Gleanings from the Book of Ruth

Gleanings from the Book of Ruth

Key People:

Elimelech – Husband of Naomi

Naomi – Wife of Elimelech

Mahlon – Son of Elimelech & Naomi

Chilion – Son of Elimelech & Naomi

Ruth – Moabite wife of Mahlon

Orpah – Moabite wife of Chilion

Boaz – Close relative of Elimelech

When:

A great famine which took place during the “Time of Judges”.

Author: 

The author of Ruth is traditionally thought to be the prophet Samuel. The exact date of authorship is unknown but the common thinking is it was penned between 1011 and 931 B.C

Setting:

The Book of Ruth takes place in the countries of Moab and Judah during a great famine. Moab is a region northeast of the Dead Sea. The famine forces Elimelech and his wife, Naomi, and their 2 sons from their home in Bethlehem to the country of Moab where shortly thereafter Elimelech dies. Naomi is left with her 2 sons Mahlon & Chilion, who soon marry two Moabite girls, Ruth and Orpah. Later both sons die, and Naomi is left alone with Orpah and Ruth in a Moab. At the urging of Naomi, Orpah returns to her parents but Ruth decides to stay with Naomi and they journey back to Bethlehem.

Themes:

• A major theme is that of the kinsman-redeemer.

• Another major theme is God has opened his arms to all who should believe on him, including non-israelites.

• Other themes are that of redemption and loyal love.

The book of Ruth is one of the two books of the Bible attributed to women. It is a short book, but rich in symbolism and with many cultural details of the times. It is a story of duty and of love for family and God which contrasts strongly with the lawlessness and spiritual barrenness of the “Times of the Judges”.

The first 5 verses detail hardship and tragedy, a family uprooted and moving to a pagan land in the midst of great famine, the head of the household passing away, beloved sons marrying outsiders then themselves dying and leaving a widow and her two daughters-in-law without support or an heir. Such events occurring today would be extremely difficult to overcome but for three widows then such as Naomi, Ruth, and Orpah would it would be absolutely devastating. In that time period and culture, being widowed without any adult children left a woman with few options other than begging, selling herself into slavery or prostitution, trying to find a new husband, or seeking support from close family. Widowhood was such a big deal then in fact, that per Acts chapter 6, the poor and unequal treatment of Greek versus Hebrew widows lead to the establishment of Deacons in the Church.

At this point Naomi had decided to return to Bethlehem and knowing the difficult road ahead of her and especially for her non-Jewish daughters-in-law implores them to return to their own families in Moab for the sake of their own prosperity & security.

Orpah does the expected thing and returns to her home in Moab however Ruth does the unexpected and emphatically decides not only to stay with Naomi, but to also adopt her land and her God as her own.

16 But Ruth said:

“Entreat me not to leave you,

Or to turn back from following after you;

For wherever you go, I will go;

And wherever you lodge, I will lodge;

Your people shall be my people,

And your God, my God.

17 Where you die, I will die,

And there will I be buried.

The Lord do so to me, and more also,

If anything but death parts you and me.”

In a parallel to the lawlessness and rejection of the Lord by the nation of Israel during this time, Orpah rejects traditional familial responsibility and returns to her pagan heritage. Ruth however both honors her family responsibilities as they pertain to her mother-in-law and decisively affirms her commitment to the Lord. Ruth’s use of the word Yahweh in the original text (in what is essentially an oath) speaks to her strength of commitment for family and for God. This is an early example of God lovingly adopting as one of his own what would be considered a lost but now God-seeking person.

Naomi reluctantly accepts Ruth commitment but the entire situation embitters her.

Ruth 1-20 & 21: But she said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. 21 I went out full, and the Lord has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?”

She came to Moab with a husband and 2 sons and is leaving despondent, asking to literally be called “Bitter” (Mara).  Unfortunately she couldn’t see God because, overwhelmed and lost, her eyes were on her circumstances and not on the Lord of the universe (something we can all relate to having done ourselves I believe…) But as we will see, God was about to use this situation for her good and His glory.

Upon their return to Bethlehem, Ruth decides to glean in the fields of Boaz who turns out to be a wealthy relative of Elimelech.  Gleaning is the act of collecting leftover crops from farmer’s fields after they have been harvested and the Bible promotes gleaning as a means to provide sustenance to the poor.

Earlier the theme of a Kinsman-Redeemer was mentioned.  The Hebrew word for “kinsman” is “goel.” “Redeemer” is defined as “one charged with the duty of restoring the rights of another.” The Hebrew word for Redeemer is also “goel” and in Biblical times, these words were interchangeable. Thus a kinsman-redeemer would be a person’s relative who pays a debt which that person is unable to pay, thus redeeming family property, assets, and inheritances from sale or foreclosure.

Boaz notices Ruth’s hard work and upon learning her story, tells her not to leave his fields (for  her own safety), allows her to drink from his water supply, and even tells the harvesters that Ruth is following behind to leave grain behind on purpose for her.  Boaz embraces his role and responsibility and eventually becomes their kinsman-redeemer, ultimately marrying Ruth and providing her with a child, a son named Obed which Naomi adopts as her own so an heir is in place for Elimelech.

Redemption is woven into the understanding and appreciation of the nature of the God. He stands by the oppressed and needy and through his servants, he extends his love and mercy.

This simple story of family redemption is one of the greatest Old Testament conceptual parallels to the New Testament Gospel. In Boaz, we have a dedicated loyal family man recognizing the commitment of another to God and family, taking on the burdens of hardship & kinship, and restoring them to the fullness of life. In Christ, we have the greatest example of a Kinsman-Redeemer who pays a sin debt that absolutely none of us are able to pay on own.

In closing, in Ruth we are reminded that God has a plan for us and that He is in complete control of events that shape our lives. We see how values such as commitment to family, honoring personal responsibilities, and recognizing that all can be done for the glory of God thus enhancing our usefulness to God. God had great plans for Ruth and her noble, loyal, and committed choices allowed her to prosper.

And Ruth, the simple Moabite peasant girl, becomes the great-grandmother of Israel's great king David and ultimately part of the lineage of Christ himself.