Ruth Chapter 4 - Wedding Bells

1 Meanwhile Boaz went up to the town gate and sat there. When the kinsman-redeemer he had mentioned came along, Boaz said, “Come over here, my friend, and sit down.” So he went over and sat down. 2 Boaz took ten of the elders of the town and said, “Sit here,” and they did so.

Boaz went to the town gate and sat there.  The ones allowed to sit at the town gate were the elders and the petitioners.  The elders had to know the laws of the land and in the case of Israel, God’s law.  In 1 Corinthians 6:1-7 and on it speaks of us going to law against other Christians.  It states that we aren’t able to judge the smallest matters between ourselves.  What a shame.  Our ministers and elders should be men of such great integrity and truth that no one would have any problem going to them for a fair decision.  If there’s a problem in the church they should have enough Word in them to make a good judgment.  We’ve misapplied the Word to the point now where the word judgment has a bad connotation.  Shame on us.

Boaz did not enter into this judgment before the elders in anger or fear but in faith.  He didn’t try to color the purpose of the meeting so it would go his way but broke it down into it’s two parts and presented them.  The ten elders he had to sit together weren’t there to give judgment but to stand as witnesses to the transaction.  No one would ever be able to say that Boaz kept part of the truth hidden or tried to cheat his relative.

3 Then he said to the kinsman-redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our brother Elimelech.

This is part one.  Naomi was their brother Elimelech’s wife and stood to inherit all that he owned.  This sale of his properties would leave her with enough money to survive and it would keep it in the family / clan setting.  That was important.  Remember that all the land in Israel belongs to God first and is loaned perpetually to the individual tribes, clans and families.  Elimelech may have leased it to someone else or have simply let it go fallow while he was away.  At any rate, Naomi was the current owner before God. 

4 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.” “I will redeem it,” he said.

As important as raising seed to continue Elimelech’s line was, it was not as important as the land itself.  The sin of Elimelech and his sons had cut off his line from Israel.  This sin was not paid for by sacrifices or offerings.  The land was lost…unless… someone still living could bridge the gap between the men in Naomi’s life and God.  That person had to be able to bridge that gap and provide an heir without sin or else Elimelech’s line would be cut off.  The person who could do this would perform a tikkun, a miraculous mending.  That person was Ruth.  In this she was a type of Mary the mother of Jesus.

The closer kinsman was unaware of this part of the redeemer act.  He thought it was simply a matter of buying the lease back to return it to the family and clan.  He was as wealthy as Boaz and did not mind at all.  He said that he could and would redeem the land.  Remember, to be a kinsman redeemer you had to be able AND willing to perform as well as of near enough kin to keep it in the family.  Concerning the land, he was able and willing.

5 Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the land from Naomi and from Ruth the Moabitess, you acquire the dead man’s widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property.”

Boaz now lets him know that he would also be required to marry the dead man’s widow and at the very least lay with her to produce an heir and maintain the family connection to the property.  Simply said, although the kinsman would pay off the lease of the land, he would not take the land into his possession but into Naomi and Ruth’s.  Had it just been in Naomi’s name he might have retained the right to farm the land and give Naomi a stipend to keep her going.  If he took Ruth as a wife then he would have to keep these parts of his life and finances separate. 

The other man probably had a wife and children of his own.  His wife might not want him to bring another woman into the family.  While there are numerous instances of a Jewish man marrying more than one woman, those relationships were always somewhat strained between the wives.  In the case of Jacob, Leah accused Rachel of stealing her husband from her.  Those two had a lively battle over Jacob’s affections during their life together.  This put a whole other light on Boaz’s proposal. 

6 At this, the kinsman-redeemer said, “Then I cannot redeem it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it.”

He didn’t mind buying the land or even taking care of Naomi.  He was not willing to complicate and possibly harm his own children’s inheritance by bringing another woman into the marriage.  It was acknowledged that Ruth was a beautiful woman as well as humble and gracious.  He was willing to do the first part but not the second part.  Consider that in Israel there were wives and even concubines, but only the wives of the man could win an inheritance for their children unless the man specifically willed them something.   This man already had heirs and did not want to damage their standing.  This shows something of a lack of faith in God to protect his heirs.

7 (Now in earlier times in Israel, for the redemption and transfer of property to become final, one party took off his sandal and gave it to the other. This was the method of legalizing transactions in Israel.) 8 So the kinsman-redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it yourself.” And he removed his sandal.

This is the first time in the Bible that a shoe (sandal) was given as a wedding license.  Had he been the ONLY possible kinsman redeemer and had denied Ruth she would have had every right to receive the shoe herself and spit in his face.  It would have been a great dishonor to him.  Because Boaz was willing and able to do the part of the redeemer it was much less of a shame.  Boaz redeemed Naomi and Ruth and their land and even his relatives honor by taking Ruth as his wife.

9 Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, “Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelech, Kilion and Mahlon.

He now has promised to pay off the people leasing the land and restore it to Naomi as well as restoring it to the name of any descendants of those three men listed above.  The property belonged to Naomi even though someone else lived there.  Once he paid them off she would live there again. 

10 I have also acquired Ruth the Moabitess, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from the town records. Today you are witnesses!”

In Genesis 38 we read about Tamar whose son Pharez was ten generations away from David who would become the greatest king in Israel.  Judah obtained her to be a wife for his son Er.  Er did evil in the sight of the Lord and God killed him.  Judah told Onan the next son to be kinsman redeemer to raise up seed for his brother.  As I stated in a previous lesson, Onan took her as his wife but did not want to raise up seed for his dead brother (sibling rivalry perhaps) and spilled his seed on the ground.  He had the right to refuse and his brother’s wife might have spit on his face but instead he had sex with her and at the last instant stopped before getting her pregnant.  God was angry with him for this deceptive sin against Tamar and killed Onan. 

Judah promised his youngest son but was terrified he might die too and withheld him from her.  A frustrated Tamar went so far as to pretend to be a prostitute so she could have a child by Judah for refusing to marry her off to his youngest son.  Bear in mind that a woman of that day was considered almost worthless if she couldn’t bear you an heir.  She desperately wanted a child.

