Chapter 4:13
"Gentile's Conception"
J. Deering, AncientPath.net

MASTER STUDY
Introduction, Visualized Text with Commentary and Q&A, Charts

INTRODUCTORY COMMENTS:

The story of Ruth and Boaz nears its conclusion with the report that Boaz did marry Ruth and the result is the birth of a son. The redeemer redeems Naomi, her land and property.

Naomi's story is that of the nation of Israel, while lost in idolatry, returns home to her God when she realizes her loss in broken fellowship with Him. With her return she finds her redeemer, fellowship is restored along with her land. Israel (the people and the land) will always be His, in or out of fellowship.

Ruth's story is quite different. She, as a gentile, is sought, found and introduced to faith through Naomi's family. She too needs a redeemer. She is found by Boaz working in his field. He woos her and he is found to be the only willing redeemer. He redeems her, marries her, and completes her with offspring.

Looking at the imagery from a Hebrew standpoint, Naomi' story is all about the nation of Israel and her return to her God after breaking fellowship with Him and dabbling in idolatry. Repentance is shown after the chastisement of famine and lost lives. Naomi hears that God has visited her people and land – and she longs to return home to Him. When she returns she brings with her a Gentile of the faith. Naomi finds her redemption in Boaz, but that redemption cannot be separated from the quite remarkable redemption that is found for Ruth. For Naomi finds her redemption as a child of Israel, returning for fellowship. Ruth finds her redemption as a grafted-in Gentile by a loving and willing redeemer.

Throughout the book Ruth seems to be just carried along with the plot. We don't see her making the plans or giving directions. She plays the role of the quiet participant from the loss of her husband all the way to her marriage to Boaz. That is part of the lesson in this story. She is found and loved for the love she expresses through her life. She comes as an outsider, a foreigner, and alien. She needs a redeemer and she finds him through the redemption of Naomi. The redeemer finds her and loves her because she willingly chooses to love him.

In both cases the story is about God's believing people who stray from His fellowship through Idolatry (or any sin). They find themselves in His chastisement because of their hard and wayward hearts. They come to the place where they recognize that it is God and only God who can satisfy their needs and fill their hearts. They turn in repentance, confessing their waywardness and their need. On the basis of who He is, he provides them with redemption. This is not so say salvation, but the payment to buy them back into fellowship and from their sins. Naomi is the story of the nation and Ruth is the story of the Gentile being grafted into the nation.

Only by secondary application can we appropriate this symbolic story and see the wondrous truths about our heavenly Father in this, the age of the Church. Especially in Ruth we see the wonderful story of a Gentile who seeks God through the Redeemer Jesus Christ – the only willing redeemer.

In Naomi we can see the Body of Christ as they help and prepare Ruth as she is in the process of coming to the redeemer, doing everything for her.
 

THE VISUALIZED TEXT (NASB)  (conjunctions & prepositions (and other important words) underlined, words not in original text in italics)  (alternate text in purple)

(4:13)
So

          Boaz took Ruth,

And

          she was his wife: and

                   when he went in unto her,

                             the LORD gave her conception, and

                                      she bare a son.

Brief Commentary on Ruth 4:13

This could be the end of the story were it not for the fulfillment of prophecy and the physical results many generations later.

Boaz completes his plan to acquire Ruth. The statement, "and she was his wife," is a pleasant statement of completion. The two of them joined together and became one flesh. The bond is made, the process is complete, she has been redeemed.

Out of this story of love for each other comes a boy child, a son. The line of David remains unbroken.

Questions and Answers about Ruth 4:13

1. What does the word "So" indicate here?
   (The results of the actions of the previous verses)

2. Why restate that Ruth was Boaz's wife?
   (To eliminate any question as to the results of the meeting at the city gate – Boaz proclaimed that he would redeem and marry Ruth, and now it is done.)

3. Who gave Ruth conception?
   (The Lord granted them the privilege of having a child. There is nothing here that would indicate anything other than a normal male/female conception)

4. What sex was the child?
   (Male)

5. Why is that important to the story?
   (Much of the story is about the loss of family line and inheritance as the result of not having any male children. Ruth and Boaz could have had just a girl but that would have been a different story. Women are found in the lineage of David and Jesus Christ as well as men, but this story was about Ruth and Boaz conceiving Obed.)

 Horizontal Chart for Ruth 4:13

Ruth 4:13

The Gentile's Conception

"So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife, and he went in to her. And the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son."

Verse Percentage Chart for Ruth 4:13

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2012-11-20