Ruth bore a son named Obed, who would become the grandfather of king David.
Consistent with the character we have seen to this point, Boaz follows through on his commitment. Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife, and he went in to her. Ruth had already been married to Naomi’s son, and had not conceived children. But now the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. Consistent with the prevailing view that God orchestrates circumstances, the women said to Naomi, “Blessed is the Lord who has not left you without a redeemer today, and may his name become famous in Israel.”
Boaz is the kinsman redeemer, redeeming the land and providing an heir. The descendent of this child, is King David, and the offspring of this act of sacrifice, Jesus, will redeem the entire world.
The women also acknowledge the amazing character of Ruth, they recognize that Ruth loves you and is better to you than seven sons.
Naomi now gets to do what she must have longed to do for many years, be a grandmother. Naomi took the child and laid him in her lap, and became his nurse. It is interesting that the neighbor women gave him a name. They named the boy Obed. Obed was the father of Jesse, the father of David.
We are now told the immense significance of this story. Because Ruth was faithful and served Naomi, and Boaz was faithful and served both Ruth and Naomi, the forefather of King David is born. Obed, aptly, means “serving.” The story closes with a genealogy of King David. It begins with Perez the offspring of an unwitting kinsman redeemer, Judah, who was the kinsman redeemer to Tamar. It then includes the offspring of Boaz, the kinsman redeemer for Ruth. It ends with the birth of King David. This might indicate that this story was transmitted by oral tradition until the time of the kings, when it was committed to paper. Boaz and Ruth’s son Obed was the father of Jesse, and to Jesse was born David, the great king.
This story has many takeaways. God blesses a foreigner with the greatest of blessings, because she sought refuge under His wing. Boaz is given great honor for being willing to serve. The kinsman redeemer is a picture of the Great Kinsman Redeemer who has redeemed us with His life. And God works through ordinary people to do extraordinary things.
God’s plan and agenda cannot be derailed. Notice how the events detailed in the book of Ruth fit into God’s covenant with Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3—
12 Now the Lord said to Abram,
“Go forth from your country,
And from your relatives
And from your father’s house,
To the land which I will show you;
2 And I will make you a great nation,
And I will bless you,
And make your name great;
And so you shall be a blessing;
3 And I will bless those who bless you,
And the one who curses you I will curse.
And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”
The Messiah, Jesus Christ, will come through the lineage of Abraham. The ancestral line of David is a part of this genealogy. All the families of the earth will be blessed through the Lord Jesus Christ.
God’s plan continues to unfold. Even today, His followers are privileged to be included as a part of His out workings in this world, and in the world to come.
Ruth is ultimately an example of a godly wife (Ephesians 5:22-24) and also of the relationship all believers should have with Christ. She was virtuous and faithful while serving others, she was subject to Boaz and submitted herself to his leadership which resulted in him saving her. This kind of marriage is a picture of our relationship with Christ, we are to be submissive and obedient to Christ for he is our leader and ultimately our savior. Our faithfulness to him is for our good. Just as Ruth’s sacrifices and faithfulness to Boaz resulted in him acting as her kinsman-redeemer and providing her great reward, so our faithfulness and submission to Christ will result in our reward (Revelation 3:21).
Ruth and Boaz also serve as a picture of the relationship between a husband and wife and likewise between Christ and the church. Husbands are called to love their wives and sacrifice for them so that they may become the best versions of themselves, behaving more like Christ (Ephesians 5:26-28). Boaz gave up his opportunity for wealth and sacrificed to serve Ruth, modeling how a husband should love his wife. This is also a picture of Christ; Boaz saw Ruth’s character and faithfulness and rewarded it, he made sure she and Naomi were taken care of. In the same way, Christ sacrificed himself for us, helps us to grow, and continues to reward our faithfulness. We will ultimately share in His reward (Revelation 3:21) by ruling with Him.
Ruth is an example of a godly wife and also of the relationship every believer should have with Christ as well as with fellow members of the Body of Christ. Ruth humbly served her mother-in-law ensuring she was cared for and worked very diligently and faithfully. She trusted Boaz’s care for her and submitted to his leadership which ultimately resulted in her great reward. Not only was Ruth a model of what a virtuous woman should be, she is also the model of the relationship all believers should have with their kinsman-redeemer, Jesus.
Ruth went to a foreign land, was faithful in her service to others, and was ultimately rewarded. In the same way, believers are called to live faithfully in this world as a foreign land, with our true citizenship in heaven. We are called to trust God despite our difficult circumstances and be faithful and obedient. This will also result in receiving a great reward provided by our kinsman-redeemer Jesus. Like Boaz, Jesus sacrificed on our behalf and serves us to fulfill our full potential. Ruth is an example to us all of how to live in a way that honors our kinsman-redeemer and results in receiving a great reward. Like Ruth, our greatest reward lies beyond this life. God honors Ruth by memorializing her in the book of Ruth. This likely provides a small glimpse of what God intends as a reward to those, like Ruth and Boaz, who are faithful servants, when He says:
“Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard,
And which have not entered the heart of man,
All that God has prepared for those who love Him.” (1 Cor 2:9)
Biblical Text
13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife, and he went in to her. And the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. 14 Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed is the Lord who has not left you without a redeemer today, and may his name become famous in Israel. 15 May he also be to you a restorer of life and a sustainer of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.” 16 Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her lap, and became his nurse. 17 The neighbor women gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi!” So they named him Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David. 18 Now these are the generations of Perez: to Perez was born Hezron, 19 and to Hezron was born Ram, and to Ram, Amminadab, 20 and to Amminadab was born Nahshon, and to Nahshon, Salmon, 21 and to Salmon was born Boaz, and to Boaz, Obed, 22 and to Obed was born Jesse, and to Jesse, David.
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