Bibliography

Armstrong, Irene. Call Me Mara. Denver: Outskirts Press, Inc., 2006.

Atkinson, David. The Message of Ruth. Downers Grove: Inter-Varsity Press, 1983.

Baker, Kenneth, General Editor. The NIV Study Bible, Grand Rapids, Zondervan, 2011.

Block, Daniel. Judges-Ruth, The New American Commentary. Nashville, B&H, 1999.

Campbell, Edward. Ruth: The Anchor Bible. New York: Doubleday, 1975.

Campbell, Ian. Ruth: A Devotional Commentary. Leominster: Day One Publications, 2010.

Coleman, Lyle. The Serendipity Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1988.

Duguid, Ian. Esther and Ruth. Phillipsburg, P&R Publishing Company, 2005.

Erickson, Millard, Christian Theology. Grand Rapids, Baker Book House, 1985.

Freeman, James. Manners and Customs of the Bible. Plainfield: Logos International, 1972.

Fruchtenbaum, Arnold. MP3bbs – ruth. San Antonio: Ariel Ministries, 2017.

Hubbard, Robert. The Book of Ruth. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1988.

Keil, C. F. and Delitzsch, F. Commentary on the Old Testament, Volume II (Joshua, Judges, Ruth, First and Second Samuel). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing Company, reprinted 1986.

Knight, G. A. F. Ruth and Jonah. London: Northumberland Press LTD: 1950.

Koziarz, Nicki. A Woman Wo Doesn’t Quit: 5 Habits from the Book of Ruth. Nashville: LifeWay Church Resources, 2016.

Laney, Carl. Answers to Tough Questions. Eugene, Wipf & Stock, 1997.

Lee-Thorp, Karen. Ruth and Esther: Life Change Series. Colorado Springs, NavPress, 1987.

MacArthur, John. Twelve Extraordinary Women. Nashville: Nelson Books, 2005.

McGee, Vernon. Ruth. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1991.

Morris, Leon. Ruth: TOTC. Downers Grove: Inter-Varsity Press, 1968.

Peipman, J. Darline. The Book of Ruth: Line-by-Line. www.xulonpress.com, 2004.

Peipman, J. Darline. The Book of Ruth: Precept Upon Precept. www.xulonpress.com, 2008.

Reiser, T. J. Gleanings from the Book of Ruth. Baltimore, Publish America, 2008.

Stern, David. The Complete Jewish Bible. Clarksville: Jewish New Testament Pub, 1998.

Stone, Nathan, Names of God. Chicago: Moody Press, 1944.

Thompson, Janet. Face to Face with Naomi and Ruth. Birmingham: New Hope Publishers, 2009.

Walvoord, John and Zuck, Roy. The Bible Knowledge Commentary of the Old Testament. Wheaton: Victor Books, 1985.

Wiersbe, Warren. Be Committed: Ruth/Esther. Colorado Springs, David Cook, 1993.

Younger, K. Lawson, Jr. Judges/Ruth: The NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002.

End Notes

Introduction

1. Twelve Extraordinary Women, by John MacArthur, Nelson, Nashville, TN, 2005, page 69.

2. The New American Commentary, Volume 6, Judges-Ruth, by Daniel Block, B&H Publishing Group, Nashville, TN, 1999, page 588.

3. The NIV Study Bible, Baker, Kenneth, General Editor, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2011, page 393.

4. MP3bbs – ruth00, Arnold Fruchtenbaum, Ariel Ministries, San Antonio, Texas, 2017.

5. The Jewish New Testament Commentary, by David Stern, Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc, Clarksville, Maryland, 1992, page 4.

Themes in Ruth

6. The Book of Ruth, by Robert Hubbard, NICOT, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1988, pages 63-65.

The Duty of Levirate Marriage

7. MP3bbs – ruth00, Arnold Fruchtenbaum, Ariel Ministries, San Antonio, Texas, 2017.

The Concept of Chesed

8. The Book of Ruth, by Robert Hubbard, NICOT, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1988, pages 72-73.

9. The NIV Application Commentary: Judges/Ruth, by Lawson Younger, Jr, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI, 2002, pages 393-395.

10. The Book of Ruth, by Robert Hubbard, NICOT, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1988, pages 73-74.

The Meaning of El Shaddai

11. Names of God, Nathan Stone, Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois, 1944, pages 30-42.

Prologue: Na’omi’s Misery and Emptiness

12. MP3bbs – ruth00, Arnold Fruchtenbaum, Ariel Ministries, San Antonio, Texas, 2017.

13. Esther and Ruth, by Iain Duguid, P&R Publishing, Philipsburg, New Jersey, 2005, page 132.

14. Be Committed: Ruth, by Warren Wiersbe, published by David Cook, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 1993, page 20.

15. Ibid, page 21.

16. Twelve Extraordinary Women, by John MacArthur, Nelson Books, Nashville, Tennessee, 2005, pages 71-72.

Scene One

17. Esther and Ruth, by Iain Duguid, P&R Publishing, Philipsburg, NJ, 2005, pages 129-130.

18. Ruth, by Leon Morris, TOTC, Inter-Varsity Press, Downers Grove, IL, 1968, page 243.

19. Esther and Ruth, by Iain Duguid, P&R Publishing, Philipsburg, New Jersey, 2005, page 135.

20. The Book of Ruth, by Robert Hubbard, NICOT, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, MI, 1988, pg 100.

21. Be Committed: Ruth, by Warren Wiersbe, published by David Cook, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 1993, page 22.

22. Esther and Ruth, by Iain Duguid, P&R Publishing, Philipsburg, NJ, 2005, pages 140-141.

23. The Book of Ruth, by Robert Hubbard, NICOT, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, MI, 1988, pg 104.

24. Esther and Ruth, by Iain Duguid, P&R Publishing, Philipsburg, New Jersey, 2005, page 141.

25. The New American Commentary, Judges-Ruth, by Daniel Block, B&H Publishing Group, Nashville, TN, 1999, page 635.

26. The Book of Ruth, by Robert Hubbard, NICOT, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, MI, 1988, pg 106.

27. Ibid, page 109.

28. Ruth, by Leon Morris, TOTC, Inter-Varsity Press, Downers Grove, IL, 1968, page 248.

29. The NIV Application Commentary: Judges/Ruth, by Lawson Younger, Jr, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI, 2002, pages 442-443.

30. The Bible Knowledge Commentary of the Old Testament, by John Walvoord and Roy Zuck, Victor Books, Wheaton, Illinois, 1985, page 420.

31. The Message of Ruth, by David Atkinson, BST, Inter-Varsity Press, Downers Grove, Illinois, 1983, page 48.

32. The Book of Ruth, Precept Upon Precept, by Darline Peipman, Xulon Press, Maitland, Florida, page 64.

33. Esther and Ruth, by Iain Duguid, P&R Publishing, Philipsburg, NJ, 2005, page 141-142.

34. The Book of Ruth, Precept Upon Precept, by Darline Peipman, Xulon Press, Maitland, Florida, page 64.

35. The Book of Ruth, by Robert Hubbard, NICOT, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, MI, 1988, pg 121.

36. MP3bbs – ruth01, Arnold Fruchtenbaum, Ariel Ministries, San Antonio, Texas, 2017.

37. Esther and Ruth, by Iain Duguid, P&R Publishing, Philipsburg, NJ, 2005, pages 144-145.

38. The Bible Knowledge Commentary of the Old Testament, by John Walvoord and Roy Zuck, Victor Books, Wheaton, Illinois, 1985, page 421.

39. The New American Commentary, Judges-Ruth, by Daniel Block, B&H Publishing Group, Nashville, TN, 1999, page 648.

40. MP3bbs – ruth01, Arnold Fruchtenbaum, Ariel Ministries, San Antonio, Texas, 2017.

41. Esther and Ruth, by Iain Duguid, P&R Publishing, Philipsburg, NJ, 2005, pages 147-148.

Scene Two

42. Twelve Extraordinary Women, by John MacArthur, Nelson Books, Nashville, Tennessee, 2005, page 76.

43. The Book of Ruth, by Robert Hubbard, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1988, page 139.

44. Esther and Ruth, by Iain Duguid, P&R Publishing, Philipsburg, NJ, 2005, pages 157-158.

45. The Book of Ruth, by Robert Hubbard, NICOT, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1988, page 261-262.

46. Twelve Extraordinary Women, by John MacArthur, Nelson Books, Nashville, Tennessee, 2005, page 76.

47. Esther and Ruth, by Iain Duguid, P&R Publishing, Philipsburg, New Jersey, 2005, page 158.

48. The Message of Ruth, by David Atkinson, BST, Inter-Varsity Press, Downers Grove, Illinois, 1983, page 62.

49. Be Committed: Ruth/Esther, by Warren Wiersbe, published by David Cook, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 1993, page 35.

50. The Book of Ruth, by Robert Hubbard, NIOCT, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1988, page 146.

51. Ibid, page 146.

52. Ibid, pages153-154.

53. Ibid, pages 159-160.

54. The NIV Application Commentary: Judges/Ruth, by Lawson Younger, Jr, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2002, page 444.

55. Esther/Ruth, by Iain Duguid, R&R Publishing, Phillipsburg, NJ, 2005, pages 159-160.

56. The Book of Ruth, by Robert Hubbard, NICOT, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1988, pages 159-160.

57. Esther/Ruth, by Iain Duguid, R&R Publishing, Phillipsburg, New Jersey, 2005, page 160.

58. The Book of Ruth, by Robert Hubbard, NICOT, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1988, pages 170-171.

59. The New American Commentary, Judges-Ruth, by Daniel Block, B&H Publishing Group, Nashville, TN, 1999, pages 666-667.

60. Ibid, pages 666-667.

61. MP3bbs – ruth02, Arnold Fruchtenbaum, Ariel Ministries, San Antonio, Texas, 2017.

62. Be Committed: Ruth, by Warren Wiersbe, published by David Cook, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 1993, page 40.

63. The NIV Application Commentary: Judges/Ruth, by Lawson Younger, Jr, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2002, page 453.

64. The Book of Ruth, by Robert Hubbard, NICOT, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, MI, 1988, pg 187.

65. Be Committed: Ruth, by Warren Wiersbe, published by David Cook, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 1993, pages 41-42.

66. The Book of Ruth, by Robert Hubbard, NICOT, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, MI, 1988, pg 190.

67. Esther/Ruth, by Iain Duguid, R&R Publishing, Phillipsburg, NJ, 2005, pages 159-160.

68. Ibid, page 165.

Scene Three

69. Twelve Extraordinary Women, by John MacArthur, Nelson Books, Nashville, Tennessee, 2005, pages 80-81.

70. MP3bbs – ruth03, Arnold Fruchtenbaum, Ariel Ministries, San Antonio, Texas, 2017.

71. Answers to Tough Questions, by Carl Laney, WIPF & Stock, Eugene, OR, 1997, page 68.

72. Ruth, by Leon Morris, TOTC, Inter-Varsity Press, Downers Grove, IL, 1968, page 278.

73. Ruth and Esther, by The NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO, page 37.

74. Be Committed: Ruth, by Warren Wiersbe, published by David Cook, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 1993, page 53.

75. Manners and Customs of the Bible, by James Freeman, Logos International, Plainfield, New Jersey, 1972, page 129.

76. The Book of Ruth, by Robert Hubbard, NICOT, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1988, pages 51-52.

77. Esther and Ruth, by Iain Duguid, P&R Publishing, Phillipsburg, NJ, 2005, page 172.

78. MP3bbs – ruth03, Arnold Fruchtenbaum, Ariel Ministries, San Antonio, Texas, 2017.

79. Be Committed: Ruth, by Warren Wiersbe, published by David Cook, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 1993, page 53-55.

80. Esther and Ruth, by Iain Duguid, P&R Publishing, Phillipsburg, NJ, 2005, page 173-174.

81. The Book of Ruth, by Robert Hubbard, NICOT, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1988, pages 217-218.

82. Twelve Extraordinary Women, by John MacArthur, Nelson Books, Nashville, Tennessee, 2005, page 82.

83. Ibid, pages 82-83.

84. Esther and Ruth, by Iain Duguid, P&R Publishing, Philipsburg, New Jersey, 2005, page 176.

85. MP3bbs – ruth03, Arnold Fruchtenbaum, Ariel Ministries, San Antonio, Texas, 2017.

86. Be Committed: Ruth, by Warren Wiersbe, published by David Cook, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 1993, pages 56-57.

87. Esther and Ruth, by Iain Duguid, P&R Publishing, Philipsburg, NJ, 2005, pages 177-179.

Scene Four

88. Ibid, pages 180-181.

89. MP3bbs – ruth04, Arnold Fruchtenbaum, Ariel Ministries, San Antonio, Texas, 2017.

90. Twelve Extraordinary Women, by John MacArthur, Nelson Books, Nashville, Tennessee, 2005, page 83.

91. MP3bbs – ruth04, Arnold Fruchtenbaum, Ariel Ministries, San Antonio, Texas, 2017.

92. Ibid, MP3bbs – ruth04.

93. Esther and Ruth, by Iain Duguid, P&R Publishing, Philipsburg, New Jersey, 2005, page 183.

94. The Book of Ruth, by Robert Hubbard, NICOT, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1988, pages 247-248.

95. MP3bbs – ruth04, Arnold Fruchtenbaum, Ariel Ministries, San Antonio, Texas, 2017.

96. The Bible Knowledge Commentary of the Old Testament, by John Walvoord and Roy Zuck, Victor Books, Wheaton, Illinois, 1985, page 427.

97. The Message of Ruth, by David Atkinson, BST, Inter-Varsity Press, Downers Grove, IL, 1983, page 117.

98. Esther and Ruth, by Iain Duguid, P&R Publishing, Philipsburg, NJ, 2005, pages 187-188.

99. Be Committed: Ruth, by Warren Wiersbe, published by David Cook, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 1993, page 66.

Epilogue: Na’omi’s Satisfaction and Fullness

100. Ibid, page 67.

101. The Book of Ruth, by Robert Hubbard, NICOT, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, MI, 1988, pg 267.

102. MP3bbs – ruth04, Arnold Fruchtenbaum, Ariel Ministries, San Antonio, Texas, 2017.

103. Be Committed: Ruth, by Warren Wiersbe, published by David Cook, Colorado Springs, Colorado, 1993, pages 67-69.

104. Twelve Extraordinary Women, by John MacArthur, Nelson Books, Nashville, Tennessee, 2005, page 85.

Coda: The Genealogy of David

105. The NIV Application Commentary: Judges/Ruth, by Lawson Younger, Jr, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI, 2002, page 485.

106. Esther and Ruth, by Iain Duguid, P&R Publishing, Philipsburg, New Jersey, 2005, page 186.

107. The New American Commentary, Volume 6, Judges-Ruth, by Daniel Block, B&H Publishing Group, Nashville, Tennessee, 1999, page 733.

108. The Book of Ruth, by Robert Hubbard, NICOT, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, MI, 1988, pg 285.

109. MP3bbs – ruth04, Arnold Fruchtenbaum, Ariel Ministries, San Antonio, Texas, 2017.

110. The Book of Ruth, by Robert Hubbard, NICOT, Eerdmans, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1988, page 285.

Glossary

ADONAI: the Tetragrammaton, meaning the four-letter name of YHVH. Both ADONAI and Ha’Shem are substitute names for YHVH. ADONAI, however, is more of an affectionate name like daddy.

ADONAI-Tzva’ot: The LORD of heaven’s angelic armies.

Adversary, the: Satan, the devil, and the old dragon.

Antimony: Two biblical truths that seem to be mutually exclusive, but both are true.

Avraham: Abraham.

Beit-Lechem: Bethlehem, birthplace of David and Yeshua, meaning house of bread.

B’rit Chadashah: New Testament.

Chaff: The dry, scaly protective casings of the seeds of cereal grain.

Chesed: Faithfulness, kindness, goodness, mercy, love and compassion, but primarily loyalty to a covenant. Such commitment requires taking unusual risks.

Coda: A concluding section of a book forming an addition to the basic structure.

El Shaddai: the ever-existent One, the eternal One, the One who fills and makes fruitful.

Epilogue: A section at the end of a book.

Gleaned: To gather leftover grain or other produce after a harvest.

Goyim: the Nations, non-Jews, Gentiles.

Grace: To receive something you don’t deserve.

Ha’Shem: the Tetragrammaton, meaning the four-letter name of YHVH. Both ADONAI and Ha’Shem are substitute names for YHVH. While ADONAI is more of an affectionate name like daddy, while Ha’Shem is a more formal name like sir.

Kinsman-Redeemer or go’el: There were three obligations of the kinsman-redeemer. First, he was to redeem his brother and his brother’s inheritance according to his ability to do so if it was poverty that compelled his brother to sell himself into slavery or to dispose of his land. Secondly, he was to serve as the avenger of his brother’s blood. And thirdly, he was to rise up a successor to his brother, if his brother had died without leaving a son.

Levirate: The key root yavim, meaning to perform the duty of the brother-in-law.

Marah: Bitter.

Midrash: allegorical interpretation or application of a text. The hearer is expected to understand that the maker of the midrash is not expounding the plain meaning of the text, but introducing his own ideas.

Mercy: Not to receive something you do deserve.

Messiah: Christ, the Anointed One.

Moabitess: A Gentile female from the country of Mo’av.

Mo’av: Mo’ab

Narrator, the: The person who wrote the book of Ruth.

Prologue: A separate introductory section of a book.

Redeem or Redemption: To set free by paying a price.

Ruach ha-Kodesh: The Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit.

Shabbat: Judaism’s day of rest and the seventh day of the week. It is the most important ritual observance instituted in the Ten Commandments. It is also the most important special day, even more important than Yom Kippur.

Shaddai, El: The name first appears in connection with Abraham in Genesis 17:1-2 as God Almighty, or, El Shaddai. He is the God (El) of Isra’el who gives power and strength to His people (Psalm 68:35). Thus, El Shaddai reveals Himself by special deeds of power. He is the One who fills and makes fruitful. El Shaddai appears 48 times in the TaNaKh and in the book of Revelation appears in connection with the pouring out of judgments.

Shavu’ot: Since the festival of Weeks comes seven weeks after Pesach it is also called Pentecost, from the Greek word for fifty because one counts fifty days after Passover. It is one of the three “pilgrim festivals” that all able bodied Jews were expected to celebrate before YHVH in Yerushalayim.

Sh’khinah glory: The visual manifestation of the presence of God.

Shuwb: to repent (from evil), to return, or to turn back (to something or someone good).

TaNaKh: The Hebrew word TaNaKh is an acronym, based on the letters T (for “Torah”), N (for “Nevi’im,” or the Prophets), and K (for “Ketuvim,” or the Sacred Writings). It is the collection of the teachings of God to human beings in document form. This term is used instead of the phrase, “the Old Testament.”

The LORD: the Tetragrammaton, meaning the four-letter name of YHVH. ADONAI, Ha’Shem and the LORD are substitute names for YHVH.

