Ruth 4:13-22 - Ruth is better to you than seven sons

4:13-15

So Boaz and Ruth were married and they had a son. The text makes it clear that it was the Lord who enabled her to conceive. In her earlier marriage she had been unable to have children. A significant number of key people in the Bible were born to women who had problems conceiving, Isaac being the most famous. On the birth of their son the women praised the Lord over what had happened with Naomi. She had endured much pain in her life, the loss of her husband and two sons, and because of that she felt that the Lord’s hand was against her. But now that whole situation had been reversed. They also declare that Ruth was better than seven sons. Ruth and her faithfulness is in many ways the highlight of the story. She had become fruitful, both physically, but also spiritually through her integrity.

4:16-22

The son was called Obed, which means “worshipper”. He would become the father of David, and humanly speaking Jesus was descended from David. The whole story can be seen as a picture of our redemption. Ruth’s life and her significance is utterly transformed. This is partly because of events beyond her control, and was dependent upon the actions and faithfulness of Boaz. But her faithfulness, her decisions also matter and are significant. When God saves us it is not just a matter of forgiveness, we are utterly dependent upon the work of Christ. His work on the cross, the work of the Holy Spirit. But at the same time we are no mere passive recipients. We should chase after God, and when He works in us He does so to transform us.

Ruth 4:9-12 - Today you are witnesses

4:9,10

Boaz now declares that he has bought the field, and acquired Ruth as a wife. All the elders were witnesses to this. Now we might wonder why go through all this rigmarole, why not just run away together? If we look at things in terms of adoption, there are two things that are essential for a successful adoption. One is the love of the prospective parents for the child (and this is more than an emotional thing, it is a lifelong commitment to the child), and the other is going through all the procedural and legal processes necessary to complete an adoption. Both are necessary, one on its own is not sufficient. In the same way, the Father gave His Son for us out of love for us, and the cross sealed the legalities. We are justified by the cross, the cross was also a formal process.

4:11,12

The elders declare a blessing over the marriage, asking that Ruth become like Rachel and Leah. They also declare that Boaz will be of good standing and become famous. And finally they bless all future generations proceeding from the marriage. We should remember that Rachel was a Moabitess. She is fully accepted into Israel, and Israel’s future will proceed from her.

Ruth 4:1-8 - Come over here, my friend, and sit down

4:1-4

True to Naomi’s prediction, Boaz wastes no time in getting matters finalised. So Boaz gets the other kinsman redeemer, along with ten of the elders of the town. He gathered the ten elders so that everything was witnessed and there could be no dispute about the outcome. Boaz starts by saying that Naomi needs to sell a field. The reason for looking for a kinsman redeemer to buy it is in order to keep it within the family, something that was considered to be very important under the Law and within Israel. Initially the other kinsman is keen to buy the field.

4:5-8

Boaz then adds the provision that acquiring the field also involves acquiring Ruth as a wife. Now to our Western ears this may sound rather offensive. However, the reason for this was to keep the family line going. We should also note that there is a very practical approach to marriage in the Bible, something our society could well learn from. At the same time, it is clear from the book of Ruth that Boaz does love Ruth and has genuine affection for her. Romance and practicality go together.

On learning that he would have to take Ruth as a wife, the other kinsman backed out, thinking that it might endanger his own estate. At this point the deal was sealed and Boaz would take the field and Ruth.

Ruth 3:10-18 - The Lord bless you my daughter

3:10,11

Boaz seems quite taken by Ruth’s actions. Why had Boaz not acted sooner? He was probably somewhat older than Ruth and thought she would want someone younger. In all this tale there is both initiative on the part of Boaz, especially in his earlier actions, and his actions after this. But there is also initiative on the part of Ruth as we see here. It is like that in coming to Christ. Is it Christ who seeks us out, or is it we who seek Christ? The answer is yes. Jesus portrays Himself as the good shepherd seeking out the lost sheep, but He also says “seek and you shall find”. In the parable of the prodigal son, the son realises the mess he has made of his life and decides to return home, but the Father lavishes riches on him beyond his wildest dreams., Boaz responds very favourably to Ruth’s request, and declares that she is “a woman of noble character”. 

