How does Ruth 4:21 connect to Matthew 1:5 in Jesus' genealogy? Setting the Scene Ruth takes place “in the days when the judges ruled” (Ruth 1:1), a spiritually dark era. Yet God was quietly weaving a lineage that would culminate in His Son. The Old Testament Link: Ruth 4:21 “Salmon was the father of Boaz, Boaz was the father of Obed.” • Ruth’s story ends with a concise genealogy that seems ordinary but is loaded with promise. • Boaz and Ruth’s son Obed continues a line that soon produces King David (Ruth 4:22). • The verse testifies that God preserved a specific family thread through famine, loss, and foreign inclusion. The New Testament Echo: Matthew 1:5 “Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab, Boaz was the father of Obed by Ruth, Obed was the father of Jesse.” • Matthew quotes the very names from Ruth 4:21 and widens the lens: – Salmon → Boaz (by Rahab) – Boaz → Obed (by Ruth) – Obed → Jesse (father of David) • Matthew inserts two remarkable details: Rahab and Ruth—both Gentile women—showing God’s grace reaching beyond Israel even in Jesus’ ancestry. Why This Matters in Jesus’ Lineage • Continuity: Ruth 4:21 gives a snapshot; Matthew 1:5 situates that snapshot within the Messianic chain leading to “Jesus, who is called Christ” (Matthew 1:16). • Legitimacy: A verified genealogy fulfills prophecies that Messiah must descend from David (2 Samuel 7:12-13; Isaiah 11:1). • Providence: What looked like an obscure rural marriage became a strategic step in God’s redemptive plan (Romans 8:28). • Inclusion: Rahab (Joshua 2) and Ruth (Ruth 1:16) foreshadow God’s promise to bless “all nations” through Abraham’s Seed (Genesis 22:18; Galatians 3:29). Themes of Redemption and Inclusion • Kinsman-redeemer: Boaz redeemed Ruth (Ruth 3–4), previewing Christ the ultimate Redeemer (Ephesians 1:7). • Loyal love (Hebrew ḥesed): God’s steadfast kindness toward Naomi and Ruth mirrors His covenant love that brings forth Jesus. • Sovereign grace: Foreigners, widows, and former prostitutes are grafted into the royal line (cf. Romans 11:17). Takeaway Truths • Ruth 4:21 is the hinge between Israel’s history and the Gospel record. • Matthew 1:5 confirms that every name in Ruth’s closing genealogy was preserved without error and carried forward to Jesus. • The same God who orchestrated Salmon → Boaz → Obed → Jesse → David also fulfills His promises in Christ (Luke 1:32-33; 2 Corinthians 1:20). |
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