“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.”‘”-Ruth 4:11-12
So the deal was sealed!!!
The senior redeemer handed over his rights to buy the land for Naomi over to Boaz.
This was symbolized by him handing his sandal over to Boaz…
A procedure nicely explained in verse 7:
“Now in earlier times in Israel, for the redemption and transfer of property to become final, one party took off his sandal and gave it to the other. This was the method of legalizing transactions in Israel.”
We also see an interesting character contrast here…
Because everything the senior redeemer did NOT want to accept Boaz accepted.
Boaz agreed to buy back the land in order to keep it in Elimelech’s name…
He also agreed the first son he produced with his new wife Ruth would also be in Elimelech’s name.
And remember when I say “name” here I’m talking about the true Biblical meaning of the word “name”.
During Bible times, a name was not just a simple form of identification.
A name more referred to someone’s reputation, history and one’s chief character attributes.
After the transaction was officialized by the handing over of the sandal, the elders pronounced a prayer and a blessing over Boaz.
This prayer is worthy of examination…
Because there’s something really interesting about it.
Notice they prayed that God would make Boaz and Ruth fruitful like Rachael and Leah.
They also prayed…“may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah”.
You know what’s interesting about this choice of female names.
They’re ALL gentile women!
That’s right homies.
Before they were grafted in by taking Hebrew husbands, they were gentiles.
And of course, they same could be said of Abraham who was also a gentile until God called him to follow after Him.
Bottomline, there’s no denying the fact that gentiles have always been a key part in God’s plan for not only the creation of the nation of Israel but also its salvation as well.
Over and out.
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