Ruth 4:11-12 New International Version (NIV)
11 Then the elders and all the people at the gate said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the family of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. 12 Through the offspring the Lord gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.”
Wednesday November 18
Some men of Bethlehem witness the legal redemption ceremony between Boaz and the other relative of Elimelech and Naomi. Then, they call upon God to bless the new union of Boaz and Ruth just as God blessed their ancestors. Their role as witnesses is passive but important. They see what Boaz has done and make sure that others know about it, too. By invoking God's name to bless Ruth they declared, once and for all, that this foreigner was an important part of God's family. We, too, are called to be witnesses to the great things God has done, We are passive because Jesus did all the work! But we have an important role to play. In our daily lives we are called to witness to God's redemption by declaring the Good News of Jesus Christ. We are also called to invoke God's blessing upon others! This means giving them forgiveness and setting them free from their sins!