Blessing of Elders

Blessing of Elders. In Ruth 4, as the elders witness the transaction made by Boaz and the nearest of kin to Elimelech, they pronounce this blessing upon the couple.

11 And all the people who were at the gate, and the elders, said, “We are witnesses. The Lord make the woman who is coming to your house like Rachel and Leah, the two who built the house of Israel; and may you prosper in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. 12 May your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring which the Lord will give you from this young woman.”
Ruth 4:11-12, NKJV

Blessing of Elders

Tucked away near the end of the book of Ruth are these two verses from Ruth 4. Boaz has just publicly announced his intention to buy the property of Elimelech and marry his widow, Ruth. As the elders witness the transaction made by Boaz and the nearest of kin to Elimelech, they pronounce this blessing upon the couple.

The Lord make the woman who is coming to your house like Rachel and Leah, the two who built the house of Israel; and may you prosper in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. May your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring which the Lord will give you from this young woman.

What a gentle reminder of the public nature of some of our most private decisions. We are often not aware of the significance of seemingly ordinary events, like a marriage in Bethlehem. Yet, in God's providence, this was no ordinary marriage, and the fruit that would eventually come from this union would be the Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the King of the Jews, and the Savior of the world.

Remembering that God planned a redemption for His people even before the creation of the world, we should not be surprised by such a revelation. As the centuries unfolded and life went on in its ordinary course day after day, God was working out His plan for an otherwise condemned people.

Now, here we are again waiting for events to unfold which have been foretold through prophecy after prophecy in the Scriptures. The Lord Jesus Christ is coming again, this time, to complete the redemption of His people. As the centuries have passed by, it seems as more and more unlikely that Christ will actually return. It is easy to get caught up in national and worldly events and to believe that this is all there is.

Especially in this, an election year in the United States, let us not forget that God rules over this world. We, the people of God, have not been forgotten. Though the people of the world run as far from God as they are able to run.

As we consider the blessing of the Elders that was pronounced upon Ruth and Boaz, let us remember that we are here for a God-ordained purpose. Life is not meaningless, neither is it just for our own enjoyment. Let us seek the Lord early and, by His grace, live each day for His praise, honor, and glory.

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