Ruth 4
Naomi's prediction that Boaz would see the matter through following the events of Ruth 3.
Boaz greets his relative at the town gates and offers him the option of redeeming the land of their common relative, Elimalek. The catch is that in taking the land, the redeemer is required to take Ruth as his wife and the land would stay connected with the line of Elimalek.
The closer relation is not willing to take on Ruth as it would make the inheritance of his existing estate far more complicated.
In Leviticus, where the laws regarding relatives and the obligation to redeem family land can be found, if a relative refuses to to redeem the land, the wronged person is supposed to take off his sandal and spit in his face! (as I mentioned when the blog passed the chapter).
In this case the shock seems to have been turned into a ritual as the refusing party takes off his sandal as a sign that he does not want to redeem the land and marry Ruth.
At this Boaz declares that Ruth is to be his wife, the land would be rescued. The town elders offer best wishes - May God make Ruth like Rachel and Leah who birthed the tribes of Israel, and like Perez who Tamar bore Judah - though hopefully without the jealousy of Rachel and Leah, and without the subterfuge that Tamar resorted to with Judah! Perez was Boaz' great, great, great, great gramdsfather (Add 1 more great to get to Judah and 1 more to get to Jacob/Israel!)
Ruth became pregnant and had a son, who gave comfort to Naomi his grandmother,
Ruth's son is called Obed, his son was called Jesse, and among Jesse's sons was the future king of Israel, the original from David and Goliath - David.
It is to be hoped that Ruth, Naomi and Boaz had a happy life, the Bible does not say.
But the descendants of Ruth - a convert to Judaism - include some of the major characters in the rest of the Bible
The book of Ruth is the shortest book we have yet got to - yet there is great compassion and kindness to be found here. Far more so than we found in Judges.
It is also nice to get a story with a strong female lead.
Naomi's prediction that Boaz would see the matter through following the events of Ruth 3.
Boaz greets his relative at the town gates and offers him the option of redeeming the land of their common relative, Elimalek. The catch is that in taking the land, the redeemer is required to take Ruth as his wife and the land would stay connected with the line of Elimalek.
The closer relation is not willing to take on Ruth as it would make the inheritance of his existing estate far more complicated.
In Leviticus, where the laws regarding relatives and the obligation to redeem family land can be found, if a relative refuses to to redeem the land, the wronged person is supposed to take off his sandal and spit in his face! (as I mentioned when the blog passed the chapter).
In this case the shock seems to have been turned into a ritual as the refusing party takes off his sandal as a sign that he does not want to redeem the land and marry Ruth.
At this Boaz declares that Ruth is to be his wife, the land would be rescued. The town elders offer best wishes - May God make Ruth like Rachel and Leah who birthed the tribes of Israel, and like Perez who Tamar bore Judah - though hopefully without the jealousy of Rachel and Leah, and without the subterfuge that Tamar resorted to with Judah! Perez was Boaz' great, great, great, great gramdsfather (Add 1 more great to get to Judah and 1 more to get to Jacob/Israel!)
Ruth became pregnant and had a son, who gave comfort to Naomi his grandmother,
Ruth's son is called Obed, his son was called Jesse, and among Jesse's sons was the future king of Israel, the original from David and Goliath - David.
It is to be hoped that Ruth, Naomi and Boaz had a happy life, the Bible does not say.
But the descendants of Ruth - a convert to Judaism - include some of the major characters in the rest of the Bible
The book of Ruth is the shortest book we have yet got to - yet there is great compassion and kindness to be found here. Far more so than we found in Judges.
It is also nice to get a story with a strong female lead.
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