Ruth: The wife of Boaz and the mother of Obed

Ruth experienced a roller-coaster experience in Moab. She moved from a young and happy married woman to a young and poor widow. If her hopes were in her husband alone, her hopes would have been shattered. The only comfort around her were other widows (mother-in-law and sister-in-law) who were also in grief. Life indeed gave Ruth lemons. Instead of sulking about how sour the lemons were, Ruth made for herself a lemonade. She did not settle at the widowhood stage. She knew that life in Moab wouldn’t be easy either. Ruth challenged herself and moved to Bethlehem with Naomi. She knew that being a stranger in a foreign land comes with its own challenges. But, she was determined to brace Bethlehem and allow the God of Naomi  to fix her broken pieces.  

Sometimes, the only way to step into your destined future is to have faith in God. Faith without deed according to James (2: 20) is dead. Ruth took a step of faith when she followed Naomi to Bethlehem. Her relocation was very instrumental. While she remained a widow in Moab, she was of no use to the guardian-redeemer. However, when she moved to Bethlehem, she met her destiny helpers. In the previous post, we saw that Boaz promised Ruth that he wouldn’t relax until the matter of her redemption is settled. True to his words, Boaz met the closest guardian-redeemer at the town gate. Witnessed by the elders of the town, Boaz laid before them the case of Naomi and Ruth’s redemption. Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the land from Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the dead man’s widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property.” At this, the guardian-redeemer said, “Then I cannot redeem it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it.” (Ruth 4:5‭-‬6).

So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son.  (Ruth 4:13)

Boaz, being the next guardian-redeemer, took charge. He announced to the elders and all the people, “Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon. I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from his hometown. Today you are witnesses!” (Ruth 4:9‭-‬10). Thus Ruth and Naomi came under the authority and care of Boaz. “So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son.” (Ruth 4:13). 

Ruth gained a home, a husband and a son. She received double for all her troubles. Many sons were born during the same period but the son of Ruth was different. He was no ordinary baby. “The women living there said, “Naomi has a son!” And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.” (Ruth 4:17). The son of Ruth was the grandfather of king David. Jesus Christ was a descendant of king David. 
“This, then, is the family line of Perez: Perez was the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, Boaz the father of Obed, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David.” (Ruth 4:18‭-‬22)

The blind beggar at the roadside of Jericho couldn’t see but his spirit could transcend to the ancestry of Jesus. “He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”(Luke 18:38). Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do for you?” “Lord, I want to see,” he replied. Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God. (Luke 18:41‭-‬43). 

Naomi saw bitterness but Ruth saw a future and a hope. What you see determines how far you can go. Look beyond your pain, loss, grief and illnesses and see the good future the Lord has for you. Take a step of faith and move into your newness. Don’t stay longer in the Moab of your life, move to Bethlehem, that is where pleasantness is found. May God restore unto us a double blessing for all that we have lost.  Ephphatha…we can see victory in Bethlehem!

Naomi has a son: Praise the Lord!

Have you ever encountered people who had nothing and suddenly had their lives changed? It may sound surreal but they are people who move from grass to grace in no time because they encountered their destiny helpers. Anyway, if you have not met one of such people yet, I believe I am one. God in His mercies called me out of my little community and led me to a place of grace. Left to my parents alone, I would still be living somewhere managing my life. But God’s mercy pulled me out and connected me to the right institutions and the right people. Over the years, I have come to understand that all these systems I have encountered were God’s ways to take me to where I have to be. Obviously, it didn’t happen overnight; it has been years but God is still leading me. 

If you ever wondered why God has not done anything spectacular for you, just know that living, having food to eat and clothes to wear is a daily provision of God we take for granted. You will appreciate all these better if you ever come across someone with a life-threatening issue. Naomi and her family experienced famine and as a means of escape, moved to Moab. By the time Naomi returned, she had lost her husband and her children. In her sadness, Naomi wanted people to call her Mara (bitter) instead of Naomi (pleasant). As we have seen, God didn’t leave Naomi alone. When Boaz accepted the challenge to buy out Naomi’s family possessions, he agreed to redeem Naomi and Ruth from every debt and be their provider.  

The women said to Naomi: “Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! The women living there said, “Naomi has a son!” And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David. (Ruth 4:14‭, ‬17)

The people in Naomi’s community testified to the massive change this made to Naomi. Ultimately, Boaz and Ruth gave Naomi a reason to rejoice. In Ruth 4:14, “[t]he women said to Naomi: “Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel!” God was gracious to Naomi and enabled Ruth to conceive. In Moab, while Ruth was married to Mahlon, she had no child. But when the guardian-redeemer married Ruth, a child was born. Once again, “[t]he women living there said, “Naomi has a son!” And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.” (Ruth 4:17).

These women were probably the same people who exclaimed when Naomi returned. They saw her face, her appearance and the sadness around her.
“So the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?” (Ruth 1:19)
But, when God’s mercy made a way for Naomi to be redeemed and then have a son, the same women praised God and named the son Obed meaning servant of God/worshipper. What the women didn’t know was that the name given to the son was going to go beyond Bethlehem. Obed was the father of Jesse and the grandfather of king David. As we know, David was a man after God’s own heart. He was a servant of God and a great worshipper. Most of the Psalms were composed by David.

God was not done with Naomi, through the genealogy of David, the ultimate redeemer of the world was born. Our Lord Jesus Christ, the lamb of God who takes away the sins of men redeemed humanity from the clutches of sin and death.

Naomi’s restoration should remind us that God’s plans are bigger than ours. Whenever we need to make any move, we should consider this, “is this God’s plan for me?” Ask God to show you His perfect plan for you. 
As we lay our hearts before God, may he take away any form of Mara (bitterness) in our lives and give us Obed (worship)… Yes, we shall praise, worship and serve God for the rest of our lives.