Ruth is a short
book with many lessons. It takes place
in the time of the judges,
and in most Bibles will appear between Judges
and First Samuel. This is appropriate placement, because Ruth
is an important part of the lineage
of the kings
who will supplant the rule of judges in the time of Samuel.
Ruth
isn’t even an Israelite. She is from Moab. Her husband’s parents move their family to
escape a famine in Israel . The find plenty of hardship in Moab . Ruth’s husband dies, along with her
father-in-law and brother-in-law.
Her mother-in-law, Naomi,
decides to move back to Israel ,
where she might find help from family. She tells her daughters-in-law to return to
their families. Ruth decides to stay
with Naomi.
In Israel ,
Ruth cares for Naomi. She gathers
dropped grain in the fields. (It is the law that grain
the falls in the field during the harvest must be left for the poor to
gather.) In the field of one of Naomi’s
relatives, she is noticed by the owner, Boaz.
Boaz notices Ruth and inquires about who she is. He is moved by the story of how she left her
homeland and family to take care of her destitute mother-in-law. He tells her to stay in his fields and follow
his workers. He even tells her to drink
the water and eat the food he provided for his workers. He makes sure she won’t be harassed and
instructs his harvesters to leave behind extra handfuls of grain for her to
gather.
It was the law in Israel that if a man died without
children, a near relative should take her as a wife and have children with
her. This was a way of ensuring that the
woman was cared for and that her husband would continue to have heirs. After some subtle and direct negotiation,
Boaz takes that role, redeeming and marrying Ruth. It may be seen as a duty someone should have
undertaken, but I think the story shows Boaz has affection for Ruth and respect
for the way she stepped up to do things she was not obligated to do, even while
others ignored those obligations.
This summary does not do this beautiful story justice. I recommend reading it. It is a short book and can be read in one
setting.
It is full of lessons, too.
First, trouble falls into every life, even good people. Ruth and Naomi aren’t presented as deserving
of famine and widowhood; they are simply people who suffer hardship like all of
us.
Next, God
provides and has a plan. We see God’s
provision through the laws regulating harvest, marriage
and inheritance that allow Ruth and Naomi to find food and eventually a place
in Boaz’s household. That God plans for
these things to happen is not explicitly stated by the author, but the
implication of God’s working can be found throughout the story.
Finally, God’s plans are bigger than we can expect. The end of the tale reveals that Boaz and
Ruth are great-grandparents of David. Generations before Israel clamors for a king, God is
arranging for a great one, and eventually an ultimate king who will be a savior
of His people.
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