The Promised Land: Palestine.

Threshing: The grain was beaten out of the stalks by having an animal like an ox or donkey drag a wooden threshing sledge (with stones inserted into it) over it continually on the threshing floor.

Threshing floor: It was a flat, hard area, usually the bedrock on a slightly raised hill or platform, but always downwind of the village.

Torah: This is a tricky one, because it can mean different things in different contexts. In its most limited sense, Torah refers to the Five Books of Moshe: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. But the word Torah can also be used to refer to the entire TaNaKh, or in its broadest sense, to the whole body of Jewish law and teachings.

Tziyon: Zion, Mount Zion, was originally the City of David, south of the modern Old City of Yerushalayim (see Zion below). Later the name Tziyon came to refer metaphorically to the Temple Mount, Jerusalem, or the people of Isra’el. The hill now called Mount Tziyon was given its name in the fourth century AD.

Unnamed redeeming kinsman: When Bo’az said: Come over here, my friend (Hebrew: peloni’almoni meaning something like Mr. So-and-so).

Winnowing: Followed threshing and involved throwing the grain into the air with a fork or shovel, allowing the wind to carry the light husks of chaff would be blown away.

Yeshua: Jesus, and is a masculine form, and a word play on yeshu’ah (salvation).

Yerushalayim: Jerusalem.

Y’hudah: Judah.

YHVH: the Tetragrammaton, meaning the Name, the four-letter name of God. Therefore, God does not have many names, He has only one name – YHVH (Yud Hay Vav Hay). All the other names in the Bible describe His characteristics and His attributes.

Yisra’el: Isra’el.

Zion: the hill of Jerusalem on which the city of David was built. The word Zion is also used in a theological or spiritual sense in the Bible. In the TaNaKh Zion refers figuratively to Isra’el as the people of God (Isaiah 60:14). In the B’rit Chadashah, Zion refers to God’s spiritual Kingdom. We have not come to Mount Sinai, says the apostle, but to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem (Hebrews 12:22). Kefa (Peter), quoting Isaiah 28:16 refers to Messiah as the Cornerstone of Zion, saying: See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in Him will never be put to shame (First Peter 2:6).

Coda: The Genealogy of David
4: 18-22

Coda: the genealogy of David DIG: Why do you think the story of Ruth concludes with a genealogy of David? What would someone reading this genealogy of David’s roots have to conclude about the righteousness of Ruth and Bo’az.

REFLECT: Who is in control of your life? As you look back on the story of Ruth, you can see that God was in control the whole time. Have you let God take the steering wheel of your life? Or are you holding on? What did Ruth do? What are you going to do? What is the most important lesson in the book of Ruth for you?

The genealogy provides a fitting end to the story because it adds a striking significance to the narrative, for that resolution has meaning not only by virtue of all that was discussed in the epilogue, but also by virtue of the fact that it provided an integral link in the family line that led two generations later to David.¹⁰⁵ At the end of the book we discover that God has throughout the whole book been pursuing bigger plans than bringing two worthy people together. What looked like a simple story of personal emptiness filled and personal needs met turns out to be YHVH’s way of meeting a far greater need. The story that opened with the statement: Back in the days of the judging of the judges (1:1a CJB), closes with the genealogy of Isra’el’s most famous king: and Jesse was the father of David (4:22b).¹⁰⁶

Here we are given ten generations: It seems likely that the genealogy is somewhat compressed, with certain names being omitted because the span of 640 years lists only ten names. The material found in this genealogy is also found in First Chronicles 2, but in a slightly different form. In the ancient world genealogies represented an efficient and economical way of writing history.¹⁰⁷

First, then, is the family line of Perez: The narrator starts with Perez because he was the founder of that family within the tribe of Judah of which Bo’az belonged as did Elimelek. Perez was the son of Judah through Tamar (see the commentary on Genesis, to see link click Jf – Tamar Gave Birth to Twin Boys, She Named them Perez and Zerah).

Second, Perez was the father of Hezron (4:18): Apparently he was born in Canaan since Genesis 46:12 lists him among those who migrated with Jacob to Egypt. The Hezronite clan in Numbers 26:21 is named for and presumably descends from him.

Third, Hezron the father of Ram, also mentioned in Second Chronicles 2:9. He was probably the second born to Hezron (First Chronicles 2:9 and 25; Matthew 1:4, Luke 3:33). Beyond that, his only distinction in his being the father of Amminadab, about whom slightly more is known.

Fourth, Ram the father of Amminadab (4:19), he was the father-in-law of Aaron who married his daughter Elisheba in Exodus 6:23 and the father of the very notable Nahshon.

Fifth, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, he was a leader of the tribe of Y’hudah during the time of Moshe (Exodus 6:23; Numbers 1:7, 2:3, 7:12 and 17, 10:14; Second Chronicles 2:10).

Sixth, Nahshon the father of Salmon (4:20), Second Chronicles 2:10-11, also spelled Salma in Second Chronicles 2:51 and 54. He’s the one who married Rahab in Matthew 1:5, and therefore contributed to the conquest of the Land and settled in Beit-Lehem. However, Rahab lived in Joshua’s time, about 250-300 year earlier. Therefore, Rahab was probably Bo’az’s “mother” in the sense that she was his ancestress (like when the Jews say, “our father Abraham”).

Seventh, Salmon the father of Bo’az, it is no accident that Bo’az is the seventh ancestor named. Ancient genealogical practice reserved that spot for the ancestor of special honor and importance. This placement implies a link between Bo’az, the hero of the story, and Bo’az, the revered ancestor of David. In effect, it accords him special heroic honors for rescuing a faltering family line from extinction.¹⁰⁸

Eighth, Bo’az the father of Obed (4:21),

Ninth, Obed the father of Jesse, Jesse’s greatest legacy, of course, was David.

and tenth, Jesse the father of David (4:22). The books of Samuel never provide a genealogy for David, but we see it here in the book of Ruth. So Ruth serves as a genealogical link between the books of Joshua and Judges and First and Second Samuel.¹⁰⁹

Therefore, the descent of the great king and poet in Isra’el is traced to Moabite ancestry. But according to Deuteronomy 23:3, no Moabite or any of his or her descendants for ten generations could enter the assembly of YHVH to worship or to serve God. David was a third-generation descendent of a Moabite, yet he became king of Isra’el, built an altar, and sacrificed to ADONAI (Second Samuel 24:24)! The Torah is always binding, by Yeshua pointed out that human need sometimes transcend Torah. He appealed to the fact that David ate the showbread that was only for the priests and that the priests made bread on Shabbat for the Temple (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Cv – The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath).

The book or Ruth shows that Torah is not to be played with. Elimelek left the Land of Promise and consequently lost his life. His sons died as well. But the book also demonstrates that the LORD can make exceptions. That’s what makes Him God! Here, there is an exception based on faith and loyalty to ADONAI. Ruth, the Moabitess, demonstrated faith and covenant loyalty to YHVH. The prohibition against Moabite participation in the assembly of Ha’Shem was superseded by the principle of faith.

The Rabbis, recalling David’s conquest and suppression of the children of Mo’av (Second Samuel 8:2), were led to quote the proverb, “From the very forest itself comes the handle of the axe that fells it.” Tradition ascribes to Ruth unusual longevity. She died, says a Midrashic comment, until after beholding her royal descendant Solomon sitting and judging the case of the prostitutes (First Kings 3:16-28).

If you remember, the first requirement of a kinsman-redeemer was to be a blood relative (see Aq – Ruth Gleans in the Field of Bo’az). Now Na’omi had a [blood] relative on her husband’s side, a man of standing from the clan of Elimelek, whose name was Bo’az (2:1). Jesus was a blood relative of humanity in general (John 1:14; Philippians 2:1-11), but He was particularly a blood relative of the Jewish people (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Ai – The Genealogies of Joseph and Mary).

Everything leads up, in the last instance, to David, and so the whole purpose of the book is achieved in the final verse and final word of this chapter. Considering Judah’s irresponsibility (Genesis 38), the perilous intervening centuries, and Ruth’s unlikely prospects of finding a husband in Judah, that David was born at all attests to the providence of God. Further, Saul’s cruel vengeance (First Samuel 18 to 28), and David’s ascent to power provided weighty corroborating evidence. God is, indeed, King.¹¹⁰ Therefore, in the dark days of the judges, the foundation was laid for the line that would produce the Savior, the Messiah, the Redeemer for a lost and spiritually destitute humanity; so redemption could be offered and heaven’s door opened to all who choose to follow the Jewish Messiah, Yeshua, as Savior and Lord. Ruth’s faith is an example showing that God accepts Gentiles who put their faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Merely knowing about the offer of God is not enough. Faith chooses to follow God’s redemption offer. Without faith it is impossible to Please God (Hebrews 11:6). YHVH in His wisdom chose to include the story of Ruth in the Holy Scriptures, thereby giving evidence to the Gentiles that they too may enter His heaven (if they have faith) not just knowledge about – but a faith that trusts.

Dear Great Heavenly Father, We so thank You for Your offer of redemption that You hold out for all to take (John3:16). You are a wonderful Redeemer! Yet as Orphah choose to worship her own gods, so many choose to worship the false gods from their homeland – and so miss out on Your love and wonderful offer of redemption. We lift up our neighbors and acquaintances from another country who still worship false gods. May you soften their hearts to see how wonderful You are and please give us words to say to share about Your love and conquering of death at Your resurrection. We look forward to diligently seeking You to help us witness to these friends that they may someday forsake their false gods and worship You as Savior and Lord and so go to heaven for all eternity. In the holy name of Your Son and His power of resurrection. Amen

Epilogue: Na’omi’s Satisfaction and Fullness
4: 13-17

Epilogue: Na’omi’s satisfaction and fullness DIG: What does redemption mean? What kind of woman must Na’omi have been for the women of Beit-Lechem to speak of her so highly? How was the birth of Obed announced? How is Ruth’s selfless devotion celebrated? What is the point of this unusual birth announcement? How was Obed a blessing?

REFLECT: There are two books in the Bible bearing the title of women’s names. Both experienced successful cross-cultural marriages. Is there a lesson to be learned with respect to this? If so, what is it? How does God’s treatment of Ruth show His grace and power? Ruth left behind an eternal legacy. What legacy do you want to leave behind for your family? What has the book of Ruth taught you about deepening your relationship with the Lord?

ADONAI had been gracious to Ruth back in Mo’av by giving her the faith to believe in Him and be saved (Ephesians 2:8-9). His grace continued when she moved to Beit-Lechem, for He guided her to the field of Bo’az, where their friendship eventually grew into love. YHVH’s grace continued at the town gate, where Mr. So-and-so rejected the role of her go’el and Bo’az stepped right in and purchased her. After their marriage, the LORD poured out His grace on Ruth and Bo’az by giving them a son, whom they named Obed, or servant.¹⁰⁰

The Baby: So Bo’az took Ruth and she became his wife. The LORD enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son (4:13). So ten years in Mo’av brought misery and emptiness, while a few months in Judah brought satisfaction and fullness. Ruth’s social progression is complete. First, she was a foreigner (2:10), then she was lower than a servant (2:13), then she became a maidservant (3:9), and now a wife (4:13). God gave Ruth a son and not a daughter, allowing the family line to continue.¹⁰¹

The women said to Na’omi, “Praise be to ADONAI, who to this day has not left you without a redeeming kinsman. The reference is not to Bo’az, but to Obed who had just been born, because he will one day redeem the whole of Na’omi’s possessions. As the son of Ruth, he was also the son of Na’omi, and as such, would take away the shame of childlessness from her. Ruth was the only one who could raise up a son to inherit the estate of Elimelek. So Obed will comfort her and tend to her in her old age, and therefore become her true go’el. May he become famous throughout Isra’el! Still speaking about Na’omi, the women said: In contrast to her former bitterness, Obed will renew (shuwb) your life and sustain you in your old age (4:14).

For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth (4:15). In a society that preferred sons to daughters, this was quite a statement. Seven sons symbolized the supreme blessing that could come to a Jewish family (First Samuel 2:5; Job 1:2). Ruth had exhibited true chesed (to see link click Af – The Concept of Chesed). In Leviticus 19:34 Moshe instructed Isra’el to love the foreigner, but now it is the foreigner from Mo’av who will show Isra’el what this means. Once she was able to do so, Ruth took the child from the home of Bo’az to the home of Na’omi.¹⁰² Their story closes with a touching domestic scene. Then Na’omi took the baby in her arms and cared for him (4:16). The women living there declared: Na’omi has a son, meaning a descendent. And they proclaimed his significance (Hebrew: qara’shem).

God would use this baby to be a source of blessing to many. Na’omi accepted the name and became the nurse for Obed. The emptiness she felt at the end of the Scene One, had now been replaced by fullness through God’s grace. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David (4:17). Therefore, Ruth was David’s great-grandmother.

Obed was a blessing to Bo’az and Ruth: This was no ordinary baby, for he was YHVH’s gift to Ruth and Bo’az. In reality, every baby is a unique gift from ADONAI. And every baby deserves a loving home and caring parents who will raise them with the Lord’s kind of discipline and guidance (Ephesians 6:4 CJB). What a great privilege it is to bring new life into the world and then to guide that life so it matures to become all that God has planned.

Obed was a blessing to Na’omi: Obed restored life back into Na’omi after the death of her husband and two sons. Every grandparent can attest to the fact that they feel young again when the grandchildren come to visit. Obed allowed Na’omi to look forward in her life rather than looking back. When she held Obed in her arms, her world was at peace. Obed would be a blessing to Na’omi in another way: He would one day take care for the family that brought him into the world, including his grandmother. He would live up to the name servant.

Obed was a blessing to Beit-Lechem: The child would bring fame to both the family name and the name of his native town. Elimelek’s name almost disappeared from Isra’el, but Obed would make that name famous and would bring glory to Beit-Lechem. This happened, of course, through the life and ministry of King David, and of David’s greater son, Jesus Christ.

Obed was a blessing to Isra’el: Obed was the grandfather of David, Isra’el’s greatest king and a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22). When the name of David is mentioned, we usually think of either Goliath or Bathsheba. David did commit a great sin with Bathsheba, but he was also a great man of faith whom YHVH used to build the kingdom of Isra’el. He led the people in overcoming their enemies, expanding their inheritance, and, most of all, worshiping ADONAI. He wrote worship songs for the Levites to sing and devised musical instruments for them to play. He spent a lifetime gathering wealth for the building of the Temple, and the LORD gave him the plans for the Temple so Solomon could finish the job. Whether he had a harp or hymnal, a sling or a sword in his hand, David was a great servant of God who brought untold blessings to Isra’el.

Obed would bring blessing to the whole world: The greatest thing YHVH did for David was not to give him victory over his enemies or wealth for the building of the Temple. The greatest privilege YHVH gave him was that of being the ancestor of Yeshua Messiah. David wanted to build a house for God, but God told him He would build a house (family) for David (Second Samuel 7). David knew that Messiah would come from the kingly tribe of Y’hudah (Genesis 49:8-10), but no one knew which family in Judah would be chosen. Ha’Shem chose David’s family, and the Redeemer would be known as the son of David (Mattityahu 1:1).¹⁰³

This is how Ruth, a seemingly ill-fated Moabite woman whose loyalty and faith had led her away from her own people and carried her as a stranger into the land of Isra’el, became a mother in the royal line that would eventually produce that nation’s first great king. Her best-known offspring, Messiah, would be Abraham’s Seed and Eve’s hoped-for Deliverer.

Ruth is a fitting symbol of every believer, and even of the Church itself – redeemed, brought into a position of great favor, endowed with riches and privilege, exalted to be the Redeemer’s own bride, and loved by Him with great affection. That is why the extraordinary story of her redemption should make every believer’s heart pound with profound gladness and thanksgiving for the One who, likewise, has redeemed us from our sin.¹⁰⁴

Dear Great Heavenly Father, We love You. Just like the wonderful ending in Ruth’s story, so too for each of Your children, no matter how many problems or trails we have on earth-someday that will all be behind us and we will be wed to the most perfect spouse, Yeshua Messiah, Your Son. He loves His bride the Church with so great an affection that we cannot even begin to comprehend it. We desire to love Jesus back with all we do and say and think and with all our money. We love living for You. In your holy Son’s name and power of resurrection. Amen

Bo’az Redeems Ruth the Moabitess
4: 7-12

Bo’az redeems Ruth the Moabitess DIG: What does it say about Bo’az, being willing to take on all the expenses and duties, when he will get nothing tangible in return? What ancestor of Bo’az was born from the same practice of this Mr. So-and-so (Genesis 38)? How might having a foreigner for a mother (see Matthew 15) have influenced his choice of a wife? How did God fulfill the blessing in 4:11-12?

REFLECT: When have you faced great physical need? How did God provide for you? How is your story like Na’omi’s and Ruth’s story of how YHVH cares? Where have you seen the God of Isra’el and Mo’av concern Himself equally for any and all people who put their trust in Him? Who is the “untouchable Moabite” in your life – the one you keep at arm’s length? How can you bridge that gap between you? How would your association with “the Moabites” of today affect your status with your peers? How would that affect your relationship with the LORD?

The narrator interrupts the report on the court proceedings with a parenthetical comment concerning an ancient legal custom. One the one hand, it is striking since it interrupts Mr. So-and-so’s address to Bo’az; but on the other hand, it allows the audience to absorb the momentous significance of 4:6. It also slowed the story’s pace slightly, thereby extending the suspense. Finally, its content gave the following ceremony a formality and solemnity it would not otherwise have had.⁹⁴

In the past, this is what was done in Isra’el for the redemption and transfer of property to become final: a man took off his sandal and gave it to the other. This was a symbolic act of legalizing transactions in Isra’el (4:7). When the book of Ruth was written this was no longer the custom, that’s why the author of the book had to explain it. The custom of taking off the sandal probably relates to the divine commandment to walk on the land and take possession of it (Deuteronomy 11:24), and as we see Abraham doing in Genesis 13:17, and what Joshua is told to do in Joshua 1:3. Taking off your sandal and handing to another was the symbol of the transfer of a possession or the right of ownership. Therefore, Bo’az had the right to stand in his stead as go’el for Ruth and Na’omi.

This is not the same thing as the chalitzah (Deuteronomy 25:5-11 which deals with a brother not willing to do his duty for selfish reasons and is willing to let the name of his bother perish), because Ruth was not present – only Bo’az. She did not remove the sandal of Mr. So-and-so. Also, Ruth did not spit into his face or forcefully remove his sandal. Bo’az purchased the right of redemption, while the chalitzah removed it. Mr. So-and-so’s lack of redemption is due to inability and therefore there is no reason to shame him. Furthermore, Bo’az was willing to marry her, so the issue was not if she was to be married, but to whom.

