REDEEMING RUTH #5: “GOD’S HAND IN OUR SHREWDNESS

AND REDEMPTION”

RUTH 4:1-22

Now Boaz had gone up to the gate and sat down there. And behold, the redeemer, of whom Boaz had spoken, came by. So, Boaz said, “Turn aside

friend. Sit down here.” And he turned aside and sat down. And he took ten men of the elders of the city and said, “Sit down here.” So, they sat down. Then he said to the redeemer, “Naomi, who has come

back from the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land that belong to our relative, Elimelech. So, I thought I would tell you of it and say buy it, in the presence of those sitting here, and in the presence

of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it. But, if you will not, tell me that I may

know, for there is no one besides you to redeem it, and I come after you. And he said, “I will redeem

it.”

Then, Boaz said, “The day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you also acquire Ruth, the

Moabite, the widow of the dead, in order to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance.” Then the redeemer said, “I

cannot redeem it for myself, lest I impair my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it.” Now, this was

the custom in the former times in Israel, concerning redeeming and exchanging. To confirm a transaction, the one drew of his

sandal and gave it to the other, and this was the manner of attesting in Israel.

“So, when the redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself,” he drew off his sandal. Then Boaz

said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses this day, that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech

and all that belonged to Chilion and to Mahlon, also Ruth, the Moabite. The widow of Mahlon I have bought to be by wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance, that the

name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brothers, and from the gate of his

native place. You are witnesses this day.”

“Then all the people who were at the gate and the elders said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord

make the woman who is coming into your house like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the

house of Israel. May you act worthily in Ephrathah and be renowned in Bethlehem. And

may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring that the Lord will give you by this

young woman.”

“So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. And he went into her and the Lord her gave her conception and she bore a son. Then the

women said to Naomi: ‘Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a

redeemer. And may his name be renowned in Israel. He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age. For your daughter-in-

law, who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.’

Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her lap, and became his nurse. And the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying a son

has been born to Naomi. They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David. Now, these are the generations of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron, Hezron fathered Ram, Ram fathered Amminadab, Amminadab fathered Nahshon, Nahshon fathered Salmon, Salmon

fathered Boaz, Boaz father Obed, Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David.”

GOD’S HAND IN OUR SHREWDNESS (RUTH 4:1-12)

When you love a woman and you want to marry her,... there will be an enormous obstacle between you and

the marrying of that woman:

TWO REASONS. 

1. IT ALLOWS THE MAN TO SETTLE THE ISSUE IN HIS HEART, OF HOW DEVOTED HE TRULY IS TO THAT WOMAN. 

2. IT REVEALS THE DEPTH OF HIS COMMITMENT TO THE WOMAN. 

The gate is sort of the center of town where business is transacted and social

relationships are made, and sat down there. 

Boaz was honorable with Ruth on the threshing floor, didn’t have any inappropriate physical relations. Instead, he’s trying to do things

honorably, biblically, legally. He goes into town, sits down at the place where business is

conducted and legal matters are transacted, that God blessed his pursuit.

And legally, according to Leviticus 25, the preference was to keep it in the family, so

there would have been a close male relative, called the redeemer, who would be the one to look after the land, if it went up

for sale, to purchase it to keep it in the family, but also to look after the widows and

the orphans. 

THREE KINDS OF MEN WHEN IT COMES TO BUSINESS HERE IN THE BOOK OF RUTH. 

1. ELIMELECHWho is a bold, courageous, confident man with a plan, who took risks, but he was a fool. And it destroyed his family and it led to death.

2. This OTHER MAN, unnamed, He is a man who doesn’t do anything wrong, he just doesn’t do anything. He’s a guy who doesn’t follow through on his responsibilities. He doesn’t take care of that which is his to look after, 

3. BOAZ 

The guy who is picking up the mess of these other failed men, and he is trying to help these women who are in this dire circumstance. What will the answer of the man be? He said, “I will redeem it.”

All right, so here’s what Boaz is going to do. Shrewdly negotiate the deal. And he is not going to take no for an answer. He wants

to marry Ruth. 

