R4-11: If You Understand This Article, Your Knowledge Of Ruth Surpasses 99.99% Of Anyone On The Planet

So let’s get our bearings of where we’re at in the book of Ruth.

When we last left off I mentioned there are only two possible scenarios concerning the current status of Naomi’s land inheritance and the bargaining session taking place between Boaz and the other redeemer.

Scenario 1 is that an outside party (one who is NOT a member of Naomi’s clan) currently possesses the land and that the bargaining going on is all about how to redeem the land so it can rightfully be returned back to the clan.

Scenario 2 is the land is ALREADY possessed by Naomi’s clan but is about to be lost!

Therefore, the bargaining going on is all about how to make sure the land stays in the clan or the family.

So which scenario are we dealing with?

Well, let’s use our brains a little bit here homies.

Let me first ask you this question.

Would it make sense that the land was just sitting there unused simply because according to the strict letter of the law Elimelech and his sons had passed away and there were no legal heirs to inherit that property?

First, ask yourself that basic common sense question.

And also keep in mind the entire community recognized Naomi and Ruth as legit family members.

So if you thought about if for a minute, I think you’d agree it’s obvious the answer to this question is NO.

It makes NO SENSE WHATSOEVER that a valuable piece of real estate was just sitting around and not being used to produce crops just because there were no other legal heirs to inherit it.

That would’ve been crazy…

Especially in an agricultural society.

Plus, keep this in mind.

The whole foundation of our story crumbles to pieces if Naomi still had “ownership” or the right to use the land.

For one thing, a person who possesses land has no right to glean in someone else’s field.

So the very fact that Naomi had Ruth gleaning in Boaz’s field is proof positive that she currently did NOT hold possession of the land.

Therefore, the only logical conclusion we can come to is that the land was now being controlled by another unnamed third party…

Which means that Elimelech (Naomi’s husband) had sold it to someone outside the clan before he hightailed it out of Bethlehem to go to Moab.

So the whole situation that’s taking place in Ruth Chapter 4 is all about getting that land returned to the family and clan by redeeming it.

Now you might be wondering how do I know for sure that Elimelech sold the land to someone OUTSIDE the clan before he went to Moab?

Because if Elimelech had sold the land to a fellow clan member, per the laws of Moses, it had to AUTOMATICALLY be returned to Elimelech or his legal heir when they became available to claim it.

Obviously that hadn’t happened yet.

Otherwise Boaz and the other redeemer would NOT be engaged in the heated bargaining session taking place in Ruth Chapter 4 over who should be the legal heir to take over possession of the land.

Again, this is just more evidence that the right to use the land was currently held by an outsider (someone who was NOT a clan member).

This reality will play a key role in determining whether or not the unnamed senior redeemer (the one now sitting opposite of Boaz) will decide to redeem Elimelech’s land or not.

Are you with me here homies?

Let me break it down for you nice and simple.

Here’s what has happened so far.

FIRST, Elimelech and his family while living in Bethlehem fell into financial distress.

SECOND, as a result of the financial distress, Elimelech sold the right to use his land to a member of another clan of Judah and then left the Promised Land for gentile territory to try and find better pickings elsewhere (Big mistake!)

THIRD, Elimelech and his two sons died while living in Moab (the Rabbis say this is a result of God’s judgement because Elimelech left the Promised Land to try and build a better life in a gentile nation).

FOURTH, Naomi’s return from Moab with Ruth has now triggered the issue that a near relative (a member of Elimelech’s clan) should step in to redeem the land back to the original family and clan.

FIVE, a heated discussion is now taking place between Boaz and the other senior GO’EL (redeemer) over who should be the one to step in and redeem the land.

Now here’s another thing you should know.

Per the law of Moses, whoever decides to redeem the land for the purpose of keeping it in Elimelech’s clan will owe money to the current owner of the land (the outsider who Elimelech sold the land to before he left for Moab).

In other words, the decision to be a redeemer was also gonna be costly in financial terms as well.

So to come back full circle, the answer to the question I posed at the very beginning of this article is an outside member of another clan currently holds possession of Elimelech’s land.

And since Naomi has returned from Moab as a childless widow, she is now pushing the issue of how to get the property returned to her husband’s clan, or even better to her family.

As I mentioned yesterday, these are the sort of cultural issues that everyone in the community of Bethlehem understood well and took for granted.

Okay, I imagine I’ve lost a good majority of you by now and all of this is just flying over your heads.

I’ve tried my best to explain everything in simple terms but realize in spite of my best efforts some of you just ain’t gonna get it.

But for those who do get it, pat yourself on the back because you’ve just reached a level of understanding of Ruth that surpasses 99.999999% of any human being walking the planet today including most pastors, preachers, professors and teachers no matter what their education level is.

Honestly, that last sentence might just be an understatement.

I told you the book of Ruth is the calculus of Scripture.

If the Torah and the books that come before Ruth are the basic arithmetic of Scripture, Ruth is definitely the advanced calculus that builds on everything that came before.

See ya all next time.