The Bridegroom: So what was happening here, was that Mr. So-and-so was released from his obligation and he said to Bo’az, “Buy it yourself.” And then came the custom, then he removed his sandal (4:8). Now that the sandal had been handed to Bo’az, the peloni’almoni walked off of the pages of the Bible. In the future if anyone would challenged Bo’az’s right of inheritance, he could produce the sandal as evidence that a closer kin had relinquished his rights.⁹⁵

Then Bo’az moved quickly to complete the transaction. He announced to the elders and all the people of Beit-Lechem who had formerly shown a sympathetic interest in the two stricken women on their return from Mo’av, and who now witnessed the hour of restoration to their rightful place in the community. “Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Na’omi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon” (4:9). All the family members are mentioned again except Orpah. She had also faded into obscurity with Mr. So-and-so. Without saying so, it may be assumed that along with Ruth, Bo’az also took responsibility for Na’omi. This logically followed from the commitment that Ruth had made to her mother-in-law. The women of Beit-Lechem later confirmed this (4:15). Bo’az is a beautiful illustration of the Lord Jesus Christ who became mankind’s Kinsman-Redeemer and who makes things right before God the Father for those who trust in Him.⁹⁶

I have also acquired Ruth the Moabitess, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, in order to maintain the name of the dead on his own property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from his hometown. Today you are witnesses (4:10). This was the heart of the matter. But this statement only marked the “purchase” of the property, Ruth and Na’omi as their go’el, the actual marriage takes place in 4:13.

Today’s questions, “Why get married?” or “Why bother with a piece of paper?” are to be answered in terms of responsibility to society, and a recognition that our equivalent of the elders and all the people have a proper interest in the formation of a new family group.

Public witness is always an aspect of covenant-making. And the social importance of public witness retains this aspect of the meaning of marriage. But there is a personal value here also. The public witness serves among other things as a support in a marriage against a breakdown in those times when the relationship is under strain. It is a constant reminder that promises were made, obligations entered into, and prayer for grace and resources asked. The vows were not simply a private matter, but publically made and publically witnessed. A sense of accountability to the wider fellowship of believers helps us to maintain our promises and acts to support us in the harder times when our commitment to chesed (to see link click Af – The Concept of Chesed) is put to the test.⁹⁷

The family is under attack today (see the commentary on Exodus Dq – You Shall Not Commit Adultery). Things that were once thought of as being unimaginable are now commonplace. As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one” (Ephesians 5:31). Today, far to0 often, sex comes before marriage and the couple ends up living in their parent’s basement or the grandparents raising the children. What used to be thought of as a shameful act is now looked upon as a badge of honor. The tragedy is the kids growing up today have accepted this a the way things have always been. There is the concept of a “designer marriage,” where you will get married the first time, knowing that it won’t last, so that you can make all your mistakes on someone you won’t have to spend the rest of your life with. Sad. Very sad.

My mother was raised in a Quaker community in Indiana. I have in my house a copy of a document signed by the elders and all the people saying that they agreed that my great, great, grandparents should get married. This is how it worked: my great grandfather, Ashley Johnson, met my great grandmother, Elizabeth, and they started seeing each other. But they lived in different towns. When it got serious, her church community had him come and live for a year with one of the families in that town. He worked, went to Sunday Meeting, and generally got to know all the people there. But more importantly, they got to know him! This wasn’t a quick process. You can fool people over a short period of time, but when you interact with people for a year they will know all about you. Inside and out. After a year . . . A YEAR,  all the people agreed that he was fit to marry their Elizabeth. They were protecting her.

Only then did they appear in a public meeting where Ashley Johnson took Elizabeth by the hand and declared that he took her to be his wife until death should separate them, and she, in like manner, declared the same thing. Then a document was signed, something like the Declaration of Independence, with their names at the bottom. Ashley and Elizabeth signed first and then thirty-six others also signed, “Today we are witnesses,” with their full names. This has been handed down through five generations of my family.

The Bride: Everyone loves a good love story, and the people of Beit-Lechem were no exception. Then the elders and all the people at the gate said: We are witnesses, legally notarizing the transaction. Then came the blessing: May ADONAI make the woman who has come into your house like Rachel and like Leah, who between them built up the house of Isra’el. In the same way that Rachel and Leah built up the house of Isra’el, may Ruth build up the house of Bo’az. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Beit-Lechem (4:11). In other words, Bo’az, make yourself a well-established name through your marriage to Ruth. And through her, have many worthy sons who will make your name famous. The rabbis teach that Ruth lived to see Solomon crowned as king.

Through the offspring the LORD gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez (see the commentary on Genesis Jf – Tamar Gave Birth to Twin Boys, She Named them Perez and Zerah), whom Tamar bore to Judah (4:12). Perhaps the most striking aspect of the blessing on Bo’az and Ruth, is the analogy that is drawn between Ruth and Tamar. These two women are both alike and unlike each other. Like Ruth, she too was a Gentile who married into God’s family under doubtful circumstances. She too lost her husband and had no child. Both Ruth and Tamar dressed themselves up in pursuit of a child and a future. But that’s where the similarity ends. Ruth revealed her identity to Bo’az and received a child legitimately through marriage, whereas Tamar concealed her identity and deceived Judah in order to receive a child outside of marriage. Tamar pretended to be a prostitute in order to trap her father-in-law Judah into having sex with her, so that she might have a child. The end result of both unions, legitimate and illegitimate, was children who, in the providence of God, had an vital part to play in YHVH’s greater plan.⁹⁸

The blessing proved to be prophetic: Bo’az and Ruth were married, and ADONAI soon blessed them with a son. What wonderful changes came into Ruth’s life because she trusted Bo’az and let him work on her behalf! She went from loneliness to love, from toil to rest, from poverty to wealth, from worry to assurance and from despair to hope. She was no longer Ruth the Moabitess, for the past was gone, and she was making a new beginning. She was now Ruth the wife of Bo’az, a name she was proud to bear.

One of the many images of the universal Church is the bride of Christ. In Ephesians 5:22-23, the emphasis is on Yeshua’s love for the Church as seen in His ministries: He died for the Church (past), He cleanses and nourishes the Church through the Word (present), and He will one day present the Church in glory (future). Jesus is preparing a beautiful home for His bride and one day we will celebrate our wedding (see the commentary on Revelation Fg – Blessed Are Those who are Invited to the Wedding Feast of the Lamb).⁹⁹

Yeshua fulfilled every aspect of the redeeming kinsman:
(1) He came to pay the price to restore us to every lost blessing, to abide in our Promised Land (Galatians 3:13-14).  (In the fall we lost our land and position (every blessing) in the Kingdom.)

(2) He released (redeemed) us from slavery to sin.  We sold ourselves (in Adam) into slavery to sin which had the right to control our future.   Only a free and wealthy Kinsman could redeem us from the slave-market of sin (Ephesians 1:7).  A slave can’t free a slave.   Only Messiah, free from sin, could deliver us, purchasing us with His precious blood (First Peter 1:18-19).   No-one else could pay the price for our eternal salvation.

(3) He’s our Protector and will avenge the blood of the righteous.   The only escape is to flee into Messiah.   He will destroy Satan.  He lays His life down to bring us in, protect and nourish us.

(4) He marries us to secure our eternal name, blessings, position, inheritance and future.   Redemption is the releasing from a state of poverty and curse, as seen in Ruth, and restoring to blessing and wealth by the payment of a price (ransom)  We had no future. We were delivered from being out in cold and brought into Messiah, redeemed by His blood (Colossians 1:12-14).  Redeemed from slavery we now have the opportunity to belong to Him. Redemption is completed and consummated in the marriage.  Messiah’s redeeming work can bring us into union with Himself giving us an eternal future, life, inheritance, name, and blessing under the shadow of His wings.  Thus Redemption culminates in the marriage of Messiah, to His Bride, the Universal, Invisible Church, made up of Jews and Gentiles. For He Himself is our shalom – He has made us both one and has broken down the wall of separation which divides us (Ephesians 2:14). To be our Bridegroom, Yeshua had also to be our Redeemer. But that price has already been paid on the cross. For you . . .

Is Yeshua Messiah your Redeeming Kinsman? The Bible says that Messiah died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures (First Corinthians 15:3b-4). If you believe that and have never asked Yeshua to be your Lord and Savior would you pray this simple prayer today: God, I admit that I have sinned. I believe Yeshua Messiah died for my sins, and I want to trust Him to save me right now. Now you need to find a good messianic synagogue or church that teaches the Word of God faithfully so you can grow in your faith and have fellowship with other believers.

Bo’az Obtains the Right of Redemption
4: 1-6

Bo’az obtains the right of redemption DIG: From Leviticus 25:23-43 and Deuteronomy 25:5-10, what are God’s views on property, poverty and posterity? Given her tenuous position, how would the LORD use these decrees to protect Na’omi? What cost was involved for the unknown kinsman-redeemer? If a woman marries a kinsman, how much of her property goes to him? How much to her son? How might this account for the unnamed redeemer’s reluctance to marry Ruth? Did Mr. So-and-so do anything wrong?

REFLECT: When have you seen ADONAI as your Kinsmen-Redeemer like Bo’az? Where have you seen God’s providence work on your behalf? At what cost do you follow Christ? Do you do the expected and the ordinary thing for Messiah? Or do you practice chesed and do the unexpected and the extraordinary?

The Bridegroom: The next morning Bo’az wasted no time in going to the city-gate, where the elders used to meet for the purpose of dispensing justice and dealing with claims and litigations, and there he hailed the unnamed kinsman-redeemer with whom he had spoken the previous night. Meanwhile Bo’az went up to the town gate, where legal transactions were completed (Genesis 23:1-20; Deuteronomy 15:7; Second Samuel 15:2, Second Kings 22:10; Jeremiah 38:7), and sat down there, ready to conduct business, just as the unnamed redeeming kinsman that he had mentioned came along. Bo’az said: Come over here, my friend (Hebrew: peloni’almoni meaning something like Mr. So-and-so), and sit down. So he came over and sat down (4:1).

Bo’az took ten of the elders of the town as witnesses and said, “Sit here,” and they did so (4:2). The authoritative tone of voice reveals the influential position held by Bo’az, who was a judge.

Then he said to Mr. So-and-so, “Na’omi, who has come back (shuwb) from Mo’av, intends to sell the piece of land that belonged to our relative Elimelek (4:3). Property was normally first offered to a member of the family before it was offered to anyone else (see the commentary on Jeremiah, to see link click Fs – Jeremiah Buys a Field) and this is what she was doing. The land belonged to Elimelek before going to Mo’av, but Na’omi wasn’t free to do anything with it until she came back about three months earlier. She was penniless and thus, put it up for sale. The time of planting had passed and it was the time of harvesting, so Na’omi wouldn’t have been able to earn any income from the land for a year.⁸⁹

It is important to understand that land portions were part of each family’s lasting legacy from generation to generation. Plots of family land could not be permanently sold (Leviticus 25:23). Real estate that was “sold” to pay debts remained in the possession of the buyer only until the year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25:8-55), at which time it was to revert back to the original owner’s family. This arrangement would help keep Isra’el’s wealth evenly distributed, and it meant that land-sale deals were actually more like long-term leases. Land sold for debt relief could also be redeemed at any time by the seller or his or her go’el. As long as Elimelech had no heirs, the property sold by his widow would automatically become the permanent possession of anyone who acted as Na’omi’s go’el and redeemed her land. Consequently, this made the prospect extremely appealing.⁹⁰

I thought I should bring the matter to your attention and suggest that you buy it in the presence of these seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, do so. But if you will not, tell me, so I will know. For no one has the right to do it except you, and I am next in line.” So-and-so replied: I will redeem it (4:4). His readiness to fulfill his obligation in the first instance was doubtless due to his belief that the property only belonged Na’omi, and that his duty would end with the purchase of the field from her. Aside from the cost of the land, he would make a profit from the crops grown upon it.

But then Bo’az explained that there was a catch. While Elimelech had no surviving heir, the man who would have been his rightful heir (Mahlon) had left a widow. Therefore, Bo’az explained: On the day you buy the land from Na’omi, you must also acquire (Hebrew: qanah meaning to purchase or to buy) Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon (4:5a). The word qanah is used here as a legal perfect, meaning a decisive legal transaction, or broadly, to marry as part of the legal transaction. So Bo’az informed the court that Ruth came along with the property.⁹¹ That changed things. If Ruth did remarry someone under that principle of levirate marriage (see Ae – The Duty of Levirate Marriage), and she produced any heir in Mahlon’s name, the rights to Elimelek’s land would automatically revert to Ruth’s offspring. The only way to eliminate that risk would be to marry Ruth. Now the deal seemed less attractive.

The purpose was to maintain Mahlon’s name with his property (4:5b). It was extremely important to an Israelite to have an heir living on the family land. If this were not the case, it would mean the disappearance of the family name. To a Jew, this was the greatest tragedy possible. The rabbis taught that their afterlife was dependent upon having an ancestor living on family soil. Without this Elimelek would cease to exist in the memory of the tribe or the clan. So the purpose here was not merely to retain the land, or to care for Ruth, but that having a kinsman-redeemer reside on his property so that Elimelek’s family line would be preserved.

At this, Mr. So-and-so shuddered before the heavy responsibilities and gladly transferred his rights to Bo’az by saying: Then I cannot redeem it because I might endanger my own estate and leave me in poverty. He was probably not rich enough to both redeem the field and bring Ruth into the equation. The issue was not her nationality, but the double financial burden that he simply could not carry. He would have to buy Na’omi’s property from assets that were part of his own estate, only to lose that investment and the property when Ruth’s first son claimed it as Elimelek’s heir. Not only would Ruth’s son inherit the property Mr. So-and-so redeemed, but he would also inherit part of Mr. So-and-so’s own property, thus depriving his own heirs of their full inheritance. Not only that, he would be responsible for taking care of Na’omi, Ruth, and any children born to her as well.⁹² This is why he said: I cannot redeem it. You redeem it yourself, because I cannot do it (4:6). This cleared the way for Bo’az to act. Mr. So-and-so did nothing wrong. But like Orpah, he did the expected and the ordinary. Bo’az, however, did the unexpected and the extraordinary.

This final scene is all about preserving names. From the concern to preserve the names of Elimelech and Mahlon with their inheritance (4:10), to the wish in the blessing that Bo’az’s name would be remembered in Beit-Lechem (4:11), to the similar blessing at the birth of Obed (4:14), to the two names following Obed’s name (4:17), to the list of names with which the chapter concludes (4:18-22), throughout this chapter there is the common thread of the desire to keep one’s name alive. Although neither Mr. So-and-so nor Bo’az realized it at the time, a lasting name was what was at stake. The one who married Ruth would receive not only a woman of character with an impressive work ethic and the ability to lift and carry eighty pounds of grain, but he would also receive a place in ADONAI’s plan. The line of Ruth and Bo’az would continue on to include Obed, then Jesse, then David; Beit-Lechem’s most famous son, the king after God’s own heart (First Samuel 13:14). By trying to protect his own future, Mr. So-and-so would remain nameless forever.⁹³

Dear Heavenly Father, You are Awesome! Praise You that we who love and worship You not only are called Christians, after Your Son’s Messianic title of Christ; but you give to each of Your children the robe of righteousness of Your Son so that we may enter heaven by Messiah’s righteousness (Second Corinthians 5:2). We want to thank You for that great gift by loving and obeying You with a trusting and joyful heart. You are wonderful! In Your holy Son’s name and power of resurrection. Amen

Scene Four:
Bo’az Marries Ruth
4: 1-12

The best stories are filled with surprises. The plot twists and turns and we’re never quite sure where it will lead us. In the last chapter Ruth discovered, much to her disappointment that there was another unnamed kinsman who was closer relative to Elimelek than Bo’az. In one sense, you could say that meant Na’omi and Ruth’s redemption was guaranteed for one way or another they would be redeemed, either by Bo’az or the unnamed kinsman. Yet in another sense, we are still unsure about Ruth’s future. Would Ruth end up marrying Bo’az or this mysterious stranger? Even though we haven’t met him yet, instinctively, we feel that he can’t possibly be right man for her.

But the choice of a husband is not the only issue that will be resolved in this final scene. The storyteller also has another twist in the plot to spring on us at the very end of the book. This is not merely a story of ADONAI’s covenant chesed to Na’omi and Ruth; it is also about God’s covenant chesed to Isra’el. The Israelites haven’t even thought about asking for a king yet; they were still in the days of the judging of the judges (1:1a CJB). However, in His sovereignty and love, YHVH was already preparing the line of David, through which the One who would ultimately meet that need and be her Kinsman-Redeemer: But when the appointed time arrived, God sent forth his Son. He was born from a woman, born into a culture in which legalistic perversion of the Torah was the norm (Galatians 4:4 CJB).⁸⁸ This chapter focuses on three people: the bridegroom, the bride and the baby.

Na’omi Evaluates the Encounter
3: 14-18

Na’omi evaluates the encounter DIG: If found together, who would likely be blamed: Na’omi, Ruth, or Bo’az? Does this story reflect some kind of romantic love, or a proper sense of duty to an ethical code of conduct? Why? What are some examples of how the LORD wants His people to sit still? How did Ruth foreshadow the Church? How did Bo’az foreshadow Messiah?

REFLECT: What are you willing to risk? And for what? What are you willing to risk for the sake of the gospel? What are you willing to die for? Anything? Anyone? How patient are you? Can you wait on God? Does He need your help? Why can’t we come into God’s presence clothed in our own righteousness? Is Jesus Christ your Redeemer?

Ruth foreshadows the Church in that she listened to Bo’az. So Ruth lay at the feet of Bo’az until morning; then, before [it was light enough that] people could recognize each other, she got up because Bo’az said: No one must know that a woman came to the threshing floor (3:14 CJB). Nothing immoral occurred, of course, and the Bible is clear about that. But Bo’az, being protective of Ruth’s virtue, awoke her and sent her home just before dawn.⁸³

Ruth foreshadows the Church in that she received gifts from Bo’az. He gave her a generous portion of grain as a gift for Na’omi. He also said: Bring me the shawl. you are wearing and hold it out. When she did so, he poured into it six measures of barley (or eighty pounds), lifted it up, and placed the bundle on her back so she could carry it home. Then [she] went back to town (3:15). Chapter 3 ends much the way that Chapter 2 had ended, with Ruth returning home to share with Na’omi news of her adventure.

