Ruth 4:13-22

13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. And he went in to her, and the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son. 

14 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! 

15 He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.” 

16 Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her lap and became his nurse. 

17 And the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

18 Now these are the generations of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron,

 19 Hezron fathered Ram, Ram fathered Amminadab, 

20 Amminadab fathered Nahshon, Nahshon fathered Salmon, 

21 Salmon fathered Boaz, Boaz fathered Obed,

 22 Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David.

  1. The Baby (4:13-22) God would use this baby to be a source of blessing to
  • Obed was a blessing to Boaz and Ruth. It was God’s’ special gift to Boaz and Ruth, and what a blessing he was to their
  • Obed was a blessing to Naomi. His grandmother informally “adopted” him as her own son and became his foster Obed was a “restorer of life” to Naomi. He would be a blessing in another way; He would one day care for the family that brought him into this world.
  • Obed would bring blessing to Bethlehem. The son would bring fame to the family name and the name of his native
  • Obed would bring blessing to Israel. It was through the grandson of Obed; David would become King of Israel. David was a great servant of God who brought untold blessings to
  • Obed would bring blessing to the whole world. Wiersbe writes the following: “The greatest thing God did for David was not to give him victory over his enemies or wealth for the building of the temple. The greatest privilege God gave him was that of being the ancestor of the “

The Moabites were not to enter the congregation of the Lord “even to the tenth generation” (Deut. 23:3) But the little book of Ruth closes with a ten-generation genealogy that climaxes with the name of David! Never underestimate the power of the grace of God.

 

Larry Miles is Co-Editor of Word & Work and attends Cherry St. Church of Christ in New Albany, IN.