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1 Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there; and behold, the close relative of whom Boaz had spoken came by. So Boaz said, “Come aside, friend, sit down here.” So he came aside and sat down. 2 And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down. 3 Then he said to the close relative, “Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, sold the piece of land which belonged to our brother Elimelech. 4 And I thought to inform you, saying, ‘Buy it back in the presence of the inhabitants and the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if you will not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know; for there is no one but you to redeem it, and I am next after you.’ And he said, “I will redeem it.” 5 Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also buy it from Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance.” 6 And the close relative said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I ruin my own inheritance. You redeem my right of redemption for yourself, for I cannot redeem it.” ~ Ruth 4:1-6
Today, we transition into Ruth 4 where we are introduced to the previous mentioned fly in the ointment. The stage had been set in Ruth 1 where there were many "tears" due to the famine and the deaths of three husbands and one father. The law of God required the nearest relative to be the kinsman redeemer of Ruth since her Hebrew husband had died. In addition, in Ruth 2, Ruth was given great favor by God in the eyes of this wealthy man named Boaz. Ruth positioned herself to be blessed through her arduous "toil" in the fields of Boaz. Adding to all of this is the "trust" earned by all involved in Ruth 3. Through the unfolding of this story, Naomi trusts God more, while Ruth and Boaz grow in a trusting relationship. The sovereign hand of God is clearly being seen in our study of this wonderful book of Ruth. As we transition into Ruth 4 we will learn some fabulous principles about "triumph."
In v.1 of today's passage we read, "Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there; and behold, the close relative of whom Boaz had spoken came by. So Boaz said, 'Come aside, friend, sit down here.' So he came aside and sat down."
In ancient times, the cities were walled and gated. The city gates included courtyards which had alcoves in them. These city gates were the entrances to the city, and each gate had a courtyard. In these courtyards, there were typically benches for sitting. Kings would sit at the gates of the city; elders would sit at the gates of the city. The city gates served as a "combined town hall and courthouse."
Previously, Ruth went "down" to the threshing floor and Boaz now went "up" to the city gate. But elevation isn’t always a consideration when going up or going down in the Bible. Rather, the importance of an area often indicates a higher position, regardless of elevation. In the Bible, when one is going toward the land of Canaan, for example, they are always said to go "up" regardless of elevation or direction on the compass. When one goes towards Jerusalem, they are always said to go "up" in the same way. Boaz went "up" to the city gate because the gate was the place of judgment. Big decisions were made there. Whether the threshing floor was actually lower than the gate isn’t as important as that the gate was where the matter decided upon at the threshing floor would be adjudicated.
In the middle of this verse we read, "and behold." Once again, the use of the word "behold" shows the "coincidental" nature of the encounter. What are the chances that Boaz could spot this redeemer in this crowded place? Not only that, in the midst of this busy, crowded place, Boaz was also able to stop ten elders to sit down with him. Echoing the "chance" arrival of Ruth in the field of Boaz in Ruth 2, here the providential hand of God was once again revealed as the very man with whom Boaz needed to negotiate the redeeming of Ruth just "so happened" to walk past shortly after Boaz arrived at the city gate.
In v.2-4 of today's passage we read, "And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, 'Sit down here.' So they sat down. 3 Then he said to the close relative, “Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, sold the piece of land which belonged to our brother Elimelech. 4 And I thought to inform you, saying, 'Buy it back in the presence of the inhabitants and the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if you will not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know; for there is no one but you to redeem it, and I am next after you.’ And he said, 'I will redeem it.'"
So the men sat down, and Boaz pressed the nearest relative who was naturally to be the kinsman redeemer. He pressed him because Boaz ultimate desire was to see Ruth and Naomi taken care of; Boaz had been given by God a heart for these two helpless women. Boaz desired to buy the deed for the land for Noami and he desired to offer his hand in marriage to Ruth.
The book of the Revelation is based upon this idea. When land was transacted, a title deed was drawn up. The title deed in those days was a scroll. And, in the scroll, the names and the stipulations were included. And then the scroll was sealed shut. When someone wanted to buy the land or redeem the land, they had to break the seal, unroll the scroll, and claim the stipulations that were found in that title deed. So, in order to buy back or to redeem something, the requirements had to be fulfilled. Fast forward to the final book of the Bible, the book of the Revelation. This is exactly what the Lord Jesus has done. In fact, early on in Revelation 4 no one was found worthy enough to open the seal but the Lord Jesus. As the Lamb of God who took away the sin of the world, He was qualified to open the seal and to purchase you and me back to God.
In v.5-6 of today's passage we read, "5 Then Boaz said, 'On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also buy it from Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance.' 6 And the close relative said, 'I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I ruin my own inheritance. You redeem my right of redemption for yourself, for I cannot redeem it.'"
To this point in the story, Boaz has asked this relative if he wanted to redeem the land for Naomi, and he agreed to do so. But, when Boaz shared with the relative that with the purchase of the land came the purchase of a moabite, his mind was changed. Since Ruth had married Naomi’s son, she was entitled to take part in what had occurred. But, since she was a gentile and this would involve a marriage to her, she was not named in the proceedings at this point. The matter at hand would first deal with Naomi and her inheritance which came from Elimelech to her. Once that proposition was settled, then the second matter would be addressed.
Influenced by Boaz’ shrewdness, the unnamed closest relative realized that he couldn’t afford to buy the land and to care for the two widows and children that he would bear through Ruth. So, the man passed on the opportunity to redeem Ruth and in so doing permitted Boaz to assume first position. Such is a story of a man who loves his bride to be. Of course, this story is yet again a picture of our Savior's love for us. And, it is through our recognition of His love for us that we grow in our trust of Him, and, as our trust grows, our love for Him will grow as well.
