God's Sovereign Redemption

Ruth 3:

1 Now Boaz had gone up to the gate and sat down there. And behold, the redeemer, ofwhom Boaz had spoken, came by. So Boaz said, “Turn aside, friend; sit down here.”And he turned aside and sat down. 2 And he took ten men of the elders of the city and said,“Sit down here.” So they sat down. 3 Then he said to the redeemer, “Naomi, who has comeback from the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land that belonged to our relativeElimelech. 4 So I thought I would tell you of it and say, ‘Buy it in the presence of thosesitting here and in the presence of the elders of my people.’ If you will redeem it, redeem it.But if you will not, tell me, that I may know, for there is no one besides you to redeem it,and I come after you.” And he said, “I will redeem it.” 5 Then Boaz said, “The day you buythe field from the hand of Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the widow of thedead, in order to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance.” 6 Then the redeemersaid, “I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I impair my own inheritance. Take my right ofredemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it.”

7 Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming andexchanging: to confirm a transaction, the one drew off his sandal and gave it to the other,and this was the manner of attesting in Israel. 8 So when the redeemer said to Boaz, “Buyit for yourself,” he drew off his sandal. 9 Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people,“You are witnesses this day that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged toElimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and to Mahlon. 10 Also Ruth the Moabite, thewidow of Mahlon, I have bought to be my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead in hisinheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brothers andfrom the gate of his native place. You are witnesses this day.” 11 Then all the people whowere at the gate and the elders said, “We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman,who is coming into your house, like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house ofIsrael. May you act worthily in Ephrathah and be renowned in Bethlehem, 12 and may yourhouse be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring thatthe LORD will give you by this young woman.”

13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. And he went in to her, and the LORD gaveher conception, and she bore a son. 14 Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be theLORD, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned inIsrael! 15 He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for yourdaughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth tohim.” 16 Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her lap and became his nurse. 17 Andthe 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.

18 Now these are the generations of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron, 19 Hezron fatheredRam, Ram fathered Amminadab, 20 Amminadab fathered Nahshon, Nahshon fatheredSalmon, 21 Salmon fathered Boaz, Boaz fathered Obed, 22 Obed fathered Jesse, and Jessefathered David.

The story of Ruth crescendos into an amazing story of redemption in Chapter 4… A redemption that squarely and unequivocally stems from God’s sovereign action. Not only that but Ruth and Boaz prefigure the actions of Jesus. In vv. 1-6 Boaz “represents the nature of grace ultimately found in the Lord Jesus Christ who was under no obligation to redeem sinners and could have left us all to our just condemnation but willingly took on human flesh and paid the required redemption price: death… on a cross (Romans 6:23; Philippians 2:5-11)” (ESV Gospel Transformation Bible). Vv. 7-12 stir the Hebrew audience to remember the story of Rachel and Leah and to reflect on the fact that the story of God’s people has always been one of human frailty and God’s overriding grace. Vv. 13-17 teach us that just as he did for Naomi, God still provides for us a Redeemer, who is the Restorer of Life and nourishes us by his faithful loving kindness as he works out the plan for our lives and for our part in the proclamation of his gospel. And even in the closing genealogy (vv. 18-22) we see the amazing sovereignty of God working in/through the generations of his people — despite their proclivity towards sin. There is so MUCH gospel in this book!

Give the sermon text a read and a listen as we close out the Book of Ruth and we hope to see you this week at a Family Meal and/or a DNA group to dive even deeper.