Day 22: Ruth 4:16-22 - The Father of David

16 Then Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him. 17 The women living there said, “Naomi has a son!” And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.
18 This, then, is the family line of Perez: Perez was the father of Hezron,
19 Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab,
20 Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon,
21 Salmon the father of Boaz, Boaz the father of Obed,
22 Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David.

​So just when you think the story couldn’t get any better, it is punctuated with the genealogy a few generations after Obed, this son born of Ruth and Boaz.  Boaz the father of Obed, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David.
 
Yes, King David. The shepherd boy who killed the giant Goliath everyone was afraid to fight. The one described as a man after God’s heart.  The mighty warrior and renowned and beloved King of Israel. The writer of much of the book of Psalms. David, the great grandson of the once homeless and childless widow, Ruth. Let that soak in. A redemption story that has impact generations beyond its story.
 
Interestingly, it is Naomi who is mentioned as taking the child into her arms and caring for him. Naomi, whom the women say, “Naomi has a son!”.  It is part of her redemption story too.
 
God makes provisions to care for His creation, enabling them to care for one another.
 
And while this is the end of the book of Ruth, it isn’t the end of God’s story. Over the next few devotionals we’ll look at the New Testament account of Jesus and the continuation of the story.
 
The entire Bible points to Jesus. Naomi, Ruth, Boaz were all part of the story…as are all of us. While there are ups and downs, tragedies and triumphs, the story isn’t about us. It is God’s story and it is all about Jesus, the one who came to save us. To do what we couldn’t do as broken, sinful people. To take our sins and make us clean by His blood so the story can end with us, with Him, for all eternity.
 
Just as Ruth and Naomi needed a redeemer, we too need a redeemer. This life and fallible humans in it will always let us down. Trying to do things in our own power will always let us down. Trying to just be good will always let us down. And until we recognize our need for a redeemer, we won’t receive the power that comes from being redeemed. Let today be a day of reflection about what Jesus did for you.
 
Where are you growing weary trying to do things on your own?
 
Where in your life have you realized your desperate need for a redeemer?