I got the opportunity to share this short teaching at my church's Women's Encounter God weekend. The theme was "The Bride of Christ" and there were many great lessons on brides, wives, and marriage during our time of fellowship. I worked with two friends, who bookended the lesson about Ruth with one about Naomi (and how God turns bitterness into joy) and one about Boaz (also, about Jesus as the kinsman-redeemer). I hope to eventually share more studies about women in the Bible, but this is all I have at the moment. I hope you enjoy it!
Ruth: Faithful and Obedient
The people of Moab were born of the incestuous relationship between Lot and his oldest daughter (Genesis 19:37). Like most other Middle Eastern tribes, they worshiped many gods, the leader of whom was named Chemosh, to whom the Moabites sometimes sacrificed children. This is one of the gods to whom King Solomon, influenced by his pagan wives and concubines, would later build a temple.
The Bible tells us that the Egyptians and the Moabites had fairly friendly relationship, as they shared a common ancestor through Jacob’s son Joseph. However, probably because of that relationship, the Moabites committed the sin of abusing the Israelites as Moses led them out of their captivity in Egypt. Because they did not greet their distant cousins with food, drink, and encouragement, instead attempting to curse and harass them (Numbers 22:6-8), they were punished by being excluded from the assembly of worship for ten generations (Deuteronomy 23:3). Some of their women seduced the Israelites, and enticed them to worship their gods. This brought a terrible plague upon the Israelites. The Lord specifically stated to his people at the time that they were in no way to encourage the well-being of the Moabites, although they were prohibited from making war upon them (Deuteronomy 23:6).
It was out of this culture that a woman named Ruth was born. We know very little of Ruth’s origins, other than she was likely raised a pagan like the rest of her tribe. Somehow, she and her fellow Moabitess Orpah caught the eyes of two Israelite brothers, Mahlon and Kilion, whose father had died and whose mother was named Naomi (Ruth 1:3-4). This family had traveled to Moab to avoid a severe famine in their homeland of Judah, and they brought to Moab the knowledge of the One True God of Israel, Jehovah. Although they were far from their people, far from the tabernacle and the altars, there must have remained in them some devotion to the Lord, for how else could Ruth have fostered a desire to know more about the Hebrews’ unseen God?
We can imagine Ruth, maybe in secret, quizzing her husband about his unusual religion. His God required sacrifice, but prohibited images of himself (Exodus 20:4). His God appeared as a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night (Exodus 13:21). His God was too holy to allow His face to be seen by his own chosen people (Exodus 33:20). His God parted the waters of the Red Sea so that his children and all their flocks could escape the chariots of Egypt (Exodus 14:22). In short, his God was fascinating, and the complete opposite of her gods! Her gods were wood and stone, and silent. She gave much to these gods, and received nothing in return. Perhaps Ruth had asked her husband to someday take her see his hometown of Bethlehem. We don’t know.
What we do know is that both Mahlon and Kilion died in the land of Moab (Ruth 1:5), and that Naomi, deeply saddened by the loss of her sons, purposed in her heart to return to Bethlehem alone and bitter (Ruth 1:8). Here we see the first glimpses into Ruth’s shining character, and one of the characteristics that would help her lead an exemplary life: she was FAITHFUL. She could easily have remained in the land of her birth, where she had better chances of remarrying or, at the very least, returning to her home and the protection of her kin. After her husband’s death, there were absolutely no legal ties binding her to Naomi. Yet she made the vow: “Where you go I’ll go. Where you stay, I’ll stay. Your people will be my people. Your God will be my God.” (Ruth 1:16)
In Bethlehem, Ruth is able to demonstrate that faithfulness through her dedication and work ethic. She immediately takes on this difficult role of a gleaner – a position reserved only for the lowest of the low in Hebrew society (Ruth 2:2). Although it was a mandate given by God to prevent abject poverty (Deuteronomy 24:21), gleaning could result in humiliation or harassment, especially for foreigners.
Yet Ruth put aside any fears she may have had in order to fulfill her promise to help support Naomi. She worked in the field of Boaz for many hours with little rest (Ruth 2:7). This dedication quickly aroused the interest of Boaz, Naomi’s kinsman, who was impressed enough to make provision for Ruth’s protection even before he knew who she was (Ruth 2:8).