Boaz was thrilled to take Ruth as his wife.  He was a man of noble character and the love of God.  He was comfortable with her foreign origins because his own mother had been an ‘accursed foreigner.’  Very often those who come from other countries or religions to serve God become the most diligent servants of God and country.  They have often come from great grief or degradation and in God find rebirth and comfort.  Ruth was just such a person and that passion for God and humility toward her mother-in-law helped God choose her to be in the lineage of David, Solomon and even His son Jesus. 

11 Then the elders and all those at the gate said, “We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah (Ephrath) and be famous in Bethlehem.

This first half of their blessing was a standard one.  One of the primary responsibilities of any family in Israel was to build Israel into a powerful and godly nation.  They were to produce as many children as possible so their nation could be powerful and they were required to train them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). 

Ephrathah – or Ephrath – is an ancient name for Bethlehem (Genesis 35:19).  Rachel died on the way there with Jacob and was buried near there.  Ephrathah can either be a positive or negative connotation.  It means fruitfulness or an ash heap; depending on its use.  On the one hand it could mean that they truly wanted his house to prosper and be as fruitful as the house of Jacob.  On the other, Jacob’s favorite wife died in childbirth near there and many in the village were not happy that Boaz was marrying a Moabite. 

According to the Midrash (Lessons of the Rabbis), Boaz died on the night after his wedding.  He and Ruth had only one night together but she became pregnant with Obed (“One who serves.”)  Boaz had the understanding that only the men of Moab would have been cursed by God, not the women.  Whether or not it is true, the ancient Rabbi’s believed it to be so.  Some writings of the ancient teachers of Israel say Boaz was in his 80’s when he married Ruth.  That is another reason he is said to be a type of the Christ.  After redeeming Ruth, he died.

12 Through the offspring the LORD gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Pharez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.”

This last portion of the ‘blessing’ sounds like a typical blessing.  What it doesn’t say is that Pharez was the illegitimate son of Tamar and her father-in-law Judah.  I have mentioned before that it was desperately important for a woman to be fruitful and bear many children for her husband and tribe.  Because her first two husbands sinned against God she was barren and marked as a husband killer.  Just like Israel is blamed for God’s actions in history on Israel’s behalf (and hated by most of the nations on the earth), Tamar was blamed for the death of Judah’s two sons who killed themselves by their own sin.

Pharez (also written Parez, Perez, Peretz) means “breaking forth.”  His twin brother Zerah left Israel soon after the Exodus.  His family were offended by losing firstborn status to Pharez.  Historically, they founded the city now called London and were a large presence in the kingship of Ireland.  Zerah’s descendants as well as Pharez’s came from Judah and were both a nation of kings.  The prophecy of Judah said that the scepter would not depart from Judah.  Both his sons by Tamar became kings. 

The short sighted of Biblical study say Boaz was cursed because he sinned by marrying Ruth and died.  Those who understand biblical prophecy and how God has worked throughout Israel’s history know that Boaz was both redeemer and a prophetic view of how God has always worked in history.  His life with Ruth may have been short, but he produced the needed heir to continue God’s scarlet thread of redemption through history.  The blessing bore fruit.

David’s Genealogy

1Ch 2:5-15; Mt 1:3-6; Lk 3:31-33

13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. Then he went to her, and the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son.  14 The women said to Naomi: “Praise be to the LORD, who this day has not left you without a kinsman-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! 15 He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.”

In a very real way Ruth’s son was both a miracle and the redeemer of Naomi’s family line.  Without Obed, God’s plan for Israel might have come to a screeching halt.  You might say that God could have used some other child to produce David the King and a future for Israel, but God does what He has planned and not because nothing else could work.  It was His plan before history began for Ruth to bear Obed for Boaz, Naomi and the future of Israel.

Of all the millions of children born to the nation of Israel over the centuries, how many are unremembered by any but God.  Anyone familiar with Israel or their history is familiar with the name Boaz, Obed, Jesse and David.  When King Saul saw David, he asked his general, “Whose son is he,” as David went after Goliath (1 Samuel 17:55).  Abner did not know and when the answer came it would have troubled Saul.  The son of Zerah would not have mattered but the son of Pharez, the “one who breaks forth” would have been a problem.  David was a threat to Saul’s kingship.

16 Then Naomi took the child, laid him in her lap and cared for him. 17 The women living there said, “Naomi has a son.” And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

Try reading this another way.  “Then Israel took the church of Jesus Christ and laid them in her lap and the women said, “Israel has born a son; the son of God.  They should have provided nourishment for his body.”  The name Obed means ‘servant.’  The church should be the servant of the whole world.  Israel is our parent.  We should be close and caring to one another; they offering us their wisdom and knowledge and we bringing that knowledge to the entire world. 

18 This, then, is the family line of Pharez: Pharez (1) was the father of Hezron, 19 Hezron (2) the father of Ram, Ram (3) the father of Amminadab, 20 Amminadab (4) the father of Nahshon, Nahshon (5) the father of Salmon, 21 Salmon (6) the father of Boaz, Boaz (7) the father of Obed, 22 Obed (8) the father of Jesse, and Jesse (9) the father of David (10).

The importance of the numbers here is that Pharez (1) was an illegitimate child.  No son of his until the tenth generation could be a leader or member of the congregation of Israel.  David (10) was the tenth in line and finally qualified to be a part of the congregation of Israel.  What a blessing to the nation that God’s plan was flowing along perfectly and the next king, David, would be the beginning of a line that would NEVER end. 

According to tradition, the book of Ruth was written by Samuel.  Many scholars say this cannot be true.  Personally, I prefer to go with tradition rather than scholars.  Scholars read someone’s writing and say, “It just doesn’t sound like them,” forgetting that a writer is someone who is ‘moved’ to write.  It is more emotional than intellectual.  Because of this a true writer will often change writing styles to fit his subject, audience and purpose.  The Prophet Isaiah is said by ‘scholars’ to be written by at least three or four authors.  The problem with this is that Jesus himself has said that all of Isaiah was written by Isaiah.

Samuel wanted the nation of Israel to know why David ought to be king and why even though everyone knew the family was under the curse of illegitimacy that curse was lifted by the time David came.  We often develop attitudes for or against something because of history, beliefs, what we’ve heard or been taught, or just because of a feeling.  David was not widely received as king for quite some time.  Without the book of Ruth to smooth the way it may never have taken place.  Samuel knew he was to be king.  Samuel anointed Saul with a small vial of oil (1 Samuel 10:1) but David with a horn of oil (1 Samuel 16:1).  This alone showed that Samuel knew David would have the greater anointing, the horn denotes strength.

