Seventh Day Baptist
Christian Education Council
PO BOX 1678
Janesville, WI 53547
—Ruth 4:9-12
by: Kennedy Ochs.
Naomi’s family had been through a terrible tragedy. They had experienced enormous loss. It must have seemed impossible for them to recover and move forward. In chapter one, Naomi even renamed herself Mara (“bitter”) to mark the change she felt within her. In this passage, Boaz bought the land that belonged to the men Naomi had lost. He took on their property to ensure that their legacy would not end with tragedy and loss, but with the hope of what the future can hold. God’s work in our lives has a similar effect. He redeems us from hopelessness and despair to eternal, abundant life.