The other quality that Ruth possessed in abundance was OBEDIENCE. Be careful not to mistake “obedience” for “slavishness”. Ruth was not blindly subservient to all who held positions above her in life. Obviously, this was not the case, or she would never have developed her own ideas about following after the God of Israel while inside the borders of a pagan nation! Ruth made wise choices regarding who she trusted. She knew that Naomi, for example, would not give her foolish advice, and that Boaz, through his actions, was gentle and generous. Ruth understood to respond only to the people who wanted her to succeed and flourish. She put her trust in these people and sought after their fellowship and wisdom. We, too, need to put our trust in the One who knows our faults and failures, yet who loves us enough to encourage and lift us up. Ruth had every opportunity to crumble before the anxieties and uncertainties of her future. She was entering a foreign land – of which she was an enemy – with no real means to take care of herself, with nothing more than a bitter mother-in-law in tow! But she was determined to be faithful and obedient, and God allowed her good deeds and kind heart to draw others to her like a beacon.
Even before she meets Boaz, he has the opportunity to hear of her kindness to Naomi, his kinswoman, and he is openly impressed with her actions (Ruth 2:11). And what did Ruth see when Boaz summoned her from the fields? Although we might imagine a dashing young prince carrying the heavy sacks of grain for the delicate Ruth, chances are good that Boaz was an older man – shall we call him “distinguished”? A younger man would not be as likely to possess the land and wealth that Boaz is said to have had. At any rate, he was well-respected in Bethlehem for more than his treasures. Boaz would have been a fine catch for any charming young Hebrew girl, but he was unmarried.
When he first saw Ruth, I wonder…what did he think of her? Was she a stunning, exotic girl with eyes like jewels and a bewitching smile? Or did his heart leap with pride and wonder when he realized that in front of him stood a young woman brave enough to leave all she knew in order to protect the mother of her dead husband? Regardless of Ruth’s outward appearance, Boaz immediately viewed the tenderness and strength of her heart and saw it as beautiful.
Did he love her right away? Did his admiration and respect for her grow as she worked in his fields tirelessly for an entire summer to supply food for herself and her mother-in-law (Ruth 2:23)? When did Naomi first notice the blossoming relationship between Ruth and Boaz? Did she suddenly witness it in a glance, or a smile, or had she been expecting such a miracle all along? Did she joyfully praise God when she realized that, with Ruth cared for, her bitterness had come to an end? She must have!
Imagine the emotions Ruth must have felt when Naomi explained to her how to present herself to Boaz for marriage (Ruth 3:3). Her heart must have been pounding wildly as she bathed and perfumed herself, trying to enjoy the rare ritual. Over and over in her mind, as she dressed in her finest linen, she must have walked through the steps Naomi gave her. Over and over in her mind, she imagined the perfect scenario – and a thousand worst-case scenarios, too. What if Boaz did not understand her intentions? What if he did, and rejected them? What if he refused to marry a widow? What if he refused to marry a Moabite widow? Although her faith had carried her from Moab to Bethlehem and into the fields of Boaz, would it carry her into his arms as well?
She need not have worried. The unseen God of the Hebrews was as faithful to her as she had been to Naomi. Boaz agreed without hesitation to marry her and provide for both her and Naomi (Ruth 3:11); delighted himself that Ruth chose not to seek out a younger man to marry. The final hurdle – another, closer relative who had the rights to marry Ruth and inherit Elimelech’s property – was hardly an issue at all, and Ruth and Boaz were married. Soon, Ruth bore a son and called him Obed, meaning “servant or worshiper”. What a perfect name for the child of two servants who found love and redemption through God’s gifts of obedience and faithfulness.
Ruth and Boaz would continue to receive blessings – and give them – long after their deaths. Obed grew up to be the father of Jesse, who would grow up to be the father of David…from whose lineage came our kinsman-redeemer, Jesus Christ.
Ruth’s obedience and faithfulness actually played a role in your salvation. What can your obedience and faithfulness do for others?
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