Ruth provided a bridge through her servanthood and grace. 

Are you a bridge in anyone’s life?

Ruth Chapter 3 - Ruth and Boaz at the Threshing Floor

1 One day Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, should I not try to find a home for you, where you will be well provided for? 2 Is not Boaz, with whose servant girls you have been, a kinsman of ours? Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor.

Naomi may be mother-in-law to Ruth but in her heart, Ruth is her daughter.  She loves her as if she has come from Naomi’s own body.  Every mother longs to have all her sons and daughters cared for and loved.  She believes this may be an opportunity arranged by God for the future of her family and the provision for that future.  Naomi understood the ways of her people and she personally had the right to approach Boaz for herself.  Her love for Ruth was such that she chose to forsake her own opportunity to have a husband and created an opportunity for her daughter.  Have you ever asked yourself what are you might be willing to do without to make sure someone else has what they need?

3 Wash and perfume yourself, and put on your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don’t let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do.”

Naomi didn’t just tell Ruth to go speak to Boaz.  She told her how to present herself, when and where to do it.  She even said to wait until he had finished enjoying the celebration so he was in a great mood.  Verse four describes an understanding of Hebrew rank and authority of that age.  A man wore his family name and rank on the hem of his garment.  In the New Testament the woman with the issue of blood took hold of the hem of Jesus’ garment and was healed (Matthew 9:20, Luke 8:43-44).  Whenever anyone touched the hem of Jesus’ garment they were healed (Mark 14:36). 

5 “I will do whatever you say,” Ruth answered. 6 So she went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law told her to do.

When you know you can trust someone not to cause you harm, you know their word is good.  Ruth was not sure how this might all work out but she trusted her mother-in-law and did everything she said to do.  In all her ways Ruth humbled herself before God and her mother-in-law.  God says the meek shall inherit the earth.  Ruth portrayed this attribute perfectly.

7 When Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he went over to lie down at the far end of the grain pile. Ruth approached quietly, uncovered his feet and lay down.

So far Naomi’s plan is working.  Boaz is full of joy, God has given them a good year and he fell asleep with a light and happy heart.  He has found himself a place at the far end of the pile of grain which was protected by the men surrounding it.  There has been a great deal of discussion over whether or not Ruth was propositioning him or actually uncovered more than his feet.  This is not the case. 

In Ezekiel 16:1-8 we see God observing Israel.  It is quite clear that Israel’s past history was filthy to God, rather like the past of the Moabites.  They began as a small baby and progressed to where God saw them as a woman old enough to be married.  He saw Israel’s nakedness and covered them with a corner of his robe.  In other words, He covered them with righteousness.  In the second half of that verse it says he made them solemn vows; He married Israel.  This is what Ruth wanted from Boaz.

8 In the middle of the night something startled the man, and he turned and discovered a woman lying at his feet. 9 “Who are you?” he asked. “I am your servant Ruth,” she said. “Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a kinsman-redeemer.”

Israel’s punishment for fornication, adultery, incest and other sins was simple…they were stoned to death.  To say that Boaz was startled was a huge understatement.  Any thoughts that she might have been propositioning him for sex ended with her words, “I am your servant Ruth.  Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a kinsman-redeemer (gaal).  She didn’t want a single night of passion; she wanted a wedding ring.  The choice of Boaz was a good one since his own mother was once the prostitute Rahab in Jericho and only as a kinsman redeemer would anyone in Israel consider marrying a Moabite or a Moabitess.  It just wasn’t proper otherwise.

As I said earlier, a kinsman-redeemer had to be a near kinsman, had to be able through wealth and the physical ability to perform if the late husband failed to provide his wife with a child.  Scripture does not credit Boaz with an heir before his marriage to Ruth.  He was apparently an older man in Naomi’s generation rather than Ruth’s.  He had sufficient wealth to purchase Naomi’s land back from the creditors.  He was close enough kin but not the closest and the honor of being chosen had to go to the nearer kinsman first.

10 “The LORD bless you, my daughter,” he replied. “This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor.

The choice of a husband for a woman of Israel was highly important.  Many accuse the Jews of being greedy or callous to outsiders.  The truth is that God instilled in them the understanding that knowledge is power and that a man (or woman) with no education is always at a disadvantage before someone that has an education.  It is also true that an older man was more likely to die sooner than a younger man and the man was the primary wage earner.  If Ruth had concerns for her future she would need to marry a younger and more vigorous man. 

It is unlikely that Ruth knew that Boaz was the right kinsman-redeemer to produce an heir who would be king.  It is unlikely that she knew her decisions and honorable actions toward Naomi would catch the very eye of God and place her in the genealogy of the Messiah.  She wanted to honor and serve her beloved mother-in-law.  That appeared to be her only motivation.  Her mother-in-law was concerned for the family name and Ruth’s future.  She knew Boaz could preserve both.

Boaz made an important statement to Ruth.  He said she had not run after the young men whether rich or poor.  This is true.  Ruth was determined to help Naomi and serve God.  This was her only true goal.  She was not worried about her future.  Naomi was concerned for Ruth and not herself.  That was her main goal.  Had either of them been jealous of the other or thinking only of themselves this whole plan of God’s would not have come to pass.  It was only through a willingness to put the other first that BOTH got what they needed (Philippians 2:3-4).  This doctrine is a major theme in the New Testament.

Putting another before yourself is an important part of trusting God to keep His word.  It is possible that the other is not as honorable as yourself and may try to cheat you.  Only God can make sure you receive what He has determined you should.  This attitude takes faith and a willingness to trust God at His Word. 

11 And now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All my fellow townsmen know that you are a woman of noble character. 12 Although it is true that I am near of kin, there is a kinsman-redeemer nearer than I.

Scripture says to treat younger women as sisters and older women as mothers.  If you begin a relationship by treating someone as an untouchable family member then you are not tempted to sin with them.  You can treat them that way until such time as a decision is made to lawfully change the relationship to something deeper.  Ruth was probably at least 20 years younger than Boaz.  While he might have hope for a wife, he chose to honor her as a daughter rather than as a potential bride.  This was important.  Any other attitude might have made him behave foolishly.

