Boaz redeems what the close relative wouldn’t, and Ruth becomes his wife.

Ruth 4:7-10

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“Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging, to confirm anything: one man took off his sandal and gave it to the other, and this was a confirmation in Israel. Therefore the close relative said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself.” So he took off his sandal.” Ruth 4:7-8

In the verses of the post on Ruth 4:1-6, the close relative refused to redeem Naomi [Jewish from Bethlehem, Judah] because he would have had to redeem Ruth as well [a gentile woman from Moab]. This is like the Pharisees who refused to include non-Jewish gentiles into the plan of redemption that God has for every one of us, through Jesus Christ. After the close relative refused to redeem Naomi and Ruth as a package deal, he gave his right to redeem them to Boaz when he said, “Buy it for yourself.” This is like the Pharisees who rejected the redemption plan of God, and all rights of redemption came into the hands of our Lord Jesus Christ, as quoted, “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God…”John 1:11-12

“And Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses this day that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s, and all that was Chilion’s and Mahlon’s, from the hand of Naomi.” Ruth 4:9

Boaz had the witness of the elders and all the people of his right to redeem the Jewish woman Naomi as well as the gentile Moabitess, Ruth. This was the biggest fear of the Pharisees that all the people [and even elders] would verify Jesus being the Christ and Son of God. As we know, Paul was definitely an elder, he was a Pharisee of all Pharisees and climbing the ladder of the Jewish power structure. He believed in Jesus and was born-again, and multitudes of people also, as quoted, “If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation.” John 11:48

Boaz bought everything that was Elimelech’s [Naomi’s deceased husband who died in Moab] and all that was Chilion’s and Mahlon’s [Naomi’s deceased sons who also died in Moab]. Mahlon was Ruth’s first husband, but she was a gentile from Moab, so the close relative was not willing to redeem her in a package deal with Naomi. Before Naomi, her husband, and two sons left from Bethlehem [due to the famine] and moved to Moab for ten years, everything was sold belonging to her husband and two sons. In order to be restored to the prosperity Naomi once had in Bethlehem with her husband and two sons, she would have to be redeemed, meaning someone would have to buy back everything that belonged to her husband and two sons.

Because the close relative refused to redeem Naomi and Ruth as a package deal, the right to redeem Naomi and Ruth became Boaz’s. Therefore, Boaz bought everything that belonged to Elimelech, Mahlon, and Chilion and restored the prosperity of Naomi and Ruth as a daughter-in-law. Before the coming of Jesus Christ, there was no one available to redeem the non-Jewish gentiles and none of those of the Jewish culture were willing to do so. The Jewish people felt they held exclusive rights to God. Jesus Christ came to redeem all the world to God and to give us non-Jewish people an inheritance in the New Jerusalem in the new heaven and earth, “I know my redeemer lives I know my redeemer lives, all of creation testify this life within me cries I know my redeemer lives.” [Church Song].

“For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth; And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I will see God, whom I will see for myself, and my eyes will behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!” Job 19:25-27

“Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, I have acquired as my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brethren and from his position at the gate. You are witnesses this day.” Ruth 4:10

After redeeming Ruth with Naomi, Boaz married Ruth, and the two became the great grandparents of king David, from whose lineage our Lord Jesus Christ is from. “Boaz begot Obed; Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David.” Ruth 4:21-22 Like Boaz who married Ruth, Jesus married us gentile “Moabites” [non-Jewish people] and calls us His own. He has adopted us into the family of God, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Galatians 3:28-29

To “…perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brethren…” was referring to perpetuating the lineage of Elimelech, Mahlon, and Chilion. We also know that this also refers to the non-Jewish Gentiles who were considered dead by the Jewish culture. Our Lord Jesus came to bring life to the non-Jewish Gentiles by redeeming them to God by faith in Him, not through the laws of Judaism.

The promise made by God to Abraham was that his descendants would be multitudes and multitudes, which was based on faith in the promises of God. Moses, who was the “lawgiver”, didn’t even exist until about 245 years after Abraham, so faith, belief, and obedience to the word of God was of utmost importance. That is why belief in Jesus Christ is our Salvation and every single law in the Bible is summed up in these two verses, “Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:37-40

Today, the “…position at the gate…” refers to the place within the soul where we enter into the presence of God through Jesus Christ to live in the Holy Spirit. Through our Lord Jesus, that gate is open so that we will not be cut off from God, even though we are non-Jewish. “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Matthew 7:13-14

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“….to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets,“
‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’”
“I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown.”
Revelation 2:24-25, 3:1