5/10/11
Ruth 1 - 4
Elimelech's Family Goes to Moab
Ruth 1:1 In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to live in the country of Moab, he and his wife and two sons. 2 The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion; they were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there. 3 But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. 4 These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. When they had lived there about ten years, 5 both Mahlon and Chilion also died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.
Naomi and Her Moabite Daughters-in-Law
6 Then she started to return with her daughters-in-law from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the Lord had considered his people and given them food. 7 So she set out from the place where she had been living, she and her two daughters-in-law, and they went on their way to go back to the land of Judah. 8 But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go back each of you to your mother's house. May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. 9 The Lord grant that you may find security, each of you in the house of your husband." Then she kissed them, and they wept aloud. 10 They said to her, "No, we will return with you to your people." 11 But Naomi said, "Turn back, my daughters, why will you go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb that they may become your husbands? 12 Turn back, my daughters, go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. Even if I thought there was hope for me, even if I should have a husband tonight and bear sons, 13 would you then wait until they were grown? Would you then refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, it has been far more bitter for me than for you, because the hand of the Lord has turned against me." 14 Then they wept aloud again. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.
15 So she said, "See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law." 16 But Ruth said,
or to turn back from following you!
Where you go, I will go;
where you lodge, I will lodge;
your people shall be my people,
and your God my God.
17 Where you die, I will die—
there will I be buried.
May the Lord do thus and so to me,
and more as well,
if even death parts me from you!"
There is a gentleness about the story of Ruth that always appeals to me. Maybe because it is such a simple story, and yet it has a powerful message that needs repeating. Often I have been unexpectedly blessed when reaching out to help someone else. Have you?
Naomi gave Orpah and Ruth good advice. Orpah did nothing wrong by returning to her own home. The three women had no means to provide for themselves. By returning to her mother Orpha and Ruth might still have a future, but Ruth stayed with Naomi.
Wouldn't this make things more difficult for both of them? Wouldn't it be easier for Naomi to ask her kin for help if she were alone? Now she would need to ask for help for herself and her Moabite daughter-in-law.
Can the power of relationship be defined? What is relationship? We cannot see it or measure it, but who would deny its existence? It disappoints and it exhilarates. At the end of the day when we reach the absolute of death, yes dear post-moderns, there are absolutes, will we not confirm that relationships are the only elements of life that are truly priceless, and true relationship cannot be purchased. Isn't that what the Bible is trying to make us see?
Jesus did not deny the law or the lawgivers, but over and over his actions pointed to the importance of relationship. He said that all of the law and the prophets hung on relationship; relationship with God and relationship with one another.
I heard a great message this morning about 'upward, inward, outward.' All about relationship. One another means everyone, not just the people in your community. Over and over the parables point to our neighbor not being the one in whom we share community. I am not saying community is bad. It is not an either-or, it is a both-and. Review Heb 13:7-16 and maybe ponder Heb 13:13.
18 When Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her.
19 So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they came to Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them; and the women said, "Is this Naomi?" 20 She said to them,
call me Mara,
for the Almighty has dealt bitterly with me.
She does NOT say the devil has dealt bitterly with me. She says God has dealt bitterly with her. Why do we insist on twisting scripture? Instead of trying to morph it to fit our theology why don't we read it for what it says? Satan is not equal to God. There is only one God. All we have are her words. Lets read them as though Naomi showed up on our front porch and this is what she is telling us.
21 I went away full,
but the Lord has brought me back empty;
why call me Naomi
when the Lord has dealt harshly with me,
and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?"
22 So Naomi returned together with Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, who came back with her from the country of Moab. They came to Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.
Ruth Meets Boaz
Ruth 2:1 Now Naomi had a kinsman on her husband's side, a prominent rich man, of the family of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz. 2 And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, "Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain, She wants to glean, to work. She is not begging, looking for a hand out, something for free. Maybe the church would do better to give/find people jobs instead of giving them handouts? behind someone in whose sight I may find favor." In other words they would see her working behind them and they would leave a little for her to gather. She said to her, "Go, my daughter." 3 So she went. She came and gleaned .. worked ... in the field behind the reapers. As it happened, she came to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech. 4 Just then Boaz came from Bethlehem. He said to the reapers, "The Lord be with you." They answered, "The Lord bless you." 5 Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, "To whom does this young woman belong?" 6 The servant who was in charge of the reapers answered, "She is the Moabite who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. 7 She said, 'Please, let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the reapers.' So she came, and she has been on her feet from early this morning until now, without resting even for a moment."