3:12-15

Boaz will act properly. There was a relative who was closer than he, so he would give this other relative “first refusal”. Boaz is not set on his course. So Ruth remained at his feet and left early in the morning so that no one would recognise her. Boaz wanted things to remain private for the time being so that there would not be any gossip. He also gave Ruth six measures of barley to take home.

3:16-18

On returning home Naomi asked how things had gone, and Ruth told her all that Boaz had said and done, including the six measures of barley. Naomi assures Ruth that Boaz will act quickly, and to wait patiently.

Ruth 3:1-9 - I will do whatever you say

3:1,2

Naomi is now starting to look further ahead, and, in particular, at her daughter-in-law’s future. The basic fact of the matter is that Ruth needed a husband if she was to have a secure future. The NIV has “finding a home”, other translations have “finding rest”. Some feminists object to the idea that “a woman needs a man”, but the truth is that men and women need each other. Naomi clearly hopes that Boaz would be a husband for her. He was a relative, and relatives had an obligation to marry bereaved wives of their family.

3:3,4

So Naomi tells Ruth of a plan to encourage Boaz to act as a kinsman redeemer. She tells Ruth to put on her best clothes and then to go to the threshing-floor. The threshing-floor would be used  by various people in the village during the harvest. Naomi knew that Boaz would be using the threshing floor at this time. Ruth was to note where Boaz lay down after the work and the rejoicing. She was then to uncover his feet. In this whole scenario there are some commentators who see Naomi as urging Ruth to seduce Boaz, or even act as a prostitute, but we should note that the text gives no hint whatsoever of this. Moreover, both Boaz and Ruth are portrayed as being of honourable character with matching actions throughout the narrative.

3:5-9

Ruth agrees to do what Naomi has suggested. So Ruth went down to the threshing floor, and observed where Boaz lay down. She uncovered his feet and lay down. Now why did she do this? It was to demonstrate her dependence upon him. So in the middle of the night he woke up and discovered this woman there! Because it was dark he did not immediately recognise who it was. Ruth identified herself and then said “spread your garment over me, since you are a guardian-redeemer of our family”. Ruth was inviting Boaz to marry her, to fulfil his role as a “guardian-redeemer”.

Ruth 2:13-23 - The Lord bless him!

2:13-16

Ruth is grateful for Boaz’s kindness. Boaz continues to show kindness by inviting her to have some bread at mealtime. He then gave her further food, so “she ate all she wanted”. After that he instructed his men to show her particular favour. Now why is Boaz doing all this? I think there are two primary reasons. One is that Naomi, and therefore Ruth, are part of the wider family. The other is that he “took a fancy” to Ruth. The book makes it clear that in all this Boaz actress properly.

2:17-19

Ruth worked hard until evening. She then threshed the barley and had about an ephah of grain at the end of it. That amounted to about thirteen kilograms. She then carried this back to Naomi. This must have been quite some feat! They would need a sizable amount, as it had to see them through the season. Naomi was pleasantly surprised with the amount that Ruth had gleaned, and asked which field she had worked in. Ruth told her that the field belonged to Boaz.

2:20-23

Naomi blessed Boaz and told Ruth that he was “one of our guardian-redeemers”, or “kinsman- redeemer”. Israeli society recognised the importance of families, and commitment and responsibility went beyond the immediate “nuclear family”. Rules regarding this were enshrined in the Law. Families are God’s building blocks for society. Naomi encouraged Ruth to remain with Boaz, for there she would be safe, whereas elsewhere she might be at risk. So Ruth continued to work in Boaz’s field during the barley and wheat harvests, and lived with her mother-in-law.

Ruth 2:8-12 - My daughter, listen to me

2:8,9

Boaz then spoke gently to Ruth. He probably did so because he knew that she was part of his family. He tells her to remain in his field, for there he could ensure that she was well treated. If she had gone to another field she may have encountered far less favourable treatment. Boaz had instructed his men to ensure that none of them mistreated her. She could also avail herself of the water supply.

2:10-12

Ruth is grateful for the kind treatment, and asks why she is being treated so well, since she was a foreigner. Boaz had heard how Ruth had treated her mother-in-law well. It would have been perfectly reasonable for her to stay in Moab and find another husband. Instead she chose to stick with Naomi, even though that meant leaving her homeland and family, and to come and live in a strange land with a strange people. So Boaz declares a blessing over her. If we act well, then good people will notice and we may receive a blessing from them. If we act selfishly then we may attract the attention of evil.

