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Hello again! Thank you for checking in with me this week. It’s hard to believe Thanksgiving and the Christmas season are almost upon us again. I pray for joyful reunions with family and friends, honoring the spirit of gratitude and the arrival of the greatest Gift of all.

And in the meantime, let’s keep studying Ruth 4!

Last Week’s Work

MY PERSONAL TREASURE
I remain drawn to the original redeemer’s reason why he changed his mind about buying Elimelech’s property after Boaz mentioned Ruth: lest I impair my own inheritance (v6). I’m not sure how much I’ll be able to learn about this reason, but I certainly want to try to understand it better. I’m looking forward to seeing what the Holy Spirit will show me there!

WHO (CHARACTERS)
These are the main characters I noticed in Ruth 4:

• Boaz. In vv1-5, he met the redeemer and assembled a council of elders to witness their discussion of the property sale and Ruth. In vv9-10 he bought the property and acquired Ruth. In v13, the Lord gave Ruth conception with him, and she had a son.
• The closer redeemer, who originally volunteered to buy the property (v4), but backed out when Boaz mentioned Ruth (v6).
• The people at the gate (including elders), who witnessed Boaz’s purchase of Elimelech’s property and acquisition of Ruth (vv9-10), and blessed Ruth and Boaz (vv11-12).
• The women who blessed the Lord and told Naomi He had provided the baby as her redeemer. They also said Ruth was more to Naomi than seven sons (v15), they named the baby Obed, and said he was Naomi’s son (v17). That sounded strange initially, but based on my research on the levirate law in Ruth 3, it makes some sense, since Obed was legally considered Naomi’s son Mahlon’s heir (v10).
• Naomi, who laid the child on her lap and became his nurse (v16).

I also noted several characters mentioned in the genealogy (vv18-22) from Perez to King David, explaining how Boaz fathered Obed who fathered Jesse, who fathered David. Given what we know about the levirate law, I think it’s interesting that this genealogy is traced through Boaz, not Mahlon. Also, why does it start with Perez? Was he maybe the common “father” through whom Boaz and Mahlon were “brothers”?

WHERE (LOCATIONS)

• The gate, where Boaz waited for the redeemer and assembled the council of elders (v1).
• Ephrathah and Bethlehem: locations mentioned in the people’s blessing for Boaz (v11).
• Israel, where the women asked the Lord’s name be renowned (v14).

WHEN (TIMEFRAMES)
The only date I noticed was the/this day (vv5,9-10), when Boaz purchased the field from Naomi and acquired Ruth to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance. I think this was the day after Boaz winnowed barley on the threshing floor (Ruth 3:3-18).

Dig-In Challenges

Here’s what I plan to do this week:

1. PRAY before I study using my prayer from last week.
2. MINE: Look for repeated concepts in this passage, including synonyms and pronouns referring to those concepts.
3. MINE: Locate any special statements (blessings, commands, curses, prayers, promises, requests, and/or warnings) in the passage.
4. MINE: Note any lists (3 or more similar items) mentioned in Ruth 4.

See you next week!