Title: If It's Not You, I'll Fall
Contents
Ruth 4:3-4
Boaz said to the one who took over the inheritance, "I told you to buy it in the presence of those who sit here and the elders of my people, because Naomi, who returned from the region of Moab, has jurisdiction over the property of our brother Elimelech. Tell me so that I may know. I am after you, and no one else can match you. He said, I will draw you.
In verses 1 and 2, Boaz invited his relatives and ten elders to the city gate to fulfill the promise he had made with Ruth. A conversation takes place between Boaz and another kin.
What is the most common word in today's text? It means "soft". What does soft mean? It is said that Jesus “redeemed” us from our sins. The word "redemption" and "soft" are the same thing. Originally, we were all created as children of God. However, because of the sins of Adam and Eve, the fathers of mankind, we were bound by the chains of sin and became slaves of Satan. But Jesus shed His precious blood on the cross to redeem us and restore us to our original position as children of God. That is redemption.
So let's find out what it means to be soft.
Leviticus 25:25-28, “If your brother is poor and has sold some of his inheritance, his relatives will come and destroy what he sold; if no one can buy it, and when he is rich and has strength to buy it, he counts the years of the sale. So he will give the rest of the money to the buyer and return to his inheritance. But if he does not have the strength to buy it, the sale remains in the hands of the buyer until the year of jubilee, and he will return to it in the year of jubilee, and he will immediately return to his inheritance.”
The company referred to here usually refers to land. If you were poor and sold some of your business, who will restore you? It is kin. A close relative will buy it for you and restore it. If there is no one to restore him, and if he becomes rich and has the strength to draw again, then he is weak. I sold it, but I think I sold it the wrong way, so you ask me to withdraw? If he has the strength to cut it, he counts the years of the sale, pays the remainder, and buys it again.
However, according to the law, in the year of jubilee, even if you are still, you will automatically return to the original owner. For example, let's say it's been 10 years since you sold your business. There are still 40 years left before the Jubilee. If you want to buy before the Jubilee year, count the remaining 40 years, give the rest to the buyer, and restore it as your inheritance. It goes back to the original owner. that it is brittle. However, if you do not have the strength to draw, the sale remains in the hands of the living until the year of jubilee, and it is restored at the year of jubilee.
back to the main text. Boaz went up to the gate and sat down to carry out the promise he had made to Ruth. And when he saw a relative who was closer than him, that is, Elimelech's inheritance, to pass by, he summoned him and put him in his place. The elders also invited ten. In doing so, everything was prepared so that decisions made there would have full legal effect.
There are two problems that Boaz needs to solve. One is to restore poor Naomi's inheritance, and the more important is to marry Ruth. I made an appointment with Ruth. When Ruth said, "Cover me with the hem of your robe," I said yes. These two things need to be resolved, but Boaz does not directly talk about Ruth's problem from the beginning, but first explains the land. The important things come last. If you tell the story from the beginning, and a closer relative says, "Yes, I'll take responsibility," the colic is broken. So Boaz must have thought deeply, prepared, and devised a plan while praying. We do everything as planned.
4:3, "Boaz said to the owner of the inheritance, "Because Naomi, returning from Moab, has jurisdiction over the property of our brother Elimelech.
Elimelech's land was taken over by his wife, Naomi. As long as Elemelech is alive, it doesn't matter. But Elimelech died. In addition, the two sons who were supposed to be the heirs of Elimelech's inheritance also died. So, who was in charge of Elimelech's property and who was in charge of it became an important issue. Whose responsibility is it? Back to Naomi's responsibility.
But looking at today's text, what was Naomi called? "Boaz said to the one who took over the inheritance, 'Naomi the wife of Elimelech' did not say, 'Naomi, the wife of Elimelech, owns the property. Why? Elimelech's wife would be better, but why did it say Naomi, who returned from Moab? Earlier, there was a corresponding person applied to this word.
2:6, "The servant with the slayer answered and said, "This is a Moabite girl who has returned from the region of Moab with Naomi."
Same word. He also wrote to Ruth that he had returned from Moab.
1:22, "Naomi returned from the region of Moab with her mother-in-law, Ruth the Moabitess, and they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest."
Naomi also returned from Moab, and Ruth also returned from Moab. So, we want to put Naomi and Ruth on equal footing. What Boaz wants now is to marry Ruth, no matter what. However, if the Bethlehemites say no because Ruth is a Moabites woman and a Gentile woman, the solution becomes difficult. In order to raise Ruth's position, Naomi was deliberately called Naomi, who had lived in Moab and returned from Moab.
With that very intention, Boaz continues to explain. “Naomi, who returned from Moab, had jurisdiction over the land of our brother Elimelech.” He called Elimelech "our brother." So Elimelech, Boaz, or any kind of relative, these three are very close relatives. Maybe they weren't cousins.
Relatives have responsibilities and rights. What is your responsibility? When a relative is in trouble, it is natural to have a responsibility to help. Conversely, you have rights. The last part of verse 6 says, “I have the right to bear my own.” You have these responsibilities and rights.
A large number of people died in the last big ferry accident off the West Sea coast. At that time, the entire family who had been returning from the funeral died at once. If someone dies in an accident like this, won't there be any compensation? Compensation comes out, and the entire family has died, so who will receive the compensation? At that time, I was supposed to go together, but due to unavoidable circumstances, there was a person who did not go with me. The whole family who went to the funeral died, so the compensation was huge. Who will get the reward? It was returned to the man who survived alone because he did not get on the ship. Meanwhile, one person became rich. This is your right. In this way, relatives have responsibilities and rights.
4:4, "I told you to buy it in front of those who sat here and the elders of my people, so that you might know it. I will succumb."
Is it your responsibility to buy here? right? responsibility. To live is to pay money, so it is a responsibility.
Who is sitting before Boaz now? Any of the relatives are sitting, and the ten elders are also sitting, and in verse 4 it is said, “With those who are seated here.” Not only the elders, but all of their relatives, and a lot of interested people were sitting there. The elders were also sitting, and Boaz, a prominent local authority, was also sitting, and other people were also sitting, so there were a lot of people who passed by wondering if there was something important, and people who were not very busy came and sat in the audience.
4:9, "Boaz said to the elders and all the people."
The people here are the audience. And the same people as “those who sit here” in verse 4.
It is the responsibility of the relatives to act. "If you want to soften, I will soften, but if you do not want to soften, tell me and let me know." This means, "If you want to fulfill your kinship responsibilities, and if you do not want to take responsibility as a kin, that is, if you will not be resilient, just as I told you and made it known, so you must also tell me so that you may know." If you don't help poor Naomi, and I don't help, no one will help Naomi. Then Naomi would have no choice but to starve to death. "What are you going to do?" What would you do? Boaz asks his relatives to buy a field from another business.
How long has it been since Elimelech went to Moab? How many years did Elimelech live in Moab?
1:4, "They took wives from the women of Moab, and the name of one was Orpah, and the name of the other was Ruth. They lived there about ten years."
He must have lived in Moab for at least 10 years. The sons would have lived for ten years after they were married. So, if you add up the ten years before marriage, it may be ten or twenty years. When Elimelech took his family to the land of Moab ten years ago or many years ago, he must have taken part of his land as a mortgage, sold some, and left the unsold land as it is.
Now I want Naomi to take care of it all. What would you do if you were like nobody? Would you like to buy the land? Of course you have responsibilities, but you have rights. Guys, think about it. Now, if he owns the land, first of all, he will be praised by the people of Bethlehem, saying, “He is a great man, he is a wonderful man.” Also, Naomi is older now. She will die soon, but when Naomi dies, she has no husband and no son, so there is no one to take over the inheritance. Then whose will the land he bought with money belong to? Will it not be yours and your son's? How much would you benefit? Of course, I'm going to give up.
If that person owns the land, then who will he take? You will get Ruth. Yesterday we prayed earnestly for Boaz and Ruth, but it didn't seem to be answered. We must pray hard today for Boaz and Ruth.