Ruth 3-4

Ruth 3-4

Scripture Thought (What I Learned):

Chapter 3: Ruth Lies at the Feet of Boaz

                Naomi decides that it is time for Ruth to find her own home, where she can be provided for and not do the providing. Naomi decides that Boaz would be a good choice to marry Ruth. Naomi knows that Boaz will be eating and drinking on a specific night and tells Ruth to go in and uncover herself and lie down at his feet. So Ruth does this and in the middle of the night, Boaz is awoken by something and he discovers someone lying at his feet.

                Boaz asks Ruth who she is, and she responds by telling him that she is his servant. When Boaz hears this he is happy (because he is an older man and Ruth is much younger, he is thrilled she chose him). Even though Boaz is closely related to Naomi, another man is even closer and he must give him the first chance at marrying Ruth. This is part of the rules found in Deuteronomy 23:15-25:19.

                Boaz tells Ruth to stay there that night and in the morning to leave before anyone sees them together, but he gives her "six measures" of barley to take home. Ruth tells Naomi everything and Naomi tells Ruth to wait and see what happens.

Chapter 4: Boaz Marries Ruth

                Boaz wants to solve the issue of being married or not to Ruth, so he waits at the town gate for the nearest kin to Naomi, so he can conduct some business. Boaz has the man sit down, alongside the town elders and explains to him that Naomi is selling a piece of land that had belonged to her late husband Elimelech. He tells the man that he has the right to claim it, but if he does not, then Boaz will claim it.  The man agrees to take the property, but Boaz tells him that when he acquires the land he also acquires the dead man's widow, in order to continue the line of Elimelech. When the man hears this he changes his mind and tells him that if he does this, it could endanger his own estate. So Boaz tells him that he will do it. They seal the deal by having the man take off his sandal and give it to Boaz. Boaz has acquired the land and has also acquired Mahlon's widow Ruth as his wife. This way Boaz can continue the family line of Mahlon.

                Boaz marries Ruth and the Lord gives he the ability to give birth to a son, that they name Obed. The end of the book tells us that Obed will father a son named Jesse and he is going to become the father of David