Chapter 4 of the book of Ruth picks up where Chapter 3 left off. In Ruth 3, Naomi instructed Ruth to propose marriage to Boaz. Marriage to Boaz would provide redemption for Naomi and rest for Ruth. Ruth obeyed and went to meet Boaz at the threshing floor that night. Boaz was receptive to Ruth’s proposal. But there was an obstacle in the way. A closer relative had first rights to redeem Naomi and marry Ruth. The marriage of Boaz and Ruth was God’s will. But God’s will does not guarantee an uncomplicated life. 

When Ruth returned from the threshing floor the next morning, she was not engaged to marry. However, Ruth had two assurances. In Ruth 3:12-13, Boaz assured Ruth: “And now it is true that I am a redeemer. Yet there is a redeemer nearer than I. Remain tonight, and in the morning, if he will redeem you, good; let him do it. But if he is not willing to redeem you, then, as the Lord lives, I will redeem you.” In Ruth 3:18, Naomi assured Ruth: “Wait, my daughter, until you learn how the matter turns out, for the man will not rest but will settle the matter today.” Ruth 4 is the final chapter and the grand climax of this romance of redemption. 

• The story begins with loss but ends with gain. 
• The story begins with death but ends with life. 
• The story begins with emptiness but ends with fullness. 
• The story begins with widowhood but ends with marriage. 
• The story begins with sorrow but ends with joy.  

This closing chapter of Ruth affirms the unwavering faithfulness of God’s loyal love. It confirms the eternal plan of redemption through the Lord Jesus Christ. It also offers hope for the future that triumphs over defeat, despair, and discouragement. Warren Wiersbe wrote: “Not all of life’s stories have this kind of happy ending, but this little book reminds us that, for the Christian, God still writes the last chapter. We don’t have to be afraid of the future.” This is the message of Ruth 4: The best is yet to come for those who trust in the Lord. 

• Your past may be painful. 
• Your present may be difficult. 
• Your future may seem hopeless. 

But the best is yet to come to those who trust in the Lord. God worked through Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz’s ordinary lives to do something extraordinary for them and beyond them. You matter to God just as much as Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz! How can I know the best is yet to come? Ruth 4 gives three reasons to trust that the best is yet to come. 

The Best Was Yet to Come for Ruth. 

Ruth proposed marriage to Boaz at the threshing floor. Boaz desired to marry Ruth. But a closer relative had first rights to redeem Naomi and marry Ruth. Boaz promised Ruth he would address the matter immediately, directly, and uprightly. Chapter 3 ends with Naomi expressing her confidence that Boaz would settle the case by day’s end. Neither Ruth nor the reader has to wait long. In the first scene of chapter 4, Boaz keeps his word. 

Boaz confronts the Kinsman-Redeemer.

• Chapter 1 takes place in the country of Moab. 
• Chapter 2 takes place in the fields of Boaz. 
• Chapter 3 takes place at the threshing floor. 
• Chapter 4 takes place at the gate of Bethlehem. 

The gate was the city hall, where civic and legal matters were decided. Boaz went to the gate of the city and sat down. Verse 1 says, “And behold, the redeemer, of whom Boaz had spoken, came by.” This is one of several accidents of providence in Ruth. When the relative came by, Boaz said, “Turn aside, friend; sit down here.” “Friend” is not a good translation of the Hebrew. The best translation is “Such and Such.” The narrator names every character in the story. This relative is purposely left anonymous. Let’s call him “Mr. X.”

Verse 2 says, “And he took ten men of the elders of the city and said, ‘Sit down here.’ So they sat down.” With no written records, credible witnesses constituted forensic proof. Boaz gathered ten elders to be official witnesses. This is one of the few places where we see ancient Israel’s legal system at work. With a quorum of witnesses assembled, the case begins. In verse 3, Boaz said, “Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land that belonged to our relative Elimelech.” 

Boaz acted immediately, not impulsively. Strategically, he did not mention Ruth. He discussed land to redeem. This is breaking news. There has been no reference to land before. In verse 4, Boaz puts his cards on the table: “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.” 

This land acquisition seemed like a good deal to Mr. X. He told Boaz, “I will redeem it.” If negotiations ended here, Boaz would have missed his opportunity to marry Ruth by doing right! But Boaz would not give up that easily. In verse 5, Boaz added: “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.” 

This was an appeal to the spirit of the law rather than the letter. In Deuteronomy 25:5-10, the levirate law obligated the brother of the dead to marry their brother’s widow to perpetuate their name and sustain their estate. Mr. X was not Elimelech’s or Mahlon’s brother. He was not required to redeem Naomi or marry Ruth. But you can miss God’s best if you determine only to do what is required. 

