13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife; and when he went in to her, 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 close relative; and may his name be famous in Israel! 15 And may he be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has borne him.” 16 Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her bosom, and became a nurse to him. 17 Also the neighbor women gave him a name, saying, “There is a son born to Naomi.” And they called his name Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.
4:13
So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife; and when he went in to her, the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son.
After Boaz married Ruth, he “went in to her”; that is, he had sexual intercourse with her. Ruth was barren with her husband who had died (Mahlon). She may have been married in Moab for 10 years, but within a very short time in Israel she became pregnant. This was a move of God.
4:14
Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a close relative;
The women in Bethlehem praised what God did for Ruth’s mother-in-law, Naomi. God had provided the kinsman-redeemer in Boaz and also in Ruth’s child, Obed, who would be the next kinsman-redeemer; we see this in the words “this day.” The women saw the coming Redeemer with the birth of this child (through his genealogy).
and may his name be famous in Israel!
The women prayed that God would make Obed “famous in Israel” by keeping his name alive, a request that God granted through the birth of the Messiah in Obed’s line.
4:15
And may he be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you,
The women anticipated that Obed would care for Naomi.
who is better to you than seven sons, has borne him.”
“Seven sons” is an idiom for supreme blessing. Ruth and her son would become a supreme blessing to Naomi.
4:16
Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her bosom, and became a nurse to him.
The mother-in-law became a nurse for Ruth’s son and her grandson, Obed.
4:17
Also the neighbor women gave him a name, saying, “There is a son born to Naomi.”
This is the only place in the Old Testament where women, other than the mother, name a child.
And they called his name Obed.
The name “Obed” means the one who serves or worships.
He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.
This statement is a climax of the book of Ruth. The historical significance of Obed’s birth is in his lineage, through which both David and Jesus would be born. The child became the grandfather of King David.
PRINCIPLE:
God sovereignly and providentially provides a Redeemer.
APPLICATION:
God sovereignly provided His plan of salvation by a Redeemer. He manages people, places, and events to bring His plan to individuals. The primary onus of bringing salvation to people is upon God. He knows each individual’s needs and situations, and uses these life issues to draw all men to Himself.
