Ruth 4:13-17 – Redemption for Ruth and Naomi
There is redemption for Ruth. Ruth is a foreigner, and she is a widow. She is without hope. Anything good that comes her way is by grace. She does not deserve it. Yet, it comes. Ruth is taken into Boaz’s house, and she becomes his wife. Previously, she had no hope, and now all her hope is bundled up with Boaz. Previously, she had no standing in the community, and now her standing is bundled up with Boaz and his standing. Previously she had no wealth, and now she has wealth in the house of Boaz. Her future is tied up with Boaz. It’s a great and a glorious picture of the gospel, that we become bound up with the Lord Jesus Christ. By faith, we’re united to Him in such a way that His future is ours, His wealth is ours, His security becomes ours. Boaz truly delighted in his new wife. He desired her, he loved her. So too, Christ loves His church, He laid down His life for her. If we’re in Christ, our future is bound up with Christ. It’s tied so closely to Him, we cannot be separated. Who can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ.
There is redemption for Naomi. She becomes like a second mother to Obed. The Lord is more than able to take a hopeless, bleak situation and to completely overturn it. So He does for Naomi. She is given what is pleasant and what is good. She is given consolation and peace in her old age. As we read verses 14-15, we wonder who are these women talking about? Verse 15 shows us that the him that is talked about is the one that Ruth has born. May Obed be a restorer of life and a nourisher of her old age. We have a picture there of what happens to us in our redemption. Christ restores our souls from a life spent in sin and misery. He brings joy that if we’ve been justified, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have passed away. All things have become new.
Questions
- How has Ruth’s life completely changed?
- How has Naomi’s life completely changed?
Prayer Points
- Give thanks that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.