The growing realization of Ruth’s value is underlined by Bo’az’s generous gift. He sends her back with a large bundle of barley so that she will not return to Na’omi empty, the same word that Na’omi used to describe herself in Chapter 1. She came back to Beit-Lechem empty, but ADONAI was fulfilling all of her needs through Ruth and Bo’az. She was not longer empty. God provided food for her hunger and a place for her to rest. Would YHVH now withhold from her the one other thing she lacked – descendants? No way! In light of that, Bo’az’s earlier comment: There is a redeemer closer than I, takes on a whole new light. At that time Bo’az was merely talking about some the unknown-kinsman. But all through the story there has been a Redeemer closer than Bo’az, a Redeemer for Na’omi and Ruth who has hovered behind the scenes of the narrative, behind all the human agents, reaching out to His beloved but wandering sheep and showing them grace upon on grace.⁸⁴

Na’omi, of course, had probably been up all night and was anxiously awaiting to see if her plan worked or not. When Ruth came to her mother-in-law, Na’omi said: How did it go, my daughter? Are you his wife or not! Then she told her everything Bo’az had done for her and added, “He gave me these six measures of barley, saying: Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed (3:16-17). The gift was a sign of good faith to carry out his promise (3:13). The emphasis is on not being empty-handed. In 1:13 Na’omi stated that she had returned to Judah empty-handed with no husband and no sons. But now the implication is that she will no longer be empty-handed. The aged widow could then rest assured that she would not be forgotten in the future. The gift of barley foreshadowed the fullness that was soon to come. This verse provides a transition of Ruth’s exit from the story. From now on, she is only a secondary character. In contrast to her, it puts Bo’az and Na’omi on the center stage.⁸⁵

Ruth foreshadows the Church in that she waited for Bo’az to act. Na’omi, who feminine intuition was impeccable, said: Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will fall; for the man will not rest, he will do everything in his power to fulfill his promise, until he has finished the thing this day” (3:18). It is through faith and patience that we inherit the promises of God (Hebrews 6:12 and 10:36). Because Na’omi and Ruth trusted that Bo’az would accomplish what he said he would do, they waited patiently until they received the good news that Ruth was his bride. Being still is not an easy thing to do. Especially in today’s society, we want it done yesterday! Now Ruth could have followed Bo’az around Beit-Lechem but that wouldn’t have done any good. Our human nature gets nervous and wants to help God out, and when we do that, we only make things worse. Let’s look to the Bible and see what it has to say about this matter.

Stand still (Exodus 14:13) was the command of Moses to the people of Isra’el when the Egyptian army had them pinned in with no possible way of escape. There was no need to panic, for YHVH had the situation well in hand. When ADONAI commanded the people to go forward, He led them safely through the Sea of Reeds (see the commentary on Exodus, to see link click Ci – The Waters Were Divided and the Israelites Went Through the Sea on Dry Land). There is a time to stand still and a time to go forward, and we need to ask the LORD for the wisdom to know which is which.

Be still, and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10) is a wonderful cure for a restless spirit. The Hebrew word be still, yashab, means relax, take your hands off. It’s so easy for us to get impatient and start “helping” God when we should stop playing Holy Spirit. He is God and He can accomplish the impossible. Our hands may get in the way and make it worse.

Bo’az was busy working for Ruth, and Na’omi was confident that he wouldn’t rest until he had settled the matter. Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6). It is encouraging for us to know that Messiah never stops working for His children as He intercedes for us in heaven: Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died – more than that, who is raised to life – is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us (Romans 8:34).⁸⁶

In his book on Ruth, Iain Duguid discusses the fact that the story of Bo’az and Ruth is not a Romeo and Juliet type of love story. It’s not boy meets girl, in which they are physically attracted to each other and the rest is a passionate love affair. We know that Bo’az was relatively old and that Ruth could work all day in the hot sun with hardly a break and then carry eighty pounds of grain home on her back. Doesn’t exactly sound like the usual movie script. No. The book of Ruth is a different kind of love story than we are used to.

The devotion that Bo’az and Ruth had for one another was built on their common character, which is always a much better foundation for a lasting relationship than mere physical attraction. Theirs was a character match, not a sex match; they were both people of substance. That is specifically what King Lemuel’s mother advised him to look for in a wife of noble character (Proverbs 31:10-31). When the young (and not so young) make their mental checklist of what they are looking for in a spouse, physical attributes usually head the list with spiritual attributes recorded as an afterthought. Bo’az and Ruth, however, had a far more biblical agenda than most do today.

The real love story in this book is not about Bo’az and Ruth, but about ADONAI for His sheep that have wandered off the path. It is a love that prevented God from merely ending the world when Adam and Eve first sinned. It is the love that chose and called Abraham and then persisted in pursuit his rebellious offspring Isaac and Jacob. It is the love that would not let the Israelites go, even after centuries of rebellion and idolatry. His love causes the sun to shine and the rain to fall. In the lives of the children of YHVH, this love feeds us and clothes us. In His providence, His love may bring godly friends to encourage us, and a godly family with whom we can share our lives. We should be thankful for all God’s gifts of love.

Yeshua Messiah gives us the clearest picture of God’s love. His love for us took Him much further than a grain pile at midnight. It took Him all the way to the cross. There, in the midst of a darkness far greater than any ordinary midnight, He offered Himself for the sins of His people: God made Him who had no sin to be a sin offering for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (Second Corinthians 5:21). And because God the Father cannot be in the presence of sin, for the one and only time in all eternity, the Father turned His back on God the Son as Jesus was punished for the sins of all humanity from noon to three o’clock (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Lv – Jesus’ Second Three Hours on the Cross: The Wrath of God). Messiah didn’t just risk His life, He gave it. Was it is because we are such wonderful people and we really deserve it? Hardly! It is because ADONAI was so committed to saving sinners like us, this was the only way it could be done. Bo’az was the only one could redeem Ruth; and Jesus is the only One who could redeem us. For salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we may be saved (Acts 4:12).

Do you know this love of God? Have you responded by giving your heart to Him? Disfigured by sin though it is, your heart is all you have to give. So give it to Him. He will be your Redeemer and receive you into His family. He will cover you with His wings and be your refuge. He will spread His robe of Messiah’s righteousness over your nakedness. No matter how undeserving you are, no matter what you’ve done or where you’ve been, the invitation is open to come and be redeemed.⁸⁷ YHVH will welcome if you believe that Christ died for your sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day and that He appeared to Peter and then to the Twelve (First Corinthians 15:3b-5), and you want to make Yeshua your Lord. Messiah loves you so much. Have you put yourself at the feet of the Lord of the harvest, and are you trusting in Him to work?

Ruth and Bo’az on the Threshing Floor
3: 6-13

Ruth and Bo’az on the threshing floor DIG: Was Ruth’s assumption that a go’el also had the duty to marry a widowed relative justified? Why does Bo’az bless Ruth and consider her proposal? How does Bo’az show the kindness of a kinsman-redeemer? For what kindness does Bo’az commend Ruth? How does Ruth foreshadow the Church? How does Bo’az foreshadow Christ?

REFLECT: Not that you have to be perfect, but if you have to make a decision between your feelings and the Word of God, what do you usually follow? Are your feelings the engine that drives your life, or the caboose? What does it mean to have your sins paid in full by Jesus on the cross? Explain this to someone or write it down.

By now both the barley and wheat harvests were over, and it was time for threshing and winnowing. There was no more gleaning and no hired work available for a woman, so Ruth’s opportunity to see Bo’az would be drastically reduced. Even if they saw each other it would be in public and her opportunity to talk to him privately would be minimal. Bo’az knew he was Elimelek’s kinsman, yet he had done nothing to redeem Elimelek’s land. Neither Na’omi nor Ruth knew why. Perhaps he was waiting because technically Na’omi was the widow with first claim on the kinsman-redeemer. Therefore, to bring matters to a head, Na’omi took the initiative of formally waiving her own right to marry the go’el (3:1b).⁷³

The narrator quickly leads us with Ruth to a new location. So she went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law told her to (3:6). At this point the rabbis make a comparison between Ruth and Tamar (Genesis 38:1-30). They teach that the merits of the two righteous Gentile proselytes reached their culmination: Ruth and Tamar had clung to the Sh’khinah and bound themselves up in the eternity of Isra’el to become illuminated by the light of the Messiah.

The spotlight now falls on Bo’az. Things apparently went just as Na’omi had anticipated. After Bo’az had finished eating and drinking to his heart’s content, he went over and lay down next to the pile of threshed grain to go to sleep. After years of famine, he now had an abundant harvest. Ruth came in quietly, uncovered his feet, and lay down (3:7 ISV). Bo’az would lie down by one pile of grain and his male servants would be scattered in other areas of his property for protection so there was a measure of privacy between the two of them. The Torah said she was entitled to call upon the next of kin to fulfill the various responsibilities of the kinsman-redeemer. Thus, she was making a legal claim in the approved manner of the time. For Ruth, lying down at the feet of Bo’az was an act of submission. She was placing herself under his authority. Ruth foreshadows the Church in that she submitted to Bo’az. The B’rit Chadashah forcefully tells us to submit to God (James 4:7a), and the TaNaKh reminds us to trust in ADONAI with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him and he will make your paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Despite the lack of explicit clues, it seems like Ruth momentarily delayed in approaching Bo’az. Probably to make sure he was asleep. Then, in accordance with Na’omi’s instructions, Ruth approached quietly, uncovered his feet and lay down (3:7b). Bo’az was so tired that he didn’t notice her at first. But as the air cooled in the middle of the night, while turning and reaching for his blanket, something startled him. There was a woman lying at his feet (3:8). Adam went to sleep and woke up to discover he’d been through surgery and was a married man. Jacob woke up to discover he was married to the wrong woman! Bo’az woke up at midnight to find a woman lying at his feet. Under the circumstances, “Who are you?” was a natural enough question to be asked. “I am your maidservant (Hebrew: amah) Ruth,” she said. Notice that she didn’t call herself a Moabitess. Now she was the maidservant of Bo’az. She was making a new beginning for herself.⁷⁴

At this point, however, Ruth departed from Na’omi’s game plan. At the very moment when we expect Bo’az to instruct Ruth (3:4), she confidently spoke up and said to him, “Spread the corner of your robe (Hebrew: kanaph) over me as a token of marriage, because you are a redeeming kinsman (Hebrew: go’el) of our family” (3:9). The term spread the corner of your robe implies protection (Deuteronomy 22:30, 23:1, 27:20; Ezekiel 16:8). When marriages are formalized among the Jews, the man throws the corner of his tallit over his wife and covers her head with it.75 This gesture would be the modern-day equivalent of giving an engagement ring. This was, in effect, a marriage proposal.

During her secret, nocturnal visit to the threshing floor, Ruth proposed marriage to Bo’az. What was surprising about it, was that she supported the proposal by appealing to his status as her kinsman-redeemer (Hebrew: go’el), a fact she had learned first from Na’omi (2:20). But it is interesting because nowhere in the TaNaKh does it list marriage of any kind, much less to widowed relatives, among the duties of a go’el. In fact, the kinsman-redeemer’s main tasks were to restore ownership of alienated clan property by buying it back in the Year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25:25-30), and to free fellow clansmen and women from poverty-induced slavery (Leviticus 25:47-55). In addition, the go’el was to avenge the killing of a relative (Numbers 35:12, 19-27), and to receive money due a deceased relative (Numbers 5:8). Consequently, was Ruth’s assumption that a go’el also had a duty to marry a widowed relative justified?

The fact that Ruth assumed a marriage duty on the part of the kinsman-redeemer strongly suggests that such a custom in fact existed; otherwise the story would lack credibility. More importantly, however, there is evidence that the duties of a go’el went beyond those mentioned above. The word’s symbolic use suggests that he also may have helped a clan member in a lawsuit (Job 19:25; Psalm 119:154; Proverbs 23:11; Jeremiah 50:34; Lamentations 3:58). Moreover, if one assumes that the picture of YHVH as go’el reflects Israelite customs, then the go’el also was an advocate who stood up for the vulnerable family members and who took responsibility for unfortunate relatives, even dead ones. Therefore, it seems likely that the duty of the kinsman-redeemer was a broad one . . . indeed, far broader than the redemptive acts taught in Leviticus 25 and those typical of the levirate (to see link click Ae – The Duty of Levirate Marriage).

Evidently, the go’el aided clan members, both the living, who were perceived weak and vulnerable, and the dead. Indeed, it may be especially significant for the book of Ruth, in as much as two of the duties concern actions on behalf of the dead. Such actions sought to restore a wholeness that the clan perceived to be lost.⁷⁶ What Ruth was asking Bo’az to do was to according to the spirit of the kinsman-redeemer? She appealed to him to be the go’el who, at his own cost, would restore wholeness to Na’omi and her family’s future that had been shattered. This took more than a little chutzpah on her part. It was entirely unprecedented in the Jewish culture for a woman to propose to a man, or a younger person to an elder, or a field worker to a field owner.⁷⁷

This caught Bo’az off guard. But after the initial shock, he showered Ruth with an overwhelming and unexpected blessing, saying to her, “ADONAI bless you, my daughter.” The mention of God’s name is a recognition in all that had taken place, and when he called her “my daughter,” it did emphasize the age difference between the two, but for Ruth this made no difference at all. This chesed (see Af – The Concept of Chesed) is greater than that which you showed earlier (in her willingness to forsake family, homeland and gods in her devotion to Na’omi). Her present chesed was that she came to an older man, who was probably Na’omi’s age, and her willingness to provide Na’omi an heir by marrying a go’el like Bo’az even exceeded her earlier chesed. Then he complemented her on having chosen him rather than going after someone younger or richer, “You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor” (3:10). A younger man would have had a better prospect, humanly speaking, of providing Ruth with children of her own, and thereby with significance.

She did not follow her natural inclinations. Bo’az was certain that if she wanted she could have married a rich young man. Otherwise there would be no point in praising her faithfulness to family obligations otherwise. Not thinking of herself, she was willing pass up the younger men who were not kinsmen-redeemers, acting only out of love for Na’omi. She considered her own happiness to be secondary. She could have married for love or money but chose to marry out of family loyalty. Therefore, her new display of chesed would be greater than the first. The question is, “What is greater than the salvation of a whole family line?” And the answer becomes, “To become the mother of the royal house of Isra’el (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Ai – The Genealogies of Joseph and Mary).⁷⁸

11. Bo’az foreshadows Messiah because he gave Ruth all that she asked. Messiah also said: You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Kq – No One Comes to the Father Except Through Me for a fuller explanation of this verse). Then Bo’az comforted Ruth when he said: And now, my daughter, don’t be afraid (3:11a). This word of assurance has been given to many of ADONAI’s servants: Abraham (Genesis 15:1), Isaac (Genesis 26:24), Jacob (Genesis 46:3), Moses and the nation of Isra’el (Exodus 14:13), Joshua (Joshua 8:1 and 10:8), King Jehoshaphat (Second Chronicles 20:17), the Jewish remnant in the Land (Isaiah 41:10, 13-14, 43:1 and 5, 44:2), Ezeki’el (Ezeki’el 3:9), Dani’el (Dani’el 10:12 and 19), Joseph (Mattityahu 1:20), Zechariah (Luke 1:13), Mary (Luke 1:30), the shepherds in the field (Luke 2:10), Rabbi Sha’ul (Acts 27:24) and the apostle Yochanan (Revelation 1:17). You and I can say with these spiritual giants: ADONAI is my Helper; I will not be afraid – what can any human do to me (Hebrews 13:6 CJB)?

Not only did Bo’az calm Ruth’s immediate fears, but he also made a promise to her concerning her future: I will do for you all that you ask. Whatever God starts, He finishes; and what He does, He does well (Philippians 1:6; Mark 7:37). It was not Ruth’s obligation to do for herself what only Bo’az could do (3:11b), and it is not our obligation to do what only Christ can do. The Torah says: The soul who sins shall die (Ezekiel 18:4), and Ha’Shem didn’t seek any way around this: He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all – how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things (Romans 8:32)? Of course, there is no other unknown kinsman who could redeem a lost world. Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we may be saved (Acts 4:12).⁷⁹

It is noteworthy that Proverbs 31 describes a woman of character: her works bring her praise at the city gate (Prov 31:31). Using similar language, Bo’az declared: All the people of my town know that you are a woman of noble character, especially among the city elders (3:11c). Literally, Bo’az says: All the gate of my people knows that you are a woman of worth. The idiom is usually lost in translation, but what we see in Ruth is precisely a Proverbs 31 woman in the flesh. Her deeds had indeed been praised at the city gate.

How did Ruth gain this reputation among the people of Beit-Lechem, when just a couple of months previously she had been ignored and slighted as an insignificant foreigner? She didn’t gain her good reputation by pushing herself on people and blowing her own horn. Instead, she made herself Na’omi’s servant and worked without complaining in the heat of the harvest day to help her mother-in-law survive. People noticed.⁸⁰

At this point in the story a complication arose, Bo’az revealed an unexpected, disturbing fact. There was another kinsman, unnamed to the reader, who was a closer relative to Elimelek than Bo’az, and as such, had the first right to serve as go’el. In Israelite custom this duty fell upon the nearest male relative, or if he waived it, to others in an order of priority unknown to us. As an upright Israelite, Bo’az bowed before that custom rather than scheme to circumvent it. Personal preference gave way to the rights of other relatives.

Such honesty served three purposes for the narrator. First, it injected one last moment of suspense into the story. Having just breathed a sigh of relief, the audience now anxiously wondered, “Will Bo’az lose Ruth after all?” And Secondly, it presented Bo’az as a model of integrity, and, therefore, a worthy ancestor of King David. Indeed, that very integrity may explain why Bo’az did not exercise the duty of go’el earlier; he knew that the right belonged to someone else and that right was not to be violated. Na’omi and Ruth had forced the issue, so Bo’az could approach this unknown kinsman and get him to decide what he wanted to do. His caution would also enhance Ruth’s legal claims: All Isra’el would know that whatever status she might later obtain had come legally, not falsely. Thirdly, by placing an additional obstacle before the couple, it underscored the word of the providence of God.⁸¹

Although it is true that I am a redeeming kinsman of our family, there is a redeemer closer than I (3:12). This must have been a bitter pill for Ruth to swallow. Just when things were going so well! Scripture doesn’t identify the man who was Na’omi’s actual next of kin (he would almost assuredly have been an older brother to Bo’az, whereas Bo’az was only a nephew). But Bo’az knew immediately who he was, and he knew that custom required him to defer to this other relative. He explained the situation to Ruth, swore to her his own willingness to be her go’el if it were possible, and urged her to remain at his feet until dawn.⁸²

But once again, Bo’az comforted Ruth. He would take care of this unexpected and unwanted complication. In the morning, Bo’az would approach the man and question him. If he wanted to redeem her, then well and good. But if he did not want to undertake his duty, then Bo’az would gladly do it himself. Stay here for the night, and in the morning if he wants to do his duty as your redeeming kinsman, good; let him redeem you. But if he is not willing, as surely as ADONAI lives . . . I will do it. Lie down until morning” (3:13a). One way or another, Ruth would certainly be taken care of.

