Ruth 4:13-22

00:00:00:36 – 00:00:23:58
Clint Loveall
Hey everybody, welcome back. As we probably finish the book of Ruth today at least, the text, I think this will be our our last session together in the book of Ruth. And then, we’ll be on a little bit of a break for part of the summer. Will be coming back. And so we just want to say thanks as you join us for your participation.

00:00:24:03 – 00:00:49:03
Clint Loveall
let me just read the conclusion here. We’re in verse 13. remember yesterday Boaz made his intention clear to Mary Ruth, and the people wished him a blessing. And so now we get kind of the aftermath or the the rest of the story, starting in verse 13 of chapter four. Then Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife.

00:00:49:08 – 00:01:18:36
Clint Loveall
When they came together, the Lord made her conceive, and she bore a son. Then the women said to Naomi, blessed be the Lord who has not left you this day without next of kin, and may his name be renowned in Israel. He shall be to you, or restorer of life, and to nourish her of your old age. For your daughter in law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has borne him.

00:01:18:41 – 00:01:40:40
Clint Loveall
Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her bosom, and became his nurse. The woman the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, A son has been born to Naomi. They named him Obed. He became the father of Jesse, the father of David. Now these are the descendants of Perez. Perez became the father of has run.

00:01:40:40 – 00:02:13:10
Clint Loveall
Has run of Ram, Ram of been it a mini dab of nation nation of some and salmon of Boaz. Boaz of Obed. Obed of Jesse, and Jesse of David. And there in the book of Ruth an interesting conversation about some of these verses from a biblical scholar perspective. listening in on those discussions, not to suggest that we are in them, as to whether this is original to the text.

00:02:13:15 – 00:02:42:12
Clint Loveall
For a long time, Bible scholars thought that this was added later. however, more recent round of scholarship has given rise to a pretty strong contention that these are original to the story and that would, of course, mean that the story is being written looking back, which seems, defensible, seems likely. And if that’s the case, then we have this wonderful story.

00:02:42:12 – 00:03:09:47
Clint Loveall
And and again, highlights. Interesting. Ruth is done speaking in this text. We haven’t heard much from her. And the end of the story we end kind of as we started with a focus on Naomi and as we saw Naomi in the beginning of the story, lose her future in many ways. Now we see that she not only she, but Israel, has gained a future.

00:03:09:52 – 00:03:51:38
Clint Loveall
And very fascinating. The last word in this book is David, the reminder that Boaz and Ruth stand as the great great grandparents of David. maybe three greats and, you can do the math on the they’re great and their grandparents. And so, this, this very interesting personal story now becomes a national story now has a bridge to being the story, the part of a story of a people, and particularly from a Christian perspective, with the idea that the Messiah would come from the line of David.

00:03:51:43 – 00:04:11:03
Clint Loveall
It becomes an even bigger story than I think we could imagine as we end it here. this story connects to our own story as we find it in Jesus Christ. And I think you know that that makes the story of Ruth very compelling on lots of different fronts. Michael.

00:04:11:07 – 00:04:30:37
Michael Gewecke
There’s so many details, there’s so many layers. You know, when we go through a book like this together, I think one of the things that inevitably happens is we often sound like we’re repeating ourselves because we see things that come up consistently. And as you point that out, you know, you begin to see these patterns over and over again.

00:04:30:37 – 00:04:59:39
Michael Gewecke
And I think the complexity of the characters and the complexity of the storytelling in the book of Ruth is a element that stays true throughout the entire story. And I want to point out another example of that that we have in this text here is, verse 15 here, he the in this case speaking, the child shall be to you a restore of life and the nourishing of your old age, for your daughter in law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has borne him.

00:04:59:43 – 00:05:32:40
Michael Gewecke
And this idea, that is going to sort of come out in the, in the text like this is that while the child represents this possible inheritance and connection, it’s not just the child who’s a he. Because just previous to that, of course, Boaz is the one who marries Ruth. Together they conceive of this child. But then the author also says in verse 13, it’s the Lord who makes Ruth conceit.

