while skillfully written and a beautiful love story, this book is more than just pleasant reading. For the careful reader, it conclusively relates that God looks kindly on those who willingly serve Him. It is a summons for each person to abdicate his worldly citizenship and replace it with a complete trust in the God of Israel.
The narrative was evidently recorded generations after the events took place. The closing genealogy indicates the earliest the book could have been completed was in David’s time (4:22). The heroine is the grandmother of David and an ancestor of the Messiah (4:17; Matt. 1:5). God’s providence is convincingly seen in the marriage of the gentile widow, Ruth, to a prominent Israelite, Boaz.
Ray of light in a dark age
Set in the time of the judges, this captivating story relates incidents involving gentler individuals in a time when life had become turbulent and brutal. This undercurrent of violence can still be detected in the book of Ruth (2:9,15). Throughout the narrative, Naomi, Ruth and Boaz perform many decent acts that must have been exceptional to the behavior of the times: “In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes” (Jdg. 17:6).
Worship of God was an integral part of the life of His servants. Our age is also a violent one. We must each ask ourselves, Does our way of life make the same kind of positive statement as did that of Boaz, Ruth and Naomi?
Naomi
Naomi is the first outstanding character we meet.
Elimelech had led his family from Bethlehem to Moab to escape a famine which gripped Israel. His two sons subsequently married daughters of Moab.
The mistake of leaving God’s land is underscored by the death of Elimelech and the sons, Mahlon and Chi lion. Only Naomi is spared to comfort her daughters-in-law, Oipah and Ruth. When Naomi hears that God has blessed Judah with food, she longs to return to Bethlehem (which means, “house of bread”). She knows being strangers in a foreign land will be difficult on her daughters-in-law. In spite of the loneliness that would result, she advises them to return to their Moabite families while she makes her way back to Israel.
At first, both women start off with her, but Naomi unselfishly warns them: “the hand of the LORD is gone out against me.” Life would be most difficult with Naomi in Israel. Again, she urges them to remain in Moab. While Orpah accedes to the advice and leaves Naomi, Ruth reveals the beauty of her character. She refuses to leave and utters her moving reply: “Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God…” (1:16). Ruth’s intentions are obviously genuine for she ends her plea: “The LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.”
A lovely and committed character
Ruth’s total commitment to Naomi and the God of Israel is voiced in the most explicit of terms. There was no sending her back: “When (Naomi) saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her.” With a selfless and committed attitude, Ruth had resolved to go to Bethlehem, help Naomi and worship the living God and nothing could stop her.
Selfless concern for others
Naomi’s suffering in Moab left her bitter (1:20) but no bitterness toward Ruth was evident in her actions. The mother-in-law’s main concern now becomes securing a future for Ruth. There can be little doubt that Ruth had confidence in Naomi’s character, otherwise she would have taken refuge with her Moabite family.
After the two women arrived in Bethlehem, Ruth began to glean grain. Though God had made a provision in His laws so that all could share the harvest, a woman gleaning for herself must have been arduous work, and Ruth had to obtain a year’s supply for two people. Her diligence made a favorable impression on Boaz, the owner of the field, and he treated her with favor.
Notice how willingly Ruth shared with Naomi (2:18) and how generous Boaz was with the bounty God had given him (2:8,9,14,16; 3:15). On the other hand, the nearest kinsman was concerned only with his own welfare. He was not prepared to redeem if it meant risking his inheritance (4:6).
Where do we stand on sharing our blessings? Scripture advises: “There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches” (Prov. 13:7).
A man of the Lord
Boaz presents a pleasant contrast to the lawless society of his times. He greets his employees with the words: “The LORD be with you” (2:4). His reverence is contagious, for the reapers reply in similar fashion: “The LORD bless thee.”
He speaks openly of the trust Ruth had developed in the Lord God of Israel (2:12), he is generous to the poor (2:2426; 3:15) and respects the rights of others even when they clash with his own desires (3:12; 4:4).
The levirate law
God had ordained in the law a provision for childless widows. It is commonly referred to as the levitate (brother-redeemer) law.
Early in the narrative, Naomi says: “Are there yet any more sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?” (1:11). Naomi is alluding to the levirate law under which a husband’s brother married a childless widow to father a child in the dead brother’s name so the family line could continue (Lev. 25:510). It was an extension of this law Naomi applied to obtain a husband for Ruth.
A man in love
When chapter three ends, there can be no doubt that Boaz is in love with Ruth. The only impediment to his immediate marriage is the fact that there is a nearer kinsman.
The integrity of Boaz is such that he will not circumvent the divine injunction which gives precedence to the claim of a nearer kinsman. He subjected his own desires to the standards of God. Surely the blessing of God applied to Boaz because of his attitude.
Blessings came to Boaz because he went beyond the letter of the law to perform the spirit. Let us make it our resolve to have a similar attitude that the same excess of Divine blessing may apply to ourselves.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One