If you have been with us (iTiS), am sure you now know that the book of Ruth is a report of an event that happened in the days and times of the book Judges. No wonder the first verse has these words: Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled.
We must understand that stories develop around both real and hypothetical events intentionally to teach the readers then and after a relevant lesson. Here we are again with another very interesting real event in the days of the Judges and am surer the Bible intends a lesson for all people especially those who are as gentile as I am.
Title & Outline:
The Book of Ruth is the first of the only two books of the 66 Books of the Bible to be named after a woman. This alone is a significant in such an androcentric (male superiority) society like that of the Jews.
For a Jewish historian scribe to write under a female title and sound as objective as he sounds is divine and not just human. As if that was not enough, the woman was not an Israelite but a gentile whose ancestral kinship with Israel was an abomination (Genesis 19:37).
I must mention here me friends that while Israelites had enemies in all the surrounding nations, the worst of the nations were: the Edomites (descendants of Saul the brother to Jacob), the Ammonites and Moabites (descendants of Lot, Abraham’s Nephew), and the Samaritans (a product of inter-marriages between Israelites and foreigners).
Ruth is a Moabite name but in Hebrew, the name means a friend. In the Old Testament socio-theology however, friendship signifies sacrificial loyalty (standard trustfulness, brave love and an unlimited unselfishness). A friend is one who can die for you and one you can die for. One willing to leave everything for you. In the Bible, your friend is more important than even your family. The best example is that of Jonathan and David in the book of Samuel we are about to read. Ruth is the title of the book we are reading.
In chapter one, Noami, her husband and their two sons leave their country over a famine. They settle in Moab, the two sons marry there, their father dies there, they too die, and they leave three widows, Naomi decides to return home and Ruth and Orpah are sent away but Ruth insists and stays with her mother-in-law. The cost is three-fold:
- You leave your land,
- You disconnect your familial ties, and,
- Switch gods by denouncing the former for the new one.
In chapter 2, the survival intentions and activities come with a value addition and an advantageous Boaz due to the nobility of Ruth in the marketplace.
In chapter 3, the two widows are not careless with the opportunity that has knocked on their door but they sit down and strategize how to seize it. Boaz (the opportunity) is however noble in character and he is not just another opportunistic rich fella but a man of integrity whose wants and needs are subject to the right procedure and protocol.
In chapter 4, the right procedure is followed and Boaz marries Ruth and the book concludes with a significant genealogy which we’ll see again in the book of Mathew 1:5-16. This Moabitess become a paternal great grand-mother of the Incarnate God.
Theology:
The story in this book is not just to show how God is involved in our daily hardships and how he directs events to and for the good of those who trust him. The story of this book is a LOVE STORY. A love that transcends not only ethnic ties and background but majorly a love that goes out of the covenantal relations.
Israel understood Yahweh to be exclusively an Israelite God and the only provision for a Gentile to worship this God was for them to be proselyted (ritualistic initiation that entailed physical circumcisions, baths, shavings etc.). But even after going through all that, the Gentiles were never part of the covenant blessings and benefits.
Now, Ruth was the worst of all gentiles. She was not just a gentile but a Moabitess and not just childless but a widow. She was Unclean, Pagan and from an enemy State. This is why the right next of kin (under proper procedure) was justified to drop his rightful duty of redeeming the family.
In this love story, Ruth represents us who are not just gentiles but sinners and Boaz represents God. The rightful next of kin could not afford the baggage (Unclean, Pagan and Enemy) of marrying a Ruth. But Boaz decided to take on the unclean and clean, gradually convert her from paganism and sleep in the chest of the enemy.
Friends, the book of Ruth is a story of a sinner and a saviour. We are not just unclean people who need a shower, our dirt can only be cleaned by blood. We are religiously pagans fighting God using both his word (Bible) and nature (his creation). We are enemies whose will contradicts his will.
But beyond all this: our heavenly eternal Boaz has no problem taking us on and making our lives better. The salvation of Ruth was not born in defence of her boundaries, her people or even her gods, she followed Naomi and she ran into a Boaz.
Ruth was only satisfied (fulfilled) at the table of Boaz and for the first time, she had leftovers. Ruth slept soundly and securely only at the feet of Boaz for only Boaz wasn’t a molester.
My fellow helpless and hopeless sinner, you don’t need a religion/pastor, you need JESUS CHRIST.
God bless you and: THINK about what I am saying. The LORD will help you UNDERSTAND all these things._(2Tim 2:7 NLT)
Pr WHITE
The Gospel Hawker
iTiS Well of Worship Ministries (John 4:24)
iTiS Well of Worship Fellowship (John 4:24) 