Rut 4:1-2 | KingComments | STEP | Ruth 4 is the chapter of Boaz. Here he is central. It’s only about him. After Ruth took the initiative in Ruth 2 and Naomi took the initiative in Ruth 3, Boaz takes the initiative in this chapter. He starts acting to finally be able to take Ruth to be his wife. We do not hear a word from the mouths of Naomi and Ruth. They are silent. They have handed over the case and put it in his hands. As Naomi said at the end of the previous chapter, so it happens ( ). Boaz acts immediately. While Ruth reports to Naomi about her encounter during the night with Boaz, he goes to the gate. Throughout his performance, we see that he does everything with deliberation, controlled and patient. Everything he does, he does it as it should be done, even though it was in a time characterized by ‘everyone doing what is right in their own eyes’. He is not like Samson who wants to have a wife and wants her NOW. Nor does he ignore the right of the first redeemer. In all things he is in step with the LORD. Boaz goes to the gate, for that is the place where public justice is spoken ( ; ). It is a matter that will be noticed by all the people. Boaz acts fully public in all things. Matters of law and marriage should not in any way create the appearance of secrecy. Everyone should be able to see what is happening. Boaz first looks for the redeemer. He patiently waits until the other, closer redeemer passes-by. When he appears, he calls him, but not by his name. His name is not mentioned at all. Boaz must have known his name, because he knows he is the redeemer who is in an even closer relationship to Naomi than he is. It seems that Boaz appeals to him in that way, because of the indifference the man displays in Naomi’s case. Although Naomi has been back for so long, he hasn’t made himself known yet. Even now he does not come to fulfill his duty as a redeemer. He is just on his way somewhere. Boaz must call him to remind him of his obligation as a redeemer. The man listens to Boaz and sits with him. He probably realizes that he does have a responsibility. If Boaz had not called him, he would have walked on. He doesn’t want to have anything to do with Naomi and Ruth. He can’t do anything with Naomi’s land and doesn’t want anything to do with it. This attitude comes to light through his conversation with Boaz. Boaz calls him to sit down, so he can show that this redeemer cannot and will not redeem. When the first redeemer has taken his place in the gate, Boaz takes “ten men from the elders of the city” and they too sit in the gate. It is always Boaz who acts. He exercises authority, he decides what needs to be done. The other attendants agree because his instructions and orders are justified. These ten men are the witnesses of the negotiations between Boaz and the first redeemer about the possessions of Naomi. We can see in them a picture of the law of the ten commandments. Also, in the first redeemer we see a picture of the law. The law has not been able to redeem man. The law sets the conditions for man to get rid of his guilt. Only when these conditions are met a person can receive the promised blessing. In short, the law comes down to this: Do this and you will live. However, man is not able to keep the law. There has never been a human being who has kept the law and thereby deserved life. Every human being is subject to the judgment of the law and that is the curse. To receive the blessing of the promise of life, another redeemer is needed. The other redeemer is the Lord Jesus, of whom Boaz is a picture. The Lord Jesus did what the law could not do. Yet at the same time, He has fully met all the holy requirements of the law. The ten witnesses Boaz has summoned are a picture of this. The law can only agree with the sinner who knows that the Lord Jesus is his Redeemer. All requirements of the law are fulfilled by what Christ did on the cross : “ Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”— in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith” ( ). The law cannot bring Ruth into the place of blessing, but this must first become clear in the presence of witnesses. These ten witnesses – a picture of the ten commandments – can only agree with the fact that the first redeemer cannot redeem. Three questions must be answered with a view to redeeming: 1. Does the redeemer have the right, i.e. is he a relative? 2. Can he do it, that is, does he have the capacity, can he pay the price? 3. Is he willing to do it, does he want to? The Lord Jesus is the answer to each of these questions. 1. The Lord Jesus can be the Redeemer because He has become Man, like us, although without sinful nature ( ; ). He took part in blood and flesh ( ). 2. No one can pay the ransom price for another person. Each must keep the law himself to be saved and receive life. This is impossible because the flesh does not subject itself to the law and is not even able to do so ( ). The Lord Jesus has answered perfectly to God’s will and has therefore been able to pay the price of His blood for others ( ). 3. He has also been willing to do it and He has done it. He said when He came into the world, “Behold, I have come … to do Your will, O God! ( ). By what He has done, He has fulfilled the claims of the law. What He has done is ascribed to everyone who believes in Him. Whoever believes in Him may know that he has been sanctified by the will of God which He has fulfilled, that is to say that he may know he has been set apart for God. The two redeemers – the law and Christ – are beautifully contrasted by Paul when he says: “For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God [did]: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and [as an offering] for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh“ ( ). He says this after he has shown in Romans 7 what the law does with someone who desires to do God’s will, but takes the law as the norm: it leads to great inner misery instead of deliverance and salvation.

