Message of Hope: God send people to help us so that we can pass on the blessing and help
others.
Ruth 4:1-12
Please share the answers to your questions in the comments section. Sometimes we may find a question difficult to answer, and to hear someone else’s thoughts can be so helpful.
Listening and Learning
1.The first time around, verses 1-4, why do you think Boaz only mentions the land and says
nothings about the marriage responsibilities in verses 5?
2.How were these two family redeemers functioning or not functioning in the true spirit of the
purpose of family redeemers?
3.Even though Naomi is selling the land, why is she not included in this transaction?
4.The city gate witnesses do more then just witness this transaction, they also offer a special
blessings. What is this blessings about?
Excerpts and questions used in this study are used by permission from
Living in the Moment 
Listening and LearningRuth 4:1-121.The first time around, verses 1-4, why do you think Boaz only mentions the land and says nothing about the marriage responsibilities in verses 5?Maybe he was hoping that presenting the responsibilities one by one, would work in his favour so that he could marry Ruth, knowing that land would bring the first family redeemer and investment and income, but it would be taken away with the responsibility of feeding and taking care of another human being, expecting also to bear children with her.2.How were these two family redeemers functioning or not functioning in the true spirit of the purpose of family redeemers?The first family redeemer was in it for the money.Boaz was in it for the complete responsibility given to a family redeemer. He took his role seriously.3.Even though Naomi is selling the land, why is she not included in this transaction?Naomi probably did not have control of Elimelech’s ancestral land, though she did have legal title. She was selling the right to redeem it, or buy it back, from whoever was currently using it. The law called for a near relative, the family redeemer, to buy land when a landowner had to sell it. This practice kept land in the family; the redeemer took care of the land until the destitute landowner could recover economically and buy it back.4.The city gate witnesses do more then just witness this transaction, they also offer a special blessings. What is this blessings about?The story of Tamar is mentioned in the blessing. This story could be seen as an embarrassment in the family history or genealogy, which was very important in that day. The city gate witnesses seem to be reminding Boaz that even with a history that is tarnished, there is redemption and God can and will use each of his children for good, no matter their history. Looking at the lineage of Jesus, it too is filled with stories that could be an ‘embarrassment’.
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