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. (Ruth 4)
If you read yesterday's entry, you will recall that the book of Judges ended on somewhat of a questioning, even depressing note: Israel was a divided mess. This book begins with somewhat of similar sense: famines forcing people to move, women being life helpless and childless - just let me die already! But the story is truly one of hope and redemption and in the most honorable sense: romance, which answers the hopelessness at the end of Judges. God was in the process of providing someone to unite the divided tribes of Israel: David. There was a plan; there was hope. Keep on reading the rest of the story. Such it is for the stories of our individual lives. Even the boring stuff, like lists of dead people, with help us fit the pieces together, hang in there, and stick around for the rest of the story.
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