The choice of a husband is not the only issue that will be resolved in this final scene, however. The narrator also has another plot twist to spring on us at the very end of the book. With a wave of his hand, he reveals to us at the very end that the story has not just been about God providing a solution for the needs of certain individuals. No, in the process, God is also paving the way for the king that His people need. So, this is not just a story about God’s covenant faithfulness to Naomi and Ruth. It is about God’s covenant faithfulness to Israel. The Israelites haven’t even thought about asking for a king yet; they are still in the days of judges (Ruth 1:1). However, in His sovereignty and faithful love, God was already preparing ahead of time the line of the one who will ultimately meet that need. Who would have guessed that surprise ending at the start of this story?

As the chapter opens, we see that Boaz wasted no time in seeking a resolution on Ruth’s behalf (4: 1-2). The town gate was the place where meetings where held and legal business was transacted. There Boaz soon encountered this man and had him seated in front of a panel of witnesses, the elders of the people, he immediately broached the subject of their kinswoman Naomi and her future (vv. 3-4).

Boaz is really saying something like this: “Naomi has a field. She needs to sell it to raise money to live on. If there were a kinsman redeemer, however, he could buy that field and keep it in the family. Of course, the buyer would ultimately get to add the property to his own inheritance, provided that there are no children involved. You are the first in line…are you interested?” This seemed like such a promising opportunity that the kinsman redeemer instantly agreed.

But then Boaz sprang the surprise on him (v. 5). “Oh, by the way,” Boaz was saying. “One more thing: When you acquire the field along with it comes Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of the dead man whose field it was. You must marry her in order to raise up a child for the dead man, a child who will inherit the field when he grows up.” All of a sudden, the kinsman redeemer changed his mind (v. 6). The kinsman redeemer was only interested in ministry to the poor if there was a payoff for himself and his family.

The irony is that by seeking to protect his future legacy in this way, this kinsman redeemer ended up leaving himself nameless, missing out on having a share in the biggest legacy of all: a place in God’s plan of salvation. Boaz took a different and more sacrificial approach, embracing the opportunity to leave a legacy for someone else. This is clear from what he said when he made the transaction in the city gates (vv. 7-10).

Ruth 4 is all about preserving names. From the concern to preserve the names of Elimelech and Mahlon with their inheritance (v. 10), to the wish in the blessing that Boaz’s name would be remembered in Bethlehem (v. 11), to the similar blessing at the birth of Obed (v. 14), to the double naming of Obed (v. 17), to the list of names with which the chapter concludes (vv. 18-22), throughout this chapter there is the common thread of the desire to keep one’s name alive. Although neither the kinsman redeemer nor Boaz realized it at the time, a lasting name was what was at stake here. The one who married Ruth received not merely a woman of character with an impressive work ethic and the ability to lift and carry eighty pounds of grain, but he also received a place in God’s plan. The line of Boaz and Ruth would stretch on to include Obed, then Jesse, then David, Bethlehem’s most famous son, the king after God’s own heart. By trying to protect his future Mr. kinsman redeemer would remain forever nameless.

Boaz had an open heart for the poor. We saw earlier, in his generous behavior to Ruth when she was just another unknown poor person gleaning in his field. There was nothing calculating about his generosity to her then – just the grace of a generous and cheerful giver. Likewise, Boaz was not marrying Ruth now for what he could get out the deal. In terms of the financial and social equations, it was always likely to be a losing prospect for him to marry a Moabitess. Entering a relationship so that she could have a som to inherit the property he had just put out good money to buy could never make good fiscal sense. But then, the Lord’s wisdom operates on a different kind of calculus from the wisdom of the world.

Boaz made it clear that the transaction was not about him and his own interests but the interests of others – that is, meeting the needs of Ruth and Naomi and preserving the remembrance of their dead husbands. This was not normally the way to win a name for one’s self, perhaps, but in God’s sight Boaz knew he would always have a name. God’s favor was more important to him than acquiring a name in the world. Even though Boaz wasn’t motivated by the praise of others, he nonetheless received the respect and the blessing of the elders at the gate (vv. 11-12).

Through Ruth, Boaz would indeed become famous and have his name remembered in Bethlehem. Although for ten years Ruth had been unable to bear a son for Mahlon, through the Lord’s intervention she conceived and bore a son for Boaz (v. 13). Notice what this Scripture says: “The Lord gave her conception.” This is only the second time in the Book of Ruth that the Lord has been in the foreground of the action as the subject of a verb – the other time being the equally significant statement in 1:6 that the Lord has acted to bring redemption to His people.

Nor was this son simply for Boaz. He would be a comfort also for Naomi in her old age, her kinsman redeemer who would provide for her needs in her declining years (vv. 14-15). The story closes with a touching domestic scene (vv. 16-17). The grandson on Naomi’s lap was a clear sign that the emptiness she felt at the end of the opening chapter had now been replaced by fullness through God’s grace. Though no one could bring back her husband or sons, now she had a daughter-in-law whom everyone recognized as “more…than seven sons,” an astonishing accolade in the ancient world. What is more, she had a descendant to carry on the family line.

In the genealogy with which the Book of Ruth closes, we discover that God has been pursuing bigger plans than bringing together two worthy individuals. What looked like a simple story of personal emptiness filled and personal needs met turns out to be God’s way of meeting a far greater need. The story that opened with the statement “In the days when judges ruled” (Ruth 1:1) closes with the genealogy of Israel’s most famous king (Ruth 4:18-22). This genealogy links the events of the story with the line that would build the house of Israel more than any family since the time of Jacob, the line of David. God used all of these events to bring about His own goals that were so much bigger than any of the characters involved in the story could possibly have imagined. The elders’ blessing that sought lasting renown for Boaz was remarkably fulfilled long after his death, with the birth of King David.

Ruth 4:1-22 Study Questions:

The closer kinsman with whom Boaz interacts at the gate of the town is never named (v. 1). Why might this be? What is the narrator seeking to communicate to us about this man – and about Boaz?

Why might the unnamed kinsman of Naomi have rejected his role as “redeemer” after learning about Ruth? What seems to be his motivation, given his conversation with Boaz? How is Boaz strikingly different from him?

What do you observe about Boaz’s speech that summarizes his commitment to Naomi’s family and to Ruth (vv. 9-10)? What is he most concerned about? How do the elders of the town respond to his actions and words (vv. 11-12)?

For only the second time in the Book of Ruth, the narrator describes God acting directly, saying that He gave a son to Ruth (v. 13). Why is this so significant? How is this a picture of God’s surprising redemption?

The final verses of the Book of Ruth show us the larger perspective – this is not a “random” story, but one that is integrally connected to God’s plan to one day provide a great king for His people (vv. 18-22). What do we learn about the sovereignty and providence of God through this conclusion? How is Ruth’s story – and her ethnicity – significant for helping us to understand God’s redemptive plan for His people?

What are some ways in which the entire story of Ruth displays the gospel of Jesus Christ? Describe and explain the several themes throughout this narrative that teach us about God’s grace, His redemption, His mercy toward sinners, and His concern for the poor.

Hundreds of years after Ruth lived and died, Matthew includes her as one of just five women who are mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus Christ, which begins his gospel. Look at Matthew 1:1-17. Who are the other women mentioned in Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus Christ? What might he be wanting his readers to notice about God’s plan?

Boaz’s redemption of Ruth points us forward to a far greater Redeemer. What aspects of the gospel are foreshadowed in the actions, redemption, and grace of Boaz for Ruth and Naomi (see Rom. 3:21-26)?