Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this  day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel! Ruth 4:14 

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,  for those who are called according to his purpose. Rom 8:28  

Recurrent Thought

God’s story is about His kingdom. By His Mercy and Grace, he allows our small stories to be part of this Journey. Our Responsibility is to watch his guiding hand, follow it and be obedient to his guidance and leadership

The last chapter of Ruth wraps up details from all the other chapters and finishes with a clear fact that God always works out His Purposes. It also shows that he does not consult us, nor invite us to the discussions. God always writes the Last Chapters of our Specific Seasonal Stories. But for us to see this, we must realize that the last chapter was bigger than Naomi, Ruth and Boaz put together. Our stories have last chapters fashioned with the Story of God.

Jesus declared that the Law, Prophets and Writings were about him (Luke 24:44). Therefore, it would be remiss of us to finish the book of Ruth without seeing the Picture of Jesus that is found in its pages. We must hasten to state that the Old Testament writings reveal God’s progressive Revelation of Himself to humanity. In it God gives his revelation through the various stories of people, especially through the national story of Israel whom He chose to reveal himself through to the all humanity. We come to realize that the Stories of human beings when are truly observed, we see the fingerprints of God all over them. Thus, indeed well understood history is God’s story, His-Story.

One basic way to see Jesus in the Old Testament is by seeing through what are known as Types and Antitype. A type is a less accurate model, from which a more perfect image is made. In scriptures a type is a symbol of something future and distant, or an example prepared and evidently designed by God to prefigure that future thing. What is prefigured is called the antitype. 

Jesus clearly spoke that the Law, Prophets and Writings all spoke of him. There are many types in the Old Testament that spoke of him. The Apostles also constantly found types in the Old Testament to which they summarized them as pointing to Jesus. It must be stated that every type of Jesus from the Old Testament does not fully in perfect sense prefigures him for they all carry the shortfalls of the Adamic nature. Jesus stated Jonah in the belly of the fish prefigured his days of burial; he also stated Solomon prefigured him too (Math. 12:38-42)

The Book of Ruth is full of topics of all kinds. It speaks of the challenge of the Righteous and suffering, the Providence of God in how works through the lives of his Children. It is also full of romantic suspense and intrigue. The types that prefigures Jesus of the future are everywhere and painted with heavy colors so that no one can miss them. 

The key part of the text is the redeemer whose Hebrew word is transliterated as gael. This word is used 23 times in this book alone. It refers a closest living male relative who had the duty to preserve the family name and land. He various options: buy back either the land that a poor relative had to sell or the family member that had sold himself into slavery to pay debts (Lev. 25:25, 47–49), avenging the death of a family member (Num.35:19–21), or marrying the widow of a deceased relative (Deut. 25:5–10). In the book of Ruth, the kinsman-redeemer Boaz chose to carry out the duties of both, buying her estate and taking her as his bride. 

Boaz is the historical type of Jesus. He comes from the Tribe of Judah (Ruth 2:1) and associated with royalty. He was born and raised in Bethlehem, the City of David, where Jesus would later start his earthly journey (Ruth 1:1-2; 2:1, 4, Mic 5:2). A man full of Constant Acts of Kindness as he treated Ruth with dignity. He was an abundant Provider. He became a provider to Naomi and Ruth even before he assumes the role of a kinsman redeemer. Boaz excelled in keeping the Law, while the other nearest kinsman redeemer did not, but Boaz did! The strongest picture and  type of Boaz in the text is how he becomes a Kinsman Redeemer (gael).  But greater than Boaz is here.

The Book of Ruth ultimately prefigures Jesus in totality as the greater Kinsman Redeemer. Here are three wrap up thoughts out of this text

1. We are Adopted In Christ

   1. Boaz calls Ruth Daughter who he gives full right to get the gleanings and beyond gleaning
   2. Ruth a stranger is welcome in Boaz homestead and he bestows upon her all the benefits of belonging to his family: protection and provision, and he calls her “daughter” (2:8).
   3. Adoption is a powerful truth of transfer into a wonderful Family we never belonged earlier.
   4. In Christ we are adopted in the Family of God. This prefigures our adoption in Christ as stated in Ephesians 2:12-13 that we were once our state outside of Christ as, “separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.” 
   5. As Gentiles we were aliens, not deserving to be called God’s people.  “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ…” 
   6. Adoption is a powerful truth about our inheritances in Christ. We receive a rich inheritance we did not deserve. This is a gift  of grace from the one who adopts us (Read Romans 8:15-17)
2. We are Redeemed By Christ
   1. The Picture of Boaz redeeming Ruth chapter 4:7-10 prefigures Jesus Christ and what he did for mankind
   2. According to the Law of Moses (Leviticus 25) a relative was to act as a redeemer for any family member who was destitute, widowed or living in poverty. The redeemer would buy back property that person had lost in time of need, so it would be kept in the family. If they were sold into slavery, the redeemer would buy back his freedom.
   3. Boaz becomes Ruth’s redeemer. He gets her out of poverty, provides for her, buys back Elimelech’s land and marries Ruth, providing an heir for Elimelech’s line. She is redeemed from poverty to abundance and from hopelessness to a bright future.
   4. Jesus Christ is our kinsman redeemer. Where we were meant to face God’s just punishment for our own sins, Jesus took that for us (2 Cor. 5:21).
   5. On the cross, Jesus paid our debt of sin. Ephesians 1:7  “In him (Christ) we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.”
   6. Christ has redeemed us from being slaves to sin and from facing God’s wrath to being forgiven in him, knowing his grace and peace. 
   7. We have also been redeemed from spiritual poverty into Christ’s abundant life and from hopelessness and death to true hope and life that is eternal. 
3. God Always Works Out His Plans
   1. Note that Boaz does not just point to Christ, but Christ is actually descended from Boaz and Ruth.
   2. In the very last verse of the book (4:22), it says that Ruth and Boaz’s son, Obed, fathered Jesse, and Jesse’s son was David. Remember Jesus, is a direct descendant of David Boaz and Ruth are included in the line of Jesus Math. 1;1-5
   3. We must trust that God providentially guides all events. From Naomi and Ruth’s tough times and loss, to Boaz’s redemption of Ruth, we can see God at work.
   4. When God allowed Boaz to pick the transactions about the inheritance of Ruth, it was within his greater plan
   5. Ultimately the book of Ruth points to Christ and his gospel as it reveals to us our God who works all things for the good of those who love him. 
   6. When You cant understand it, and yet you did the best under his direction, just know that there is a greater plan He is working out.
   7. Yet, still God’s plan is bigger than your disappointments and redeems your failures.
   8. We must trust him to work out his purposes and plans through our lives.

Conclusion

God writes the Chapters of Lives with greater detail, but it is always first and foremost for His Glory

Altar

Lord I am grateful for your mercy and grace. I am grateful that you have allowed me to be alive at this season of my life. Father I am grateful that you have allowed my story to be part of your Greater Story. Sometimes I don’t know how and what you are doing with my life. Today, I want to express gratitude that you have counted me worth of being part of it. I therefore trust you in how you wrap up the details of every part of my story. May you continue to do a mighty work in my life in this season.