The largesse of the heart of Boaz is reminiscent of the five “much mores” found in Romans 5.
Let’s get this straight. Boaz was in no way obligated to marry Ruth. The law of levirate marriage only extended to the widow’s brother-in-law, and there was no physical relationship that demanded Boaz marry the young Moabite. Likewise, there was no requirement on the part of our Savior to give His life for us, for it was “when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son” (Rom 5:10). Thus the “Moreover” of Ruth 4:10 is a declaration of love, not law. Nevertheless, Boaz had a grand objective—the perpetuation of the line. But that line would now run through the Gentile Ruth, placing her, of all things, on the front page of the biography of Jesus the Messiah (see Mt 1:5)! It is the only reference to Ruth outside the little book named after her, but one instance like that should be more than enough. And if you could see the official records in heaven, you would see my name there, too, and yours if you have transferred your trust to the Redeemer. In fact, “both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren” (Heb 2:11). What honor the townsfolk showed to Boaz, and what grace to Ruth in their benediction on her: “The Lord make the woman who is coming to your house like Rachel and Leah, the two who built the house of Israel;…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). Like Rachel and Leah, the mothers of the tribes? Ah, yes, and Tamar, too, who risked everything to maintain the Messianic line when the men couldn’t care less. “So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife” (v 13). Wedding bells!