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Thursday 25 April 2024

Ruth 4:9-12 - Today you are witnesses

4:9,10

Boaz now declares that he has bought the field, and acquired Ruth as a wife. All the elders were witnesses to this. Now we might wonder why go through all this rigmarole, why not just run away together? If we look at things in terms of adoption, there are two things that are essential for a successful adoption. One is the love of the prospective parents for the child (and this is more than an emotional thing, it is a lifelong commitment to the child), and the other is going through all the procedural and legal processes necessary to complete an adoption. Both are necessary, one on its own is not sufficient. In the same way, the Father gave His Son for us out of love for us, and the cross sealed the legalities. We are justified by the cross, the cross was also a formal process.


4:11,12

The elders declare a blessing over the marriage, asking that Ruth become like Rachel and Leah. They also declare that Boaz will be of good standing and become famous. And finally they bless all future generations proceeding from the marriage. We should remember that Rachel was a Moabitess. She is fully accepted into Israel, and Israel’s future will proceed from her.


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