ruth 4:18-22
a.
With
the completion of the “story”, we are now left to consider a genealogy that
completes the book for us. Genealogies are interesting things in the Bible and
play different roles depending on their placement and their need to the greater
story being shared at the time. Sometimes genealogies are complete in that they
offer chronologically and unbroken connections between generations. On the
other hand, sometimes genealogies are incomplete, not to throw us off or to
disrespect generations that are missing, but to simply note a line of people,
their importance, and a connection to something that is very important going
forward.
b.
The
genealogy offered here is without question not complete. It does not take us
back to Adam (Luke 3:23-38), or to David (Matthew 1:1-17) as the genealogies of
Jesus do in the New Testament. But it does make a couple of connections that
are critical going forward in the meta-narrative of Scripture. Verses 18-22 offer a genealogy that is
noteworthy in a few ways:
i. It is composed
of 10 names. The first five cover a period from the entry into Egypt to the
time of Moses. (Genesis 46 – Exodus 6) The second group of five names covers a
period from early settlement in Canaan to the closing period of the judges.
ii. While
incomplete, it is authenticated by the fact that no Jewish writer would create
an ancestry for David that included a Moabitess without a valid basis.
iii. It begins with
Perez, the son of Tamar, who is the founder of a family of Judah that was name
for him.(the Perezites). Both Elimelech and Boaz belonged to this family. With
the naming of Boaz, the rest of the genealogy falls into place. Neither Mahlon
or Elimelech are mentioned in this genealogy as the “legal” fathers of Obed.
Instead Boaz, his “natural” father is listed.
iv. The connection
to David is contained in the genealogy. Obed is the father of Jesse, and Jesse
is the father of David.
v. And as we
consider the genealogy of Matthew 1:1-17, we are connected to most wonderful of
truths. This story, with all of its twists and turns, has been the stage for
the birth of a baby that is not only connected to David, but to our Lord Jesus
Christ!
III.
An
Application For All Of Us
a.
What
a story! We have visited both despair and incredible triumph in just 4
chapters. What are some of the things that must be remembered as we complete
our time in the book of Ruth?
i. The providence
of God (noted in the famine, deaths, Ruth’s choice of Boaz’s field to glean,
his attraction to her, etc.)
ii. The reality of
God’s presence even when unseen.
iii. The idea of
redemption that will again and best be demonstrated in Jesus Christ.
iv. The fact of
covenant loyalty and its reward. (i.e. 1:8, 2:20, and 3:10)
v. God’s
sovereignty.
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