00:05:32:40 – 00:06:10:51
Michael Gewecke
So who is the one who’s doing the redeeming here? I think there’s this beautiful complexity built into the book of Ruth. Boaz is a part of the story. Certainly, Ruth and Naomi have an exceptional kind of role in this Old Testament story. So they’re both their agency is clearly a substantial part of this coming to pass. There’s this child, but hear a story that hasn’t had a lot to say about God, though we’ve pointed out some of those possible hints and sort of under the text kind of moments here, we literally have it explicitly said in verse 13, it’s the Lord active in the conception of this child.

00:06:11:00 – 00:06:39:25
Michael Gewecke
Here. I think we’re seeing some of this complexity lived out. There’s a lot of nuance and, well, who’s the one who’s going to be the restorer, who’s the one who’s going to bring completion to this? There’s a lot of answers to that. There’s a lot of different agencies and forces and nuance and complexity. It’s all come together. And I think it’s just part of what makes this story so compelling and so beautiful is it allows all of that to live together at the same time.

00:06:39:25 – 00:07:04:37
Clint Loveall
I could be wrong, but I think this is the only thing in the in the story that we’ve been told that God does explicitly. God has been referenced and certainly in the in the background. But here this is direct action. Now, on one hand, all conception and birth in the Old Testament. That’s always God’s domain. And that’s an important theme in the Old Testament.

00:07:04:42 – 00:07:34:09
Clint Loveall
On the other hand, it is this action God now acts upon Ruth and she bears a son. And then what I think is also interesting, Michael, as we close out this story, we hear the voices of women again. It’s the women of of the community. Bless. Naomi. again, Ruth is not mentioned here. This is Naomi’s story, at least at the end.

00:07:34:13 – 00:08:15:48
Clint Loveall
And it is, as it started, a female story. The one who was vulnerable, who suffered loss, has now been restored. He shall be a restorer to you. There is a future now for Naomi, for Ruth, for Boaz. It has been intertwined throughout the telling of the story. And now again, to re-emphasize that point, not only are their stories intertwine, but their story becomes intertwined with the very story of Israel, because in their lineage, out of this pairing, out of this arrangement, will one day be birthed.

00:08:16:01 – 00:08:35:24
Clint Loveall
The great King of Israel, David, the perhaps the eminent ruler in Israel’s memory. And so, a fascinating way that these streams flow together as we move toward the end of the story here.

00:08:35:29 – 00:09:01:15
Michael Gewecke
There’s some really interesting textual overlaps that might have struck you in our reading of it. And another way, I just want to point out here, of course, Ruth is the one who bears this child. But then notice in verse 16, immediately upon introducing that we have the idea that it’s Naomi who is the one who becomes his nurse, becomes the one who cares for him and provides for him.

00:09:01:15 – 00:09:33:02
Michael Gewecke
I think there’s a kind of blurring between these two women here, even in the story that this child, who’s born to a formerly Moabite woman, is now directly connected to Naomi, directly connected to this inheritance not just of land, but a family of heritage, of passing on the tradition. And that is when it transitions out of just the story of a few people and some very notable humans trying to make their way through life.

00:09:33:07 – 00:10:11:33
Michael Gewecke
At this moment, this story transitions to that very cosmic national story that you’re talking about. Clint. It becomes a touch point for this, though through very strange means, means that no one would have chosen from the outset. Naomi then bonded through these kind of commitments and covenants and loyalty with Ruth. They come back to Israel, and then through this connection with Boaz, and through all of this connection with the witnesses of the elders of the the town, all of this layer upon layer has built such that the fruit of this relationship, directly conceived by God.

00:10:11:33 – 00:10:42:30
Michael Gewecke
The text makes clear. It is from that that then we come to this list of descendants, the people who are going to be the fathers of the nation. And of course, David being one of the most prominent figures in Israel’s history. The connection to Boaz, Ruth, Naomi and the story that surrounds that. I think it just it has a way of showing us what God’s providence and care looks like, like in human lives.

00:10:42:43 – 00:11:07:03
Michael Gewecke
It’s not theology of the systematic variety, where it’s all ideas that this is theology lived out. And when you see it lived out, you can see how one generation to the next is handed down. So such that the legacy of faith becomes literally alive through the people of faith, even navigating some of life’s hardest and most difficult circumstances.

