Ruth
Introduction
The Book of Ruth is arguably the greatest short story ever written, though of course, it is history and not fiction. Judges and Ruth are so different in tone that it is amazing that they take place during the same time period. In contrast to the murder and lust of Judges, there is the wonder of how much Ruth endeared herself to people who should have been strangers. A miracle quietly transpires in this story, and people who might have considered Ruth an enemy because of her Moabite ancestry, were instead drawn to her by the cords of G-dʼs love. Love is a wonderful thing. The story of Ruth is saying, look how G-dʼs love binds people together, with a bond that even death cannot sever, for G-d is the G-d of the living, and even the dead are not beyond his protective, redemptive hand. See 1C 15:3-4. Look at Ruthʼs story. Ruthʼs husband Mahlon is dead; he left her no son, Naomi he left no grandchildren. Mahlonʼs property is languishing untilled in Bethlehem. All seems hopelessly lost. Who can help Naomi? Who can help Ruth? Who can reclaim the land and bring a harvest of prosperity again? Who can redeem the dead? No one, it seems. The land has seen famine, the dead are gone. But is anything too hard for Hashem? Read the story and watch G-d go into action! Watch him redeem the lost property and put the deed of ownership back into the name of the deceased. All right, you say, G-d can redeem the land perhaps. But can G-d redeem the dead? Can a corpse have a child? As we read the whole story, we find that not only can a child be given to the corpse, but also that in this child is the promise of a Moshiach who himself will be raised from the dead with the ultimate promise that every corpse sleeping in the grave will be raised from the dead, even the corpse in this story, Mahlon, the deceased husband of Ruth! Now the story is saying, after all that, you, reader, should believe that G-d is the G-d of the living, who can redeem the world and the land and who can make alive even the dead. Ruth had neither a Jewish mother nor a Jewish father! But she has entered Ideal Israel (Yeshuron Yisroel, meaning “upright one” or “law-upholding one,” a poetic name for the true Israel — see Isa 44:2; Dt 32:15; 33:26; 33:5) by faith alone (Ga 2:15-21), by an individual choice to turn away from the former heathenish direction she was going and by making a personal decision to turn back and join the people of G-d and to take their G-d as her G-d in true teshuva (1:16-17). (Moab symbolizes for Naomi a heathenish neglect of G-dʼs people and G-dʼs House, because Bethlehem means “House of Bread,” and Naomi has felt the covenant curses of famine, death, and childlessness as a result of her moving in a heathenish direction that neglects G-dʼs House — Dt 28:18,21,24). But Ruth has become a “supernatural Jew” through the new birth identity in Hashem, entering “Upright” Israel by what alone made her upright, that is, emunah (Hab 2:4; Gn 15:6; Ps 106:31; Ga 2:16), and Ruth has entered Upright Israel ahead of those who say they are Jews but are still spiritually uncircumcised, still blindly heathen at heart, as Naomi seems to be in Moab until she is provoked to jealousy by seeing G-d bless in Bethlehem one of the Gentiles, her daughter-in-law Ruth (contrast Ruth 1:15 and Ruth 2:20). Ruthʼs regenerated, circumcised heart made her part of the true circumcision, and we who are regenerated in the Brit Chadasha kehillah have also entered Yeshurun Israel with Ruth the Moabitess and with Rahab in order to provoke the Jewish people to jealousy, to turn them back to the true G-d, the G-d revealed in the Holy Bible. The point that the story is leading to is how great G-dʼs blessing is on this non-Jewish woman — more than she could ever see in her lifetime. Ruth became a direct ancestor of King David and, through him, Ruth became a direct ancestor of the promised Moshiach! The irony of G-dʼs hand on a Gentileʼs life in the midst of Jewish people is a theme of the story. Hashemʼs providential care for her, the way her footsteps are literally ordered by the L-rd (Ps 37:23), the gracious way her faith is answered by His provision — these are all highlighted by the fact that she is an outsider, alone, a widow, a non-Jew, a foreigner, a member of the excluded, (cursed by the Law — Dt 23:3) Moabite people, a pagan who had known only death and a false religion and was now poor and helpless in a strange land. G-dʼs special providential care toward those on their way to salvation is a theme of Ruth. Everywhere this Gentile