How does Ruth 4:17 demonstrate God's faithfulness in fulfilling His promises? Setting the Scene—Ruth 4:17 “The neighbor women said, ‘A son has been born to Naomi,’ and they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.” God’s Faithfulness to Naomi and Ruth • From emptiness to fullness—Naomi, once saying, “The LORD has brought me back empty” (1:21), now celebrates a grandson. • The kinsman-redeemer promise is visibly kept through Boaz (Leviticus 25:25; Ruth 3:9), proving God safeguards His covenant principles in real life. • Ruth, the Moabite outsider, is grafted into Israel’s story, echoing God’s inclusive promise to bless “all the families of the earth” through Abraham (Genesis 12:3). God’s Faithfulness to Israel’s Royal Line • Obed’s genealogy points straight to King David, fulfilling Jacob’s prophecy that “the scepter will not depart from Judah” (Genesis 49:10). • The verse confirms that God was silently arranging royal lineage during the period of the judges, when “everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25). • Through David, the LORD later covenants, “Your house and your kingdom will stand firm before Me forever” (2 Samuel 7:16). God’s Faithfulness to the Messianic Hope • Matthew 1:5-6 and Luke 3:32 list Obed, Jesse, and David in Jesus’ genealogy, showing Ruth 4:17 as a vital link in God’s unbroken redemptive chain. • By ensuring Obed’s birth, God sets the stage for the One whom Gabriel calls “the Son of the Most High” who will reign “forever” (Luke 1:32-33). • At the cross and empty tomb, the promise finds ultimate fulfillment—“When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman” (Galatians 4:4). Takeaway—How Ruth 4:17 Showcases God’s Promise-Keeping Character • He turns loss into legacy; no circumstance is beyond His restoration. • He weaves ordinary faithfulness (Boaz, Ruth) into extraordinary purposes (the Messiah). • He keeps His word across generations, proving every promise in Scripture reliable and sure. |
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