“Blessing Ruth And Her House” - 1/28/25

 

Once it was agreed that Boaz would redeem the property and redeem Ruth and have her for a wife, the people surrounding them cried, “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: 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” (Ruth 4:11-12).

 

Blessing her was special anyway, but to compare her to folks such as Rachel and Leah, who were the mothers to what would become the 12 tribes of Israel, and to have a house like the house of Pharez, who was a mother in the tribe of Judah, from whom came Elimelech, Mahlon, Cilion, and Boaz had greater significance. Remember, she is not a Jew (Ruth 1:22, 2:2, 2:21, 4:5, 10). Yet, her words and actions have made it clear she wishes to be accepted as a Jew, and now the people around have responded. They say, may she be blessed as those matriarchs of Jewish history!

 

When I consider where this lady started, this statement of blessing jumps out at me. Remember Ruth chapter one? After her husband died, and Naomi wished to go home, what hope did Ruth have of having any children at all? What kind of future did she expect when going with Naomi? What hope was there for her when she followed her widowed mother-in-law back to Bethlehem? In contrast with Ruth One, we read Ruth Four and marvel at the unexpected change in fortune!

 

How can God take a widowed, poor woman with no prospects and turn her life around to where she is blessed with physical blessings, with the potential for having children, and for living a blessed and comfortable life in a land that was not her native land? Only by reading the book of Ruth can we explain this, but at the center of it all was God’s providence. God’s will came about by His providence, moving in the lives of men and women, and in this case, the lives of Boaz, Ruth, and Naomi. This is a powerful reminder of God's providence in our lives, guiding us even in the most unexpected ways.

 

I marvel at the ways of God in the lives of His creation. He did not just set this universe spinning and then stand back and watch. He is involved with us, His creation, to this good day! His will will come to pass just as it has in the past. The question is, will we live by faith (Rom. 1:17)? Will we be obedient to Him even when it gets hard (Rev. 22:14)? Will we be obedient even when we cannot see where this decision will lead (Ps. 23:4)? This is where true “faithfulness” comes into focus (I Cor. 15:58). The faith Ruth had is a shining example to us as we finish reading Ruth 4 (Rom. 15:4). Not only is this true, but we see she, like Job, is rewarded for her faithfulness to God. Are we as focused as we need to be (Phil. 3:13-14)? What can we do to have the focus and purpose of Ruth?

 

- Jarrod M. Jacobs