Ruth 2:4-7 - The Lord be with you!

2:4,5

Boaz had not been around when Ruth started work in the field. Boaz now arrives. He is the owner of the field and he greets the harvesters, and is welcomed by them. He obviously knew who his workers were, so notices that there is a woman there and asks “who does that young woman belong to”. The picture painted of Boaz is a very positive one, this is a pleasant change from the bunch that we encountered in Judges. His question could show that he assumed that she was a slave of someone. Anyway, she was not assumed to have an independent identity. 

2:6,7

The overseer informed Boaz that she was “the Moabite who came back from Moab with Naomi”. Naomi’s return was well known throughout the town. Ruth had asked to be allowed to glean the remnants of the harvest, and had been allowed to do so. He also observed that she had been a hard worker. It seems that she was treated well by Boaz’s employees. The attitude of the boss or owner in any organisation will tend to affect everyone within the organisation.

Ruth 2:1-3 - Let me go to the fields

2:1

Ruth and Naomi are now back in Bethlehem and they have to settle back into life there. We are told at the outset that Naomi had “a relative on her husband’s side” called Boaz. He was “a man of standing”.It will become apparent that he had reasonable wealth, and he also had a good reputation. In those days families were meant to care for each other. So we are introduced to Boaz.

2:2,3

Ruth knows that they need food, so she suggests that she should go out into the fields and take the gleanings. It was the barley harvest (1:22), and under the Law some of the crop was to be left for the poor to collect. Ruth was proactive, but wanted Naomi’s permission, which was granted. Ruth went off and worked in the field belonging to Boaz. This is presented as chance, and it was in the sense that Ruth had no idea whose field it was, but it was also God’s providence.

Ruth 1:18-22 - Call me Mara

1:18,19

Naomi realised that there was no changing of Ruth’s mind. So she stopped trying to change Ruth’s mind, and the two of them went on to Bethlehem. When they arrived there the whole town became aware of Naomi’s return. We aren’t told what their reaction to her leaving had been. Was there any reproach for Elimelek deserting the place? If so, it would be Elimelek, more than Naomi, who would be the object of reproach.

1:20-22

Naomi means “pleasant”, but Naomi told them to call her Mara, which means “bitter”. Naomi felt that God had dealt with her harshly, and saw the loss of her husband and two sons as God’s direct action against her. She saw the loss as misfortune brought upon her by the Lord. Today we would quickly react against such an attitude, but maybe there is something in Naomi’s approach. She knew that everything was ultimately in God’s hands. There are times when this seems a very hard thing to think, but the upside is that it also means that God can change the circumstances. If He “inflicted” them, He can reverse them.

By the way, we needn’t think that Naomi actually changed her name, but was simply expressing what she felt about the way her life had gone.

So Naomi had returned from Moab with her Moabite daughter-in-law. The time of the barley harvest was a few weeks before the wheat harvest. The significance of this is that it meant there would be work for Ruth to do in the fields.

Ruth 1:14-17 - Your God will be my God

1:14,15

The two daughter-in-laws are distraught, having now been faced with the full reality of the situation. Up until this point they had perhaps been consoling themselves that somehow they could carry on as they were, but now it was made abundantly clear to them that this was not the case. They reacted in very different ways. Orpah decided to go back to her own people. Sometimes she is criticised for this, but we should note that the Bible makes no adverse comment about her decision. Naomi certainly does not seek to condemn her, indeed she urges Ruth to do the same.

1:16,17

Ruth, however, refuses to follow her mother-in-law’s urgings. Instead she declares “Where you go I will go, where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God”. She makes as full a commitment as possible to Naomi. Why did she do this? Surely she must have seen something good in Naomi. And bear in mind that Naomi had been going through a very difficult time, losing her husband and her two sons. Yet Ruth saw something in Naomi that made her willing to change her whole direction of life. This is how God’s people are meant to operate, leading/attracting people to Christ through the examples of their lives. This was how God’s nation Israel was meant to live, being a beacon of light to the other nations. We know that she failed miserably as a nation, but not all of them failed.

