Today I read the last chapter of Ruth. I feel kind of sad that this book is over, I feel like I really have gotten to know Ruth a lot better. I am not sure where I am going tomorrow, I am still waiting to be inspired.

But for now, let’s start by reading Ruth 4.

So yesterday, Boaz told Ruth that he would like to marry her, but since there was another relative that was closer, Boaz felt like he should talk to him first. Ruth 4 starts out with Boaz going to talk to that relative. Boaz goes to the gate of the city, I guess the gate is where people met and gathered to socialize. The relative of Ruth comes by, and Boaz asks him to sit and talk. Boaz explains that Naomi had returned, and that she had sold some land of Elimelech’s. Boaz asks the relative if he would like to buy Elimelech’s land back, since he has first choice, because if not, Boaz would like to step in and do it. The relative said he would buy the land from Naomi. Then Boaz told him that he wasn’t just buying the land from Naomi, but from Ruth as well.

I got a little puzzled with this part, so I talked to one of my trusty friends, and they helped me out. Apparently, it went like this…

When a man died, that man’s land was supposed to stay in his family. But, sometimes, widows out of financial necessity, sold it for money. That man’s male relatives had a RESPONSIBILITY to step in for the man, to redeem his land, marry his wife, bear him children, and carry on his name. Apparently, Boaz knew exactly what he was doing. He told the relative about the land first. Land was very important in those times, so the relative was excited to be able to buy it. If it was just Naomi, it probably would not have been a problem for the relative. Naomi was older, and past the time of bearing children, so he would not have married her, she would not have been able to bear children to carry on her dead husband’s name. But that was not the case with Ruth. If the man bought the land, he would also have to marry Ruth, bear children with her, and make sure the land went to her children. When the relative says, “I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance”, this probably means he was already married, and had kids of his own. I think that Boaz already knew this, and had a pretty good idea that the relative was going to say no. Boaz took a risk that he could have said yes, and Boaz would have lost Ruth, but it sort of would have been wrong to do it that way, and Boaz was an honorable man.

The relative gives Boaz permission to buy the land and marry Ruth, and then says, “We have a deal, here is my shoe.” This required another phone call, because I felt like I was missing something, but apparently, that was a custom. One person that I spoke to suggested that in those days, the average person could not read or write, so they would hand over their shoe. Later, if the deal came in question, the person could say, “No wait, I have proof…see, I have his shoe.” But then, the next verse says, “And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye are witnesses this day”, so it seems to me that would have been proof enough. If anyone else knows more about this custom, please feel free to share, I find it very curious.

Then the elders prayed blessings on Boaz and Ruth. Boaz and Ruth were blessed with a son, which was sort of like a double blessing. Children were considered blessings in those times, but sons were special blessings. And the women all praised Naomi, telling her how blessed she was. What a long way Naomi has come from “bitter”! They named the child Obed, and later, Obed grew up, and had a son who was named Jesse, and Jesse grew up and had a son, who was named David. Remember back in the beginning of the study of Ruth, when I said my husband mentioned it was all part of a bigger plan? Ruth’s obedience was significant, because we know that David had a very important descendant…Jesus.

I learned something else rather interesting today. I have wondered several times what happened to Orpah, Naomi’s other daughter in law. I was talking with someone and this topic came up. We already know that one of Ruth’s descendants was David. Well, one of Orpah’s descendants was…Goliath. I never knew that until today. Ruth and Orpah chose very different paths, that ultimately put their descendants on opposite sides of things. I wonder if David and Goliath ever knew.

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