12. Bo’az foreshadows Messiah because a kinsman-redeemer must be willing and able to pay the price of redemption. Bo’az declared: As surely as ADONAI lives . . . I will do it (3:13b). Messiah was also willing and able to pay the price of redemption as reflected in His sixth words from the Cross: When He had received the drink, Jesus said in Aramaic: It is finished (John 19:30a). He said: “It” is finished, not “I” AM finished. The Lord will speak these same words again at the end of the Great Tribulation when He will say: It is done (see the commentary on Revelation Eh – The Seventh Bowl: A Tremendous Earthquake)! Jesus spoke in Aramaic, but the Bible is written in Greek and this is one word in Greek, tetelestai, and it is in the perfect tense, indicating a past, completed action, with continuing, and in this case, permanent results. Tetelestai was a Greek word used in accounting. Archeologists found an enormous amount of invoices at a dig in Egypt. Many Jews had fled Jerusalem before the Roman destruction and settled in Alexandria. There they translated the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek, the international language of the day. In Alexandria, Egypt, archeologists found a large quantity of invoices with tetelestai, written on clay tablets. In accounting terms, it means paid in full. In other words, just as Bo’az was willing and able to pay the price of redemption for Ruth, our sins have been paid in full as a result of Yeshua’s death on the cross.

Dear Great Heavenly Father, How much we love You! You paid the price for our sin and bought us as Your bride. As the bride and groom enjoy spending time together, so we, Your bride who loves You, enjoy spending time with You – praising You, worshiping You, asking You to bring our loved ones to love You also, and thanking You for always being with us and always guiding us. You are the perfect bridegroom! In the name of Your Son and the power of his resurrection. Amen

Na’omi Discloses Her Plan For Ruth and Bo’az
3: 1-5

Na’omi discloses her plan for Ruth and Bo’az DIG: In what three ways does Ruth foreshadow the Church? Why do you think Na’omi approached Ruth with her plan? What instructions does Na’omi give to Ruth? What is her goal? In their male-dominated world, how do you account for such boldness? How did Ruth prepare herself to meet Bo’az? Was Na’omi’s plan a sure thing? What risks were involved?

REFLECT: How do you meet people? How did you meet your spouse? When has human planning and divine will met in your life? Have you had your record washed clean? Are you a pleasing aroma to YHVH? Have you exchanged your filthy rags for a white robe? What are some tangible proofs that you are being conformed into the image of Christ?

A good man is hard to find. It has always been that way. How could a woman of character, especially an outsider like Ruth, go about the task of finding a husband to support her and take care of her? Today she might try to find someone through JDate: “Widowed Moabitess seeks hard working man of character for long walks in the barley fields and quiet evenings by the fire. Must like children.” Na’omi’s plan would be risky (to see link click Af – The Concept of Chesed); however, Na’omi decided that for Ruth’s sake . . . it would be worth it.

Ruth foreshadows the Church in that she prepared to meet Bo’az in three ways. The culture of the day believed that a woman could only find true happiness in the house of her husband. Therefore, one day Ruth’s mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, I must find security (Hebrew: manoach) for you” (3:1a). In this context security would be obtained through marriage as already implied earlier. This is what Na’omi prayed would happen in 1:8-9, and now she was about to answer her own prayer. Here, again, is an example of the divine will and the human will working together to carry out the purpose of ADONAI.

The purpose is: Where you will be well provided for (3:1b). Na’omi had three issues. First, how could the name Elimelek be maintained among the tribes of Isra’el since both of her sons were dead. Second, what steps should be taken to protect her inheritance that Elimelek had left in Na’omi’s trust. Third, how could she provide rest and security for her faithful daughter-in-law? A marriage to Bo’az would solve all three problems. This also meant that Na’omi would renounce her own claim to Bo’az as the kinsman-redeemer and give it to Ruth the younger widow.

But who in Beit-Lechem could provide the security for an outsider, especially a Moabite (see Ac – Introduction to the Book of Ruth from a Jewish Perspective: The historical background)? At the very least such a marriage would have been socially awkward . . . if not worse. The man might end up as a social outcast. Who would be willing to undertake such a risk? Na’omi thought she had the answer: Now Bo’az, with whose women you have worked, is a relative of ours. Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor (3:2). The threshing floor was a flat, hard area, usually the bedrock on a slightly raised hill or platform, but always downwind of the village. The grain was beaten out of the stalks by having an animal like an ox or donkey drag a wooden threshing sledge (with stones inserted into it) over it continually on the threshing floor. Winnowing followed this, which involved throwing the grain into the air with a fork or shovel, allowing the wind to carry the light husks of chaff away. In Isra’el the westerly winds would come in the late afternoon and continue until sunset. The grain was then removed from the threshing floor and either stored in granaries or sold (Song of Sons 7:3; Amos 2:13). The straw became fodder for the animals and the chaff was used for fuel.⁷⁰

Humanly speaking, Ruth’s marriage to Bo’az would solve all three of Na’omi’s issues (see above). But just how would a woman make such a delicate proposal? Ruth could hardly walk up to Bo’az in the middle of the field, drop to one knee and say, “Marry me!” Therefore, Na’omi said to Ruth, “Wash yourself, put perfume on, and put on your best clothes” (3:3). This was an extremely dangerous road along which Na’omi was urging Ruth to travel. However, she knew no other.

First, Ruth washed herself (3:3a): Torah required ceremonial washings, taking a bath and changing clothes usually preceded a special event (Genesis 35:1-3). Actually, Na’omi was telling Ruth to act like a bride preparing for her wedding (Ezeki’el 16:9-12). If we want to enter into a deeper relationship with Yeshua, we must purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God (Second Corinthians 7:1). Because of our sin nature, we must pray: Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin, and I will be whiter than snow (Psalm 51:2 and 7). But sometimes YHVH say to us: Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of My sight, stop doing wrong (Isaiah 1:16). When we seek forgiveness, ADONAI washes our record clean: If we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive our sins, and purify us from all unrighteousness (First John 1:9).

Second, Ruth anointed herself (3:3b): People in the Near East used fragrant oils to protect and heal their bodies, and to make themselves smell good. A bride would especially take care to wear fragrant perfume that would make her nice to be near (Song of Songs 1:3, 12-14, 4:11-16). Anointing oil speaks of the presence and working of the Ruach in our lives. All believers have received the baptism of the Spirit at conversion (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Bw – What God Does For Us at the Moment of Faith). Thus, we ought to be a pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing (Second Corinthians 2:15). The more we are conformed into the image of Messiah (Romans 8:29) in character and conduct, the more we please our heavenly Father, and the more He can bless us and use us for His glory.

Third, Ruth changed her clothes (3:3c): She was asked to put away her widow’s clothes and put on a wedding dress (Isaiah 61:10). As modest as it might have been, Ruth probably had one special dress for festive occasions. Clothing carries a spiritual meaning in the Bible. After they had sinned Adam and Eve tried to cover themselves, but they did it improperly. It was only by the shedding of blood that they could approach YHVH (Genesis 3:1-8 and 21). The Jewish High Priests wore special clothes that no one else could wear (Exodus 28). Salvation is pictured as a change of clothes (Luke 15:22; Isaiah 61:10). Salvation is pictured as taking off the “grave-clothes” of your old self, and putting on the “grace-clothes” of your new self (Colossians 3:1-17; also see John 11:44). Jesus calls those who have exchanged their filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6) for white robes as being victorious (Revelation 3:4). If you want to enter into a deeper fellowship with Jesus, then be clothed in white, and anoint your head with oil (Ecclesiastes 9:8).

Na’omi knew that Bo’az would be sleeping on the threshing floor in order to guard his harvest from thieves. But Ruth was not to rush up to Bo’az and initiate the discussion. Instead, she was neither to be seen nor heard by him. Na’omi instructed her daughter-in-law, “Then go down to the threshing floor, but don’t let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking” (3:3d). Then he would fall asleep.

Ruth prepared herself by learning how to present herself to Bo’az: When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. He had covered himself with his robe protect himself against the cool of the night. She was to go and uncover his feet and lie down. This was a legal appeal for Bo’az to fulfill his duty as her kinsman-redeemer and marry her. In the ancient world, a position at the feet signified submission. When Joshua defeated the five kings of the Amorites in his southern campaign he invited the commanders of his army to put their feet on the necks of the kings. Then Joshua charged his men to be courageous because God would give them the victory over their enemies (Josh 10:24-25). Psalm 110:1 uses the same imagery when God says to Messiah, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” There was nothing improper about this procedure, for it was the only way Ruth could offer herself to her kinsman-redeemer. Lying down at the feet of Bo’az was an act of submission. Ruth was placing herself under his authority.⁷¹

All she had to do was to put herself at the feet of the lord of the harvest, and he would do the rest. Na’omi told her, “He will tell you what to do (3:4). Like the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-24), we come to Jesus just as we are, and He will receive us and change us. However, we have a part in the process, for it is God’s will that you be sanctified, be conformed into the image of Christ so that we might be glorified (First Thessalonians 4:3; Romans 8:29a).

In short, Na’omi left nothing to chance. Instead, she calculated as carefully as she could to set up a favorable environment: Bo’az would be in a good mood and the two could talk alone – away from gossipy ears. In doing so, she modeled the proper use of human ingenuity in the pursuit of one goal (or go’el, if you please). Her actions fulfilled YHVH’s plans.

Finally, Ruth promised to obey: She was not only a hearer of the word, but also a doer of it. A willingness to obey the Lord is the secret to having a relationship with Him: Anyone who loves me will obey My teaching (John 14:23a). God’s will isn’t like a cafeteria where we can pick and choose what we want. We have been born with a sin nature and are broken vessels; however, to the best of our ability, ADONAI expects us to obey Him completely.

The simple promise of Ruth, “I will do whatever you say” (3:5), draws the scene to a close and demonstrates her willingness to engage in this risky endeavor. Ruth’s conduct must not be judged by modern standards, but by those of the times in which she lived. She was fulfilling a duty of love and piety towards the dead by approaching Bo’az and reminding him of his obligation as a kinsman. Thus, she took Na’omi’s words to be a command to be obeyed, not a suggestion to be weighed. Her answer pushes the story forward. Once again Ruth showed herself to be devoted to Na’omi. The narrator uses the utmost delicacy, but it is clear that Na’omi’s plan was not without its dangers.⁷² How would Bo’az react? We learn that next.

Dear Father, We love You! Praise You that you are the perfect bridegroom for Your bride the Church. Just as the bride gets herself ready for the wedding by washing and being pure so You want Your bride to be pure (Second Corinthians 11:2). Help us to not take Your love for granted but to live in a way that demonstrates our love for You by our willingness to trust You when it is hard, and to serve You when we are laughed at-for we know that You have an eternal home for Your children with joy forevermore and no tears and no sadness. We desire to thank You by our life that praises You. In the name of Your only Son and the power of His resurrection. Amen

Scene Three:
Na’omi’s Wonderful Plan for Ruth’s Life
3: 1-28

Ruth lived outside the covenant family of YHVH, bankrupt, with no claim to the mercy of God. Therefore, she foreshadowed the Church (to see link click Ah – The Book of Ruth and Shavu’ot) in five ways as the rest of the story is told.

Na’omi saw it as her duty as mother-in-law to seek long-term security for her faithful Moabite daughter-in-law who had so graciously proven her loyalty, generosity, diligence and strength of character throughout the hot and difficult harvest season. In a culture where arranged marriages were the norm, this meant doing what she could to orchestrate a marriage between Ruth and Bo’az.

There were several things involved. Elimelek had possessed a portion of land in Beit-Lechem that Na’omi was being forced to sell due to her poverty (4:3). Now Bo’az, a relative of Elimelek, was her kinsman-redeemer. She hoped that Bo’az would redeem, or restore, her land, and redeem, or marry, Ruth, thus preserving the family name of Elimelek. On the basis of this hope, Na’omi encouraged Ruth to visit Bo’az who had shown himself to be kind.

Because she was a woman, protocol forbade Na’omi from approaching Bo’az to arrange a marriage for Ruth. In fact, there was no suggestion that Na’omi had spoken to Bo’az about anything since her return from Mo’av. Yet from the very beginning, Na’omi clearly had an intuition about Bo’az’s interest in Ruth. Having watched and waited through the long harvest season, Na’omi apparently decided Bo’az needed some subtle help to bet the ball rolling. The way things finally played out suggests that Na’omi’s instincts were right on target.

If Bo’az had ever been married, the Bible doesn’t mention it. According to Jewish tradition, he was a lifelong bachelor. Although he obviously took a keen interest in Ruth from the moment he first saw her, it does not seem to have entered his mind to pursue the kinsman-redeemer role on her behalf. He even said himself that he was surprised that Ruth didn’t deem him unsuitable for marriage (3:10). He obviously needed some prodding.

Na’omi had sized up the situation correctly though, and she instructed Ruth on what to do. Na’omi’s plan was bold and utterly unconventional. It was very dangerous (see Af – The Concept of Chesed), but there was nothing unrighteous or indecent about her plan. Na’omi certainly would not have asked Ruth to compromise her virtue or relinquish godly modesty. Nevertheless, what Na’omi advised Ruth to do was shockingly forward. The essence of Na’omi’s plan was for Ruth to propose marriage to Bo’az!⁶⁹

Na’omi Evaluates the Meeting
2: 18-23

Na’omi evaluates the meeting DIG: What caused the positive change in Na’omi’s attitude? What obstacles to faith did Na’omi have to overcome? What role did Bo’az play as the kinsman-redeemer? What does this reveal about the power of God’s love? About Na’omi, Ruth, and Bo’az? Given the sad state of relations between Isra’el and Mo’av (Genesis 19:30-38; Numbers 25:1-3), what surprising turn of events would the original readers see in this chapter? How does Ruth’s loyalty to Na’omi and Bo’az’s loyalty to Ruth, defy the historical prejudices of the original readers? How does their loyalty reflect God’s values?

REFLECT: When have you shared Na’omi’s experience of God using a “Ruth” in your life to show kindness to you? How did this unmerited act of kindness change you? How was Ruth’s response to Bo’az an example for believers to follow in their response to Yeshua? How is the hope of a believer different from the hope that the world clings to? What reasons do you have to rejoice in hope? What was an important turning point in your life? Describe it. Whom do you know that needs to be reminded that YHVH still loves them? What will you do today to demonstrate such love?

Ruth carried the thirty pounds of barley that she had gleaned in the field back to town, and her mother-in-law saw how much she had gathered. Na’omi saw how much barley Ruth had gleaned she was shocked. She knew it was way more than would have been expected for a foreign woman in her position. And she not only brought home the barley, but a meal. Ruth also brought it out and gave her what she had quietly slipped in her pocket after she had eaten enough with Bo’az earlier. Na’omi asked her, “Where did you glean today? Where did you work? Na’omi seemed to have instinctively understood that Ruth could not possibly have done so well without someone’s help. So she asked where Ruth had gleaned and pronounced a special blessing on the man who took notice of you! Then Ruth told her mother-in-law about the one at whose place she had been working. She said: The name of the man I worked with today is Bo’az (2:18-19).

Na’omi’s response is the crucial turning point at exactly midway through the book. Faced with the mountain of food that Ruth had brought home, the practical evidence of God’s goodness, Na’omi moved from bitterness to blessedness. Slowly her heart began to soften toward God and she cried out: May he be blessed by God, whom has never stopped showing grace, neither to the living (Ruth and Na’omi) or the dead (Elimelek, Mahlon and Kilion), meaning the family as a whole. This change came about because of the new hope she had in her heart, and the one who gave the new hope was Bo’az (2:20a CJB).

The words here have their only real counterpart in Genesis (see the commentary on Genesis, to see link click Fx – Go to My Country and My Own Relatives and Get a Wife for My Son Isaac). Abraham’s chief servant (a picture of the Holy Spirit) traveled from Canaan to Mesopotamia to bring back a wife for Isaac from among his master’s relatives. When he discovered the bride, Rebekah, the servant praises YHVH for His guidance using a variation of the language spoken by Na’omi, in Ruth 2:20, saying: Blessed be the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken His chesed and His truth toward my master; as for me, the LORD has guided me in the way to the house of my master’s brothers (Genesis 24:27 NASB). The similarity of Ruth 2 and Genesis 24 suggests that Na’omi had marriage in mind with the blessing she pronounced. What is more, the entire conversation between Bo’az and Ruth conforms to a common Jewish literary motif, “the betrothal type-scene.” That is, in the narrative of 2:8-17, the author employed certain literary clues well known to his audience in order to portray the scene as a betrothal, more exactly, the prelude to betrothal. This further confirms that Na’omi’s words implied marriage.⁶⁴

The reference to Bo’az as redeemer, points our eyes beyond him to the figure of the Redeemer, the blessed hope (Titus 2:13). For believers, hope is not a shallow “hope-so-feeling” fueled by optimistic fantasies. Our hope is an inner sense of joyful assurance and confidence as we trust in the promises of ADONAI and face the future with His help. This hope is God’s gift to His children through the Holy Spirit, who reminds us of the LORD’s promises found in His Word. My God, the source of hope, fill you completely with joy and shalom as you continue trusting, so that by the power of the Ruach ha-Kodesh you may overflow with hope (Romans 15:13 CJB).

The exciting new hope that the two widows experienced centered in a person, Bo’az, just as our hope is centered in the Son of God. In fact Christ is our hope (First Timothy 1:1; Fist Thessalonians 1:3; Colossians 1:27). Through faith in Jesus, we have been born again into a living hope (First Peter 1:3), and because it is a living hope, it grows stronger each day and produces fruit. The hopes that the world clings to are dead hopes, but ours is a living hope because it is rooted in the living Messiah.⁶⁵

Na’omi also told her, “That man is one of our closest relatives; he is one of our kinsman-redeemers” (2:20b CJB). The Hebrew word translated one of our closest relatives is go’el. It is a technical term that means much more than kinsman. The word go’el includes the idea of redemption, or deliverance. In fact, in order to express the idea more perfectly in English, the phrase kinsman-redeemer is used. In Scripture, the word is sometimes translated as redeemer (Job 19:25 NKJV) or avenger (Numbers 35:12).

Bo’az became Ruth’s go’el. He would buy her life back from poverty and widowhood. He would be her deliverer – and Na’omi grasped the potential of this wonderful turn of events the very moment she learned it was Bo’az who had taken an interest in Ruth. He was not only a kinsman; he had the means to be a redeemer also. The contrast between Na’omi’s previous bitterness (1:20-21) and her current joy signaled a reversal of her fortunes.