Boaz finds a way legally, ethically, morally, Biblically acceptable to get rid of the other man,

and so he is going to negotiate shrewdly.

You can also win in business for Jesus, in a moral, legal, ethical, Godly, Biblical way. It’s all about the art of the negotiation, and the subtle

selling of the deal. 

There’s a lot we don’t know, yet the story slows down, devotes almost an entire chapter to one legal business transaction. Why? Because that

is important.

Boaz is at the place where he can financially, and practically, and he is enabled to do this.

Now, this was the custom. Here is the legal deal, VERSE 7. 

They would take off their sandal, and this would be the public declaration that they had agreed

to the deal.

Boaz avoids that kind of thing, and he makes it legally contractually – a binding agreement in

the sight of the law.

Boaz stands up and says, “I am going to take care of what these other men failed to do.” In

this, he is a redeemer.

Here’s what he’s saying, “I will buy the land. I’ll take care of Naomi. I’ll marry Ruth. I will

honor her deceased husband. We will have a child. The family line will not die. I’ll

perpetuate it. I’m Boaz. I’ll fix everything.”

One of the great distinctions and honors of being a Christian man, is to be a redeemer. 

But, if you are a man who has the heart of Boaz, and you meet a woman whose deep

love for the Lord is like Ruth, but her life is not easy, and with love you could make it easier, then by all means,

pursue her as your wife. 

Boaz and Ruth lived in holiness and obedience and Godliness until God brought them

together. And when he did, they were able to move toward marriage quickly. Even though there were obstacles, they were

able to overcome them because they had conducted themselves in such a way that they were ready to enter into that next

season of life. 

Boaz was near kinsmanJesus was our glorious

eternal God who became man to identify with us

Boaz was able able to redeem Ruth

Jesus, alone is able to redeem us

Boaz was willing to redeem Ruth

Jesus was redeemed us out of love.

Boaz paid the price of redemption

Jesus paid the price for redemption

Boaz also redeemed the land

Jesus will come back to restore the earth

The greatest gift that God gives is salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ. The second

greatest gift that God gives a man is a wife – is a wife, especially a wife like Ruth. 

GOD’S HAND IN OUR REDEMPTION (RUTH 4:1-12)

Stay pure and wait patiently for your God-given life-partner.

These are the thematic bookends of Ruth. CHAPTER 1,

GOD GAVE A HARVEST

CHAPTER 4GOD GAVE A BABY

“Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a redeemer. And may his name be renowned in Israel.” Talking about this

little boy, he’s gonna be the redeemer, “He shall be to you a restorer of life and a

nourisher of your old age.”

And they say to her, “You’re blessed now,” she’s no longer bitter Mara; she’s back to blessed, sweet Naomi. This grandbaby is gonna be a source of great joy for her.

They say, Naomi, it looked like your life was destroyed, but it’s perfect. Your daughter-in-law, Ruth, she loves you so much. She loves the Lord so much. She’s a better gift to you than seven sons; not only that, you got your grandson. We’ve seen the full redemption

here of these women.

Ruth has gone from being an idolater, to a worshiper, from being a widow, to being a wife, from being flat broke, busted poor, to being richly blessed. From being all alone, to being loved and now being a wife and mom. God is a good God. God does good

things. Ruth ran to God in faith and he blessed her.

Naomi, too, has gone from being a bitter old woman, to being a blessed grandma, and her life has taken a dramatic turn for the

better.

And then, in VERSE 16

“A son has been born to Naomi, so they named him OBED,” which means worshiper, or

servant of God.

Two things:

1. HAPPINESS

The keys to happiness are simple – GROW UP, right? GET A JOB. GO TO REHAB. GET MARRIED, GO TO CHURCH. 

2. LEGACY

You want to put people and ideas, like your children and the Gospel into the future if you love God. 

“IF I OBEY, GOD WILL LOVE ME.”

Redemption says God does love you, period.

Good people vs bad people

Bad people can repent.

People care about your birth.

It’s not about what you do but what Jesus has

done.

Lacks joy and humility. Long list of rules.

Leads to joy and humility.

Walk of faith and love.

RELIGION vs REDEMPTION