Ruth 4:1 – 12 “Meanwhile, Boaz went to the gate and sat down there. Soon the kinsman-redeemer of whom he had spoken came along, and Boaz said, “Come over here, my friend, and sit down.” So he went over and sat down. Then Boaz took ten of the elders of the city and said, “Sit here,” and they did so.
And he said to the kinsman-redeemer, “Naomi, who has returned from the land of Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our brother Elimelech. I thought I should inform you that you may buy it back in the presence of those seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you want to redeem it, do so. But if you will not redeem it, tell me so I may know, because there is no one but you to redeem it, and I am next after you.”
“I will redeem it,” he replied.
Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the land from Naomi and also from Ruth the Moabitess, you must also acquire the widow of the deceased in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance.” The kinsman-redeemer replied, “I cannot redeem it myself, or I would jeopardize my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption, because I cannot redeem it.”
Now in former times in Israel, concerning the redemption or exchange of property, to make any matter legally binding a man would remove his sandal and give it to the other party, and this was a confirmation in Israel. So the kinsman-redeemer removed his sandal and said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself.”
At this, Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses today that I am buying from Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech, Chilion, and Mahlon. Moreover, I have acquired Ruth the Moabitess, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, to raise up the name of the deceased through his inheritance, so that his name will not disappear from among his brothers or from the gate of his home. You are witnesses today.”
“We are witnesses,” said the elders and all the people at the gate. “May the LORD make the woman entering your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you be prosperous in Ephrathah and famous in Bethlehem. And may your house become like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring the LORD will give you by this young woman.”
Boaz has sat in the city gate of Bethlehem waiting for Elimelech’s closest male relative to come along. Now Boaz has called a minyan, an assembly of ten city elders, so that he can put the problems of Naomi and Ruth before the assembly. The question to be decided is this: will the closest male relative be willing to marry Ruth, knowing that the first – born son from that union will claim Elimelech’s patrimony and not his? Will this man be willing to take the risk that Ruth will later have other sons who can inherit from him? Boaz himself is willing to take that risk; however, as an observant Jew, he must give this man the chance of first refusal.
Interestingly enough, Boaz does not lead off with the question regarding Ruth but with a straight forward question regarding a land transaction. Land in Israel is ultimately considered to belong to God; however, every effort is to be made to retain the inheritance of those who have died for their progeny. Boaz begins with the land matter because he knows his relative will be interested enough to stay and discuss that.
Once Elimelech’s nearest relative realizes that there is more at stake than merely a land issue, he backs off quickly. Why should this man risk his family losing his inheritance in case Ruth only has one son or in case that son dies without heirs? Nope! This fellow is no risk – taker! If Boaz wants to play dice with his family’s future, fine.
Does Boaz already have a shrewd idea of how his relative would react? Quite likely. Boaz is a leader in town; there are very few secrets to which he is not privy. And if Boaz really is a judge, he might already have had dealings with this many and might know the level of his timidity. But when this man tells Boaz, “Buy it for yourself,” Boaz might be forgiven if he inwardly gives a sigh of relief.
One of the most wonderful parts of this story is the blessings that the elders and “all the people at the gate” pronounce over Boaz. “May the LORD make the woman entering your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you be prosperous in Ephrathah and famous in Bethlehem. And may your house become like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring the LORD will give you by this young woman.”
At this point, we might ask “Who is Tamar?” Tamar actually married Judah’s first – born son, who was so evil that God killed him. As custom demanded, Tamar then married Onan, Judah’s second – born son; however, when Onan was having sex with Tamar, he withdrew prematurely, so that he would not impregnate Tamar, thus refusing to raise up a son for his dead older brother. God was so furious at Onan that Onan died as well. At that point, Judah was afraid for Tamar to marry his third son. Tamar eventually disguised herself as a cult prostitute and had sex with Judah, and Perez was the result of that somewhat incestuous union. Judah acknowledged that Tamar was more righteous than he was because he had failed to follow God’s commands in refusing to allow his third son to marry Tamar.
Everybody in Bethlehem knew the story of Tamar, because they were descended from Judah and from Perez. And yet, nobody blamed Tamar and they hailed her as the mother of Perez. No mother would advise her daughter to take the drastic measures that Tamar took; however, God allowed Tamar to be remembered honorably and to even become part of the blessing pronounced over Boaz and Ruth.
APPLICATION: There are two main lessons to learn from this passage. First, if God is leading you to take a risk, do so. You must make sure that God and you are on the same page and that God is really leading you, but if God is leading, then step out in faith. Second, those who take divine risks will be divinely rewarded. In purchasing Naomi’s land and espousing Ruth to himself, Boaz was taking the risk that Ruth might have only one son with nobody left to carry on his inheritance. But Boaz became a human ancestor to the Messiah, and the blessings pronounced by the citizens of Bethlehem came true magnificently.
PRAYER: Father God, help us to trust You so that if You do ask us to take risks, we will be willing to step out in faith. Help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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