‏ Ruth 4:1-2

Introduction

Ruth 4 is the chapter of Boaz. Here he is central. It’s only about him. After Ruth took the initiative in Ruth 2 and Naomi took the initiative in Ruth 3, Boaz takes the initiative in this chapter. He starts acting to finally be able to take Ruth to be his wife. We do not hear a word from the mouths of Naomi and Ruth. They are silent. They have handed over the case and put it in his hands.

The Two Redeemers and the Witnesses

As Naomi said at the end of the previous chapter, so it happens (Rth 3:18). Boaz acts immediately. While Ruth reports to Naomi about her encounter during the night with Boaz, he goes to the gate. Throughout his performance, we see that he does everything with deliberation, controlled and patient. Everything he does, he does it as it should be done, even though it was in a time characterized by ‘everyone doing what is right in their own eyes’. He is not like Samson who wants to have a wife and wants her NOW. Nor does he ignore the right of the first redeemer. In all things he is in step with the LORD.

Boaz goes to the gate, for that is the place where public justice is spoken (Deu 16:18; Gen 19:1 ; Gen 34:20). It is a matter that will be noticed by all the people. Boaz acts fully public in all things. Matters of law and marriage should not in any way create the appearance of secrecy. Everyone should be able to see what is happening.

Boaz first looks for the redeemer. He patiently waits until the other, closer redeemer passes-by. When he appears, he calls him, but not by his name. His name is not mentioned at all. Boaz must have known his name, because he knows he is the redeemer who is in an even closer relationship to Naomi than he is. It seems that Boaz appeals to him in that way, because of the indifference the man displays in Naomi’s case. Although Naomi has been back for so long, he hasn’t made himself known yet. Even now he does not come to fulfill his duty as a redeemer. He is just on his way somewhere. Boaz must call him to remind him of his obligation as a redeemer.

The man listens to Boaz and sits with him. He probably realizes that he does have a responsibility. If Boaz had not called him, he would have walked on. He doesn’t want to have anything to do with Naomi and Ruth. He can’t do anything with Naomi’s land and doesn’t want anything to do with it. This attitude comes to light through his conversation with Boaz. Boaz calls him to sit down, so he can show that this redeemer cannot and will not redeem.

When the first redeemer has taken his place in the gate, Boaz takes “ten men from the elders of the city” and they too sit in the gate. It is always Boaz who acts. He exercises authority, he decides what needs to be done. The other attendants agree because his instructions and orders are justified.

These ten men are the witnesses of the negotiations between Boaz and the first redeemer about the possessions of Naomi. We can see in them a picture of the law of the ten commandments. Also, in the first redeemer we see a picture of the law. The law has not been able to redeem man. The law sets the conditions for man to get rid of his guilt. Only when these conditions are met a person can receive the promised blessing.

In short, the law comes down to this: Do this and you will live. However, man is not able to keep the law. There has never been a human being who has kept the law and thereby deserved life. Every human being is subject to the judgment of the law and that is the curse. To receive the blessing of the promise of life, another redeemer is needed. The other redeemer is the Lord Jesus, of whom Boaz is a picture. The Lord Jesus did what the law could not do. Yet at the same time, He has fully met all the holy requirements of the law. The ten witnesses Boaz has summoned are a picture of this.

The law can only agree with the sinner who knows that the Lord Jesus is his Redeemer. All requirements of the law are fulfilled by what Christ did on the cross: “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”— in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith” (Gal 3:13-14).

The law cannot bring Ruth into the place of blessing, but this must first become clear in the presence of witnesses. These ten witnesses – a picture of the ten commandments – can only agree with the fact that the first redeemer cannot redeem.

Three questions must be answered with a view to redeeming:

1. Does the redeemer have the right, i.e. is he a relative?

2. Can he do it, that is, does he have the capacity, can he pay the price?

3. Is he willing to do it, does he want to?

The Lord Jesus is the answer to each of these questions.

1. The Lord Jesus can be the Redeemer because He has become Man, like us, although without sinful nature (Phil 2:7; Heb 4:15). He took part in blood and flesh (Heb 2:14a).

2. No one can pay the ransom price for another person. Each must keep the law himself to be saved and receive life. This is impossible because the flesh does not subject itself to the law and is not even able to do so (Rom 8:7). The Lord Jesus has answered perfectly to God’s will and has therefore been able to pay the price of His blood for others (1Pet 1:18-19).

3. He has also been willing to do it and He has done it. He said when He came into the world, “Behold, I have come … to do Your will, O God! (Heb 10:7 ; 9). By what He has done, He has fulfilled the claims of the law. What He has done is ascribed to everyone who believes in Him. Whoever believes in Him may know that he has been sanctified by the will of God which He has fulfilled, that is to say that he may know he has been set apart for God.

The two redeemers – the law and Christ – are beautifully contrasted by Paul when he says: “For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God [did]: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and [as an offering] for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh“ (Rom 8:3). He says this after he has shown in Romans 7 what the law does with someone who desires to do God’s will, but takes the law as the norm: it leads to great inner misery instead of deliverance and salvation.