He let her know that she was held in some esteem in the village.  They knew she had honor and was not a Moabitess sinner.  The word used for her character is hayit and means strong, virtuous and mighty of word and deed.  What Ruth said she would do, she did.  By this time she is probably hoping that Boaz will do the kinsman’s part since he is such a noble character but then he drops the knowledge that there is one nearer still.  The kinsman-redeemer that is required must redeem both land and family tree.  Technically he would be redeeming the land for Naomi but the family for Ruth.  This placed Naomi’s claim first which made an even older relative the nearer kinsman.

13 Stay here for the night, and in the morning if he wants to redeem, good; let him redeem. But if he is not willing, as surely as the LORD lives I will do it. Lie here until morning.”

From the moment Boaz met Ruth he protected her.  It is curious that he was so willing to trust and lean on God that he trusted Him to chose who would receive this amazing woman as a wife.  In the first sentence it is as if he is quoting the old song, “Que Sera Sera, whatever will be will be.”  The ‘but’ in the second sentence has much more feeling though.  But!  If he is NOT willing, then AS SURELY AS THE LORD LIVES…I WILL DO IT!”  He had her remain until just before daybreak so she would be safe.  How many times to we make life mistakes by working an outcome to the conclusion we want rather than to allow God to work it?

14 So she lay at his feet until morning, but got up before anyone could be recognized; and he said, “Don’t let it be known that a woman came to the threshing floor.”

Had anyone known that she had been there all night it would have damaged both their reputations.  Oddly, in the Jewish world, Ruth is considered one of the most honored of women.  In spite of her Moabite past, the Jews consider her to have received the greatest that God could give; to be the great grandmother of king David and a forebear of the Messiah.  Many people accuse the Jews of being arrogant and unwilling to accept proselytes to their faith.  In reality, they have been so persecuted throughout world history that they have for over a thousand years been forbidden to win converts under pain of death.  It was fear, not arrogance, that has prevented much witnessing on the part of the Jews.  In truth, they have often been extremely gracious to new converts. 

Too often today we fail to properly honor God’s word in our lifestyle.  We frequently do what we want and dare anyone to say anything.  God’s punishment for living in sin with someone was death by stoning.  How is it that we have come to a place in our Christian walk where we don’t even honor Him by basic decency?  It used to be a death penalty sin to be pregnant out of wedlock and then it was hidden and not spoken of.  Now it’s more common than waiting for marriage. 

15 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 and put it on her. Then he went back to town.

Every Hebrew and Greek word in the Bible is given for our learning.  There are no unimportant words or statements.  She wore a shawl.  Why?  Because she was a modest and humble single widow.  He poured six measures of barley in it for a reason.  Had it been three it would have been a fellowship offering.  It was six.  He bundled it up and placed it on her head for carrying.  She walked toward her home and he set course for Bethlehem.

16 When Ruth came to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, “How did it go, my daughter?” Then she told her everything Boaz had done for her 17 and added, “He gave me these six measures of barley, saying, ‘Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’

I wonder how well Naomi slept that night.  She was obviously awake when Ruth entered.  After telling Naomi all that occurred she said, “He gave me these six measures of barley, saying, ‘Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’  It did not matter whether it was barley or wheat.  It was six measures and they were addressed to her mother-in-law.  Numbers are quite important in the Bible and the number six is the number of man.  It also has another very important connotation…

18 Then Naomi said, “Wait, my daughter, until you find out what happens. For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today.”

Genesis 2:2 says, “On the seventh day God rested from all his works.”  Boaz let Naomi know that he would not rest until their property was returned and Ruth was a married woman.  Verse 18 was one of those times when you have done all you can; it is up to God to do the rest.  All you can do is wait on God (Psalm 27:14, 37:34, Proverbs 20:22). 

Ruth Chapter 2 - I Would Like You to Meet

Ruth Meets Boaz

1 Now Naomi had a relative on her husband’s side, from the clan of Elimelech, a man of standing, whose name was Boaz.

People often wonder how Boaz was so comfortable with Ruth.  His mother was the former harlot Rahab who was rescued from Jericho when Israel took it.  God is a God of redemption.  It is obvious from his upbringing that he was raised with a powerful love for God.  His was a situation where many may have whispered behind his family’s back but no one would to his face.  It is apparent that he was an elder in the community as well as extremely wealthy.  He was also the eleventh generation from Abraham.  The closer kinsman would have been the tenth.  The Hebrew shows this in the numerology of the Hebrew words. 

King David had to at least be the tenth generation from Pharez, Tamar’s illegitimate son through Judah (Genesis 28:39), and could not be received into the congregation of Israel (Deuteronomy 23:2).  Since the closer relative Tov would have been the sixth from Pharez, when David the king was born he would only have been the ninth generation and unable to be crowned King of Israel.  David had always been God’s choice for king and as Samuel the prophet showed in the book of Ruth, only Boaz, the seventh from Pharez could be the kinsman redeemer if David would be king.

It’s wonderful that we have the view of hindsight to understand this but at the time, neither Naomi nor Boaz nor Ruth knew who MUST be the father.  Naomi wanted a husband for Ruth so she might find rest and for seed to be raised up in the name of her son.  Ruth wanted to bear children and Boaz was a lonely widower who needed a wife.  They pressed forward in faith as God would see fit as it says in Proverbs 3:5-6.  God ordered their steps.  In the next several verses Naomi had an inkling what was possible, Ruth did not want her mother-in-law to starve and Boaz was a godly man who saw a godly woman in need of godly assistance. 

Romans 8:28 says, “All things work together for good to those who love God, who are the called according to His purpose.  Can anyone say these three were not called according to His purpose?  Boaz had wealth and a heart to serve God.  He also needed a wife.  Naomi knew the rules of her society and needed a kinsman redeemer in all that it meant.  Ruth just wanted to support her beloved mother-in-law and to serve the God of Israel.  She didn’t know what was possible and knew Moabites were not accepted in Israel.  She needed grace AND mercy.

2 And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, “Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor.” Naomi said to her, “Go ahead, my daughter.”

Have you ever truly been hungry?  I don’t mean the hunger that comes from being too lazy to travel to the store and buy something.  I mean the hunger that comes from having no money, no job, no food and no prospects for obtaining it unless you practically beg.  Ruth and Naomi were hungry.  Naomi had taught her the rules for gleaning in the fields (Leviticus 19:9-10).  It was a real miracle that they had arrived at the beginning of the barley harvest.  A week or so later there would have been nothing to glean.  Naomi was too old for the back breaking labor and without Ruth’s help might well have starved.  Ruth’s heart was merely to save her mother-in-law’s life as well as her own.

