RUTH

Part One

If you first came upon this story with no idea it was part of the Bible, you would likely find it a beautiful and a bit off-beat romance. A literary critic pronounced it the greatest short story ever written.

Biblical scholars are quick to pair Ruth with Jonah, a wildly different book. Can you guess why? More than any other books in the OT, these two reach out to Gentile nations to show God's concern for all people. Jonah was sent to save Nineveh, whom Israel (esp Jonah) hated. Ruth was from a feared people, the Moabites. And the ending genealogy shows she – an immigrant, btw – was the grandmother of King David!

The story should be familiar to most of us. In a time of famine a couple named Elemilek and Naomi moved to Moab, which was being spared the worst of the famine. After ten or twenty years, Elemilek died, leaving Naomi a widow. Their sons had married two Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth. Ten years later, those two sons died, leaving their wives and Naomi with no male to support her household. So she decided to return to Israel and find relatives who could help. Remember in that society, women without a man were often powerless.

When she told her daughters-in-law of her plans, both said they would go with her. She tried to dissuade them because she thought they would be more likely to find husbands among their own people in their own ountry. She finally persuaded Orpah to return, but Ruth refused. She makes this gorgeous speech of her loyalt and fidelity to … her mother-in-law! One of the world's wonders is that we now read that Scripture and even set it to music for Weddings! Are you that kind of mother-in-law?

When Ruth and Naomi returned to Israel, they went to her hometown of Bethlehem – yes, that Bethlehem. As in every small town, everyone knows everyone else's business, and word got around about those two. Soon after arriving they were talking about what their next move was, and Ruth volunteered to work in the fields, since it was barley harvest.

The custom in that day was for reapers to leave grain they dropped for the poor, so they could gather the scraps and have food themselves. She chanced – or was led – on a field owned by Boaz, a near kinsman of Naomi's former husband. He was thus obligated to help relatives in trouble. The story reads more like Boaz was attracted by an attractive young woman. He asked his field hands who she was and connected her with the gossip going around the village. The villagers – and Boaz - were impressed that she had been so loyal to her mother-in-law. So he instructed his men to leave her alone, let her harvest, and even leave some extra for her to glean.

At lunch time, he called her over to eat with him and his workers. He told her how impressed he was with her and to feel free to continue gleaning through the harvest, which she did. I wonder how many lunches they ate together...

When she got home that night, she told her story of success. (She brought home about 30 pounds(!) of Barley!) Naomi recognized the owner as a relative, raising the possibility of a levirate marriage for Ruth. The law was if you brother died, you were obligated to marry his wife, have a son by her, and have that son count as your brother's heir. If no brother was available, other kinsman could take the part. I would leave you in suspense, but you already know the story.

Ruth's beautiful speech – Entreat me not to leave you – has been set to music and is often sung at weddings today. “Whither thou goest, I will go...” You might want to reflect a bit whether you have that kind of enduring commitment, love, and loyalty to those in your life: spouse, children, close friends. Will you always “have their back?”