Friday, August 17

Ruth and Boaz Have a Kid -- Finally!

Narrative Lectionary Daily Devotions written by Kace Leetch from Clergy Stuff.

Boaz and Ruth together at last! Kind of feels like one of those '80s TV shows where the lead man and lead woman flirt for way too many seasons, and then when they finally get together, it's oh, so satisfying!

Immediately God blessed them with a child. And now we get back to Naomi. Did you notice that Naomi is the first and last woman named in the book of Ruth? Kind of makes me wonder if maybe this is really a story about Naomi, not Ruth. Regardless, we are now back to focusing our attention on Naomi. 

The women praise God not only for blessing Naomi with a son (yes, Ruth's son was given to Naomi to nurse, raise, and claim as her own), but also with a daughter-in-law worth more than seven sons. Shoot, if Ruth hasn't proved by now she's more valuable than seven sons, she never will! King David's great-grandma, Ruth, has certainly earned her keep.

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Narrative Lectionary Text: Ruth 4:13-17

So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When they came together, the Lord made her conceive, and she bore a son. Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without next-of-kin; and may his name be renowned in Israel! 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 borne him.” Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her bosom, and became his nurse. The women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed; he became the father of Jesse, the father of David.