In verse 6, Mr. X says, “I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I impair my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it.” He was willing to buy Naomi’s land. He was not willing to take Ruth’s hand. He accepted the financial cost, not the social cost. Or maybe his reason was purely economic. Old Naomi would not have another son the relative would have to share his estate with. Young Ruth could. Or maybe his concern was racial. Boaz identified Ruth as “the Moabite.” This Jewish relative did not want to marry a Moabite widow. Don’t forget that Mahlon and Chilion died without children after marrying Moabite women! In chapter 1, two women faced a life-changing decision. Orpah did not and is forgotten. In chapter 4, two men faced a life-changing decision. Mr. X did not and has been forgotten. Looking out for himself, he was erased from the story and history. 

Boaz becomes the Kinsman-Redeemer. In verse 7, the narrator pauses the action to directly address the reader. He gives a footnote to explain an outdated custom: “Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging: to confirm a transaction, the one drew off his sandal and gave it to the other, and this was the manner of attesting in Israel.” Without notarized documents, deals were confirmed by giving one’s sandal. Verse 8 says: “So when the redeemer said to Boaz, ‘Buy it for yourself,’ he drew off his sandal.” Mr. X flatly refused to marry Ruth. He withdrew himself from the situation verbally and visually. 

Boaz wasted no time taking action. In verses 9-10, Boaz announced, “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 my 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.”

 Boaz began and ended his statement by calling everyone present to be official witnesses of the legal transaction. Boaz formally purchased from Naomi the family land that belonged to Elimelech, Chilion, and Mahlon. Likewise, Boaz purchased the right to marry Ruth. Verse 10 clearly states the purpose of their marriage. This family line must not be eliminated. This was not merely the consummation of a love-connection between Boaz and Ruth. This marriage would perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance. Boaz became the kinsman-redeemer who restored the family line, land, and legacy.  

Verse 11 says, “Then all the people who were at the gate and the elders said, ‘We are witnesses.’”Boaz’s redemption of the family land was official. Moreover, Boaz’s marriage to Ruth was official. The witnesses offered a triple benediction on Boaz in verses 11-12. First, they prayed, “May the Lord make the woman, who is coming into your house, like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel.”Rachel and Leah were barren. The Lord opened their wombs, and they became the foremothers of the twelve tribes of Israel.

Second, they prayed, “May you act worthily in Ephrathah and be renowned in Bethlehem.” Ruth 2:1 calls Boaz “a worthy man.” The people prayed that Boaz would not change after the Lord blessed him, that the Lord would make his name renowned. Third, they prayed, “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.” Perez was born to Judah and Tamar through the levirate custom of raising an heir for the dead. Through Perez, the tribe of Judah would be the family line through which the Messiah-King would come. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Lion of the tribe of Judah!  

The Best Was Yet to Come for Naomi. 

Verses 13-17 are the epilogue of the story. This conclusion parallels the introduction. This final scene is not about Ruth and Boaz. It is about Naomi. In Ruth 1:20, Naomi lamented, “I went away full, and the Lord has brought me back empty.” The rest of the story is about how Naomi finds fulfillment again through Ruth’s marriage to Boaz and the son they had. 

Ruth’s Baby. 

• Boaz dominates the first scene. 
• Naomi dominates the second scene. 

Verse 13 says, “So Boaz took, and she became his wife. And he went in to her, and the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son.” At the beginning of the book, the narrator summarizes ten years in one chapter. At the end of the book, the narrator summarizes a year in one verse. Boaz married Ruth. This is an answer to prayers in Ruth 1:8-9, 2:12, 2:20, and 3:10. 

This book is filled with one-line prayers that are easily overlooked by the reader. God did not overlook them. It happens after prayer! God answered and gave Ruth rest through marriage to Boaz. She arrived in Bethlehem as a helpless, foreign widow, gleaning the fields of Boaz. Now she was Mrs. Boaz. No longer a “Moabite,” she became a full-fledged member of the covenant community. This is a divine slap in the face to all racists who call themselves Christians. God does not exclude anyone based on race, ethnicity, language, culture, or background. God goes out of his way to bring them into his family.  

The newlywed couple enjoyed the marriage bed. The text says, “The Lord gave her conception.”This is the second of only two statements in Ruth where God acts directly as the subject of an action. Ruth 1:6says the Lord visited his people and gave them bread. Here the Lord gave Ruth conception. This statement suggests the Lord withheld Mahlon and Ruth from having children. It is also a statement about the source and nature of human life.

Life begins at conception. The Bible does not say Boaz got Ruth pregnant. It says the Lord gave her conception. This is why Christians must view abortion as the sin of murder. Life and death are not a person’s right to choose. The Lord was in charge when Elimelech, Mahlon, and Chilion died. The Lord was in charge when Ruth conceived and gave birth to a son. The birth of a child is a vote for the future. Who knows what God is up to when a child is born?

