Welcome to this Come to Jesus Daily Devotional. This week, we’ve taken a break from our Luke series, and have been reflecting on the book of Ruth. Please read Ruth chapter 4, and in this devotional we will focus on the prayer of blessing given to Ruth and Boaz.
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‘Then the elders and all the people at the gate said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the family of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. Through the offspring the Lord gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.” So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. The women said to Naomi: “Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.”’ (Ruth 4:11-15)
In our age of social media, people become famous for silly things. For example, In 2014, the Munoz family from San Diego became unexpectedly famous when their daughter, Sophia, performed a spontaneous dance at a local family event. The video of Sophia, just three years old, dancing energetically and joyfully to “Uptown Funk” was posted online and quickly went viral. Her infectious enthusiasm and impressive dance moves caught the attention of millions. The video not only made Sophia a social media sensation but also led to appearances on television shows and interviews. What started as a simple family gathering turned into an unexpected rise to fame.
The book of Ruth culminates with a blessing and prayer that Ruth and Boaz become, amongst other things, famous! The book of Ruth, like many classic stories, has a happy ending with a marriage. After Boaz fulfils his role as ‘kinsman-redeemer’ by marrying Ruth and securing the land for Naomi, the townspeople bless the couple with a profound blessing and prayer. Let’s briefly reflect on this blessing:
i. May the Lord make you like Rachel and Leah
This is a prayer for children. In a world that too often separates marriage from children, the Bible (and biology) link the two together. Whilst not in any way wanting to demean those who cannot have children, having children is a blessing from God and a blessing to society when brought up in a godly home.
ii. may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah
This blessing for Ruth and Boaz’s children reflects a deep trust in God’s ability to bring great goodness out of difficult circumstances. The story of Perez, born from Judah and Tamar, resonates with the themes in Ruth's narrative but involves more complex and darker elements. Tamar, like Ruth, was widowed and was entitled to be married by her kinsman-redeemer, Judah. Tamar took bold initiative to secure her place in the family line, much like Ruth did by approaching Boaz. Despite the challenging and morally complex situation surrounding Perez’s conception, the blessing signifies hope that God can transform dire circumstances and human failings into profound blessings and fruitful outcomes. Their prayer and blessing speaks of how we are to pray for, and hope for, great things to come out of the worst of circumstances and human failings. Tim Keller writes, in His book Hidden Christmas:
‘Look at the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1. It includes not only Ruth but also Perez, the son of Tamar and Judah. Tamar had posed as a prostitute to trick her father-in-law Judah into keeping his family obligation to her. Perez’s birth was the result of this sordid affair. And yet God brings forth the Messiah from this line. It shows that God is not thwarted by human sin or failure. He brings salvation through unlikely, even scandalous, means.’
iii. May you be famous in Bethlehem
This blessing - for ’standing’ and ‘fame’ - reflects their hope that Boaz and Ruth will be esteemed and honoured in their community and that their legacy will be significant. Whilst not seeking fame, it should be our prayer that Jesus be honoured - be made famous rather than de-famed - through the people and families that are in our lives.
Added to this, we know that Jesus, in the family line of Ruth and Boaz, was born in Bethlehem! I hope we can see God’s amazing grace and providence over all these events. Who would have thought that a moabite - a ‘foreigner’ to Israel - would end up in the family line of David and Jesus?
In his book, Hidden Christmas, Tim Keller underscores how Ruth’s inclusion in Jesus’ genealogy is a reminder of how God’s grace breaks barriers, showing that salvation is for everyone. He writes:
‘Ruth was a Moabite, a member of a race that had been excluded from the people of God by the law. Yet here she is, included in the genealogy of Jesus. The grace of God is so pervasive that even in this earliest period of biblical history, it breaks through the boundaries and reaches the outsider…The inclusion of people like Ruth in the family line of Jesus Christ is a reminder that God works through those who are outsiders and marginalized. This is not just to show us His heart for the outsider, but to remind us that all who come to Him must recognize themselves as outsiders, saved by grace."
Reflection
Do I have a God-honouring and Biblical view of marriage and the blessing of children? Do I Pray for and bless the families that God has put around me? Do I believe that as with the way that God works through flawed people in His Word, and as He brought great blessing out of the suffering of Naomi and Ruth, am I believing that God is working all things together for good? Do I know that I, though an outsider and sinner, am saved and loved by God’s grace and a part of God’s family?
Community Group Notes
This is our week of prayer so we will meet to pray instead of in our Community Groups. Please read Church News, talk to your CG leader or contact the office for Zoom details.
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