#410 Leather Exchange

Then went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by; unto whom he said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside, and sat down.

2 And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye down here. And they sat down.

3 And he said unto the kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth a parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech's:

4 And I thought to advertise thee, saying, Buy it before the inhabitants, and before the elders of my people. If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it: but if thou wilt not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know: for there is none to redeem it beside thee; and I am after thee. And he said, I will redeem it.

5 Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance.

6 And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: redeem thou my right to thyself; for I cannot redeem it.

7 Now this was the manner in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning changing, for to confirm all things; a man plucked off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbour: and this was a testimony in Israel.

8 Therefore the kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for thee. So he drew off his shoe.

9 And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's, of the hand of Naomi.

10 Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place: ye are witnesses this day.

11 And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. The Lord make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem:

12 And let thy house be like the house of Pharez, whom Tamar bare unto Judah, of the seed which the Lord shall give thee of this young woman.

13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in unto her, the Lord gave her conception, and she bare a son.

14 And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the Lord, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel.

15 And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him.

16 And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it.

17 And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.

18 Now these are the generations of Pharez: Pharez begat Hezron,

19 And Hezron begat Ram, and Ram begat Amminadab,

20 And Amminadab begat Nahshon, and Nahshon begat Salmon,

21 And Salmon begat Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed,

22 And Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David. Ruth 4 KJV

The kinsmen, who is first in line, is not here named, yet he is agreeable to redeeming the land from Naomi until full disclosure reveals a woman of child bearing age. Now the brother of the dead is dead himself, so does this in natural course take up the Levitical charge, that he must now raise up seed to the inheritance of the dead? Or is this an added requirement, at Ruth's request, to care for her son's widow? I don't know, but it carries on similar to those lines, yet without the stringency applied to a brother, nor the disgrace in turning down. Ruth is a game changer for him, but there is no disgrace in getting what she actually wants. She has come to Boaz, and Boaz goes to satisfy the law openly. She has not chosen youth or worldly wisdom, and while some may say foul for he is a man of means, it would require such to do this. Accounting for the sandal, it is often compared to the removal and spitting in Deuteronomy 25, where it speaks of the house of the man whose sandal was removed. Here, it is described as more of a hand shake in old deals, a sign that a man's word has been given. "Are you sure this is what you want to do? Are we understood?" Yes. God didn't just tell Abraham of the Promised land, he had him walk it, and where he walked belonged to his seed. It is for the near kinsmen to walk this if he can, but if he is not able then he passes his sandal to another. He says he doesn't want to mar his own inheritance, and we know this has to do with Ruth, but he does not say here for certain how. She is a Moabite, an outsider, brought in by marriage, but from a tribe that was of much grievance to Israel. Remember how they led Israel into idolatry by the use of immorality, the temptation of women, instructed by Balaam. Maybe this is a concern to him, or maybe he has children already as it sounds and he does not want to raise up more that would have stake or claim in him. Whatever the case, he passes the sandal to Boaz, who is happy to do this. He loves Ruth, she has impressed him like the woman of Proverbs 31, regardless of her birth, hers' is a circumcised heart. She has been as 7 sons to her mother in law, worked diligently and without complaint, she stayed when it was bleak, when others gave the example of the easy path and even when Ruth pushed her away. She cleaved. You cannot ask for a greater woman, a better friend. They bless her to be fruitful, and once again, like the harlot Rahab in the walls of Jericho, so an outsider is brought into the line. Remember that seed, promised in the garden? You can follow it here and see the son of Rahab was Boaz, then Obed, then Jesse and then David. 66 books with so many different writers, but they could not work so well together over the thousands of years in the making to tell of better heroes. A harlot, a Moabite, my word, can anything good come out of Nazareth? It is again a testament to the testament, the condition of the world, the reminder that everyone who is brought to is also brought out. 

17I will surely bless you, and I will multiply your descendants like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will possess the gates of their enemies. 18And through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” 19Abraham went back to his servants, and they got up and set out together for Beersheba. And Abraham settled in Beersheba.…Genesis 22:18

Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:


“‘The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
the Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’[h]?

43 “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. 44 Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”[i]

45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them. 46 They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet. Matthew 21: 42-46

This isn't just Israel, what happens to the church when it fails in it's duty to the next generation? Do we pray, have we taught our children? Are you a father yet not a priest in your home? Is there something holding you back? Do you belong to the church social or the body of Christ, those who worship in Spirit and in truth? If you are not feeling it, well that's a problem, but if you are changing it to feel it that is a huge problem. I see Ruth and she was not born a Jew, but her fruit shows a true conversion. Some trees have the right height, the leaf looks right, but the seasons come and go, yet nothing changes.

Boaz was a relative of those in need of redemption. (Ruth 2:1) John 1:14, Heb. 2:17 Jesus was made a flesh and blood brother to those in need of redemption. Boaz was a worthy (or wealthy) man who shared his wealth with those he redeemed. (Ruth 2:1) 2 Cor. 8:9 Jesus was a worthy, or wealthy, man who left those riches to become poor so that we might become rich. Boaz came from Bethlehem. (Ruth 2:4) Matt. 2:1 Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Boaz commended the faith of a foreigner. (Ruth 2:11) Matt. 15:21–28 Jesus commended the faith of a Canaanite woman. Boaz invited a foreigner to eat with him at his table. (Ruth 2:14) Luke 14:15–24 Jesus told a parable about a banquet at which those from the outside will be invited in to eat at the king’s table. Boaz fed Ruth until she was satisfied with some left over. (Ruth 2:14) Luke 9:17 Jesus fed five thousand until they were satisfied with twelve baskets left over. Boaz was determined to redeem, and would not rest until it was accomplished. (Ruth 3:11, 13) John 4:34; 19:30 Jesus was determined to do the work of redemption and did not rest until it was accomplished. Boaz paid the price of redemption outside the city gate. (Ruth 4:1) Heb. 13:12 Jesus paid the price of redemption outside the city gate. Boaz paid the cost to accomplish redemption. (Ruth 4:9–10) 1 Pet. 1:18–19 Jesus paid the cost with his own blood to accomplish redemption. Boaz’s redemption made it possible for Ruth, a foreigner, to be included in God’s people by grace through faith. (Ruth 4:11) Gal. 3:13–14 Christ’s redemption made it possible for Gentiles to be included as God’s people by grace through faith.