Ruth

FIRST DAUGHTER-IN-LAW
BETTER THAN SEVEN SONS
Book of Ruth

IMAGINE: Being a young widowed Moabite, with your not so happy mother-in-law in tow, leaving all you know and heading off into the “who knows where.”

The year and the writer of the book of Ruth are unknown. The only background available on Ruth is she was a Moabite woman who forsakes her pagan heritage in order to be faithful to the God of Israel and the Israeli people. The Moabites were descendants of Lot by his oldest daughter and were oppressors of Israel even though they were considered distant relatives, as Lot was the nephew of Abraham. Her father-in-law, a Hebrew, was Elimelech and her mother-in-law, also a Hebrew, was Naomi.
Elimelech’s family lived during the times of the Judges when there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in their own eyes. (Judges 21:25). The morality and the spirituality were at best weak, if not totally nonexistent.  This was caused by the failure of Israel’s leaders leaving the land physically and economically destitute. This period was known for the serious deterioration of the spiritual state of the Jewish Nation.
Elimelech and Naomi, along with their two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, appear to have felt forced to move from Bethlehem to Moab because of the effects of a great famine in Israel.
Naomi’s husband dies in this strange land. Her son Mahlon takes Ruth, a Moabite for his wife and Chilion takes Orpah, also a Moabite for his wife. Shortly after this, Naomi’s sons also both die in this strange place. Naomi felt God had judged her harshly, for whatever reason He saw fit, but she never denounced Him through all the years of unfortunate circumstances. Naomi’s grief would have been great. Her fear possibly even greater for the God she believed in, who was greater than all grief or fear. There would have been plenty of room for anger and hopelessness to find a home in Naomi.
This widow, with both sons now deceased, had no way of knowing how she would survive. Poverty and starvation was all she had to look forward to as there now was no male family member to support her. 
After losing her husband and her sons in this literal God forsaken land she has lived in for the past ten years, Naomi determines to return to her hometown of Bethlehem. She had heard the drought in Israel was over and so she wants to go home. Her one daughter-in-law, Orpah, which means “stubborn”, returns to her family at Naomi’s insistence. The other daughter-in-law, Ruth, the meaning of which is “friendship”, however is not so easily persuaded. She insists Naomi’s people will be her people and Naomi’s God will be her God. (Ruth 1:16).
It appears Naomi must have spoken often of the God of Israel and Ruth listened. Naomi’s God was much different than the Moabite’s gods, which were many. Their main god, chemosh, most likely meaning “destroyer”, was the national deity of the Moabites. Chemosh was noted as the “abomination of Moab” and the worshiping of this idol involved human sacrifice and lewd conduct. (2 Kgs. 3:26, 27). This was the atmosphere Ruth was born into and grew up in.
Naomi’s belief in her God, no matter the circumstances, must have made quite an impression on the young Moabite girl. She appears bonded to her mother-in-law. Plus, Ruth seems to understand her duty to her deceased husband’s family.
Ruth, a young and most likely, beautiful widow now could have gone home to her family after the death of her husband. Staying with Naomi meant she too was looking at a life of poverty and starvation. But, Ruth had been introduced to the God of Israel. She may have felt apprehensive at leaving her family, familiar surroundings and her friends, yet she was willing to head out into the “who knows where” with her somewhat embittered yet, believing mother-in-law.
The two women venture back to Bethlehem leaving behind the burial sites of their loved ones. Their walk is over rough terrain some sixty miles and took approximately seven to ten days. Scripture is silent as to whether Ruth ever wondered what she had gotten herself into by leaving her homeland to follow Naomi. She was now a Gentile in a foreign land, a complete outcast, and totally destitute.
Immediately upon entering this foreign, somewhat “hostile to Moabites” land, Ruth is willing to go to work in unfamiliar territory to feed herself and her mother-in-law. She was now among strangers where she did not know or understand the culture or customs. It is probable her husband and in-laws had, by this time, taught her the Hebrew language. Her Moabite dialect is today, an extinct Canaanite language that was spoken at that time.
The two women arrived in Bethlehem in the springtime during barley season and at harvest time. The harvesters cut and bundled the stalks. According to the law of the Israelites, the corners of the fields were not to be harvested. Any grain that was dropped was to be left for the poor to pick up, as this would be a way for them to have food.