Ruth 1:6-13 - Go back, each of you

1:6-10

Some time later Naomi learnt that “the Lord had come to the aid of His people”. So the famine was over. Note that it is seen as a direct action of the Lord. Naomi prepared to return home, and to take her two daughters-in-law with her. They then set out on the road back to Judah. Part way along the road Naomi seems to have had second thoughts about bringing her two daughters-in-law back with her. It seems that she had a good relationship with them, but urges them to go to their own country, and to do so with her blessing. She wanted them to find husbands there. However, the two women state that they will continue to go back with Naomi.

1:11-13

Naomi, however, urges them to go back. She outlines the stark reality of the situation. It was unlikely that any of the Israelite men would want to take Moabite women as wives (though I’m not sure that this would be the case), and there was no way that Naomi could produce sons for them to marry! She sees them as still having the possibility of a good life, while life has turned bitter for Naomi. She thinks that God has turned His hand against her, and the circumstances would support this view. But we know that that was not the case. We need to be careful about judging things by circumstances. 

Ruth 1:1-5 - There was a famine in the land

1:1

The opening verse states that the events we are going to read about occurred during the time of the judges, we are also told that there was a famine in the land, and this provides the backdrop to the events that will be recounted. Bethlehem has a number of references in the Bible, its being the birthplace of Jesus is, of course, the most famous. Bethlehem means “house of bread”. We are then told that a man, his wife, and two sons decided to move to Moab because of the famine. There is no indication that the famine was a divine judgement upon Israel, though it may have been, given the appalling state of the nation. Moab was an enemy of Israel, and the move to Moab could be viewed as disobedience, but we should note that the text passes no comment on the move.

1:2-5

The husband, the two sons and the wife are then named. This is perhaps a little surprising given that the man and his two sons are soon to die and play no further part in the proceedings. The two sons marry Moabite women. There is actually no direct law against them marrying Moabite women (Deut 7:1-4), though one could infer from the Law that marrying non-Israelites was not a good idea, with warnings that this would lead to them being pulled away to worship idols. As we know, in this case things worked the opposite way around. Ruth would become a godly woman. Thi happened not because of the man she married, but because of Naomi. Naomi’s husband died apparently quite soon after they arrived in Moab, and after they had been there ten years the two sons died as well. 

Ruth - Introduction

Ruth - Introduction

After the grimness of Judges we come to the more pleasant and positive waters of Ruth. Things aren’t easy in Ruth, but through quiet faithfulness the Lord’s plans are achieved.The book is set in the time of Judges and one of the things it demonstrates is that even in a time of mayhem it is worth obeying the Lord.

It is a feature of the Bible that women tend to come out of things better than the men. In Judges Deborah is the most positive character, then we have Ruth with both Ruth and Naomi being painted rather well, as does Boaz. In the crucifixion and resurrection accounts it is the women who come out of it better than the men. Boaz is also part of the human lineage of Jesus. It is noteworthy that Ruth is a Moabitess. It is possible that the genealogy at the end is partly there to prove that David is ten generations on from Moab, because of a curse on Moab. However, I have to say I am not convinced by this. One of the features of the Bible is that anyone who shows faith in the Lord is welcomed by Him.

We don’t know who wrote the book, it was certainly not completed until the time of David. Boaz as a “kinsman redeemer” gives us a picture of the redemptive work of Christ. We are redeemed by HIm. Ruth was later seen as the ideal convert, for she broke completely with her past life, devoting herself entirely to the Lord.

Ruth 4 - All is settled

The town gate was like the town hall or market place and is where business and legal matters were often settled. Boaz met with the "family guardian" and had ten elders as witnesses, so everything was clearly above board.  Boaz related the events of what had happened with Naomi and Ruth. 

There are two possibilities with redeeming the land. One is that Naomi was so hard up that she needed to sell it. The other, and I think the more likely, is that the land had already been sold during the time of famine. Now when land was sold the original family could redeem it, but Naomi could not afford to do this. So her family then had the right to do this.

The "family guardian" was willing to do this, but Boaz then mentions that this would mean taking Ruth as well to maintain the family name. Then the guardian is not keen to take the land. So Boaz redeemed the land and took Ruth as his wife. So everything was done properly.

Ruth and Boaz had a child who was to be the father of Jesse who in turn was the father of David. 