00:11:07:03 – 00:11:24:09
Michael Gewecke
It in that way, for me at least, this reading of it has been a very comforting reading that life circumstances may not be good, but humans living it out as faithfully as they can is all that God asks, and God is faithful. Amidst the journey that we’re on.

00:11:24:14 – 00:11:59:51
Clint Loveall
Yeah, I think there’s a fascinating way to read that into this story in two ways, Michael. And the first is at a personal level. You know, this is Naomi’s story. This is Ruth story, this is Boaz is story. And the idea that at the end, Naomi holds her grandson with the promise of not only her future, but his future and even Israel’s future and having just, you know, had the opportunity to, host our grandson for a few days that that bond of that hopefulness of the future generation.

00:12:00:03 – 00:12:30:01
Clint Loveall
There’s something there’s something deeply profound and, about this idea of this woman who had lost so much and struggled so much now gathering, this child, Obed, into her arms as as she now experiences a hopefulness and a redemption of sorts. The other interesting way is to to pull out. Now, if that’s the small way to read the story, to pull out.

00:12:30:01 – 00:12:59:51
Clint Loveall
And from a larger, perspective, say, what does this story say to Israel? And again, Bible scholars argue over such things, but many of them suggest that this was a story that gained prominence during the exile, maybe even in the aftermath of the exile. Now, there could be two things that matter in that. The first is is maybe on the negative side.

00:12:59:56 – 00:13:24:18
Clint Loveall
Ezra and Nehemiah in the rebuilding process are sending foreign wives home. They’re saying we’re only to be the Israelites. There are no foreigners. Welcome. you have to rid Israel of your foreign wives, wives that had been brought back from the exile. And this may be a way of pushing back on that saying, wait a minute. Remember, Ruth?

00:13:24:32 – 00:13:54:55
Clint Loveall
Ruth was an outsider. Ruth was an exile. Ruth was an from Moab. She was an immigrant of sorts. an alien, certainly. And, it may have been a way to say, hey, maybe we should be careful with that. But then from the other perspective, think about Naomi’s story. What is Naomi? Naomi is a person who left Israel because things were different, difficult.

00:13:54:55 – 00:14:27:30
Clint Loveall
She left with her family. She was forced to leave Bethlehem while outside of Israel, experienced tragedy and hardship, and asked if she had any future at all. Returned to Bethlehem and was restored and blessed again. Now that is in exile. Story. Imagine those Israelites who have been carted off to Babylon, to Assyria, who have lost their homes, who are asking the question, is there any hope?

00:14:27:30 – 00:14:56:13
Clint Loveall
Who who, like Naomi, say, you should call me bitter? Because that’s been my life experience in these moments and a promise to them through the book of Ruth that that’s not the final word, that there is redemption, that there is restoration possible. And the reason a story like this could have been deeply, deeply important is because it rang those bells at a time when the people of Israel most desperately needed to hear them.

00:14:56:18 – 00:15:18:10
Michael Gewecke
The the impact Clint, on real human lives cannot be missed in the story, like Ruth. And I think that we sometimes make the mistake of thinking about nations as some sort of external thing that exists far outside of us, that have nothing to do with our lives or the choices that we make or the faiths that we have.

00:15:18:10 – 00:15:46:03
Michael Gewecke
But, a story like Ruth, I think, pushes against that. It says that sometimes simple faithfulness, simply navigating today and making your way forward. But the challenges that you have, it can lead to impacts that you can’t possibly imagine. Surely Naomi and Ruth didn’t think about their story in cosmic national terms as they were living it. And yet the reality is the the simple, not easy.

00:15:46:03 – 00:16:07:57
Michael Gewecke
I don’t mean that to say that it was simply executed, but the idea of living life day by day, making the best with loss and grief and struggle, finding ways to exert agency when it wasn’t just given to them. And as they did that and live that out, people like Boaz came into their life. That who who was faithful and had good character.