Na’omi strongly encouraged Ruth to follow Bo’az’s instructions and stay exclusively in his fields. Then Ruth the Moabites said, there is one more thing: Bo’az even said to me, “Stay close to my workers until they finish harvesting all my grain” (2:21). The fact that the narrator again mentions that she is a Moabitess to stress that fact of how unusual it was for a foreigner to gain this much favor, and that amazingly, she apparently understood that she “belonged” to Bo’az’s clan. If to cling to (Hebrew: dabaq) Na’omi meant to embrace Judah and the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and if to stay close to Bo’az’s workers (Hebrew: dabaq) meant to belong to them, then Bo’az was indeed her kinsman-redeemer.⁶⁶

There was a hint of repentance when Na’omi strongly urged her daughter-in-law to listen to Bo’az’s advice, saying: It will be good for you, my daughter, to go with the women who work for him, because in someone’s else’s field you might be harmed.” (2:22). This may have seemed like a pretty obvious response to the gracious offer of Bo’az. Who wouldn’t say in Bo’az’s field? Ruth would be crazy to go anywhere else. But that’s exactly the point! Na’omi and Elimelek had demonstrated precisely that kind of foolish blindness a decade ago; they ignored ADONAI’s faithful provision in the past and went to someone else’s field. Instead of staying in Isra’el, they went to the greener fields of Mo’av. Na’omi had realized her mistake and was warning Ruth not do the same thing. It was if she was saying, “Stay in the field of blessing. Don’t go wandering off as I did!”⁶⁷

In the background of Ruth, the clock is ticking. It’s not noticeable at first because our ears are not attuned to the calendar of redemptive history, but it is remarkable when we notice it. Na’omi and Ruth arrived back in Beit-Lechem at the beginning of the barley harvest (1:22); in other words, they came home at the time of Pesach and Unleavened Bread or sometimes called firstfruits, when the grain harvest began (Deuteronomy 16:9). In ancient times, on this day a sheaf of barley (the first grain crop to ripen) was waved before the LORD in a prescribed ceremony (Leviticus 23:9-12) to mark the start of the forty-nine day countdown to the harvest festival of Shavu’ot (see Ah – The Book of Ruth and Shavu’ot). This would cover a period of three months, corresponding to the time that must elapse before a female proselyte is permitted to marry, and Ruth and Bo’az would see each other on an almost daily basis and got better acquainted at that time.

What better time for an exodus from the fields of Mo’av to the Promised Land? It was the beginning of the year in the Jewish calendar, the fitting time for a fresh start by ADONAI’s grace. As in Chapter 1, the storyteller again stepped forward to close the scene: So Ruth stayed close to the women of Bo’az to glean until the barley harvest was completed. And she lived with her mother-in-law (2:23). By this time they had experienced the firstfruits of God’s deliverance in the gift of Bo’az’s grain, but they had not yet seen the fullness of what YHVH had in store for them.

Ruth not only experiences the firstfruits of ADONAI’s grace, but in a profound sense, she is the firstfruits. Shavu’ot, which is one of the three major festivals in Judaism, was the day that YHVH chose to pour out His Spirit on Jews to form a new messianic community (Acts 2:1-39). Ruth’s inclusion by faith into the righteous of the TaNaKh was a fore-shadowing of the much greater harvest that God one day would reap among the Gentiles as His grace extended to the goyim (Acts 15:1-35; Romans 11:11-24). Focused on their personal needs, Na’omi and Ruth didn’t hear the redemptive clock ticking, but the narrator wants us to hear the sound and reflect on the LORD’s perfect timing.

The clock is ticking for us too. We, who have received the firstfruits of our salvation await its fullness: And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as His adopted children, including the new bodies He has promised us (Romans 8:23 NLT). Often, we are so distracted with the challenge of daily living that we also forget the clock’s persistent beat. And even when we do think about it, our redemption seems to be in slow motion. Yet God is never late and we need to remember that our present groaning will one day give way to shouts of joy, as we are released from sin and receive our glorified bodies. Quieting our hearts and focusing our attention on the reality of the inheritance that is stored up for us in heaven will encourage us to persevere patiently until the sands of God’s time clock runs out.⁶⁸

Dear Father, Sometimes life seems so hard and we cannot see any end to the problem; but when we lift our eyes to the heavens we see Your mighty power and remember that you call each star by its name (Isaiah 40:26). We realize that You know the name of each of our children and You love to care so tenderly for each one. We rejoice in Your love, even when it brings us trials, for we know that You are gently polishing us to bring You glory (First Peter 1:7). We rest confidently in Your care, knowing that all our trials and problems will soon be over and You will gather Your children for eternal joy in heaven. We trust and love You and rejoice in pleasing You. In Your holy Son’s name and power of resurrection. Amen

Bo’az Provides for Ruth
2: 14-17

Bo’az provides for Ruth DIG: What are the three ways in which Bo’az foreshadows Messiah? Specifically, what is the fourth requirement of the kinsman-redeemer? How does this scene reveal the character of Bo’az? What did he do that was surprising? How did he display chesed to Ruth? What would have been unusual about Bo’az personally serving Ruth the roasted grain? How did Bo’az make the rest of her day easier? What was amazing about his instructions? What was shocking about the amount of barley Ruth brought home?

REFLECT: Describe a time when you have been especially kind to someone in need. How important is it to share a meal with other believers? Is there a difference when sharing a meal with non-believers? What’s the difference? How does it make you feel to protect someone who is vulnerable? When was the last time you did so? How are you best filled spiritually? Worship? The Word? Fellowship? Ministry?

After Ruth had said, “My lord, I hope I continue pleasing you. You have comforted and encouraged me, even though I’m not one of your servants” (2:13 CJB), there was a pause of unknown duration because the next scene is at mealtime. This pregnant pause allowed the importance of Ruth’s words to have their full impact on this noontime scene.

8. Bo’az foreshadows Christ because he ate with her and personally handed her the food. The meal begins innocently enough, as Bo’az and his workers pause at noon to refresh themselves after a morning of hard work. The fact that Bo’az ate with his harvesters says something about his character, but his actions at this meal must have caught everyone by surprise. At mealtime Bo’az said to Ruth, “Come over here, have something to eat, and dip your bread in the [olive oil and] vinegar. This is an example of Bo’az’s chesed (to see link click Af – The Concept of Chesed). She was not left to take care of herself as gleaners usually were, but instead, sat by the harvesters.

Then Bo’az personally served Ruth roasted grain. The narrator deliberately highlights this extraordinary action by using a word that occurs only here in the TaNaKh.⁵⁹ Bo’az reached out (Hebrew singular: tsabat) with his hand and personally served her some roasted grain (like bread, roasted grain was a staple of Isra’el’s diet). And emphasizing his special generosity, she ate until she was full, and she had some left over, which she quietly put into her pocket (2:14 CJB). It must have seemed like a feast to her. Messiah also ate personally with His disciples and handed them food. And while they were eating Jesus took a piece of matzah, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to His apostles saying: Take and eat, this is My body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of Me (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Kj – Breaking the Middle Matzah).

After the meal Ruth returned to her task. But her way was made easier by the instruction from Bo’az to his young men. He did not leave the matter to his overseer, but personally took charge to make sure everyone clearly understood. When she got up to glean, Bo’az also got up gave them this order, “Let her glean even among the bundles of gain and do not rebuff her. In fact, he went further: Pull out for her some grain from the bundles on purpose and leave them for her to glean (2:15-16a CJB). They were to intentionally pull some of the stalks of grain from the bundles and leave them lying for Ruth to pick-up without much effort. The handfuls to be pulled were the amount that would be grasped in the left hand while being cut by with a sickle in the right hand.⁶⁰

This was usually not allowed (Deuteronomy 24:19), but Bo’az makes an exception in her case. This went well beyond the usual generosity and compassion for the poor who were normally allowed to glean only after the harvesters had completed their work. This shows Bo’az was developing a special interest in Ruth who begins to win his heart because of her humility, her concern and care for Na’omi, and for her love of the God of Isra’el.⁶¹ Was this a friendship or a courtship? All we know is that their friendship was growing. Whether one or the other realized it was a courtship – we just don’t know. If Bo’az was falling for her, he probably thought he couldn’t compete with the young men of the city.

And a final word of warning: And don’t discourage her” (2:16b CJB). One can well imagine the abuse that people like Ruth, who arrive at the field uninvited, might receive from those who had been properly hired by the landowner to harvest the crops. Therefore Bo’az lets his workers know that they are not to treat Ruth that way. They will not threaten her physically or discourage her psychologically with snide comments about being a Moabitess or the low class she represents just because she was forced to go begging for fields in which she might glean. Bo’az is pictured as a compassionate and kindly kinsman.

9. Bo’az foreshadows Messiah because the fourth requirement of a kinsman-redeemer is that he must be free himself, and throughout the book of Ruth, Bo’az is presented as a free man. Yeshua was Himself free from sin: God made Him who was free from sin to be a sin offering on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. And when the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed (Second Corinthians 5:21 and John 8:36).

The narrator quickly switches our attention to Ruth’s activities for the rest of the day. So Ruth gleaned in the field until evening. All day long, Ruth labored with a happy and hopeful heart. She didn’t have to worry about the men chasing her away, or hindering her in any way. She had food when she was hungry, drink when she was thirsty, and a place to rest when she became weary.⁶²

10. Bo’az foreshadows Messiah because he saw to it that she was satisfied. When she beat out what she had gathered, it came to about a bushel of barley, approximately thirty pounds. To emphasize that Ruth collected that much in one day was truly shocking. It testified to Bo’az’s generosity and Ruth’s tenacity. The harvesters had evidently followed Bo’az’s instructions faithfully. This meant that Ruth had gathered enough to sustain herself and her mother-in-law for at least half a month (2:17 CJB). That was in one day! Over the next several months of the barley and wheat harvests, Ruth would be able to glean enough for almost a year’s supply. The two women could not have imagined in their wildest dreams such a provision when they first returned from Mo’av.⁶³ Messiah makes sure that we are satisfied spiritually. When describing the characteristics of true righteousness on the Sermon on the Mount (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Db – Blessed are the Poor in Spirit for Theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven), where He said: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled (Mat 5:6; Luke 6:21a).

The narrator leaves us with several questions after the noontime meal. How will Na’omi respond to Ruth’s experience? The last time we saw Na’omi, she was very depressed, sharing her bitterness with the women of Beit-Lechem and being very snippy with Ruth. What does the future now hold for Na’omi? How would her family line escape extinction? Does the attraction of Bo’az give us a hint that he himself might help solve the problem?

Dear Father God, How wonderful to think of eating with You at the wedding supper of the Lamb (Revelation 13:9). Praise Your chesed love and undeserved kindness towards Your children. Your love is too deep for us to grasp. How wonderful that give Your children the righteousness of Messiah, their Savior (Second Corinthians 5:21) so that they can enter heaven to live with You forever! We delight in serving You now, with a heart full of gratitude and great love for You. In the holy name of Your Son and the power of His resurrection. Amen

Bo’az’s Grace and Ruth’s Gratitude
2: 8-13

Bo’az’s grace and Ruth’s gratitude DIG: In what three ways does Bo’az foreshadow Christ? Why did Bo’az address Ruth as, “My daughter?” How did he provide for her? Protect her? What was her reaction? How did her reaction give us a clue as to what kind of person Ruth was? What are some clues we’ve seen in Ruth’s story so far that she was a woman who had drawn close to ADONAI?

REFLECT: If you suddenly had no means of supporting yourself, do you think your reaction would be like Orpah (and do what was expected of you)? Like Ruth (simple, humble action)? Or like Na’omi (with some bitterness creeping in)? Why? When was the last time you exhibited an unmerited act of kindness to display the LORD’s love to others? Whom do you know that needs to be reminded that God still loves them? What will you do today to demonstrate such love? How close to YHVH do you feel right now?

Now came the moment of truth. As it turned out (2:3b) ADONAI had placed Ruth and Bo’az together on the same field, but how would that upright Israelite nobleman treat this foreigner. Would he look down on the Moabitess? Or maybe would her presence make him uncomfortable! Would he respect or condemn her for coming to the field alone? More importantly, how would he view her unusual request?⁵²

5. Bo’az foreshadows Messiah because he took the first step toward Ruth. In spite of the difference between their social standings, Bo’az took the first step toward Ruth. He said to her, “My daughter, listen to me.” Bo’az called Ruth “My daughter” because she was younger than he (3:10), but it was also a term of endearment. Messiah takes the first step toward us because while we were yet sinners he died for us (Romans 5:8). Christ adopts us into His own family (see the commentary on The Life of Christ, to see link click Bw – What God Does For Us at the Moment of Faith), and Bo’az treated Ruth like family.

6. Bo’az foreshadows Messiah because he promised to protect and provide for Ruth. He encouraged her to gather barley only in his field and to stay close to his harvesters. Don’t go to glean in another field, don’t leave this place. His sudden candor may betray some irritation with his overzealous overseer. Bo’az told her, “Stick (Hebrew: dabaq, which means to stick like glue) here with my working girls who were immediately following the harvesters” (2:8 CJB). The rabbis teach that the word dabaq was used by Bo’az to show his awareness of the incident on the road to Beit-Lechem when Ruth cleaved to Na’omi (1:14). If the overseer had already given her permission to glean after the harvesters as she had asked (2:7a) there would be no need for Bo’az to say: Keep your eyes on whichever field the harvesters are working in, and follow the girls (2:9a CJB). Messiah also promised to protect and provide for us, saying: I AM the Good Shepherd. I know My sheep and My sheep follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of My hand (John 10:14, 27-28; also see the commentary on The Life of Christ Ms – The Eternal Security of the Believer).

I’ve ordered the young men not to touch you (2:9b GWT). His words protected Ruth from anything harmful. When she got up to glean, Bo’az continued to warn his young men, saying: Let her glean even among the bundles of gain themselves, without making her feel ashamed. In fact, pull some ears of grain out from the bundles on purpose. Leave them for her to glean, and don’t rebuke her (2:15-16). The meaning of rebuke here probably has the meaning of don’t bother or rough her up. Perhaps a common scene during the harvest time lay behind his command. One can imagine enthusiastic gleaners, desperate for food, who ignored repeated verbal warnings, overstepping the line between “gleaner” and “harvester,” and had to be forcibly restrained by workers. Also recall that Ruth’s request went far beyond what the normal limits of a gleaner would be. Therefore, to head off a potential ugly incident, Bo’az informed his workers of the freedom he had given Ruth and ordered them to suspend their customary protectiveness. She was not to be “shooed away” or mistreated in any way. Like Sarah (Genesis 20:6) and Rebekah (Genesis 26:29), both foreigners living on alien soil, Ruth was to experience special protection in advance.⁵³

He also gave her permission to drink from the water he supplied his servants. Whenever you get thirsty, go and drink from the water jars the young men have filled (2:9c CJB). Normally in the ancient Near East foreigners would draw water for Israelites, and women would draw water for men. Consequently, Bo’az’s provision was extraordinary (see Af – The Concept of Chesed).⁵⁴

Can you imagine the impact these words must have had on Ruth, the outsider? These were the first kind words she had heard since she left Mo’av. More than that, they were a blessing that sought the favor of ADONAI upon her, as if she too were a member of the covenant community. Bo’az recognized the sincerity of Ruth’s words to Na’omi when they left Mo’av. He saw that she was turning her back not only on her homeland, but also her former gods, and looking to YHVH for refuge. Therefore, Bo’az prayed for God to grant her the protection she was seeking. Here was the gracious and warm response to commitment to Na’omi on the road to Beit-Lechem that she deserved but never received.⁵⁵

7. Bo’az foreshadows Messiah because he comforts Ruth. Ruth, moved by his gentle kindness and generosity, knew full well that such extreme generosity was highly unusual, especially toward an impoverished woman from a foreign land. Deeply moved by his warmth, she fell on her face, prostrating herself, and said to him, “Why are you showing me such favor? Why are you paying attention to me? After all, I’m only a foreigner” (2:10 CJB). As foreigners in this world, Messiah comforts us when He says: Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in Me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going (Yochanan 14:1-4).

Bo’az answered her (Hebrew: wayya’anah signifies raising the voice), and speaking so everyone in the field could hear, said: I’ve heard the whole story, everything you’ve done for you mother-in-law since your husband died, including how you left your father and mother and the land you were born in to come to a people about whom you knew nothing beforehand (2:11 CJB).

Then Bo’az gave her an unusual blessing that revealed what a godly man he was: May ADONAI reward (Hebrew: shalem) you for what you’ve done (2:12a CJB). The key verb shalem meaning to make whole, to complete. It refers either to the final completion of an action begun earlier or to the restoration of a wholeness disturbed earlier. It can be an economic term for transactions involving compensation or repayment.

Behind this blessing stood the principle that YHVH has a set up in this world: a steam of blessing and a stream of cursing. A godly lifestyle brings blessing: Blessed are those who reject the advice of the wicked, don’t stand on the way of sinners or sit where the scoffers sit! Their delight is in ADONAI’s Torah; on His Torah they meditate day and night. They are like trees planted by streams – they bear their fruit in season, their leaves never wither, everything they do succeeds (Psalm 1:1-3). And a godless lifestyle brings cursing: Not so the wicked, who are like chaff driven by the wind. For this reason the wicked won’t stand up to the judgment nor will sinners at the gathering of the righteous. For ADONAI watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked is doomed (Psalm 1:4-6). ADONAI was Ruth’s God, she was living that stream of blessing and she was being rewarded.

May you be richly rewarded by ADONAI the God of Isra’el, under whose wings (Hebrew wings plural: kenapim) you have come for refuge” (2:12b). Ruth has sought refuge/asylum. The singular word kanaph can mean wing or corner of a garment. Here, it represents the image of a bird tenderly protecting its young. Like a defenseless bird, Ruth sat securely under YHVH’s mighty wings. But later on the threshing floor, the same word will be used to describe how Ruth essentially proposed marriage, and asked Bo’az to spread the corner his robe over her (3:9) So just as Ruth would take refuge under the wings of God, she would take refuge under the wings of her husband. The audience now wondered how Elohim would guide what Ruth unknowingly began, to its unexpected good ending.⁵⁶

Her reply was equally gracious and beautiful for its humility. She said, “My lord, I hope I continue pleasing you. You have comforted and encouraged me, even though I’m not one of your servants” (2:13 CJB). Unworthy as Ruth felt herself to be of all of the kindness she had experienced, she was deeply stirred by the comforting worlds which “fell on her heart like showers on the mown grass,” and would themselves be sufficient to win her gratitude even if Bo’az did no more. Ruth, the Moabitess, had, for the first time, been made to feel that there might be a place for her among the Israelites. Why should anyone, especially a man of standing in the community like Bo’az, take such kind notice of a foreign woman like herself, who was an nobody in everyone else’s eyes?⁵⁷

His words sounded like a great, joyous sigh of relief after the days of uncertainty since her husband’s death (1:5). One can only imagine what fears crossed her mind the morning as she headed for the field. However, the kindness of Bo’az was a response to her get-up-and-go. She had drawn him into her story, not the other way around. The respect shown to her should not mask her determination and courage. After all, even in submissiveness she still had the last word. Indeed, her impressive remark left Bo’az as speechless as her earlier one on the dusty road to Beit-Lechem had left Na’omi (1:16-18).⁵⁸

Dear Father God, It is wonderful to know and to love You! Just as listening to the words of her redeemer brought peace to Ruth, so when we read Your words in scripture – we are filled with peace. Thank You for being our loving shepherd (Psalms 23), for making an eternal home in heaven for our children (John 14:2-3). Help us to instead of complaining about problems, to read Your Word and to rest in Your eternal love for Your children. It is comforting to spend time worshiping You, for You are so worthy and we love You always! In Your holy Son’s name and power of resurrection. Amen

Bo’az and the Overseer
2: 4-7

Bo’az and the overseer DIG: What was Ruth looking for? What did she find? What does Bo’az’s greeting tell us about him? In what sense did Bo’az inquire about Ruth at first? What did the overseer tell Bo’az about Ruth’s request earlier that day? What had Ruth being doing all morning? Why? What did that tell Bo’az about her? What can we gather about Ruth’s character from this scene?