The book closes with a short genealogy of David.

This book emphasises the importance of family, and not just the nuclear family.

Ruth 3 - A Strange Proposal

Naomi now takes the initiative in finding a husband for Ruth. Now this goes right against our culture, but it was normal in those days, and given the state of relationships in Western society we should be a little wary of claiming that our way is better (I hasten to add that I neither am I promoting arranged marriages! Just saying we have limited grounds for feeling superior!). 

Naomi tells Ruth to prepare herself and go and sleep at the feet of Boaz. She was in effect saying that she wanted to marry Boaz. Again we find these actions strange, and possible strange that such things could happen without any sexual activity occurring. This again is a comment on the state of our society.

Boaz, as always, acts honourably. He is touched by Ruth's actions, but knows that there is another family member who has prior claim. So he will consult with this other relative before taking further action.

So we see patience being  put into action as well. Even if we are convinced that something is God's plan, we should still follow proper procedures and not cut corners. If it is indeed God's will, then things will work out.

Ruth 2 - Meeting Boaz

Under the Law people were allowed to pick up the gleanings from crops (Leviticus 23:22). We also read of Jesus' disciples doing this (Matthew 12:2), though that caused problems because it was on the Sabbath. As an aside, this is a warning against trying to be super-efficient. We should certainly seek to do things well, but it is a mistake to try and squeeze out every last ounce of efficiency.

The field belonged to Boaz, a relative of Naomi. He was an honourable man. He noticed Ruth and made arrangements so that she was properly cared for and protected. Family relationships are vital to the strength of a society and enable people to overcome all sorts of difficulties.

Ruth was surprised at Boaz's kindness. It should always be the case that when people come into the kingdom they are surprised by the kindness that they receive from people, for many people who come in will have been deeply wounded.

Boaz had also heard about what Ruth had done for her mother-in-law, Naomi. So there is a two-way process here. The outcome of this tale depended upon both Boaz and Ruth displaying the fruit of the Spirit.

Ruth 1 - Exile

This was the time of the judges, meaning it was a time when the nation had no sense of direction and was neglecting God's ways. There was a famine in the land, so a man and his wife, Naomi, left Bethlehem to go to Moab, along with their two sons. While in Moab the two sons married Moabite women. The Moabites were descendants of Lot (Genesis 19:36-38). Now notice that Israelites were not meant to marry Moabite women, but no criticism is voiced here. Sometimes things happen in life that really should not happen, but not everything spells disaster, and God works through all sorts of situations.

Orpah and Ruth were the two women. In time Naomi's husband and her two sons died.

The time of famine came to an end, and Naomi decided to head back home. Naomi cared for her daughters-in-law, and released them to return to their home and fine new husbands there. Initially both refused to leave, but eventually Orpah did leave. Ruth, however, insisted on staying with Naomi, making the declaration that "your people will be my people, and your God my God". This is a model for Gentiles coming into the kingdom.

So Naomi and Ruth returned home. Not surprisingly Naomi was deeply affected by all that had happened to her, all her losses. So she said call me Mara (meaning bitter), not Naomi (pleasant). This did not mean that God could not work through her. We are affected by the events of life, and we don't always get "healed" immediately. Sometimes we remain wounded for a considerable time, but this does not mean that the Lord cannot work in our lives.

Ruth - Introduction

The events outlined in this little book took place in the time of the Judges, a time when Israel had no real direction and was not following God. While it is a short book, dealing with superficially inconsequential people (there are no kings, prophets or warriors), it reveals many vital lessons, and is theologically rich.
First it shows that despite the moral degeneracy of the nation as a whole God was still at work. Whatever the circumstances it is always worth us following God's ways. Naomi, Ruth and Boaz are people who act righteously, despite the spirit of the age.
Secondly it introduces the concept of the "kinsman-redeemer". Boaz redeems Ruth, rescuing her from widowhood. In the same way Christ rescues us.
Thirdly Ruth is a Moabite, so it gives us a picture of God's salvation going out to the Gentiles. Moreover, Ruth is mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus (Matt 1:5), a remarkable thing if you think about it.
Fourthly, it shows how Gentiles are saved. Ruth committed herself whole heartedly to the God of Israel. When we get saved we commit ourselves to the God of Israel.