The Ruth of 2018

Ruth 4:8-12

Now I’m willing to bet the farm that the majority of women in the United States of America would take up arms before agreeing to allow a near or far relative to call the elders of the town to decide how and who her land is going to be sold to.  But property is one thing; I cannot come close to imagining in a public hearing when she is not present for two men to make a deal about who is going to marry her and now she and all her resources are that man’s property.  

Would you like to be the fly on the wall to hear how the modern man of 2018 is going to share that information with his new bride?  How does it go; maybe something like this, you will never guess who I saw today at city council, “Mr. So & So” you know your relative that is much closer kin to you than I am.  And your name came up, and you know that land and 401K you have from your husband and sons, he was very interested in buying it so we all agreed maybe it would be good for him to marry you also.  He is very fond of you but he was sure that Betty, you know Betty his wife, and their kids, all six of them might not agree, so he turned down the offer. 

Do not let that trouble you in the least, and I know that Betty would drive you crazy after a while with those six kids.  I agreed with the guys, the preacher, the mayor, and the city council that I would do the deal, in that I’m the only other relative you have.  Murder is the charge that the Ruth of 2018 would consider.

Now back to what does happen at the time of Boaz in the area of Bethlehem, and no more of how it might play out in 2018, in the USA.

Verses 8-12, “At an earlier period in Israel, a man removed his sandal and gave it to the other party in order to make any matter legally binding concerning the right of redemption or the exchange of property. This was the method of legally binding a transaction in Israel.

So the redeemer removed his sandal and said to Boaz, “Buy back the property yourself.”

Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses today that I am buying from Naomi everything that belonged to Elimelech, Chilion, and Mahlon. I will also acquire Ruth the Moabitess, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, to perpetuate the deceased man’s name on his property, so that his name will not disappear among his relatives or from the gate of his home. You are witnesses today.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice