God writes the best love stories. He writes yours and mine, and he definitely wrote Ruth’s. Today we see how God redeemed the lives of Naomi and Ruth, and how God brought Boaz into Ruth’s life and redeemed her. He redeemed her from a loveless life, from a life of poverty, provided for her and her mother-in-law… It’s beautiful.
You want to know the greatest story of redemption of all time though? When Jesus opened his arms on the cross for us, giving His life for ours. In that moment, He opened the door of heaven to you and me.
Show Notes:
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Transcription:
God writes the best love stories. He wrote The Greatest of All Time. He writes yours, he writes mine, and he definitely wrote Ruth’s. I just picture him smiling as this story unfolded. Hi, welcome to the Bible for Busy People. I’m Erica, your host, and it is such a blessing to read a whole book of the Bible with you. How cool is this today? Maybe it’s your first time, you’ll be able to say, I read an entire book of God’s Word. And this is such a wonderful story. There’s so much hope in it. We see how God redeemed the lives of Naomi and Ruth, two widows who pretty much lost everything except each other, and they gained everything. Absolutely everything together as well. Today, you and I will rejoice as Boaz redeems Ruth redeems her from a loveless life, from a life of poverty, gives her anything that she might need, provides for her and her mother-in-law, rewards her for the love and loyalty that she showed Naomi when she could have left her, and began a new life in her old country in Moab.
God sees, I don’t know who I’m talking to today. Maybe it’s you. God sees your faithfulness. Maybe you have a heart like Ruth. He sees what you’re doing and he will reward you. Your faith has not gone unnoticed. Alright, let’s pick up the story today because I can’t wait. I have an amazing fact to share with you at the end of this episode about who Ruth is in the context of the family tree in the Bible. You’re going to love it. And one more note before we get started. Remember last time Boaz told Ruth that he had to take care of a little business before he could redeem her. So, let’s get to it. Ruth chapter four, beginning in verse one.
Boaz went to the town gate and took a seat there. Just then the family redeemer he had mentioned came by, so Boaz called out to him, “Come over here and sit down, friend. I want to talk to you.” So they sat down together. 2 Then Boaz called ten leaders from the town and asked them to sit as witnesses. 3 And Boaz said to the family redeemer, “You know Naomi, who came back from Moab. She is selling the land that belonged to our relative Elimelech. 4 I thought I should speak to you about it so that you can redeem it if you wish. If you want the land, then buy it here in the presence of these witnesses. But if you don’t want it, let me know right away, because I am next in line to redeem it after you. ”The man replied, “All right, I’ll redeem it.” 5 Then Boaz told him, “Of course, your purchase of the land from Naomi also requires that you marry Ruth, the Moabite widow. That way she can have children who will carry on her husband’s name and keep the land in the family.” 6 “Then I can’t redeem it,” the family redeemer replied, “because this might endanger my own estate. You redeem the land; I cannot do it.” 7 Now in those days it was the custom in Israel for anyone transferring a right of purchase to remove his sandal and hand it to the other party. This publicly validated the transaction. 8 So the other family redeemer drew off his sandal as he said to Boaz, “You buy the land.”9 Then Boaz said to the elders and to the crowd standing around, “You are witnesses that today I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelech, Kilion, and Mahlon.
Kilion and Mahlon, you may remember are the sons of Naomi and Elimelech who also died in Moab.
And with the land I have acquired Ruth, the Moabite widow of Mahlon, to be my wife. This way she can have a son to carry on the family name of her dead husband and to inherit the family property here in his hometown. You are all witnesses today.” 11 Then the elders and all the people standing in the gate replied, “We are witnesses! May the Lord make this woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, from whom all the nation of Israel descended! May you prosper in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. 12 And may the Lord give you descendants by this young woman who will be like those of our ancestor Perez, the son of Tamar and Judah.”
Oh, how God is going to answer that prayer. Verse 13 now.
So Boaz took Ruth into his home, and she became his wife. When he slept with her, the Lord enabled her to become pregnant, and she gave birth to a son. 14 Then the women of the town said to Naomi, “Praise the Lord, who has now provided a redeemer for your family! May this child be famous in Israel. 15 May he restore your youth and care for you in your old age. For he is the son of your daughter-in-law who loves you and has been better to you than seven sons!” 16 Naomi took the baby and cuddled him to her breast. And she cared for him as if he were her own. 17 The neighbor women said, “Now at last Naomi has a son again!” And they named him Obed. He became the father of Jesse and the grandfather of David.
Do you realize what that means? Ruth became the great, this always makes me cry. Ruth became the great grandmother of King David. Yes, David, who stood up to that Goliath and because God was with him, took that giant down with one stone. Yes, David, the one who the Bible says was a man after God’s own heart. We started our episode today talking about Ruth’s heart. Oh, David got his great grandma’s genes. David wasn’t perfect. Ruth wasn’t perfect. You and I aren’t perfect, but our redeemer is. Jesus came. He was born in Bethlehem. Yes, Naomi’s home country, Boaz’s home country. He grew up living a sinless life and died on the cross to pay for your sins and mine, to redeem you and to redeem me, and he didn’t stay dead. He rose again defeating death, hell, and the grave and everything you’ve ever been afraid of. By opening his arms on that cross, he opened the door of heaven to you and me. That is the greatest love story ever told. And to think that Ruth is in the line of David, and David was in the line of Jesus… Do you see how God uses people of faith to accomplish his most wonderful purposes? Yes. You were made on purpose, for a purpose You are loved.
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