3 So she went out and began to glean in the fields behind the harvesters. As it turned out, she found herself working in a field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelech.

Once again Proverbs 3:5-6 moved on her behalf.  The Rabbi’s have a saying that coincidence is not a Kosher word.  In other words, God holds all the dice.  Have you ever gambled?  There is no such thing as luck.  God holds the dice in His hands and even if He allows you to think that you have rolled them, it is actually He that determines what number comes up (Proverbs 16:33). 

I can well imagine an angel walking alongside Ruth as she passed field after field blocking her vision.  As she approached Boaz’s field he stepped aside to allow her to see that field while God caused the clouds to part and streamers of sunshine lit the grain.  She knew her clothing was not as the other women’s and her accent was different.  Being molested was a very real concern but they had to eat and there was something comforting about this field.  She began to collect the scraps left behind by the reapers.

4 Just then Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters, “The LORD be with you!” “The LORD bless you!” they called back. 5 Boaz asked the foreman of his harvesters, “Whose young woman is that?” 6 The foreman replied, “She is the Moabitess who came back from Moab with Naomi.

I can picture Boaz as a big, happy man who loved God and life.  His greeting might have been the standard, “Shalom (peace) of many Israelis.  Instead he shouted across the field, “The LORD be with you!!!”  They shouted back, “The Lord bless you!”  It would appear his workers were happy people who knew the joy of the Lord.  This was not always the case.  Scripture tells us that some rulers and leaders were harsh.  Some of Jesus’ parables make this apparent.  Not only did he recognize all his people but he knew Ruth was a stranger.

As an aside, notice the foreman was not named.  He is a type of the Holy Spirit.  Boaz is a kinsman redeemer and a type of Christ.  Ruth is a type of the world who is introduced to God through Israel and Naomi is a type of Israel, scattered and then returned to the land.

The comment, “Whose young woman is that,” was a reminder that women did not generally travel alone.  The response is that she is the Moabitess who returned from Moab with Naomi.  It had to have been a serious blow for the clan to discover their brother Elimelech had run off to Moab to escape helping the poor.  To discover that his widow had returned alone with nothing but this cursed Moabitess must have filled the gossips with glee but Boaz was a different sort.  He was likely saddened to see them go but glad to see at least Naomi return.

7 She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the harvesters.’ She went into the field and has worked steadily from morning till now, except for a short rest in the shelter.”

No doubt Boaz had heard much from the men and women in town prior to arriving.  This was probably only the second day of the barley harvest and he might have been surprised by her industrious spirit.  According to his foreman she had arrived early, worked hard and only had a short rest in the booth they had set up.  People who have prejudices or attitudes toward a specific people are often extremely surprised to discover they have positive attributes. 

8 So Boaz said to Ruth, “My daughter, listen to me. Don’t go and glean in another field and don’t go away from here. Stay here with my servant girls. 9 Watch the field where the men are harvesting, and follow along after the girls. I have told the men not to touch you. And whenever you are thirsty, go and get a drink from the water jars the men have filled.”

As an older widower himself Boaz considered the young woman (probably late 20’s or early 30’s) to be somewhat of a daughter in the clan (extended family).  Since she was in HIS clan he made sure she knew what was safe and what was not.  Let’s consider his admonitions.  1.  Work in my field and no other.  2.  Stay by my servant girls so you have mutual protection.  3.  Watch where the men are working and follow along after the girls. 

He informed the men not to touch her and told her to be careful not to get overheated, drinking water when needed.  She was not required to bring her own shelter or drink; he provided for her as a clan leader should.  The young men would be cutting the stalks of barley and bundling them for the girls to carry to the place of winnowing.  Whatever did not get bundled or carried off was free for Ruth to pick up.  In this manner he made sure that she would receive whatever was missed.

Scripture says, “Muzzle not the ox that treadeth out the corn.”  This means that the girls would bring the barley to a place where oxen were used to walk on the grain and break it off of the stalks.  They would take shovels and throw the grain into the air.  The light stalks would blow away in the wind and the heavier grains would fall into a pile.  When they finished there would be two piles, the farther one would be burned and the nearer one stored in baskets. 

The oxen were allowed to eat a portion of the grain as they treaded it out.  How much more should the poor be allowed to obtain some after the reapers in the field.  If our finances are so tightly controlled that there is no room to help the poor, then how can we say that we have the love of God.  He has concern even for the oxen.  How much more for human beings created in His image.  We should never allow our compassion for others to be snuffed out.

One of the complaints of the Jews is that they are more likely to help their own poor than the poor of another people.  An anti-Semitic might say, “You Jews only help your own people!”  A Jew might says, “We Jews HELP our own people.”  When just over half a million Jews began the nation Israel in the late 40’s and early 50’s they took in half a million Jewish refugees from around the world, found them shelter and helped them find or make new jobs.  Even today, the Jews offer interest free loans to their more poverty stricken brethren and help them become productive members of society. 

When the Palestinians in their midst were struggling with hunger and starvation and everyone pointed at the Jews for failing to help them, every Arab nation around them had discovered oil and became rich.  Those Arab nations could easily have lifted their brethren the Palestinians out of poverty and did NOT.  It was too good an opportunity to hate the Jews by keeping Palestinians poor.  The Jews even offered the Palestinians land if they were willing to accept that Israel had a right to exist.  They REFUSED.  The hatred of Jews is both irrational and self-destructive to all people.  God has promised to curse those who curse them and bless those who bless them (Genesis 12:3).

10 At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She exclaimed, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me--a foreigner?” 11 Boaz replied, “I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband--how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before.

I’m sure Ruth had seen many angry looks or heard rude comments about her former nation.  Not everyone was as noble as Boaz.  Consider Nabal who mocked David’s men and nearly got himself killed (1 Samuel 25).  Ultimately God DID kill him for being stingy and rude to those who were gracious to his men.  This man Boaz was in an entirely different level than she was.  He was a prince in Israel and she was most definitely a pauper.  These days everyone acts like they have rights.  Ruth fell on her face before this man and honored him. 

