Ruth 4:1-22 Boaz Marries Ruth CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO

Ruth 4:1-22 shows us how Boaz marries Ruth and how the genealogical line of Christ is continued through their firstborn son, Obed.

The Advertisement – v.1-5 – Boaz goes into the city and sits in the gate waiting for the next kinsman to pass by.  When he does, Boaz invites him to sit in the  gate with 10 of the elders of the city so that he may decide whether or not to redeem Ruth and Naomi’s land and marry Ruth.  This custom of making these decisions in the gate of the city is seen in Deut 21:19-21, 22:15-19.  The custom of marrying the widow to “raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance” comes from Deut 25:5-6.

The Declination – v.6-8 – The nearer kinsman refuses to redeem the land and marry Ruth.  His concern is that his own inheritance might be marred.  His concern is that the firstborn male will become the heir upon the land he redeems and if he has no other son, then the heir of his own land will be the child born to the widow he married.  The custom of plucking off the shoe is seen in Deut 25:7-10.

The Redemption – v.9-12 – When the nearer kin refuses to redeem the land and marry Ruth, then Boaz is free to do so.  So, he announces his intentions before the witnesses seated in the gate and they in turn ask the Lord to bless the marriage and the children born to them.

The Parturition – v.13-17 – The birth of Obed accomplishes various wonderful things.  He becomes Naomi’s grandchild [a kinsman].  He becomes the grandfather of David,  Israel’s greatest king.  He restores life to Naomi who had returned to Israel as a bitter childless widow [Ruth 1:20-21].  He nourishes her in her old age in that now she no longer has to depend upon the gleaning of Ruth for her sustenance.

Conclusion: v.18-22 – The line of Christ continues through Obed to David, as seen in the genealogy from Pharez.