The Redeemer
Ruth 4:1-17
"I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth."
(Job 19:25)
The book of Job is probably one of the oldest books in the Bible. The poetic Hebrew language certainly makes it one of the more difficult to understand. Job is often called the book of suffering because of the pain and hardship that Job faced. Though he lost everything that was dear to him, he did not lose his faith in God.
Since God's revelation is progressive, Job had little knowledge of God's plan of salvation for the world. From the pages of the New Testament, we know how the prophecies and promises of the Old Testament unfold. But Job had much less knowledge of that. Yet somehow that did not lessen the great hope he clung to in his God and Redeemer.
Jesus redeems us from our iniquities and shortcomings. He has paid the price to bring us back to God. You and I need a Redeemer because we cannot save ourselves. That would be like trying to do a brain surgery on ourselves – impossible! We need the Redeemer, and we need to know that even in life's most horrible tragedies and trials, He lives!
INSIGHT
"May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer."
(Psalm 19:14)
READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Isaiah 37-38
Psalm 89
Acts 11-12
Ruth 4:1-17
Boaz Marries Ruth
1 Meanwhile Boaz went up to the town gate and sat down there just as the guardian-redeemer[a] he had mentioned came along. Boaz said, "Come over here, my friend, and sit down." So he went over and sat down.
2 Boaz took ten of the elders of the town and said, "Sit here," and they did so. 3 Then he said to the guardian-redeemer, "Naomi, who has come back from Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our relative Elimelek. 4 I thought I should bring the matter to your attention and suggest that you buy it in the presence of these seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, do so. But if you[b] will not, tell me, so I will know. For no one has the right to do it except you, and I am next in line."
"I will redeem it," he said.
5 Then Boaz said, "On the day you buy the land from Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the[c] dead man’s widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property."
6 At this, the guardian-redeemer said, "Then I cannot redeem it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it."
7 (Now in earlier times in Israel, for the redemption and transfer of property to become final, one party took off his sandal and gave it to the other. This was the method of legalizing transactions in Israel.)
8 So the guardian-redeemer said to Boaz, "Buy it yourself." And he removed his sandal.
9 Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, "Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon. 10 I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from his hometown. Today you are witnesses!"
11 Then the elders and all the people at the gate said, "We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the family of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. 12 Through the offspring the LORD gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah."
Naomi Gains a Son
13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, 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 guardian-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 in her arms and cared for him. 17 The women living there said, "Naomi has a son!" And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.
Ruth 4:1-17
"I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth."
(Job 19:25)
The book of Job is probably one of the oldest books in the Bible. The poetic Hebrew language certainly makes it one of the more difficult to understand. Job is often called the book of suffering because of the pain and hardship that Job faced. Though he lost everything that was dear to him, he did not lose his faith in God.
Since God's revelation is progressive, Job had little knowledge of God's plan of salvation for the world. From the pages of the New Testament, we know how the prophecies and promises of the Old Testament unfold. But Job had much less knowledge of that. Yet somehow that did not lessen the great hope he clung to in his God and Redeemer.
Jesus redeems us from our iniquities and shortcomings. He has paid the price to bring us back to God. You and I need a Redeemer because we cannot save ourselves. That would be like trying to do a brain surgery on ourselves – impossible! We need the Redeemer, and we need to know that even in life's most horrible tragedies and trials, He lives!
INSIGHT
"May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer."
(Psalm 19:14)
READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Isaiah 37-38
Psalm 89
Acts 11-12
Ruth 4:1-17
Boaz Marries Ruth
1 Meanwhile Boaz went up to the town gate and sat down there just as the guardian-redeemer[a] he had mentioned came along. Boaz said, "Come over here, my friend, and sit down." So he went over and sat down.
2 Boaz took ten of the elders of the town and said, "Sit here," and they did so. 3 Then he said to the guardian-redeemer, "Naomi, who has come back from Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our relative Elimelek. 4 I thought I should bring the matter to your attention and suggest that you buy it in the presence of these seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, do so. But if you[b] will not, tell me, so I will know. For no one has the right to do it except you, and I am next in line."
"I will redeem it," he said.
5 Then Boaz said, "On the day you buy the land from Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the[c] dead man’s widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property."
6 At this, the guardian-redeemer said, "Then I cannot redeem it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it."
7 (Now in earlier times in Israel, for the redemption and transfer of property to become final, one party took off his sandal and gave it to the other. This was the method of legalizing transactions in Israel.)
8 So the guardian-redeemer said to Boaz, "Buy it yourself." And he removed his sandal.
9 Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, "Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon. 10 I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from his hometown. Today you are witnesses!"
11 Then the elders and all the people at the gate said, "We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the family of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. 12 Through the offspring the LORD gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah."
Naomi Gains a Son
13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, 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 guardian-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 in her arms and cared for him. 17 The women living there said, "Naomi has a son!" And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.
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