It is likely that she was an attractive woman though scripture does not say so.  It is also true that when he saw her she was tired, disheveled, dusty and probably did not smell the best.  She had been working out in the hot fields for hours.  When he came to her and spoke she fell on her face before him and asked what she had done to deserve his notice.  She was not just a foreigner but a cursed foreigner at that.  Scripture says that God resists the proud and exalts the humble (Proverbs 3:34).

Boaz informed her that he knew her heart, that she had served her mother-in-law well and had been a faithful loving bride to her husband.  She was willing to leave her homeland with no real hope of marriage or family.  Her move to Israel was completely by faith; faith in her mother-in-law and faith in God.

12 May the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.”

Not only did Boaz take notice of her and speak kindly to her, but then he blessed her.  Blessings are real.  Have you ever taken the time to bless someone who has helped you.  Boaz had favor with God.  His words to God, “May the Lord repay you for what you have done.  May you be RICHLY rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge,” were not just words.  People who have favor with God know their prayers will move mountains, change lives and bring hope.  We should all take time to bless those who have blessed others.

13 “May I continue to find favor in your eyes, my lord,” she said. “You have given me comfort and have spoken kindly to your servant--though I do not have the standing of one of your servant girls.”

As I said before, God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble.  Matthew 5:5 and Psalm 37:11 say that the meek shall inherit the earth.  An inheritance is a blessing you receive even though you have not earned it.  It is God’s desire to bless His children with the fruits of the labor of the unsaved.  Ruth did not speak with pride, but with humility.  She sought his continued favor and let him know how much she appreciated his gracious prayers.  She acknowledged that by the standards of Israel she was not even as worthy as one of his servant girls.

Attitude is everything but sadly, many have a bad one.

14 At mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come over here. Have some bread and dip it in the wine vinegar.” When she sat down with the harvesters, he offered her some roasted grain. She ate all she wanted and had some left over.

I’m sure she expected to return home late that night exhausted, hungry and ready to sleep.  Instead Boaz ordered her to come and eat with the rest of the workers.  He even handed her the roasted grain to help her overcome any shyness.  She was able to eat until full and still had more left.  Boaz made sure she was refreshed and encouraged in the Lord.  He took responsibility for her care.

15 As she got up to glean, Boaz gave orders to his men, “Even if she gathers among the sheaves, don’t embarrass her. 16 Rather, pull out some stalks for her from the bundles and leave them for her to pick up, and don’t rebuke her.”

By this time Boaz is so impressed by her humility and willingness to work hard that he goes beyond what the law requires and orders his workers to make things easier for her.  The Torah required that any grain that fell from their hands must be left for the poor.  He ordered them to deliberately drop some out of the bundles and make it easier for her.  They were told not to embarrass her or to rebuke her. 

17 So Ruth gleaned in the field until evening. Then she threshed the barley she had gathered, and it amounted to about an ephah.

She probably worked from six in the morning until six in the evening.  Normally a poor person would be able to glean a few twigs of barley here and there.  She might be able to glean enough for a day’s meal, a loaf of bread.  After following the reapers all day long and then beating out the grain she was able to gather 22 liters or 23 quarts.  That would be enough grain to last she and Naomi for several days. 

Revelation 6:6 says, “And I heard something like a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius....”  It took about a quart of grain to make one loaf of bread, either wheat or barley.  According to Revelation a man might work all day long for one loaf of wheat bread or three loaves of barley bread during a famine.  Because of Boaz’s help Ruth was able to glean enough for 23 loaves of barley bread…in a single day.

18 She carried it back to town, and her mother-in-law saw how much she had gathered. Ruth also brought out and gave her what she had left over after she had eaten enough. 19 Her mother-in-law asked her, “Where did you glean today? Where did you work? Blessed be the man who took notice of you!” Then Ruth told her mother-in-law about the one at whose place she had been working. “The name of the man I worked with today is Boaz,” she said.

By now Naomi’s hunger was probably overwhelming and yet she was stunned to see how much grain her daughter-in-law had brought home.  Instead of dragging into the house ready to drop in exhaustion with a few handfuls of grain, Ruth appeared to be well fed and cared for with an entire bushel.  Just looking at the raw grain was a miracle enough but then Ruth gave her the roasted grain to eat.  That let Naomi know that someone had watched over her and fed her.  When she discovered that the landowner was Boaz there must have been a powerful thrill of hope and thankfulness toward God; the first she truly experienced since the last of her sons died.

20 “The LORD bless him!” Naomi said to her daughter-in-law. “He has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead.” She added, “That man is our close relative; he is one of our kinsman-redeemers.”

For all the pleasure of living a life and having an individual future, the people of Naomi’s day were focused upon the destiny of the family.  Mahlon and Kilion would have been even more focused on their offspring than their own lives.  They were married for ten years to Ruth and Orpah.  Had it been only one woman they would have blamed it on her dead womb.  That was the way of things back then.  There were no fertility doctors who could discover that the men’s own bodies were at fault.  It is apparent from the text however that both men were too sickly to impregnate their wives.

The focus of life in Israel or any other nation was to raise up future generations;  to build the nation.  God made arrangements for a kinsman to buy back any property sold to pay a debt or to raise up seed in the name of a deceased husband.  Usually a brother would marry the woman and her next child would continue the name of the dead man.  There were three criteria he had to fulfill.  1. He had to be a near kinsman (Leviticus 25:25, 25:48).  2. He had to be able to redeem.  If he was too old or injured to perform or poor and unable to redeem the land then he was off the hook.  3. He had to be WILLING to perform. 

In the case of Tov, the nearer kinsman, we will see that he was willing to buy back the land from the creditors but not to take Ruth as his wife.  When Judah told his son Onan to go into his daughter-in-law to raise up seed for his dead brother, he had sex with her but when he realized that the child would not be his but his brother’s he spilled his semen on the ground rather than get her pregnant.  For this lack of grace and mercy toward his brother and for failing to respect and honor his brother’s wife, God killed him.  He had the right to say no.  He did not have the right to say yes and then cheat her out of her child.  Boaz was a near kinsman so he passed point one.  We’ll see if he passes the other points.

21 Then Ruth the Moabitess said, “He even said to me, ‘Stay with my workers until they finish harvesting all my grain.’ “ 22 Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, “It will be good for you, my daughter, to go with his girls, because in someone else’s field you might be harmed.”

As stated earlier, life in Israel was less dangerous to women than in many countries but not always safe; especially for unaccompanied women.  Jacob’s daughter Dinah wandered off into a town where she should not have gone alone and was raped by the prince (Genesis 34). This would have been a lesson for all the children of Israel and probably a story retold generation after generation to promote safe behavior for young women.