widow turns, she is blessed, because she has been given a heart to bless G-dʼs people (Gn 12:2). Just as she does not forget her mother-in-law, G-d does not abandon His chesed (covenant-keeping loving kindness) with Ruth and with both the living and the dead (Ruth 2:20). G-d makes everything work together for good for Ruth, even a famine, even a death in the family, even three deaths in the family (Ro 8:28). G-d uses the famine in Israel to get Ruthʼs future mother-in-law Naomi to move from Bethlehem to where Ruth could meet her in Moab, making Naomi an unwitting “Jonah to the Ninevites,” a light to the nations. G-d uses the death of Ruthʼs husband to free Ruth to begin a spiritual pilgrimage that is nothing short of salvation. G-d, who withdraws the rain, now brings the early rain and the later rain to end the famine and bless the land with the harvest, which is a reward for covenant-obedience (Dt 28:4). But, here is where the wonder really begins. G-d leads the two widows back to Bethlehem for a harvest greater than they could ever imagine, a world harvest led by the Moshiach (Mt 28:19-20), the world Harvester “to whom the nations belong” (Gn 49:10). (Notice carefully the Goel redeemer son of Judah at the threshing floor in Ruth 3:2). The World Harvester, the Moshiach will be born there in Bethlehem a thousand years later (see Mic 5:1-2). G-d gives Ruth a strange and marvelous love. G-d gives Ruth a supernatural love for her mother-in-law and for the people of G-d. G-d gives her the courage to say good-bye to her heathen sister and to go to Israel with her mother-in-law. Then G-d brings her to a very special man, a man of substance, a man of destiny, the most wonderful husband she could ever have dreamed of, in fact a husband far beyond her imagination, an absolutely unique man of royal blood, the only man in the world who was Ruthʼs contemporary and was at the same time destined to become a direct ancestor of King David and of the Moshiach. And the wonder is that G-d led this Gentile woman Ruth to find favor in his sight and become related to him in holy covenant love. For this man (Boaz) from the Messianic tribe of Judah became Ruthʼs kinsman Go'el (redeemer), protecting the family, the dead as well as the living. This man from the tribe of the Moshiach married Ruth and redeemed (bought back) the land of Ruthʼs dead husband and raised up an heir to carry on the dead manʼs name. So the dead manʼs inheritance was not wiped out. G-d is the G-d who saves the living and the dead (1C 15:51; 1Th 4:15-17) through a Redeemer from the tribe of Judah. Here it is important to remember that the PEDUT (the payment of ransom for geulah redemption as in Ro 3:24) comes about through the Go'el Moshiach Tzidkeinu. Had Moshiach not paid the ransom of his korban Pesach blood (Isa 53:7) as our Go'el (Redeemer), we could never have been bought back from sin and death and judgment. Our plight would have been more hopeless than Ruth and Naomi, these two tragic almanot. In the Bible, G-d is also the protector of almanot. In Bible times, a woman without the covering of a husband was in danger of exploitation or of sexual molestation or even being carried off. Because of our sin nature and our sin practices, we were carried off and on the slave market auction block of sin. We needed a redeemer to buy us back. Moshiach Ben Dovid is rich and can do that because Moshiach is free from a sin nature tie to Adam* and rich in mercy. If we humble ourselves like a poor widow and turn to him to redeem us, he will put the wings of his garment over us and protect us from all doom and loss. Moshiach will be to us what Boaz was to Ruth and Naomi. This book of the Bible is extremely important because it shows the tribe of Judah and a coming redeemer of the Jews and Gentiles, the Moshiach, who will fulfill Gn 49:10. The secret of Ruthʼs blessing was her faithfulness. She continued working where G-d placed her. She refused to leave her mother-in-law, she remained with her in life and refused to leave her in death (1:16-18). Ruth remained in faith where G-d placed her. She remained in Boazʼs field. Boaz said, “Stay with my workers until they finish harvesting all my grain,” (2:21) and she obeyed him. Ruth didn't go to the field of someone else where she might have been harmed (2:22). If we stay close to the harvesters, and refuse to leave the harvest field where G-d has placed us, we will be blessed like this lowly and loving and faithful mevaseret (lady evangelist) Ruth who won a Jewish lady to the L-rd (Ro 11:11; Ruth 1:15).
