Weekly Devotion no 60
5 November 2021
Bible reading – Ruth 4[1]
Boaz went up to the town gate and sat down there. Right
then, the family protector he had talked about came by. Then Boaz said, “Come
over here, my friend. Sit down.” So the man went over and sat down.
2 Boaz brought ten of the elders of the town together. He
said, “Sit down here.” So they did. 3 Then he spoke to the family protector. He
said, “Naomi has come back from Moab. She’s selling the piece of land that
belonged to our relative Elimelek. 4 I thought I should bring the matter to your
attention. I suggest that you buy the land. Buy it while those sitting here and
the elders of my people are looking on as witnesses. If you are willing to buy
it back, do it. But if you aren’t, tell me. Then I’ll know. No one has the
right to buy it back except you. And I’m next in line.”
“I’ll buy it,” he said.
5 Then Boaz said, “When you buy the property from Naomi,
you must also marry Ruth. She is from Moab and is the dead man’s widow. So you
must marry her. That’s because his property must continue to belong to his family.”
6 When the family protector heard that, he said, “Then I
can’t buy the land. If I did, I might put my own property in danger. So you buy
it. I can’t do it.”
7 In earlier times in Israel, there was a certain
practice. It was used when family land was bought back and changed owners. The
practice made the sale final. One person would take his sandal off and give it
to the other. That was how people in Israel showed that a business matter had
been settled.
8 So the family protector said to Boaz, “Buy it yourself.”
And he took his sandal off.
9 Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “Today
you are witnesses. You have seen that I have bought land from Naomi. I have
bought all the property that had belonged to Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon. 10 I’ve also
taken Ruth, who is from Moab, to become my wife. She is Mahlon’s widow. I’ve
decided to marry her so the dead man’s name will stay with his property. Now
his name won’t disappear from his family line or from his hometown. Today you
are witnesses!”
11 Then the elders and all the people at the gate said,
“We are witnesses. The woman is coming into your home. May the Lord make her like Rachel and
Leah. Together they built up the family of Israel. May you be an important
person in Ephrathah. May you be famous in Bethlehem. 12 The Lord will give you children
through this young woman. May your family be like the family of Perez. He was
the son Tamar had by Judah.”
13 So Boaz married Ruth. Then he slept with her. The Lord blessed her so that she
became pregnant. And she had a son. 14 The women said to Naomi, “We praise the Lord. Today he has provided a family
protector for you. May this child become famous all over Israel! 15 He will make
your life new again. He’ll take care of you when you are old. He’s the son of
your very own daughter-in-law. She loves you. She is better to you than seven
sons.”
16 Then Naomi took the child in her arms and took care of
him. 17 The
women living there said, “Naomi has a son!” They named him Obed. He was the
father of Jesse. Jesse was the father of David.
18 Here is the family line of Perez.
Perez was the father of Hezron.
19 Hezron was the father of Ram.
Ram was the father of Amminadab.
20 Amminadab was the father of
Nahshon.
Nahshon was the father of Salmon.
21 Salmon was the father of Boaz.
Boaz was the father of Obed.
22 Obed was the father of Jesse.
And Jesse was the father of David.
Reflection
Do you have grandchildren? If so, it’s probably hard just now not being able to see them in lockdown. But consider the first time you held them as a baby, as you looked down in wonder at this child that wasn’t your own, but was connected to you so deeply that you were overwhelmed with love for them.
We finish our story today with a picture of Naomi holding her grandson Obed. After years of bitter experience, the death of her husband and her two sons, here is Naomi full of joy as she cares for the son of Boaz and Ruth.
The local women pray that Naomi’s grandson would be famous throughout Israel. At the end of this story we hear the family tree of Obed and find out that Obed’s grandson is King David. And if we look in Matthew 1 we then see that Jesus is from the line of David. So, through the faithfulness of Ruth a foreigner, and Boaz a guardian redeemer, we see the promise of hope and the fulfilment of the prayer of the women that this child would have an impact greater than they were aware.
This story of Ruth has shown us how God has displayed his hesed in the lives of ordinary people like Naomi, Ruth and Boaz. He has worked behind the scenes for his purpose in their lives, but also in the part they will play in history. For out of their ordinariness came the extraordinary lineage of Jesus, who is our guardian redeemer, and through whom we can have a relationship with God.
Like Naomi, Ruth and Boaz we might not be fully aware of how God has used our lives to further his purpose. We might have touched people’s lives and never know the impact we’ve had on them. And we might die still wondering if we have made a difference. But this story reminds us that God is still weaving these loose ends together in a wonderful tapestry that will bring blessing and answers to prayer beyond what we can only imagine. As the old hymn goes:
God is working his
purpose out,
as year succeeds to
year:
God is working his
purpose out,
and the time is
drawing near:
nearer and nearer
draws the time,
the time that shall
surely be,
when the earth shall
be filled
with the glory of
God,
as the waters cover
the sea.[1]
Hymn
Verse 1
Under
His wings I am safely abiding.
Tho'
the night deepens and tempests are wild,
Still
I can trust Him; I know He will keep me.
He
has redeemed me, and I am His child.
Refrain
Under
His wings, under His wings,
Who
from His love can sever?
Under
His wings my soul shall abide,
Safely abide forever.
Verse 2
Under
His wings, what a refuge in sorrow!
How
the heart yearningly turns to His rest!
Often
when earth has no balm for my healing,
There
I find comfort, and there I am blest.
[Refrain]
Verse 3
Under
His wings, oh, what precious enjoyment!
There
will I hide till life’s trials are o’er;
Sheltered,
protected, no evil can harm me.
Resting
in Jesus, I’m safe evermore.
[Refrain]
William Cushing © 1875 Public Domain CCLI:69198
Prayer
Almighty
and everlasting God,
give
to us the increase of faith, hope and love;
and,
that we may obtain what you promise,
make
us to love what you command;
through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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