23 So Ruth stayed close to the servant girls of Boaz to glean until the barley and wheat harvests were finished. And she lived with her mother-in-law.

Ruth was humble and worked hard to make sure she and Naomi had sufficient food for as long as possible.  During this time it is certain that Naomi continued Ruth’s education in the Torah and ways of Jewish life.  While I have yet to read a book about the trials of the Jews throughout history that actually mentions the work of Satan as part of the hatred they endure as a people; they are the people of God.  Because of this they are blessed by God as long as they obey His Torah but cursed by man as long as they obey His Torah.  Without the Law to protect and encourage them the Jews may well be of all people most miserable.  It is God’s Law, their choseness and God’s promise that gives them hope.

Naomi made sure that this amazing young woman who lived with her would have every necessary tool to find faith in the eyes of God.  We should study to show ourselves approved of God, rightly dividing the Word of Truth (2 Timothy 2:15).  The United States of America was founded upon the Word of God.  We began as a Judeo/Christian nation and until recently have always honored the Jewish people and their gift of faith to us through Jesus.  We taught our schools reading the Bible and saying prayers each morning.  Our nation became strong.  The two most hated nations in the world are the United States of America and Israel.  I mention this because without faith in God, you are the enemy of God.  When you have faith in God you are hated by all who do not believe in Him. 

Without faith the book of Ruth would never have been written, never have been lived and never have turned out the way it does.  Without Naomi’s teaching of the law Ruth would have never had the opportunity she did.  God always honors His law.

Ruth Chapter 1 - Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

Naomi and Ruth

1 In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab.

During a famine the wealthy in Israel were responsible for assisting the less fortunate.  Elimelech was a wealthy land owner who according to Jewish tradition fled his home in Bethlehem in order to keep his wealth secure during the famine.  This displays a TOTAL lack of faith in God.  He was very much a secular Jew no matter the meaning of his name.  We will discover in this book that he sold all his land and took his wealth with him.  There are a few things you need to know about this particular setting.

The man’s name means, “God is my king.”  His very name declared a lie because his actions prove that God was not his king or he would not have disobeyed the law to flee.  He also would not have gone to Moab.  Jonah the prophet fled because he did not want to give God’s warning to the people of Nineveh.  God captured him anyway and sent him back.  Elimelech’s sin was far worse.  He abandoned the poor, the widows and the destitute rather than share his wealth with them.  This is a good lesson for this country’s wealthy to consider. 

The name Bethlehem (house of bread) in Judah means it is the Bethlehem where Jesus was born.  There is another Bethlehem in Galilee.  David and Jesus were born in Bethlehem in Judah or Judea.  It is SW of Jerusalem.  The other Bethlehem is only ten miles from Nazareth (North of Jerusalem) where Joseph and Mary lived.  Some argue that the Bethlehem of Jesus was the closer one, but how likely is it that they would have traveled in a caravan for more a day before realizing Jesus was not with his other family members if they were only traveling ten miles (Luke 2:41).  Bethlehem in Judea is four hours by car from Nazareth today.  That is where Jesus was born.  It is about 150 miles from Nazareth.

The final point is that they ran away to Moab.  Moab means, “From the Father,” and began as an incestuous relationship between Lot and his daughter.  In the beginning God ordered Israel to treat them with courtesy and not attack them but Moab didn’t get the message.  They sought to attack Israel every chance they got and the final straw was when they refused to help Israel and offer them bread and water when God released them from Egypt.  It says in Deuteronomy 23:3-4,

“An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the Lord for ever: Because they met you not with bread and with water in the way, when ye came forth out of Egypt; and because they hired against thee Balaam the son of Beor of Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse thee.”  It goes on to say that we should not pray for them or their blessing ‘forever. (v6)’

This is the nation that Elimelech chose to flee to.  They were family…of sorts, but family that God had ordered cut off.  This is one of those circumstances where Satan must have believed that God had made a mistake.  Under a curse like this no offspring from a Moabite could ever enter the congregation of God.  No king could ever come from this family…right?

2 The man's name was Elimelech, his wife's name Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there. 3 Now Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died, and she was left with her two sons.

Mahlon, whose name means Sick, and Kilion whose name means Puny were the two grown sons of Elimelech.  Because they were adult they were as guilty as Elimelech for making a move to live amongst the cursed Moabites.  Immediately after settling in Moab Elimelech died.  It wouldn’t have been so bad had they just passed through Moab, but they chose to settle and find rest in the land of those for whom God said there would be no rest.

Now Naomi is bereft and rather than returning with what money they still have to Israel, they decide to stay, further angering God.  Her eldest son ‘sick’ was now the head of household.  It was at this moment when we see what happens when you do not train your children in the ways of God.  He couldn’t see the correlation between his father’s instant passing and his decision to live in a cursed place with a cursed people.  They lived in Moab and rather than return to the land of their God and chose to adopt the ways of Moab and marry Moabite women.  This was forbidden by God.

4 They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, 5 both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.

First God killed Elimelech immediately upon his DECISION to live in the cursed nation and then after marrying Moabite women and living with them for ten years without any offspring the two men died.  Consider how much they paid in doctor visits in that pagan land to try and keep Sick and Puny alive.  You can’t live in disobedience to God’s Word when you are His chosen and expect to flourish.  It makes you wonder if they died right after the family bank account was emptied and they were destitute. 

At any time in that ten years they might have repented and returned to Israel and God.  Ten is the number of completion and the fulfillment of the law.  There are ten commandments.  In Genesis 15:16 God told Abraham that his children would return to Canaan in the fourth generation after the “sin of the Amorites was complete.”  God allows a complete season for repentance.  It is that important to Him.  Mahlon and Kilion failed to do so.

In 1 Thessalonians 2:16 we hear of those who “fill up the measure of their sin.”  God is gracious.  If at any time we cease from our sins and repent He will redeem us.  God asks, “Will you will be saved?”  The Holy Spirit draws you.  If you hear His voice and harden not your heart he will redeem you.  They hardened their hearts until they died.  Ten years means God allowed them the full measure of time to repent.  They did not.

6 When she heard in Moab that the LORD had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them, Naomi and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there.  7 With her two daughters-in-law she left the place where she had been living and set out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah.