Naomi’s Blessing. After verse 13, Boaz and Ruth leave the stage. The spotlight is on Naomi. Throughout this book, Naomi does a lot of talking. She is silent here. In verse 14, 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!” This benediction announces a complete turnaround for Naomi. The women who asked, “Is this Naomi?” now sing praise for divine intervention on Naomi’s behalf. Ruth gave birth to a son. Through this child, the Lord has not left Naomi without a redeemer. 

• Verse 11 prays that Boaz’s name would be renowned in Bethlehem. 
• Verse 14 prays that his son’s name would be renowned in Israel. 

In verse 15, they continue, “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.” Boaz and Ruth’s son would restore Naomi’s life and nourish her in her old age. Here is a beautiful reminder that God cares for the weak, needy, and helpless. God provided for Naomi through the love of Ruth. This is the only place in scripture where “love” describes one woman’s care and concern for another woman. Ruth was more than seven sons to Naomi. This is a powerful hyperbole. 1 Samuel 2:15 depicts “seven sons” as the ideal number of sons. Ruth had been better than seven sons to Naomi. Now she has given birth to the one who would restore Naomi’s life.  

• The child could not replace Naomi’s dead husband and two sons. 
• The child would restore Naomi’s life after these losses. 

God may not replace. But God will restore!

 Verse 16 says, “Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her lap and became his nurse.” Naomi became a surrogate or adoptive mother to the child. She was everything good the term “grandmother” conveys. She was not biologically related to the child. Blood is thicker than water. Blood is not thicker than love. Verse 17 says, “And the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, ‘A son has been born to Naomi.’” They called Ruth’s son, “Naomi’s boy.” This is the only place in the Old Testament where a child is not named by its immediate family. Centuries later, a child would be born in Bethlehem who would not be named by his immediate family. In Luke 1:33, the angel told Mary, “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.” 

Verse 17 reports: “They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.” This book is not about Ruth, Naomi, or Boaz. It is not about Obed. It is about David, who will become King of Israel in 1 Samuel. God did not choose David on the rebound after the downfall of Saul. God’s choice of David had a long prehistory. Generations before he was born, God was at work so that Boaz and Ruth would be David’s great-grandparents. 

The Best Was Yet to Come for Israel. 

 In the closing verses of Ruth, the focus shifts from Naomi back to Boaz. Verse 17 tells us Boaz fathered Obed, Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David. This is the purpose of Ruth. 

• It is not about finding a love connection. 
• It is not about racial reconciliation. 
• It is not about caring for the needy. 

The purpose of Ruth was to confirm the royal lineage of King David. The story of Ruth happened during the days the judges ruled. Judges 21:25 says, “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” It was a time of social unrest, moral corruption, and spiritual rebellion. Yet the best was yet to come for Israel! Through Ruth and Boaz, God would raise up a man after his own heart to be king of Israel. 

The book of Ruth ends with a genealogy in verses 18-22. At first glance, this list of names may seem anticlimactic. Some commentators even claim it is not original but was added later. But this genealogy record is not an irrelevant appendix. It is the grand finale. Verses 18-22 read: “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 fathered Obed, Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David.”

The introductory statement, “These are the generations of,” is used twelve times in the Old Testament. This is the only place it is used outside of the Pentateuch. These are the generations of Perez. As mentioned in verse 12, Perez was the son of the Jewish patriarch Judah and the foreign mother, Tamar. He lived centuries before the time of Ruth and Boaz.

Going backward and forward, this genealogy spans nine centuries. Ten names are listed. Some names in the family line were intentionally omitted, as ten was the number in the genealogy of kings. Likewise, ten names correspond with the ten years Ruth was barren in Moab. The ten listed are the royal line of Judah. A fascinating name is Salmon (4:20-21). Salmon was the father of Boaz. Matthew 1:5 says Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab. 

• Tamar pretended to be a prostitute to deceive her father-in-law, Judah. 
• Rahab was an actual prostitute who hid the two Israelite spies in Jericho. 

The genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1 mentions Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba. The Jewish reader rejoiced to get to the end of the book of Ruth and discover that it is all about David. The Christian rejoices at the end of the book of Ruth because we know it is all about Jesus! Matthew 1:5-6 reads: “and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David.” God’s redemptive plans will not be thwarted! 

Do you believe this story? If so, apply this message to your life, family, education, career, and circumstances. The best is yet to come for those who trust in the Lord! Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” 

On a tombstone, there is a name, a birth date, and a death date. There is also a dash between birth and death. We cannot control when we are born or die. But we are responsible for what we do with the dash. But the book of Ruth reveals that God is at work within and beyond the dash. 

• God had a plan for your life before you were born. 
• God has a plan for all the days of your life on earth. 
• God has a plan for your eternal destiny through the Kinsman-Redeemer par excellence, the Lord Jesus Christ!