Going to work in a field to glean grain dropped by the harvesters for the poor would have been considered menial, tiring, and most likely degrading. Ruth consistently living out what she now believed, was certainly a testimony to her character. She appears to be a loving, caring, and faithful daughter-in-law to Naomi. She exhibits hard working ethics and a bravery beyond expectations. No matter her surroundings or circumstances, Ruth consistently lived what she now believed.
Despite the years of famine and want in Israel there was a rich and influential relative of Elimelech’s named Boaz. This is whose field Ruth went to work in. When she brings home grain and leftover lunch, she explains it was from the field of Boaz, which Naomi immediately sees as God’s hand upon this blessing.
Naomi explains to Ruth that Boaz is “one of our close relatives.” In Hebrew the word used is “go’el”, which means “redeemer” or “avenger”. He could buy family lands sold in time of hardship. (Lev. 25:25-28). Elimelech apparently had sold his land in the hard times of famine and left for Moab.
Ruth seems to have trusted her mother-in-law completely. So as Naomi makes the recommendation to Ruth to go to the threshing floor where Boaz would be spending the night, she agrees. She goes, lays at his feet and has him cover her with the corner of his covering to let him know that she accepts him as her family redeemer.
The Israelite custom and law of laying at the feet of a family redeemer showed a willingness to marry and thus preserve the family line and property. In may instances this was a business deal more than a romantic involvement. The reason for marrying the widow was to provide an heir in the name of the deceased.
Boaz shows kindness by buying back the land which guarantees Ruth and Naomi inheritance of the land. He also agrees to take on the responsibility as the family redeemer, the extended members of the deceased.
Boaz was apparently well known, well liked, but mainly well respected as a man of his word. The way was now open for Boaz and Ruth to marry, which they do, and it appears to be more romantic than a business arrangement. If Boaz had asked Ruth to marry him, according to the Levirate marriage law, she would have been obligated to marry him, but her going to him showed her own willingness to marry him.
They become parents of Obed, who fathered Jesse, who fathered King David, and all born in Bethlehem. (1 Sam. 16:1; Micah 5:2). They were living in the time of the Judges, as mentioned, consequently they had no way of knowing about a king from their line on the horizon, much less the “King of Kings”, Jesus Christ, born in Bethlehem. Ruth, the young Moabite widow had no way of knowing that her loyalty to her mother-in-law and obedience to the God of Israel would one day lead to her becoming the Great-Grandmother of King David and thus be in the lineage of the Messiah.
Naomi and Ruth were just two destitute widow ladies, having no way of knowing what the future held for them, as they headed out of Moab on their way to Bethlehem that fateful day.
They finished their earthly journey never knowing what their devotion to the God of Israel had accomplished. Naomi could not have possibly foreseen that Boaz and Ruth would be in the ancestral line of the Redemption of Israel, Jesus Christ.
Ruth is a perfect example of living by faith, not by sight. It would have been much easier to do what seemed more realistic. She could have stayed in Moab close to her family and friends and probably remarried, had children and lived out her days, just as her sister-in-law, Orpah, most likely did.
She chose to live by faith and trust God with her future. It would have been logical to stay put instead of heading off into the “who knows where” with an elderly, bitter, albeit Godly, mother-in-law in tow.
In all that this extraordinary woman does, it appears she does it regardless of personal loss. There is no mention of self-pity, fear, anger or “why me.” She was absolutely in a dire circumstance physically, emotionally, mentally, and financially. What we do not see is her deprived, in anyway, spiritually.
These three people, Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz remained strong in character and true to God even when the society around them was collapsing. Even in times and places of unfaithfulness, God is always faithful to those who are His.      
Today is no different. God’s people, more than ever, need to stand out from the world around them. We have no idea what may transpire after we are gone, if indeed we have followed God’s leading, even if it is into the “who knows where” doing who knows what.

Something to Consider:
You are only one decision
from a totally different life.


for the day:
Life is a journey,
enjoy it.
Anonymous