00:16:08:02 – 00:16:33:12
Michael Gewecke
And then that blossomed into that real relationship with which blossomed into marriage, with which blossomed into a kind of hope for a future that God providentially turns to the benefit of an entire nation. That is the kind of thing that, in the hands of God, small becomes great. And I think that that, of course, there’s a part of that that could apply to us, sort of a comfort in the midst of our own life.

00:16:33:18 – 00:16:55:08
Michael Gewecke
I think maybe some of that also might provide context for our life, a reminder that whether or not you succeed today, whether or not you feel like you’re contributing something great, it’s actually God who’s at work in all of these circumstances. And so for you, be comforted that all that’s asked of you is today. All that’s asked of you is faithfulness.

00:16:55:08 – 00:17:13:32
Michael Gewecke
Not to know the future, not to know how the story is going to be told. That’s not ours to write. Ours is simply to be faithful. And when we see these women and then Boaz, who entered into that story light, when we see the way that they live that out, it’s a beautiful it’s a beautiful ending. It’s it’s a hopeful ending.

00:17:13:37 – 00:17:36:33
Michael Gewecke
And that is, I think, one of the telling ways in which a story that didn’t include a lot of explicit references to God was written in such a way that God’s work through all that can be seen, that that’s maybe the genius of this as a story is how it can tell all of these stories at the same time, and has something to teach us about how we should live our lives in light of it.

00:17:36:37 – 00:18:04:04
Clint Loveall
I mean, those are things we often diagnose or or recognize. I think in hindsight, Michael, the story of Ruth and Naomi is just the story with Boaz. You know, it. It certainly doesn’t turn into what it is until now, David, until people look back on David and then said, well, where did David come from? And then said, oh, yeah, well, actually, that’s a fascinating story too.

00:18:04:04 – 00:18:34:58
Clint Loveall
And so the idea of the will and the work of God unfolding throughout the generations is certainly, I think, well attested in Ruth. and that’s one of the things that give this, this book such power, I think, is that it really does a wonderful job of focusing on the personal and dealing out into the larger idea that God is at work, even in the small hardships and in the individual stories of our own lives.

00:18:34:58 – 00:19:09:02
Clint Loveall
And so I think this author does a nice job of balancing that. you think you’re reading a story about a couple of women and then a guy, and it turns out there’s far more to it than that. You’re reading a story about Israel and King David, and ultimately about the God of Israel who has been there. If not on in the forefront, certainly working to bring good things ultimately for his people, even when his people are Moabites, which is a, you know, a fascinating twist.

00:19:09:07 – 00:19:31:55
Michael Gewecke
Yeah. And that goes with significant impact as you attend to the scripture that will follow, friends, I just say, thank you so much for joining us for this study. I want to encourage you, if you’ve been with us, whether you followed with us live or now, you’ve gone through this series of Ruth with us. later, we would love for you to go down to the comments and say, I did it.

00:19:31:55 – 00:19:48:21
Michael Gewecke
I did the whole study with you guys. Let us know that you finish this both. Let us celebrate that with you. And also just want to recognize all of you who have invested the time to go on a journey like this with us. we’re going to be taking a short break here as we move towards next fall.

00:19:48:28 – 00:20:02:31
Michael Gewecke
So if you have a book that you’d like to study, feel free to leave that in the comments as well. We’ll certainly attend to that as we’re making plans for the fall. But for the next couple months here, we’re coming into our summer, so we’re going to have just a short period here where we’re going to take off.

00:20:02:45 – 00:20:09:03
Michael Gewecke
And then once fall comes back here late August, we will let you all know. And we’re going to begin with another book. So thanks for being with us.

00:20:09:03 – 00:20:28:42
Clint Loveall
And just by the way, if you’re not already subscribed, the easiest way for you to be notified when we come back together is a subscription, because you’ll get the update as those new videos are released. So if that’s important to you, if you want to make sure you’re up to date, it would be helpful on your end to subscribe.

00:20:28:42 – 00:20:36:16
Clint Loveall
Obviously it helps us, but more importantly, it gets you notice notified and gives you notice when we start back in.

00:20:36:30 – 00:20:39:32
Michael Gewecke
Well said. thanks everyone. Thanks everybody. See you soon.