from the prey, my son, you have gone up.
He stooped down; he crouched as a lion
and as a lioness; who dares rouse him?
The scepter shall not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,
until tribute comes to him;
and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.
Genesis 49:8–10
Now these are the generations of Perez [son of Judah]: Perez fathered Hezron, Hezron fathered Ram, Ram fathered Amminadab, Amminadab fathered Nahshon, Nahshon fathered Salmon, Salmon fathered Boaz, Boaz fathered Obed, Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David.
Ruth 4:18–22
The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar . . . and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king.
Matthew 1:1–3, 5–6
Note to the Reader
In researching the timeline for Ruth’s story, I came across two differing points of view. One suggests Ruth’s story came before Deborah’s time as judge, during the era of Moabite oppression of Israel. This timing does allow for a more acceptable understanding of the genealogy that tells us Salmon begat Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz begat Obed by Ruth.
The other puts Ruth’s story later, nearer the end of the reign of the judges, which would give Ruth a closer proximity to David. She is listed as David’s great-grandmother. But by that argument, Rahab is David’s great-great-grandmother. According to what I could find, Rahab lived in approximately 1405 BC, and Ruth’s story takes place around 1150 BC. Boaz was not likely over 250 years old when he met Ruth!
Greater minds than mine can debate this timing issue. Some suggest that the Jews would often condense a genealogical record for the sake of making note of the most important or prominent people in the lineage. This suggests that “Salmon begat Boaz” could mean that Salmon was an ancestor of Boaz, not necessarily his actual father.
In The Crimson Cord, I chose to show Boaz as Rahab’s son. It is possible that her actual son born of Salmon had a different name entirely, and that the record in Scripture just skipped a few generations. That possibility does not take away from God’s grace to Rahab or the fact that Rahab and Salmon did marry and have a son. The question is whether Boaz was their son or grandson or great-grandson.
For these questions, I admit I have no concrete answers. But I believe God gave us what He needed us to know, and that is the fact that He is a forgiving God, a redeeming God, and a gracious and loving and merciful God. And while He is also the God who judges and holds sovereignty over all, I believe His message in the stories of these women is to show us His great grace.
Whether Rahab birthed Boaz or his ancestor matters little. For both Rahab and Ruth teach us that God included Gentile women who came to faith in the one true God in the lineage of His Son.
So I pray you overlooked the timeline difficulties and enjoyed the story. For the sake of the story, I set Ruth’s tale during the middle of Judges, before Deborah’s rule. I tend to think that somehow the dates will work themselves out and that maybe Rahab really did birth Boaz and Boaz married Ruth, as it is written.
In His Grace,
Jill Eileen Smith
Acknowledgments
It’s hard to believe that it’s been eight years since the release of my first book, Michal. And now we are in the middle of my third and fourth series of biblical fiction with Redeeming Grace. I’ve been privileged to continue to work with the same wonderful team at Revell through each one of these books, so I would like to give my thanks to Lonnie Hull DuPont, who first believed in me and always encourages me along the way. To Jessica English, who has a way of editing that always makes me feel good and makes the story better in the process.
To my marketing manager, Michele Misiak, who possesses a wealth of creative ideas. To my publicist and the team who puts together the blog tours, and to those who handle foreign rights—I have books on my shelves that I’ve written yet can’t read. So cool! To Twila Bennett, who oversees more than I can imagine, and Cheryl Van Andel, for letting me watch some of what she does with her amazing covers!
Thanks always to my agent and friend, Wendy Lawton, who prays for her clients and cheers them on.
Super thanks go to my dear friend Jill Stengl, as always, for help with this story.
A special thank-you this time also goes to my pastor, Doug Schmidt, for providing me with information on the biblical feasts. That proved invaluable.
Another special thank-you to my friend Kathy Kroll for the basket idea. These little details make a story so much richer.
Thank you to my readers who wait and pray for me as I write. My prayer team and friends who pray—I really appreciate you.
To my family, immediate and extended—I only wish we lived closer, but I thank God for you and what He still has in store for each of us. Randy—I can’t imagine life without you. Jeff, Chris, Molly, and Keaton, Ryan and Carissa—I love you.
Adonai, my Lord, my Savior—may You always be enough. Thank You that You are.
Jill Eileen Smith is the author of the bestselling Wives of King David series and The Crimson Cord, as well as the Wives of the Patriarchs, the Daughters of the Promised Land, and the Loves of King Solomon series. Her research has taken her from the Bible to Israel, and she particularly enjoys learning how women lived in biblical times.
When she isn’t writing, she loves to spend time with her family and friends, read stories that take her away, ride her bike to the park, snag date nights with her hubby, try out new restaurants, or play with her lovable, “helpful” cat Tiger. Jill lives with her family in southeast Michigan.
Contact Jill through email ([email protected]), her website (http://www.jilleileensmith.com), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/jilleileensmith), or Twitter (https://twitter.com/JillEileenSmith). She loves to hear from her readers.
Books by Jill Eileen Smith
THE WIVES OF KING DAVID
Michal
Abigail
Bathsheba
WIVES OF THE PATRIARCHS
Sarai
Rebekah
Rachel
THE LOVES OF KING SOLOMON (ebook series)
The Desert Princess
The Shepherdess
Daughter of the Nile
DAUGHTERS OF THE PROMISED LAND
The Crimson Cord
The Prophetess
Redeeming Grace
www.JillEileenSmith.com
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Redeeming Grace: Ruth's Story Page 28