Naomi Receives A Son

[Read Ruth 4:13-17]

I’m sure many of you have heard of Paul Harvey. Honestly, many of you know Paul Harvey’s material better than I do. But I still remember listening to him tell “The Rest of the Story.”  Those were my favorites. He would tell a really interesting story about a famous or well-known person, tales of trials or struggle or unexpected success, but he wouldn’t tell you who it was until the end. As you listened to the story, you were constantly playing detective—trying to figure out who he was talking about. But he chose his stories and told them so that it was almost impossible to guess who it was. Then, at the very end of the story he would reveal the person’s name and say, “And that’s the rest of the story.” 

That’s what’s happening in the book of Ruth. It could easily have been told on Paul Harvey’s radio program. I can just hear him saying the final line of this passage: “They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.” (Ruth 4:17, ESV) and THAT’S the rest of the story. And everyone reading the story for the first time would GASP. Who knew? This was the history of THE King David—the man after God’s own heart, the man that God promised would have someone serving on the throne of his people FOREVER. That King David came from this story! It’s amazing.

Today’s passage is all about REVERSALS—and you’re going to hear about many of them. Here’s the first one. This story is about a family that was almost wiped out. The husband died. The two sons died. And there were no heirs in sight. Naomi believed there was no hope for an heir. Their family name would disappear from the history books forever. Yet here we see the complete reversal. Not ONLY was their family name preserved BUT it would remain on the tongues of God’s people FOREVER. Isn’t that a powerful reversal? That’s what is prayed over Obed by the women of the neighborhood. They pray: “May his name be renowned in Israel!” (Ruth 4:14, ESV) and that’s exactly what happened. 

There’s even more going on with little Obed. The women of the neighborhood not only pray for his name to be renowned, they also give him an unexpected title. They call him a redeemer. They say, “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!” (Ruth 4:14, ESV). This is actually very unusual. This is the only time in the Old Testament where a child is called a redeemer. It’s typically reserved for men like Boaz. However, not that Obed has been born, the women of the neighborhood recognize that he is a gift from God to serve as a redeemer for Naomi. 

And they tell us HOW he will redeem Naomi: “He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age…” (Ruth 4:15, ESV). They say that Obed will redeem her in two ways. He will restore her life AND he will nourish her old age. These two things represent another reversal. They are reminiscent of Naomi’s two main losses in this book: food and children. Now she has a child on her lap that is restoring her life by being a family heir and he will nourish her in her old age by providing resources and food. Again, it’s a complete reversal from the beginning of the book. 

Even the description of Ruth serves as a reversal of Naomi’s fortune. Look how she’s described: “…for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.” (Ruth 4:15, ESV). This is high praise of Ruth. They say that Ruth is more to Naomi than seven sons—and we already know that the number seven has a TON of significance. It’s the number of perfection. It’s the perfect number of sons for the Israelite family. And the women are saying that Ruth is more to Naomi than the perfect number of sons. But there’s even more to this statement. Don’t forget that Naomi lost two sons at the beginning of this book. As these reversals are occurring, you may be hoping that Ruth would be provided with two sons, or even seven sons, but the women remind us that Ruth is even MORE than seven sons. The reversal is greater than we would have asked or imagined.

By this time, we’ve already watched how Ruth has cared for Naomi, so this statement doesn’t surprise us too much. However, pay close attention to WHY they say Ruth is more than seven sons. It’s because of her LOVE for Naomi and because she gave birth to Obed. That may not quite make sense to you, but notice what else is happening at his point in the story. Something unusual is going on here. 

Look at the beginning of this passage. It tells us that Ruth and Boaz got married and had a son. But the next line is unexpected. You would expect that the women would be talking to Ruth, right? I mean, she’s the one who just had the child. But they aren’t talking to her, the passage says, “Then the women said to Naomi…” (Ruth 4:14, ESV). Then, even more striking, after the women pray these blessings over Obed and Naomi, we read, “Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her lap and became his nurse.” (Ruth 4:16, ESV). That’s also interesting, isn’t it? Why is Naomi this child’s nurse? Then, comes another striking statement, where the women say, “A son has been born to Naomi.” (Ruth 4:17, ESV). Wait. What? Wasn’t Obed born to Ruth? Why are they saying he was born to Naomi? All of this is pointing to another act of beautiful, sacrificial, servant-hearted love from Ruth to Naomi. It is this act that causes the women of the neighborhood to say that Ruth is more to Naomi than seven sons. 

So, what exactly is happening here? If you pay close attention to the way this scene plays out, it seems like there is a processional taking place. Ruth gives birth to Obed, then the women of the community come and take Obed in processional over to Naomi’s house, praising and pronouncing blessing. Then they had Obed to Naomi, she places Obed in her lap as a nurse, and then the women of the city give him a name.

Now, some believe this is showing a scene where Obed is ACTUALLY becoming Naomi’s son—like Ruth is giving Obed to Naomi as a child (almost like an adoption). I think that’s taking things a little too far. When it describes Naomi as Obed’s nurse, it’s best understood as something like a nanny, but more. The picture of Naomi holding Obed in her lap, near her breast, is a motherly picture. So, it’s showing us that Naomi’s role is more than a nanny but not quite a mother. Ruth has “given” Obed to Naomi to raise as her own—to raise him like a son—and this son would care for her and provide for her throughout the rest of her life.