One must remember that in this period of history a woman had little in the way of rights.  She was raised and taught that her responsibility to the family and her people was to bear an heir.  This is why Sarah, Rachel and others were so incensed about their barren wombs.  God had said to man and woman, “Go forth and multiply,” and they could not.  Rachel and Leah are not known for their great faith or their wisdom.  They are the matriarchs of Israel and created a nation through their own wombs and the wombs of their maids.  It is for this that they are honored. 

To Naomi’s great sorrow and horror she has no living seed and no grandchildren to carry on.  She has two Moabite daughters who, in her mind, will not be received into Israel’s embrace.  She has heard that God has lifted the famine, the test he allowed to test His people, and for the first time in her life she is free to choose for herself what path she will follow.  She is without father, without husband and without even an eldest son to cover her.  She is alone before God and has chosen to return to Him.  She began down that road and then stopped to consider her two daughters.

8 Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go back, each of you, to your mother's home. May the LORD show kindness to you, as you have shown to your dead and to me.

There is a rule of release.  If a person is released from their responsibilities you must release them three times.  This makes sure they know the importance of the decision they are making and acknowledge you have given them every opportunity to turn back.  Verse eight is Naomi’s first attempt to release her Daughters-in-law from their responsibilities to the family.  Naomi must have been a wonderful mother-in-law considering their responses to her. 

9 May the LORD grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband." Then she kissed them and they wept aloud 10 and said to her, "We will go back with you to your people."

In this first response they chose to stay with her.  Their love for her was obviously very strong and the desire to remain in this home rather than to go back home to parents who thought you married with your own life.  This is the first time they refused the offered release.  Both Ruth and Orpah loved their mother-in-law but one loved both she and her God.  Hebrew tradition says that Orpah and Ruth were princesses and highly favored in Moab.  Even now the one was beginning to question her faith and future.  Their names give you a hint of their decision. 

Ruth means friend.  We have many sayings for friend.  In 424 BC Euripides said, “A friend in times of trouble is a true friend but money will find many friends.”  We would say, “A friend in need is a friend indeed.”  Naomi as been translated as gazelle but it actually means mane or the back of the neck.  A gazelle will run away and show you the back of their neck.

11 But Naomi said, "Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? 12 Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me--even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons-- 13 would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the LORD's hand has gone out against me!"

Naomi is telling them the absolute truth.  She is too old to bear more children and is unlikely to remarry anyway.  She has had her chance and barring a miracle from God she must feel totally abandoned.  In verse 13 she reveals the depth of her pain and says, “It is more bitter for me than for you…”  They are still young, probably in their mid to late 20’s.  Verse 11 counts as only one admonition because it is part of the same statement. 

14 At this they wept again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-by, but Ruth clung to her. 15 "Look," said Naomi, "your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her."

This is the final opportunity to leave.  Orpah did not wait any longer.  She kissed her mother-in-law good-by after the second release but Ruth would not let Naomi go.  Naomi made one more offer as was required to make sure she would in no way be accused of deception but Ruth loved her mother-in-law too much to leave and had developed a true and vibrant relationship with God.

16 But Ruth replied, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back 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.  17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me."

This is one of the most powerful statements of faith in all the Bible.  Even secular colleges reference this statement as an example of the finest writing.  This statement is just as powerful as a marriage covenant and reflected the intense love she had for both God and Naomi.  It also displays her level of faith and a tremendous vow to the Lord.  Whether she would be accepted by those in Israel, she has fully accepted them.  We will see in Boaz’s comments that Ruth WAS in fact accepted by many of the people in Bethlehem.  That in itself was unheard of in that period of history. 

Her people were the hated Moabites who refused to meet Israel upon their exodus from Egypt with bread and water.  They were the people who sought Balaam the prophet to curse Israel.  It was through Balak the leader of Moab that Moab was cursed, but it was through Ruth and her TIKKUN, the miraculous mending, that Moab was somewhat redeemed before God.

18 When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.  19 So the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women exclaimed, "Can this be Naomi?"

Naomi had done her duty and now she bore the responsibility of both herself and her daughter-in-law.  Notice that from verse six to verse 19 they had not stopped walking toward the goal of Bethlehem.  Naomi had set her course toward home and would not be stopped.  Now the two of them traveled together, happy in each others company, until they arrived in Bethlehem where their arrival caused a stir. 

The word for stirred was hum which means to cause a tumult.  It means the town was turned upside down at their return.  It’s like Bill Gates returning home broke after the crash of Microsoft.  EVERYBODY was talking.  Some were angry to see them knowing full well the reason for her husband taking them away.  In many minds it was God’s judgment to see the uppity nose in the air family of Elimelech return home poor and destitute.  Others who loved God and knew His desire for restoration would openly receive them back with love and compassion.  In the flesh this would be a difficult time for Naomi and Ruth.  They had no husbands and were two of the many widows that abounded in Israel, a burden upon the nation, dependent upon handouts, hoping for grace.

20 "Don't call me Naomi, " she told them. "Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter.  21 I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? The LORD has afflicted me; the Almighty has brought misfortune upon me."

This statement of hers probably did more to stop outrage than any other.  If you know you have been judged harshly by God, why would you deny it?  None of us are perfect.  God says he gives grace to the humble and resists the proud.  The world is full of ‘pride’ parades and according to the Bible, God is resisting your life and bragging.  We have very little to be proud of.  All that we have has been given by God. 

Naomi says, “Why call me Naomi (pleasant) when God has taken all from me.  Call me Mara (bitter). In reality, her life is not yet ended and by faith will one day be restored (Job 19:21).  One day she will be Naomi again when God has redeemed her from her husband and sons sin.  She will have a future because God is a redeeming God (Ruth 4:7, Ephesians 5:16-17, Colossians 4:5-6).

22 So Naomi returned from Moab accompanied by Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, arriving in Bethlehem as the barley harvest was beginning.

Observe the timing of God.  Their travels and their arrival back at home came the day after Passover.  By this timing God equates their time in Moab to be like their time in Egypt.  They arrived the beginning of barley harvest, the day AFTER Passover, a day of new beginnings.  Her husband and sons were those who did not place blood on the doorposts and lintels of their lives.  They were taken by the death angel.  She and her daughter made the step of faith and were honored for it.  It was a time of great deliverance and by God’s grace would be a time of reaping for them as well.