What role does Boaz play in God's redemptive plan as seen in Ruth 4:20? The Text in View “Amminadab was the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon was the father of Salmon.” (Ruth 4:20) Why a Simple Genealogy Matters - Genealogies in Scripture are never filler; they trace the literal, historical pathway of God’s promise from one generation to the next. - Ruth 4:20 situates Boaz inside a royal line that God is actively guiding, confirming that every birth in this list is an intentional, providential step toward redemption. Boaz’s Immediate Role 1. Kinsman-Redeemer • By law (Leviticus 25:25; Deuteronomy 25:5-10) a near relative could redeem property and raise up offspring for a deceased kinsman. • Boaz willingly fulfills both requirements—buying Naomi’s land and marrying Ruth (Ruth 4:9-10). • This self-sacrificing act rescues Naomi’s family from extinction and preserves Elimelech’s name in Israel. 2. Husband to Ruth • Their union bridges two worlds: Ruth the Moabite and Boaz the Bethlehemite; grace gathers Jew and Gentile into one household (cf. Ephesians 2:13-16). • Obed, born to Boaz and Ruth, becomes the grandfather of David (Ruth 4:21-22). That lineage will yield the Messiah (Matthew 1:5-6, 16). Boaz Foreshadows the Ultimate Redeemer - Pays a Price → Christ “gave Himself” (Titus 2:14). - Acts Voluntarily → “No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord” (John 10:18). - Marries the Outcast → Christ takes the Church, once alienated, as His bride (Ephesians 5:25-27). Boaz’s name literally means “In Him is strength.” The strength on display is covenant love that pays the cost to restore. Link in the Chain of Promise - Genesis 49:10: the scepter will not depart from Judah. Boaz, a Judahite in Bethlehem, keeps that tribe’s line intact. - 2 Samuel 7:12-13: David’s dynasty will produce an eternal King. Without Boaz, there is no Davidic dynasty. - Isaiah 11:1: “A shoot will spring up from the stump of Jesse.” Jesse exists because Boaz fathered Obed. - Galatians 4:4-5: “When the fullness of time had come, God sent His Son… to redeem.” Ruth 4:20 is one plank in the floor that supports that “fullness of time.” Take-Home Reflections • God weaves redemption through ordinary obedience; Boaz simply honors God’s law, and eternity is altered. • No detail is accidental. Even a brief verse like Ruth 4:20 showcases God’s precise, literal faithfulness to His covenant word. • Redemption is costly, personal, and rooted in covenant love—qualities Boaz models and Christ fulfills completely. Boaz, therefore, is both a literal ancestor of the Redeemer and a living portrait of the Redeemer’s work. |
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