Ruth 4:13-22 Click here for Bible Verses
Hi GAMErs!
Today we finish the book of Ruth with Ruth 4:13-22. Let’s go!
Ruth 4:13-16 (NIV)
13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. Then he went to her, and the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son.
14 The women said to Naomi: “Praise be to the LORD, who this day has not left you without a kinsman-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel!
15 He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.”
16 Then Naomi took the child, laid him in her lap and cared for him.
On verses 13-16: The book of Ruth began with Naomi as a weeping, empty, bitter widow, having lost both her husband and her two sons. It ends with Naomi as a busy and a grateful grandmother. As much pain as Naomi had endured, I believe Naomi was able to say “He made all things beautiful in His time.”
Consider this: Naomi left God’s chosen people the Israelites because she and her husband thought they could find a better life in a place that didn’t worship God. There she lost almost everything, including her husband and sons. Like the “prodigal daughter of the Old Testament” (as Pastor Jon Courson describes her), Naomi returns home to Israel and God restores her, renews her, and fills her life again.
Naomi’s life is a parable for us: when we get away from God and God’s people, we end up empty and bitter. But if we will come home to God and to God’s people, He will fill our lives and ultimately replace our bitterness with His peace and joy. Let’s run to Him today.
Ruth 4:17a (NIV)
17 The women living there said, “Naomi has a son.” And they named him Obed…
On verse 17a: Wait! Wasn’t this Ruth’s son? Yes, naturally. But the women of Israel were saying, “Naomi has a son” because remember: Boaz was acting as a kinsman redeemer for Naomi (verse 14) in place of Naomi’s deceased husband and sons (see verse 9). This new born baby, Obed, would take on the legal name of Naomi’s deceased husband. In this way, it’s as if Naomi had received a new son with the birth of Obed.
Ruth 4:17b-22 (NIV)
17 …He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.
18 This, then, is the family line of Perez: Perez was the father of Hezron,
19 Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab,
20 Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon,
21 Salmon the father of Boaz, Boaz the father of Obed,
22 Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David.
On verses 17-22: When Boaz and Ruth welcomed their son Obed into the world, no one could predict that Obed would one day become the grandfather of King David and an ancestor of Jesus Christ. The love story of Boaz and Ruth was just one small part of a much bigger love story: the story of how God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.
What can we learn from this? God’s perspective is so much wider than ours. His plans are so much bigger than ours. I can be so focused on me and the situations immediately in front of me. Naively I think I’m “thinking big picture” when I consider what God might do with my life 10 or 20 years from now. But God’s perspective is much wider than 10 or 20 years from now. He’s thinking about how He will use your life to impact people generations after you die.
So don’t be discouraged or frustrated if things aren’t going your way today. Like Ruth and Boaz, just do your best with what is in your control and trust God with what is not in your control. He will make all things beautiful in His time — and not just for you, but for the generations that come after you.
Since we finish our look at the book of Ruth today, as part of your GAME time take 5 to 10 minutes today to review what you’ve been learning in the book of Ruth and try answering the following questions:
1. What was the most impactful lesson you learned from the book of Ruth?
2. What was your favourite verse from the book of Ruth and why?
3. How would summarize the book of Ruth and its main message in one or two sentences?
4. In what way do you want to be more like Ruth or Boaz?
Thank You Heavenly Father that You really do make all things beautiful in Your time. Thank You that in Your kingdom, weeping may remain for a night, but joy comes in the morning. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