REFLECT: Who is a boss or leader you have served with whose presence always made you feel special? Who are some leaders you are serving with right now? What are you gleaning (good or bad) from them?

When Ruth set out that morning to glean in the fields, she was looking for someone who would show her grace. She said to Naomi, “Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor” (2:2, also see 2:10 and 13). Grace is given on those who don’t deserve it and can’t earn it. As a woman, a poor widow, and an alien, Ruth wasn’t above anyone. In fact, she was at the lowest rung of the social ladder.

The channel of that grace was Bo’az. How good to know that YHVH has good people living in bad times! The book of Judges makes it seem as if righteousness had vanished from the earth (Psalm 12:1-2; Isaiah 57:1; First Kings 19:10; Micah 7:2). However, there were still godly people like Bo’az who knew ADONAI and sought to obey Him.⁴⁹

Just then Bo’az arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters. No finer introduction could be given to an unknown person than what was said about her to Bo’az. We know, from the introductory remark to this chapter that he was a man of importance. Now, as he appears on the scene, we learn that he combines with his wealth, a rare nobility of character. Very often in the Bible, a person’s first words tell you something significant. Bo’az’s first words certainly do. He greeted his harvesters by saying, “ADONAI be with you,” and they answered him, “ADONAI bless you” by granting a rich and abundant crop (2:4). The narrator included this exchange so that we can immediately tell that Bo’az honored the LORD in his work and was respected by his workers. The rabbis teach that each overseer was in charge of forty-two workers.

Bo’az visited his field to see the progress of the harvest. Barring discovering something unusual, he would simply check on things, encourage his workers, and be on his way. But no sooner had he greeted his workers than someone caught his eye . . . an unfamiliar figure. Then Bo’az asked the overseer of his harvesters, “Who does that young woman belong to” (2:5)? Bo’az knew all of his young, female workers since he was the one who hired them. Failing to recognize Ruth, he asked who her employer was.⁵⁰

The rabbis teach that the interest of Bo’az was aroused by her extreme modesty. She would only pick up the ears of corn when two of them fell from the hands of the harvesters but not if three, as the law prescribed (Peah 6:5). Moreover, she would never inelegantly stoop to take the gleanings, but would gather them either standing or squatting. All the other women lift up their skirts, but she kept hers down. All the other women jest with the harvesters, but she was reserved.

The overseer replied: She is the Moabite who returned (shuwb) from Mo’av with Na’omi (2:6). Bo’az, as with all Beit-Lechem, knew of Na’omi’s return; therefore, because Elimelek was a [blood] relative from the same clan (2:1a) he was related by marriage to this young woman and instantly took an interest in her and started to treat her differently (to see link click As – Bo’az’s Grace and Ruth’s Gratitude).

Ruth asked the overseer if she would be allowed to glean, piling her gleanings in different parts of the field, then return and gather all the piles together. Then she asked: Please let me gather what falls from the bundles behind the harvesters (2:7a). This was an unusual request because the harvesters cut the barley with their sickles while the female workers followed behind them binding the cut barley into bundles. Ruth asked if she could walk with the female workers. This gave her the first chance at the best barley and was regarded as a special favor (2:15). One suspects it would have increased her chances of gathering enough grain to provide for both Na’omi and herself.

Then the overseer explained to Bo’az what had happened earlier that day before he came to check on the harvest. The overseer said: She came into the field and has remained standing (Hebrew: amad) here from morning till now (before lunch), except for a short rest in the shelter (2:7b). Evidently, Ruth had asked the overseer that morning if she could gather what fell from the bundles behind the harvesters. But because it was such an unusual request, he didn’t feel like he had the authority to give her permission. She stood there in the hot sun all morning waiting for permission for her extraordinary request until someone other than the overseer, who apparently either refused answer her or lacked the authority to give permission, arrived. It seemed like the only break she took was to sit for a short rest in the shelter for the workers on the field. Therefore, 2:3 is not to be understood as the beginning of Ruth’s gleaning, but as a summary statement of the entire account (21-17). When Bo’az arrived, he immediately responded to her request (2:8).

From this scene the narrator develops the character of Ruth . . . indeed, a model of true devotion. She had shown admirable determination and patience. These traits not only made her attractive to Bo’az (not an unimportant point) but also contributed to a major theme. By stressing her worthy character, the narrator offered Ruth a divinely given exception to the strict provisions of Deuteronomy 23:3-6. He implied that the Moabites, who evidenced both providential guidance and the exemplary traits of Israelites, were welcomed into the house of Isra’el. She was, in fact, worthy to be Bo’az’s wife, with all the civil and religious rights that went with marriage.⁵¹

Dear Wonderful Father God. Nothing happens by accident. Sometimes we have to wait to hear Your answer, but You have heard us immediately and reply at the best time. Though often we cannot see Your fingerprints on what happens in our lives, it fills us with hope and peace to know how great is Your tender care for each of Your children. Someday all our trials will be over. He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more. Nor shall there be mourning or crying or pain any longer, for the former things have passed away. (Revelation 21:4).

Help me to keep my eyes on You and not on the problem. As I choose to meditate on the many times you have shown your gracious love and mighty power to Your children, my problem becomes smaller. I choose to place my difficult situations into Your big hands for You are my Mighty Sovereign Father God who is more than able to handle any situation! I love You, Father, and delight in pleasing You. In the name of your holy Son and the power of His resurrection. Amen

Ruth Gleans in the Field of Bo’az
2: 1-3

Ruth gleans in the field of Bo’az DIG: What are four ways that Bo’az foreshadows the coming of Messiah? What is a go’el? What were the three obligations of the kinsman-redeemer? Why would Bo’az be sympathetic to the plight of a foreign woman like Ruth? How were Na’omi’s and Ruth’s roles reversed in these verses? What provision did ADONAI make for the poor of Isra’el? What did Ruth ask Na’omi’s permission to do? What was Na’omi’s reaction? What does this tell us about her? What signs of hope do you see in these verses?

REFLECT: Describe some of the trials you have persisted through. If you are in the midst of a trial, do you see a “field of hope” nearby? Where is it? Who is in it with you? What provision have you made for the poor in your community? What signs of hope has the LORD given to you? How has ADONAI guided your steps? Does YHVH have a plan for your life? Can you say no to God and make it stick? How do you reconcile the sovereignty of God in our lives and our free will to choose?

Before ADONAI changes our circumstances, He wants to change our hearts. If our circumstances change for the better, but we remain the same, then we will become embittered. God’s purpose is not to make us comfortable, but to make us comfortable in being conformed into the image of His Son (Romans 8:29). Christlike character is the divine goal for all of His children.

Na’omi was bitter against God, but Ruth was willing for YHVH to have His way in her life, so God began His gracious work with Ruth. She would influence Na’omi, and then God would bring to pass a wonderful work that would eventually bring Jesus into the world. Ruth and Na’omi had no idea that they were part of an eternal plan that would fulfill God’s promise to Abraham that his seed would bring blessing to the whole world (see the commentary on Genesis, to see link click Dt – I Will Bless Those Who Bless You and Whoever Curses You I Will Curse).

As with Joseph (see the commentary on Genesis Iw – The Written Account of the Generations of Jacob), while not identified as a type of Christ in the B’rit Chadashah, Bo’az prepares us for, or foreshadows, Messiah. There are twelve ways that the life of Bo’az illustrates the coming of our Lord as seen in his actions.

There were three obligations of the kinsman-redeemer (Hebrew: go’el). First, he was to redeem his brother and his brother’s inheritance, according to his ability to do so if it was poverty that compelled his brother to sell himself into slavery or to dispose of his land. Secondly, he was to serve as the avenger of his brother’s blood. And thirdly, he was to rise up a successor to his brother, if his brother had died without leaving a son.

A go’el was usually a prominent male in one’s extended family. He was the official guardian of the family’s honor. If the occasion arose, he would be the one to avenge the blood of a murdered relative (Joshua 20:2-9). He could buy back family lands sold in times of hardship (Leviticus 25:23-28). He could pay the redemption-price for family members sold into slavery (Leviticus 25:47-49). Or if he were a single man or widower and thus eligible to marry, he could revive the family lineage when someone died without an heir by marrying the widow and fathering offspring who would inherit the name and the property of the one who had died. This was known as the duty of levirate marriage, and Deuteronomy 25:5-10 presented it as a duty in cases where one brother (obviously unmarried and presumably younger) was living in the household of a married brother who died. If the surviving brother refused to fulfill of the go’el by marrying his brother’s widow, he was treated with contempt by the entire village or city.

The TaNaKh places a great deal of emphasis on the role of the go’el. There was a significant redemptive aspect to this person’s function. Every kinsman-redeemer was, in effect, a living illustration of the position and work of Messiah with respect to His people. 1. Bo’az foreshadows Messiah as our true Kinsman-Redeemer, and Yeshua becomes our human Brother and buys us back from our bondage to sin. He bought us back from spiritual death with His blood and ultimately returns to us everything we lost because of our sin. In a very real sense, Jesus is the Kinsman-Redeemer of Adam. He will act as the Redeemer who comes to take back the earth that is rightfully His, and to claim His bride (Revelation 19:7, 21:2 and 9, 22:17). And like the Year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25), all debts will be paid in full (John 19:30), and the slaves (of sin) will go free.

2. Bo’az foreshadows Messiah because one requirement of a kinsman-redeemer was to be a blood relative. Now Na’omi had a [blood] relative on her husband’s side (2:1a). The Bible doesn’t spell out the relationship. He might have been Elimelek’s brother, but that seems unlikely, since he wasn’t, technically, Na’omi’s next of kin (3:12). Therefore, he was more likely a cousin or nephew of Elimelek. Jesus was a blood relative of humanity in general (John 1:14; Philippians 2:1-11), but He was particularly a blood relative of the Jewish people (Matthew 1:1-16).

Bo’az was also a direct descendant of Rahab. Matthew 1:5 says: Salmon the father of Bo’az, whose mother was Rahab, and that agrees with Ruth 4:21, but the number of years spanning the time between the fall of Jericho and the start of the Davidic dynasty suggest that there be more generations between Salmon and David than either Matthew 1 or Ruth 4 explicitly name. Hebrew genealogy often used a kind of shorthand, skipping generations between well-known ancestors. Matthew seems to do this deliberately to achieve a kind of numerical symmetry in the genealogical listing (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Ai – The Genealogies of Joseph and Mary) – probably as an aid to memorization. So rather than being an immediate son of Rahab, Bo’az may very well have been a great-grandson. Nevertheless, he was a direct descendent of Rahab. He undoubtedly knew her story well and was proud of his heritage. His connection with Rahab would certainly have softened his heart to be sympathetic to the plight of a foreign woman like Ruth who had embraced YHVH with a faith reminiscent of Rahab’s.⁴²

3. Bo’az foreshadows Messiah because another requirement of a kinsman-redeemer was to be able to pay the price of redemption, and Bo’az was a man of great wealth from the clan of Elimelek (2:1b). He lived an exemplary lifestyle (Hebrew: gabor, meaning familiarity, or a mighty man of valor). Yeshua is more than able to save those who come to God through Him because He always lives to intercede for them at the right hand of the Father (Hebrews 7:25; Acts 7:55-56). He also lived an exemplary lifestyle: Be imitators of God (Ephesians 5:1).

4. Bo’az foreshadows Messiah because another requirement of a kinsman-redeemer is that he must possess the means of redemption, and, once again, Bo’az had the means to take care of Ruth. Messiah possessed the means of redemption, His own, innocent, human blood (Isaiah 53:5; John 1:29; First Peter 1:18-19). This is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins (Mattityahu 26:28).

Ruth was now a believer. She was in the land of Isra’el. How would she act? How would she survive? Since Moabites were excluded from the congregation of Isra’el (Deuteronomy 23:3), she would be sustained by the grace and mercy of the LORD. Ruth, gentle, kind, considerate and hardworking, goes out into the fields of Beit-Lechem to glean for food.

In this short scene the roles of the two women reverse. For the first time Ruth is portrayed as the primary actor, and Na’omi’s role is secondary. And Ruth the Moabite said to Na’omi, “Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor” (2:2). The poor were not simply to depend on handouts from the state (what a concept); rather, they were entitled by the Torah to the ears of corn that fell from the hands of the harvesters (Leviticus 19:9-10, 23:22; Deuteronomy 24:19). But some landowners were more willing to follow the commands of the Torah than others. Nothing was guaranteed. The reader wonders if Ruth will find a gracious harvest host. If so, this would relieve Na’omi of the humiliation she would suffer having to glean among the very poor. But this was a dangerous proposal on Ruth’s account, especially for a foreign woman, a Moabites, who had no clan connections to protect her or call on in times of distress.

Tersely, Na’omi replied: yalak beth, “Go ahead, my daughter.” Still absorbed with her bitterness, Na’omi only managed to mumble two Hebrew words. No words of encouragement or appreciation. No warning of danger. Without explanation, the narrator pushes on to the fields and the meeting with Bo’az. Indeed, the hurried push ahead hinted that this day might be a turning point for Ruth. So Ruth chose to go out, entered a field and began to glean behind the harvesters (2:3a). This is to be understood not as the beginning of Ruth’s gleaning, but as a summary statement of the entire account (2:1-17).⁴³ To live by faith means to take God at His word and then act upon it, for faith without works is dead (James 2:20 NKJV). Since Ruth believed YHVH loved her and would provide for her, she made the decision to find a field in which she could glean.

Whether or not despair and bitterness drove Na’omi’s apathy, it is clearly a problem with us as well. When we stop believing in the goodness of ADONAI and give ourselves over to doubt and worry, we can easily sink into depressing laziness. This can lead to a downward spiral in which our inactivity makes our situation worse and deepens our despair, which in turn makes us feel less inclined than ever to step out into what we believe is a hostile world. The key to breaking the cycle is grasping hold of the LORD’s promise to favor us. If we can look to the cross and grasp the height and depth of God’s love for us in Yeshua, then how can we doubt His desire to give us everything necessary for life and godliness? If we feel the smile of the Father’s favor toward us in Messiah, in spite of our history of sin and failure, then we will be encouraged to step out again in faith. We will still not know what the future holds, yet if we know that the One who holds the future cares for us, that is the first step upward on the long road to obedience becomes possible again.⁴⁴

As it turned out God guided her steps for she was working in a field belonging to Bo’az (2:3b). The Hebrew reads, “Her chance chanced upon the field of Bo’az.” From a human perspective Ruth did not realize the full significance of what she was doing. She did not know the people; she did not know the owner of the field. She came to the field and, apparently by chance, worked in the section of the field belonging to Bo’az. The Hebrew refers to the piece of the field belonging to Bo’az. This probably means that part of the common field that belonged to Bo’az. At that time the grain fields were not divided from on another by a fence or hedge, but the boundary was simply indicated by stones.⁴⁵

But from a divine perspective this was the providence of YHVH. We know from the teaching of Scripture that God Himself providentially orchestrated these events. Proverbs 16:33 says: The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from ADONAI (also see the commentary on Exodus Gb – The Urim and Thummim: The Means of Making Decisions). Nothing happens by “chance,” but God is always behind the scenes, working all things together for the good of His people (Rom 8:28). There is no such thing as “luck” or “fate” for believers.⁴⁶ This was all part of a higher plan. There were no angelic visions to direct her to the right field or voices from heaven to guide her. However, as she trusted in the LORD, He directed her steps unwittingly to exactly the right location. In their hearts humans plan their course, but ADONAI establishes their steps (Proverbs 16:9).⁴⁷

Ruth’s arrival at the field of Bo’az is providential on two accounts. First, Bo’az was a gracious man in whose eyes Ruth would find favor. And second, the author then repeats the fact that Bo’az was from the clan of Elimelek, a near kinsman (2:3c). The hand of ADONAI was over Ruth’s life, and he doesn’t want us to miss the point.

Having thus spoken of God’s providence, however, we must rescue ourselves from the very wooden view of YHVH that some have. A wiser view is that we’re not like pawns in some divine chess game, or puppets on strings worked by some celestial Puppeteer. Exactly the opposite. Both the TaNaKh and the B’rit Chadashah leave us with the paradox that on the one hand, human choices and responsibilities are very much our concern and that we work out our faith with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12), and on the other hand, it is God who works in us to will and to act in order to fulfill His good purpose (Philippians 2:13).⁴⁸ So which is it? Did God guide Ruth’s steps so she ended up gleaning in the field of her kinsman-redeemer or did Ruth make a decision to go herself? The answer is yes.

ADONAI is sovereign in our lives; but we can say no to God and make it stick. Let’s look at our salvation for example. One the one hand, the Bible teaches that the LORD has chosen us before the foundations of the world (Romans 8:29; Ephesians 1:14; First Peter 1:20; Revelation 13:8). But the other hand, the Scriptures also teach that we have the freedom to choose or reject the salvation that He offers (Mark 8:34; John 1:12-13; Romans 10:9-10; Revelation 3:20). How can these two truths be reconciled? They are antimony, meaning two biblical truths that seem to be mutually exclusive, but both are true. Another example of antimony is the Trinity. We can’t explain it – we just accept it. So yes, YHVH ordained Ruth end up in the field of Bo’az, and Ruth decided to go glean there. Antimony.

Dear Father God, We love and praise You. How wise and caring You are! Just as You guided Ruth to the right field to glean, so as Your children listen to You, You guide every step of their lives. Praise You for redeeming our lives and for walking with us (Hebrews 13:5) on a daily basis – guiding, and caring for each detail of Your children’s lives to mold them to be more like Your holy Son and to bring you glory (First Peter 1:7). How gracious You are to not only pay the penalty for our sin, He made the One who knew no sin to become a sin offering on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (Second Corinthians 5:21); but You also give eternal rewards to your children when they do deeds out of a heart of love for You (First Corinthians 3:14). We love You and rejoice in telling others about You. It is like finding our perfect partner when we find You – even better! In your holy Son’s name and power of resurrection. Amen

Scene Two:
Ruth Meets Bo’az in the Grain Field
2: 1-23

This chapter gives us a glimpse of the life of the poor in ancient Palestine. There were not many ways of making a living open to widows, but one way was provided by the custom of gleaning. It was laid down in the Torah that at harvest-time a man must not reap his land to the very border, not should he pick up what was left after the reapers went through (Leviticus 19:9 and 23:22). Indeed, if he forgot a bundle of harvested grain stalks and left it in the field he was forbidden to go back for it (Deuteronomy 24:19). In this way there was a certain provision was made for the poor. They could go through the fields after the reapers and glean what they could. Similar provision was made concerning the grape harvest (Leviticus 19:10 and Deuteronomy 24:21), and the olive harvest (Deuteronomy 24:20). Ruth and Na’omi were obviously poor and it was the providence of YHVH that allowed them to arrive at the beginning of the barley harvest.

