Ruth 4

Redeemed and Rooted: Our Journey Through Ruth 4

From Strategy to Redemption

As we wrap up our time in Ruth, chapter 4 brings everything together—and it’s wild how much unfolds in just a few verses. We’ve been watching this story build: Ruth and Naomi, two widows navigating survival in a patriarchal world, making bold moves in a culture unfamiliar to Ruth. Chapter 3 was strategic, even risky. Ruth uncovers Boaz’s feet—a custom loaded with cultural nuance we probably wouldn’t use in a new believers’ Bible study today. But there’s more than a curious tradition happening here. These are two women doing everything they can to secure their future.

Naomi knows the system. She knows Boaz. She’s playing her cards with hope and wisdom. And Boaz responds with integrity, pointing out there’s actually another man first in line to redeem the situation. That guy, though? He bails. Why? Because redemption wasn’t just about romance—it was about sacrifice. If he took on Ruth, a Moabite widow, any child they had would inherit Elimelek’s line, not his. That meant dividing up his estate to honor someone else's legacy.

So he steps aside. Boaz steps in.

Redemption Always Costs Something

When we slow down to really see it, this story isn’t just quaint or romantic—it’s radical. Boaz chooses to take the financial hit, the social risk, and the responsibility. He doesn’t just marry Ruth; he redeems her. He brings her fully into the family of God’s people, and the town blesses it. They say, “May your family be like that of Perez”—a line rooted in complicated, redemptive history.

Then, the unexpected happens: Ruth, the outsider, becomes the great-grandmother of King David. And from her line—this line—comes Jesus. That genealogy at the end of Ruth 4? It's not filler. It’s a promise unfolding, one generation at a time.

The Bigger Picture: God's Quiet Providence

Let’s be honest—this little book can be easy to overlook. It’s short. It starts slow. But when we step back and look at the arc from chapter 1 to chapter 4, we see God’s kindness everywhere. In timing. In provision. In people like Boaz. In brave choices made by women like Naomi and Ruth.

It reminds us that even when God feels quiet, He is moving. Behind the scenes. Through faithful people. Through sacrificial love.

And isn’t that what the whole story of Scripture is pointing to? A redeemer who steps in when no one else will. Who chooses the outsider. Who gives up what He has to restore what we’ve lost. Ruth’s story is small, but it echoes something massive: the gospel.

As we close this season, we’re left grateful—for Ruth’s courage, Naomi’s wisdom, and Boaz’s sacrifice. Most of all, we’re thankful for a God who writes stories like this and includes us in them.

Let’s not miss it: Ruth may be short, but her story stretches all the way to Jesus. Tiny but mighty. Indeed.