Ruth

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It is important to remember the culture and laws of the time. If Naomi had more sons, it would have been their duty to marry the two widows (Genesis 38; Deuteronomy 25:5). Naomi admits that this will never happen and permits them to return home so that they might find new husbands.

There is some debate as to what Naomi did was the right thing. Was she right to try and turn the girls back again? Should she not have encouraged them to go with her to the land of plenty? Was Naomi ashamed her boys had married girls from Moab contrary to the Word of God? Surely Naomi should have taken them to where they might come to the truth of the Living God. There are many different aspects of looking at this situation, and although she had nothing to offer them, the true and living God without a husband is better than an idolatrous nation with one.

Immediately we see the bond that exists between Naomi and Ruth compared to Naomi and Orpah. Orpah held no special bond with her mother-in-law as she merely kissed her as with the tradition (Genesis 31:28; I Kings 19:20). Ruth, however, clung to Naomi.

One does wonder if Orpah could have been convinced? Yet like King Agrippa she was almost persuaded (Acts 26:28) or the man to whom Jesus said, "You are not far from the kingdom." Yet to not be inside is to be outside and to perish – what a choice. The difference here is as vast as one disappearing forever from the cannon of scripture whilst the other becomes an ancestor to our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Naomi tests Ruth by encouraging her to return to Orpah’s homeland. Perhaps there is also a slight underlying criticism of Orpah’s worship of foreign gods. Ruth, however, is not tempted and responds by alleging herself with Naomi and her beliefs.

The name Naomi means pleasant or cheerful, but the name Mara means bitter. Naomi was bitter against God because of the situation she now found herself. This situation, however, is partly of her own doing. She chose to leave Judah (v 1) with her husband and search for greener pastures. There is a lesson to be learnt here in that although we think we know what is best for us, walking outside of the will of God will prove disastrous. Trials make us bitter or better (Exodus 15:22-26). We cannot control trials, but we can our responses or reactions to them.

It was quite a risk for Ruth to return with Naomi as the Moabites were bitter enemies with Israel. There was a great possibility that the women of Bethlehem might reject her.

Through His laws, God set up systems which would help those who were poor and strangers to survive (Deuteronomy 24:19). Ruth qualified in both situations. This gave those who needed it a chance to work to survive as opposed to begging.

A proud or lazy woman would go hungry but Ruth was neither of these and took God at His Word. Ruth acted in faith by adhering to it (Deut. 10:18, Lev. 19:9–10 and 23:22).

This was a mixture that has been said to both cool the body and provide quick nourishment when there was not much time for rest.

It is also worth noting that the master lowered himself to the place of the servants amongst whom he came to eat together. You could say he took the place of a servant and Boaz is a picture of Christ who came to serve.

Although this may have been an Israelite custom, it does not appear in any other part of the Bible and it is more likely that Ruth did this so that he might become cold and wake up during the night.

As was tradition, it was the duty of the nearest relative to marry Ruth. Because Boaz was not the closest relative, however, he had to go to the nearest relative and receive permission to redeem Naomi’s property, which included Ruth. As seen in chapter 4, by redeeming the land previously owned by Naomi, Ruth was also acquired.

What doesn’t quite make sense here is how the line between Salmon and David (four generations) could take up 380 years! There are two possible reasons for this. The first is that the parents actually had their offspring in their later years of life. Although a little extreme, consider how old Sarah and Abraham were when they had Isaac.

The other reason would be that some of the genealogy was left out. Genealogies in the Bible are somewhat fragmented in some situations where even complete generations have been left out. (The list of Aaron’s sons given in Ezra 7:2 are not as complete as those found in I Chronicles 6:3).

In Matthew many generations are left out (example Matthew 1:5). The reason is the numbering – 3 sections of 14 from Abraham to Christ, which was significant to the Jews and the line of Kingship, which Matthew is all about.