Now Boaz had gone up to the gate and sat down there. And behold, the redeemer, of whom Boaz had spoken, came by. So Boaz said, “Turn aside, friend; sit down here.” And he turned aside and sat down.
2 And he took ten men of the elders of the city and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down.
3 Then he said to the redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land that belonged to our relative Elimelech.
4 So I thought I would tell you of it and say, ‘Buy it in the presence of those sitting here and in the presence of the elders of my people.’ If you will redeem it, redeem it. But if you[a] will not, tell me, that I may know, for there is no one besides you to redeem it, and I come after you.” And he said, “I will redeem it.”
5 Then Boaz said, “The day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you also acquire Ruth[b] the Moabite, the widow of the dead, in order to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance.”
6 Then the redeemer said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I impair my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it.”
7 Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging: to confirm a transaction, the one drew off his sandal and gave it to the other, and this was the manner of attesting in Israel.
8 So when the redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself,” he drew off his sandal.
9 And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thy handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thy handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman.
10 Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses this day that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and to Mahlon.
11 Then all the people who were at the gate and the elders said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman, who is coming into your house, like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you act worthily in Ephrathah and be renowned in Bethlehem,
12 and may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring that the Lord will give you by this young woman.”
13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. And he went in to her, and 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 redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel!
15 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 given birth to him.”
16 Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her lap and became his nurse.
17 And the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.
18 Now these are the generations of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron,
19 Hezron fathered Ram, Ram fathered Amminadab,
20 Amminadab fathered Nahshon, Nahshon fathered Salmon,
21 Salmon fathered Boaz, Boaz fathered Obed,
22 Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David.

The gate was a very significant place in the Palestinian cities. People met there to do business transactions and also where court was held and resolved by the elders of the city. It was very important during this time frame that land was kept in the family. The closest relative that could be the kinsman redeemer listened to what Boaz said would be expected as the kinsman redeemer and he turned down the opportunity when he realized that he would have to marry Ruth. I think it is interesting that Boaz mentioned that Ruth was a Moabitess because the Levitical law stated in Deuteronomy 23:3:

“An Ammonie or Moabit shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord.”

The witnesses saw the first man hand off his sandal to Boaz which was a custom of declining the land ownership to him.
Boaz then offered to become the kinsman redeemer since he was the next in line.
The kinsman redeemer is a wonderful picture of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who redeemed us by dying on the cross for our sin.
Following the Law would never save us but would actually condemn us and Jesus knew that.
Jesus knew that the only way we could be saved was by him dying on the cross for our sins and for us to confess our sins and ask Jesus into our hearts.
Boaz's speech was a way of saying that the name of the deceased would live on in the community.
And all of the witnesses gave their blessings
Boaz and Ruth marry and God blesses them with a child and they named him Obed.
Obed later became the father of Jesse who would later become the father of King David.
I am so thankful that Jesus was willing to live on earth and die on the cross for my sins.
He is my redeemer and I am so thankful for His love, grace and mercy.

Things to Think About:

1) 1) Why do you think the closest relative was not willing to become Ruth's redeemer?

2) Can you think of a time where you were thankful that you had someone to support you like Naomi had with Ruth?

3) Do you think this chapter can guide you in your everyday life?