Introduction:
Previous Lesson: Strive to treat others in ways similar to Boaz’s treatment of Ruth.
Today’s Lesson: Conduct your business in ways similar to how Boaz conducted his business.
Ruth 4:1-10 NLT
Transaction at the City Gate
4:1 Boaz went to the town gate and took a seat there. Just then the family redeemer he had mentioned came by, so Boaz called out to him, “Come over here and sit down, friend. I want to talk to you.” So they sat down together. 2 Then Boaz called ten leaders from the town and asked them to sit as witnesses. 3 And Boaz said to the family redeemer, “You know Naomi, who came back from Moab. She is selling the land that belonged to our relative Elimelech. 4 I thought I should speak to you about it so that you can redeem it if you wish. If you want the land, then buy it here in the presence of these witnesses. But if you don’t want it, let me know right away, because I am next in line to redeem it after you.”
The man replied, “All right, I’ll redeem it.”
5 Then Boaz told him, “Of course, your purchase of the land from Naomi also requires that you marry Ruth, the Moabite widow. That way she can have children who will carry on her husband’s name and keep the land in the family.”
6 “Then I can’t redeem it,” the family redeemer replied, “because this might endanger my own estate. You redeem the land; I cannot do it.”
7 Now in those days it was the custom in Israel for anyone transferring a right of purchase to remove his sandal and hand it to the other party. This publicly validated the transaction. 8 So the other family redeemer drew off his sandal as he said to Boaz, “You buy the land.”
9 Then Boaz said to the elders and to the crowd standing around, “You are witnesses that today I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelech, Kilion, and Mahlon. 10 And with the land I have acquired Ruth, the Moabite widow of Mahlon, to be my wife. This way she can have a son to carry on the family name of her dead husband and to inherit the family property here in his hometown. You are all witnesses today.”
Examine the Scriptures
Ruth 4:1-10 NLT
Transaction at the City Gate
4:1 Boaz went to the town gate and took a seat there.
Most legal transactions, including property transfers, were carried out at the city gate. The city gate served as a combined town hall and courthouse. This was the normal place for business and legal transactions, where witnesses were readily available.
A similar event in Genesis. (Among other places in Scripture.)
Genesis 19:1 NLT
That evening the two angels came to the entrance of the city of Sodom. Lot was sitting there, and when he saw them, he stood up to meet them. Then he welcomed them and bowed with his face to the ground.
- Boaz was intent on conducting his affairs openly and correctly.
Boaz was not about to take something or someone that was not rightfully his.
Just then the family redeemer he had mentioned came by, so Boaz called out to him, “Come over here and sit down, friend. I want to talk to you.” So they sat down together.
The author of Ruth choose not to use the man’s name. (more about this later in the lesson.)
2 Then Boaz called ten leaders from the town and asked them to sit as witnesses.
- Ten leaders from the town would serve as witnesses for the legal proceedings about to take place.
3 And Boaz said to the family redeemer, “You know Naomi, who came back from Moab. She is selling the land that belonged to our relative Elimelech.
- Boaz was looking out for Naomi’s welfare as well as Ruth’s welfare.
Naomi was not currently using or controlling the land, but she did have legal title to the land.
It was God’s plan for the Promised Land to remain in the families whose ancestors had originally been assigned to the land.
Leviticus 25:8-10 NLT
The Year of Jubilee
8 “In addition, you must count off seven Sabbath years, seven sets of seven years, adding up to forty-nine years in all. 9 Then on the Day of Atonement in the fiftieth year, blow the ram’s horn loud and long throughout the land. 10 Set this year apart as holy, a time to proclaim freedom throughout the land for all who live there. It will be a jubilee year for you, when each of you may return to the land that belonged to your ancestors and return to your own clan.
The Promised Land ultimately belonged to God.
Leviticus 25:23-25 NLT
Redemption of Property
23 “The land must never be sold on a permanent basis, for the land belongs to me. You are only foreigners and tenant farmers working for me.
24 “With every purchase of land you must grant the seller the right to buy it back. 25 If one of your fellow Israelites falls into poverty and is forced to sell some family land, then a close relative should buy it back for him.
Psalm 24:1
A psalm of David.
1 The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.
The world and all its people belong to him.
4 I thought I should speak to you about it so that you can redeem it if you wish.
- Boaz knew that the nearest kinsman redeemer had the first right to the property and Boaz gave him the opportunity to redeem the property.
The redeemer would be the caretaker of the land until the destitute landowner could recover economically and buy it back.
If you want the land, then buy it here in the presence of these witnesses. But if you don’t want it, let me know right away, because I am next in line to redeem it after you.”
- Boaz was ready and willing to redeem the land if the nearer kinsman redeemer chose not to redeem the land.
The man replied, “All right, I’ll redeem it.”
The kinsman could see a great opportunity. With no male heir and no apparent likelihood that there would be one, this redeemer would end up with the land and would be doing his social duty for the family.
5 Then Boaz told him, “Of course, your purchase of the land from Naomi also requires that you marry Ruth, the Moabite widow. That way she can have children who will carry on her husband’s name and keep the land in the family.”
Marrying Ruth would not have been required by the letter of the levirate law.
This is a big deal changer. With the possibility of a male heir things change drastically. The male heir would inherit the land.
6 “Then I can’t redeem it,” the family redeemer replied, “because this might endanger my own estate. You redeem the land; I cannot do it.”
Considerations:
If Ruth had a son the land would be passed down to him.
The expense of additional property.
The expense of a wife.
Marrying a Moabite.
- The nearer kinsman redeemer was not willing to endanger his own estate by redeeming the land that belonged to Elimelech.
By acting to preserve his own name, this man became the no-name who refused to help his close relative.
- Boaz was willing to assume any of the risks that may accompany this redemption.
7 Now in those days it was the custom in Israel for anyone transferring a right of purchase to remove his sandal and hand it to the other party.
The process of renouncing one’s property rights and passing them to another was publicly attested by taking off a sandal and transferring it to the new owner.
The passing of the sandal symbolized Boaz’s right to walk on the land as his property.
This publicly validated the transaction. 8 So the other family redeemer drew off his sandal as he said to Boaz, “You buy the land.”
- The passing of the sandal publicly validated the transaction.
- After giving his sandal to Boaz, the unknown kinsman moved from the scene and into anonymity. The name of Boaz is recorded in Scripture for all to see.
9 Then Boaz said to the elders and to the crowd standing around, “You are witnesses that today I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelech, Kilion, and Mahlon.
Orpah is no longer a part of this story.
10 And with the land I have acquired Ruth, the Moabite widow of Mahlon, to be my wife.
Here Boaz exercised the “spirit “of the law.
- Boaz respected Ruth as a worthy person in spite of the fact she was a Moabite.
- Boaz was about to marry Ruth and take her “under his wings.”
Ruth 3:9 NLT
9 “Who are you?” he asked.“I am your servant Ruth,” she replied. “Spread the corner of your covering over me, for you are my family redeemer.”
This way she can have a son to carry on the family name of her dead husband and to inherit the family property here in his hometown. You are all witnesses today.”
- Boaz clearly intended to raise an heir who would carry on the family name.
Boaz was a kinsman redeemer by his own choice.
Boaz is an illustration of the Lord Jesus Christ who became mankind’s Kinsman Redeemer. The one who makes all things right before God the Father for those who trust in Him.
Philippians 2: NLT
3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
6 Though he was God,
he did not think of equality with God
as something to cling to.
7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
he took the humble position of a slave
and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
8 he humbled himself in obedience to God
and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
and gave him the name above all other names,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
- Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