After three months, Ruth proceeds, under the direction of Na’omi, to the field where Bo’az was winnowing grain in the cool refreshing breeze of the Palestine summer evening. And seizing the moment when Bo’az had retired to rest on the threshing floor, Ruth reminds him that he is her nearest kinsman and that there were certain duties he owed to Na’omi and herself. In the stillness of the night Bo’az readily acknowledges his obligations, but reminds Ruth that there is a nearer kinsman than he, whose rights had priority over his own. He expresses his determination, in the event that the unnamed kinsman would fail to accept his responsibilities to the last detail.

Before God changes our circumstances, He wants to change our hearts. If our circumstances change for the better, but we remain the same, then the outcome will be worse. ADONAI’s purpose in providence is not to make us comfortable in this world, but to make us comfortable in conforming to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29). Godly character is the divine goal for all of His children.

Na’omi was bitter against YHVH, but Ruth was willing for God to have His way in her life, so the LORD began His gracious work with her. Ruth would influence Na’omi to align her will to God’s plan that would eventually bring God’s Son into the world. Ruth and Na’omi had no idea that they were part of an eternal plan that would fulfill YHVH’s promise to Abraham that his seed would bring blessing to the whole world (Genesis 12:1-3). Ruth’s story begins with the death of a husband, but will end with the birth of a baby.

Don’t Call Me Na’omi, Call Me Marah
1: 19-22

Don’t call me Na’omi, call me Marah DIG: Why do you think the whole town was stirred by Na’omi’s return? How do you think Ruth felt when she wasn’t introduced to the women who welcomed Na’omi? Both Ruth, in verses 16-17, and Na’omi, in verses 20-21, confess God’s sovereign control of events, each in her own way. What truth does each convey to ADONAI? Of themselves? Of their success in coping with stress? Which confession do you think have startled the original reader most? How could Na’omi have gotten rid of her bitterness?

REFLECT: What happens to believers when they concentrate more on themselves and their problems than on ADONAI? Who do you want beside you when you go through something difficult? What experiences have you had in starting over as Ruth and Na’omi did? How does someone who is bitter treat others? What are some situations (whether present of past) that have left you feeling bitter? How did you deal with it?

So the two women went on until they came to Beit-Lechem, a journey of about seventy-five miles (1:19a CJB). This was not an easy trip. They traveled from the Moabite highlands to the Jordan Valley, a descent of 4,500 feet. Then they would have climbed to Beit-Lechem, an assent of 3,750 feet, walking through the wilderness of Judah.³⁶

While their husbands were out in the fields, the women of Beit-Lechem saw the pair approaching. The whole town was stirred and ran out to greet them. They exclaimed, “Can this be Na’omi” (1:19b CJB)? The fact that so many women remembered her and were so glad to see her suggests that she had once been a gregarious soul, beloved by all who knew her. The word stirred (Hebrew: hwn), is the same form of the verb that expresses the excitement in the Israelite camp when the ark of the Covenant was brought in (First Samuel 4:5), and the rejoicing at Solomon’s anointing that dismayed Adonijah (First Kings 1:45).

Na’omi means pleasant, and in an earlier time it must have been a perfect description of her. The fact that so many women remembered her and were so glad to see her suggests that she had once been a gregarious soul, loved by all who knew her. But now her life was colored with bitterness. “Don’t call me Na’omi [pleasant],” she answered them, “call me Marah [bitter], because Shaddai (to see link click Ag – The Meaning of Shaddai) has made my life very bitter (1:20). This was not the same Na’omi whom they had known a decade before. The years in Mo’av had taken their toll on Na’omi’s appearance and personality. Living in “the world” had made her bitter . . . not better.

Once again, Na’omi does not believe in mere chance, but in divine providence. Her grief and depression that had earlier expressed itself toward God (1:13) continued. I went out full, with a husband and two sons, and ADONAI has brought me back (shuwb) empty-handed (in the emphatic position), as if say, “With absolutely nothing.” Really Na’omi? Nothing? What did that make Ruth? Less than nothing? Was that a nothing standing right beside you? She had given up everything for you, and now she was nothing! The Moabites certainly didn’t rate very high in Na’omi’s estimation at this point.

It is equally striking that when the women of Beit-Lechem welcomed Na’omi home, they didn’t even lower themselves to notice Ruth standing there. The narrator seems to go out of his way to point out their deliberate omission: So the two women went on until they came to Beit-Lechem. And when they came to Beit-Lechem the whole town was stirred because of them. In other words, everyone in Beit-Lechem could see that there were two women standing there. But instead of asking the obvious question, “Who is this with you?” the townspeople could only say: Can this be Na’omi? neatly sidestepping the embarrassing question about who this appendage might be. Awkward! It spoke volumes that Na’omi didn’t mention Ruth at all, either being self-absorbed or embarrassed.

It is also notable that Na’omi wasn’t broken and repentant over her Moabite wilderness experience. She may have been returning physically to the Land, but she wasn’t returning to ADONAI with a broken and contrite heart (Psalm 51:17). No, bitter was the perfect name for her at that time. It was a name with a history, a history of God’s people rebelling at His perceived lack of provision for their needs. It was at Mara in the desert on the way out of Egypt that the children of Isra’el grumbled against YHVH because they couldn’t drink the water because it was very bitter (see the commentary on Exodus Cn – When They Came to Marah the Water was Bitter). This was only a few days after the LORD had parted the Sea of Reeds and delivered them from Pharaoh’s army, but it all meant nothing to them in the face of their very real thirst.

Like her ancestors, Na’omi’s heart was angry with God for the way her life was turning out. She was feeling the pain of life in the wilderness and felt the judgments that had come her way were all God’s fault. YHVH had testified against her (1:21); that is, He had called her to account at the bar of his courtroom. And at this point she wouldn’t even acknowledge her own responsibility to choosing to leave the Promised Land in the first place. The grass seemed greener on the other side of the fence in Mo’av, but when she got there her life had actually turned into a desert experience. The prodigal daughter was back, but it was only because she didn’t see any prospect of survival among the pigs in the far country.³⁷

Why call me Na’omi? Pleasant? Ha! Nothing could be further from the truth. ADONAI has testified against me by the afflictions He has place upon her, Shaddai has afflicted me (1:21 CJB). She is helpless in the face of God’s almighty power, she was sure all her problems were God’s fault. Her return home had only intensified the depth of her grief. She saw nothing ahead but the loneliness, abandonment and helplessness of widowhood.³⁸ Na’omi’s bitter outburst overwhelms the eloquent pledge of commitment by to Na’omi and her God by Ruth. Viewed side-by-side, there is no doubt that the younger foreigner cuts a more impressively noble figure. At this point, the reader is repulsed by Na’omi and drawn to her Moabite daughter-in-law.³⁹

The narrator’s summary: So Na’omi returned (shuwb) from the land of Mo’av accompanied by Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law. Then a ray of hope for Na’omi, as well as Ruth. They arrived in Beit-Lechem as the barley harvest was beginning around the month of April (1:22). Beit-Lechem (Hebrew: house of bread) had finally lived up to her name. This verse provides a transition toward hope for Na’omi, as well as Ruth at the end of a rather tragic chapter. ADONAI was not her enemy but would, through His sovereign will, act with favor toward both widows. Since barley is the first crop to be harvested each year, the timing of their arrival meant that Na’omi and Ruth could get settled at a time when food would be relatively plentiful. This sets the stage for the rest of the book.⁴⁰

As Iain Duguid discusses in his commentary on Ruth, like Na’omi, we naturally tend to lack a fundamental concern for the Moabites all around us. Na’omi, it appears, had little concern for the spiritual condition of her Moabite daughters-in-law. She had a good relationship with them and wished them well in their new lives back in Mo’av. Presumably they had been good wives for her sons, keeping them fed and warm and generally happy. Na’omi’s relationship with them was even warm on a surface level. But underneath she had no deep concern for their souls.

Perhaps Na’omi simply assumed that Orpah and Ruth wouldn’t be interested in Isra’el’s God. They were Moabites, after all; they had their own god and she had hers. They had Chemosh and she had ADONAI. Who was she to impose her own understanding of God on her neighbors? They seemed to be good moral people, and she was living in a pluralistic society where everyone attended the temple of the deity of one’s own choice. The vision of reaching out to her neighbors and incorporating them into the covenant community was lost to her, even when the opportunity presented itself.

She at least had some excuse for her reluctance. Although the mandate to be a blessing to all the Gentile nations had been given to Abraham, in the days of the days of the judges, that mandate was rather fuzzy. Few were looking for opportunities to make converts to the covenant community from those around them. But in the light of Matthew 28:19, where Jesus told us to go and make disciples of all the nations, what is our excuse? Who are the Moabites we see day after day, the people all around us who we so quickly assume are not going to be interested in the gospel? Perhaps if we sought to testify to them of God’s goodness to us in Yeshua Messiah, we might discover more interest in the Good News than we ever imagined. Our problem is that all too often we have as little real care for our friends and neighbors as Na’omi had for hers.

Part of Na’omi’s difficulty, of course, was that she wasn’t a very good member of the covenant community herself. There was no distinctive holiness about her; on the contrary, she herself was sinfully on the run from the Land of obedience. Those who are consciously living a life of disobedience to YHVH are not typically eager to defend and explain their faith to others! Yet isn’t it striking (and encouraging to us all) that even though at that moment she wasn’t looking out for Ruth’s spiritual interests, or even looking for Ha’Shem herself; nevertheless, ADONAI was still able to use her, in spite of her attitude, as a means to draw Ruth to Himself? Fortunately, God’s mission to rescue sinners is not limited by our flaws, failing, and foibles! The LORD will call to Himself those whom He chooses, sometimes through the most bizarre messengers and unlikely combinations of circumstances. It is His work from beginning to end. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).⁴¹

Dear Great Father God. Praise You that You love us so very much! Thank You that You not only rescue us from the death penalty for our sins, but You also guide and polish us with trials that we may have eternal reward in heaven as we lovingly serve You, even in hard, stressful trials. (First Corinthians 3:14; First Peter 1:7). These trials will soon be over, but the joy of being with You in heaven will last for a lifetime. Please help us keep our eyes on that eternal joy. In your holy Son’s name and power of resurrection. Amen

Your People Will Be My People
and Your God My God
1: 14-18

Your people will be my people and your God my God DIG: Orpah returned to her family, while Ruth remained with Na’omi; both did so out of loyalty. Which action was most surprising? Most expected? Why? What priorities and considerations persuaded Orpah to return to her mother’s house? What does Ruth’s choice tell you about her?

REFLECT: Consider what Ruth was risking to stay with Na’omi. How can you show this kind of selfless love toward someone? What would you be risking by doing this? What has been stressful for you this year? Did you cope like Na’omi, Orpah, or Ruth? How so? Who in your life is loyal like Ruth, who is loyal to you in your emptiness? Who is someone who has helped you feel close to God?

Na’omi’s impassioned soliloquy (to see link click Am – ADONAI’s Hand Has Turned Against Me) had hit home in at least one heart. At this they wept aloud again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung (Hebrew: dabaq, which means to stick like glue) passionately to her mother-in-law (1:14). The very thing that caused Orpah to leave was what caused Ruth to stay. The fact that Na’omi had neither a husband nor sons, meant that she needed someone to take care of her. Orpah chose to become a wife again, and Ruth chose to remain a daughter. Orpah did the normal and expected thing, Ruth practiced chesed (see Af – The Concept of Chesed), took a risk and did the unexpected thing.

Orpah probably didn’t realize exactly what she had chosen. It is likely that she didn’t realize the far-reaching consequences. She returned to her mother’s house. Where would she find rivers of living water to flow from within her (John 4:10-11 and 7:38)? Surely not in the spiritual cesspools of Mo’av. Would she find a husband who worshiped the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? The children she hoped for, would be brought into the godless worship of Chemosh. She had been called out of pagan darkness into heavenly light but she chose, perhaps unwittingly, the darkness. These are also lessons for us today.

Why did Orpah go back? Was the seed of faith scattered on rocky soil so that when it sprang up it had no root and was scorched by the sun (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Et – The Parable of the Soils)? Were Na’omi’s arguments so convincing? Or was she simply impulsive? We simply don’t know. God didn’t pass judgment and neither can we.³² But the fields of Mo’av looked far greater than the land of Isra’el. With that simple choice she walked off the pages of the Bible, never to be heard of again.

Consequently, Ruth stood in the valley of decision between her beloved, familiar Mo’av and the uncertain, unfamiliar Y’hudah. There was nothing kosher about her. She knew she would be about as welcome in Beit-Lechem as a ham sandwich at a bar mitzvah. Conventional wisdom shouted for Ruth to follow Orpah back to Mo’av, the most likely way of worldly security and significance. But Ruth was not Orpah and there was nothing conventional about her. She would not let Na’omi go on alone into an empty future.³³ One can imagine Ruth loosening her embrace and looking Na’omi directly in the eyes, and with her very first words of the story, saying: Don’t press me to leave you or to turn back (shuwb) from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God (1:16). This was an amazingly mature and meaningful testimony of personal faith, especially in light of the fact that it came from the lips of a young woman raised in a pagan culture. Her trust was real. The writer to the Hebrews could just have easily have written, “By faith Ruth turned her back on the gods of Mo’av and believed in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”

Na’omi said: Look, your sister-in-law is returning (shuwb) to her people and her gods. Go back (shuwb) with her (1:15). There will always be a test of faith. The Adversary will always send you his best before YHVH can send you His best. Would Ruth decide to go on worshiping the God of Isra’el or would she go back to her old gods? Ruth was not going to let Na’omi walk out of her life. She had decided to go with Na’omi to Isra’el and she was not going to change her mind. Ruth did not argue with Na’omi. She clung to her. The same verb, cleave (the past tense of clung) is used for the first time in Genesis 2:24. Is says: For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife and they will become one flesh. Ruth clung to Na’omi, leaving everyone, her father and mother, and other family members and friends. She had decided to leave all behind. But now Na’omi gave her a second chance to reconsider. The choice was hers.

Our steps take us either closer to God or away from Him. Affections and decisions that lead us away from ADONAI are affections and decisions that lead us down the wrong path. Sin always takes you farther than you want to go and costs you more than you want to pay. In fact, attachment’s contrary to God’s will, become idolatry. The cord, which bound and would continue to bind Ruth to Na’omi, was their mutual love of YHVH. That same choice is ours.³⁴

Ruth made a decision on that dusty road. It was a life changing decision. Once again she had to decide whether to return to Mo’av and a culture that did not worship the One True God or to continue against Na’omi’s expressed desires that she not accompany her to Isra’el. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. And to confirm the deadly seriousness of her intentions, Ruth swore an oath in God’s name: May ADONAI deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me (1:17). The word pattern Ruth uses, is found in this full form only in the books of Samuel and Kings (First Samuel 3:17, 14:44, 20:13, 25:22; Second Samuel 3:9 and 35,19:13; First Kings 2:23,19:2, 20:10; Second Kings 6:31). She refused to listen to her mother-in-law’s pleas or follow her sister-in-law’s bad example. Why? Because she had come to have faith the God of Isra’el (2:12). Her commitment involved a change in direction, she was a sinner that turned from Chemosh to ADONAI.

If I asked you if you were a sinner, what would you say? Romans 3:23 says: For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. That includes you and me, doesn’t it? Most people feel that being good gets you into heaven and being bad keeps you out. That is not true; YHVH says we all have sinned. What would you say sin is? We can agree that we are both sinners; now let’s define sin. Some have said, “I’m not perfect,” or “I have made some mistakes.” But what do you think the Bible means by sin? The Bible says that everyone who sins breaks God’s law; in fact, sin is lawlessness (First John 3:4). Have you ever disobeyed your parents? Have you ever misused the name of God? Have you ever told a lie? This is what sin is. It’s breaking God’s law. And any time you break a law there is a penalty. If you run a stop sign, the penalty is a fine. If you rob a bank, the penalty is jail. What is the penalty for breaking God’s law?

The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23a). The wages of work is money, but the wages of sin is death. In other words, what I earn – the penalty, the punishment of sin – is death. Death is separation. The Bible speaks of two kinds of death, or two kinds of separation. The first death is separation of the body and the soul. If I were to die right now my body would fall to the floor, but my soul, the real me, would go somewhere else. The Bible speaks of another death, that it calls the second death. This second death is separation of the soul from God. Now, the penalty of sin is death, spiritual death, and separation from the LORD. To put it simply – hell. Though all this is really bad news, there is good news.

But the gift of God is eternal life in Messiah Yeshua our Lord; God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners Christ died for us (Romans 6:23b). Do you have faith that Jesus is the Son of God? Do you trust that He died for your sins on the cross? Do you believe that He rose on the third day and is now seated at the right hand of YHVH in heaven (Hebrews 1:3)? Then through faith you can become God’s child and have eternal life (Ephesians 2:8-9). You are not saved by how you behave, you are saved by what you believe. Ruth believed in the God of Isra’el and was saved.

Would you like to trust in Christ right now? If so, here is a prayer for you to repeat. Before you do, remember that saying a prayer does not save you, it is your faith in Messiah that saves you. Say these words: God, I admit that I have sinned. I believe Jesus Christ died for my sins and rose to life. I choose to trust Him to save me right now. Please come into my life and make me a new person inside. I accept your gift of salvation and will follow You as my Lord (Romans 10:9-11). If you were to die right now, where would you go? That’s right, heaven. Why should God let you into heaven? That’s right, because Jesus died as a sacrifice (John 1:29, Leviticus 1:4) to pay the penalty for your sins. How wonderful to know for sure that you will spend eternity in heaven (First John 5:11)!

Then the narrator steps forward to draw the chapter’s high point to a close. Lengthy, intense dialogue, gives way to quick, quiet reporting. When Na’omi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she said no more to her (1:18). The storyteller wants the audience to feel Na’omi’s preoccupation with her painful, uncertain future as the curtain falls on this dramatic scene.³⁵ The two women, weary and worn, guided by the Ruach ha-Kodesh, arrived in Beit-Lechem just in time for the barley harvest and the start of the feast of Shavu’ot (see Ah – The Book of Ruth and Shavu’ot).

Dear Great Father, We praise and worship You. How wonderful that when we choose to follow You when our future is uncertain, you know the future and You are right there beside us (Hebrews 13:5), walking the path with us , going ahead of us to guide and to bless us. Your presence with us is so wonderful and is so much more important than any staying in an old rut. We love You always and rejoice in pleasing You. Thank You for making an eternal home in heaven for those who love You. (John 14:6; Romans 10:9-10). In your holy Son’s name and power of resurrection. Amen