And this is one of the most powerful reversals in this passage. Not only did Naomi lose her two sons, but don’t forget what she said at the end of chapter 1: “I went away full, and the LORD has brought me back empty.” (Ruth 1:21, ESV). She was EMPTY. Nothing left. Nothing in her hands. But, as she sits here—in the final scene of the story—we no longer see her with empty hands, but with an armful of beautiful baby boy—a child she would raise as her own. And, not only would she now have a child of her own, but she still had Ruth—who was more to her than seven sons. Naomi has been filled to the brim and is overflowing. 

There’s one more subtle reversal that I want to point out quickly. I think it’s beautiful and powerful to contrast this scene with the scene at the end of chapter one. At the end of chapter one, we see Naomi returning to Bethlehem, and the women of the city come out to welcome her back. Remember the scene? “And when they came to Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them. And the women said, “Is this Naomi?” She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.” (Ruth 1:19–20, ESV). It’s a sorrowful picture. 

Yet, the last scene of the story is very different. It’s not about Naomi coming back, the women of the city are going to Naomi. It’s not a sorrowful event, but a joyful procession throughout the town. At the end of chapter one, they listened while Naomi lamented. This time they are actively going to Naomi, and Naomi is listening while they rejoice. And, one of the most beautiful reversals, comes subtly toward the end. Remember when Naomi comes back, she tells the woman to change her name to “Bitter.” Now they joyfully process through the town, lay the child in Naomi’s lap, and THEY give him the name Obed—meaning servant. This is the community’s way of showing Naomi the way God has reversed her situation and brought tremendous blessing. 

And, that’s another important reversal we can’t miss—but I left it until the end. As He has been throughout the story, we’re still reminded that God is at work in all of these reversals. If God hadn’t been at work, the reversals wouldn’t happen. But, since we have confidence that God is at work, we also have hope that He will work things according to our good—even challenging, difficult situations. The women of the city acknowledge this at the beginning of the joyful procession saying, “Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without a redeemer…” (Ruth 4:14, ESV). They are praising God because they know that none of this could happen apart from him. He was the one who orchestrated events so that everything would come together perfectly in his perfect timing. He brought Ruth to Bethlehem at the right time, placed her in the right place, guided her as she did the right things, and helped her conceive a child. 

And it’s important to recognize this as another powerful reversal. It’s not a coincidence that we read, “…the LORD gave her conception…” (Ruth 4:13, ESV). That’s not just a throw away sentence, pointing to God’s sovereignty over all things. There’s more to it than that—some of you already noticed this in the very first sermon. Pay attention to this passage from chapter one: “These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. They lived there about ten years,” (Ruth 1:4, ESV). Ruth and Mahlon were married for ten years before he died. Why didn’t they have any children? Why wasn’t there an heir to carry on the family name? It seemed like Ruth was barren and couldn’t have children. There was no hope that she would have a child to continue the family line EVEN AFTER marrying Boaz. Yet, that didn’t stop God. When the right time came, and all the right pieces were in place, God stepped in and gave her conception—working in such a way to make Ruth one of the matriarchs of God’s people. 

One final reversal before I wrap things up. Notice how Naomi describes God’s action in chapter one: “the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.” (Ruth 1:20, ESV). Yet, now in chapter four we see that it was The Almighty—the LORD—who organized everything in order to fill Naomi to the brim and beyond. This is very reminiscent of Job’s famous words: “The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong.” (Job 1:21–22, ESV). And, interestingly, at the end of Job we read, “And the LORD restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends. And the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before…And the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning.” (Job 42:10, 12; ESV). 

Jesus said something similar to his disciples: “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.” (Matthew 19:29, ESV). That’s a powerful reversal. It’s a powerful promise for all who have suffered loss. God will bring about blessing that will far surpass the losses. 

Yet, it’s also important to remember that God’s blessings are not always physical. Just because you lost a home, doesn’t mean he will replace you with a bigger home. Just because you lost your job, doesn’t necessarily mean he will replace it with a better job. He might. It’s not beyond his ability. However, God’s blessings go much deeper than physical things AND God’s blessings extend WAY beyond this life—into eternity in heaven. So, if we ONLY understand these principles as physical things, we end up with a health, wealth, and prosperity gospel (which is no gospel at all). We must think deeper and remember that God’s blessings come in unexpected ways and from unexpected places. 

Yet, these are beautiful promises and reminders coming out of a year of COVID. Many people have suffered some form of loss this past year. Some have lost jobs, lost money, and struggled to make ends meet. Some have lost family and friends. Some have lost graduations, celebrations, time with family, championships. The reminder is that—in the midst of all these losses—God is at work for your joy and blessing. And the blessing you will have one day will FAR SURPASS what you lost. That blessing may come in the recovery of some physical things. But the blessing may also come from a deeper faith and trust and peace and comfort in our faithful, sovereign God.