1
1 Now it came to pass in the yamim when HaShofetim (the Judges) ruled, that there was a ra'av (famine) in the land. And a certain ish (man) of Beit-Lechem Yehudah went to sojourn in the sadei Moav, he, and his isha (wife), and his two banim (sons). 2 And the shem (name) of the ish (man) was Elimelech, and the shem (name) of his isha (wife) Naomi, and the shem of his two banim Machlon and Kilyon, Ephrathites of Beit-Lechem Yehudah. And they came into the sadei Moav, and continued there.
3 And Elimelech, Naomiʼs husband, died; and she was left (alive) and her two banim. 4 And they took them wives of the nashim (women) of Moav; the shem (name) of the one was Orpah, and the shem (name) of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about eser shanim (ten years).
5 And Machlon and Kilyon died also both of them; and the isha was left (alive), surviving with neither her yeladim nor her ish. 6 Then she arose with her kallot, that she might make teshuvah (return) from the sadei Moav: for in the sadeh of Moav she had heard how that Hashem had visited His people in giving them lechem (bread). 7 Wherefore she went forth out of the place where she was, and her two kallot with her; and they set on the derech (way, road) to make teshuvah (return) unto Eretz Yehudah.
8 And Naomi said unto her two kallot, Go, go back each to her beis em (motherʼs house): may Hashem show chesed (lovingkindness) to you, as ye have dealt with hamesim (the dead ones), and with me. 9 Hashem grant you that ye may find menuchah (resting place), each of you in the bais of her ish. Then she kissed them; and they lifted up their voice, and wept. 10 And they said unto her, Surely we will make teshuvah (return) with thee unto thy people. 11 And Naomi said, Turn back, my banot; why will ye go with me? Are there yet any more banim in my womb, that they may be your husbands? 12 Turn back, my banot, go your way; for I am too old to have an ish. If I should say, I have tikvah, if I should have an ish halailah (tonight), and should also bear banim, 13 Would ye tarry for them till they were grown? Would ye stay from having ba'alim (husbands) for them? Nay, my banot; for it is more mar (bitter) for me than you, for the Yad Hashem has gone out against me.
14 And they lifted up their voice, and wept again; and Orpah kissed† her chamot; but Ruth clung unto her. 15 And she said, Hinei, thy sister-in-law is gone back unto her people, and unto her g-ds; return thou after thy sister-in-law. 16 And Ruth said, Entreat 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 G-d shall be Elohai; 17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried. Hashem do so to me, and more also, if anything but HaMavet part thee and me.
18 When she saw that she was steadfastly minded to go with her, then she left urging her. 19 So they two went until they came to Beit-Lechem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Beit-Lechem, that kol ha'ir (all the town) was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi? 20 And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi,‡ call me Mara;§ for Shaddai hath dealt very bitterly with me. 21 I went away full and Hashem hath brought me back empty; why then call me Naomi, seeing Hashem hath testified against me, and Shaddai hath made me very bitter?
22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her kallah, with her, which returned out of the sadei Moav; and they came to Beit-Lechem in the beginning of katzir seorim (barley harvest).
* : Gn 3:15; Isa 7:14 † 1:14 cf Mt 26:49 ‡ 1:20 Pleasant § 1:20 Bitter