8 Then Boaz said to Ruth, "Now listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but keep close to my young women. 9 Keep your eyes on the field that is being reaped, and follow behind them. I have ordered the young men not to bother you. He is telling her not to fear being attacked or molested, yes molested. She was safer in that field with the hired hands then she would be today in a park. By his authority Boaz could make a safe place for her to work. Too many of us have no respect for (fear of) authority so our officials cannot make safe space. If you get thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn." 10 Then she fell prostrate, with her face to the ground, and said to him, "Why have I found favor in your sight, that you should take notice of me, when I am a foreigner?" 11 But Boaz answered her, "All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before. 12 May the Lord reward you for your deeds, and may you have a full reward from the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge!" 13 Then she said, "May I continue to find favor in your sight, my lord, for you have comforted me and spoken kindly to your servant, even though I am not one of your servants."
14 At mealtime Boaz said to her, "Come here, and eat some of this bread, and dip your morsel in the sour wine." So she sat beside the reapers, and he heaped up for her some parched grain. She ate until she was satisfied, and she had some left over. 15 When she got up to glean, Boaz instructed his young men, "Let her glean even among the standing sheaves, and do not reproach her. 16 You must also pull out some handfuls for her from the bundles, and leave them for her to glean, and do not rebuke her."
17 So she gleaned in the field until evening. Then she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley. 18 She picked it up and came into the town, and her mother-in-law saw how much she had gleaned. Then she took out and gave her what was left over after she herself had been satisfied. 19 Her mother-in-law said to her, "Where did you glean today? And where have you worked? Blessed be the man who took notice of you." So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked, and said, "The name of the man with whom I worked today is Boaz." 20 Then Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, "Blessed be he by the Lord, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!" Naomi also said to her, "The man is a relative of ours, one of our nearest kin." 21 Then Ruth the Moabite said, "He even said to me, 'Stay close by my servants, until they have finished all my harvest.' " 22 Naomi said to Ruth, her daughter-in-law, "It is better, my daughter, that you go out with his young women, otherwise you might be bothered in another field." 23 So she stayed close to the young women of Boaz, gleaning until the end of the barley and wheat harvests; and she lived with her mother-in-law.
Ruth and Boaz at the Threshing Floor
Ruth 3:1Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, "My daughter, I need to seek some security for you, so that it may be well with you. 2 Now here is our kinsman Boaz, with whose young women you have been working. See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. 3 Now wash and anoint yourself, and put on your best clothes and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 When he lies down, observe the place where he lies; then, go and uncover his feet and lie down; and he will tell you what to do." 5 She said to her, "All that you tell me I will do."
6 So she went down to the threshing floor and did just as her mother-in-law had instructed her. 7 When Boaz had eaten and drunk, and he was in a contented mood, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. Then she came stealthily and uncovered his feet, and lay down. 8 At midnight the man was startled, and turned over, and there, lying at his feet, was a woman! 9 He said, "Who are you?" And she answered, "I am Ruth, your servant; spread your cloak over your servant, for you are next-of-kin." 10 He said, "May you be blessed by the Lord, my daughter; this last instance of your loyalty is better than the first; you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich. 11 And now, my daughter, do not be afraid, I will do for you all that you ask, for all the assembly of my people know that you are a worthy woman. 12 But now, though it is true that I am a near kinsman, there is another kinsman more closely related than I. 13 Remain this night, and in the morning, if he will act as next-of-kin for you, good; let him do it. If he is not willing to act as next-of-kin for you, then, as the Lord lives, I will act as next-of-kin for you. Lie down until the morning."
14 So she lay at his feet until morning, but got up before one person could recognize another; for he said, "It must not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor." 15 Then he said, "Bring the cloak you are wearing and hold it out." So she held it, and he measured out six measures of barley, and put it on her back; then he went into the city. 16 She came to her mother-in-law, who said, "How did things go with you, my daughter?" Then she told her all that the man had done for her, 17 saying, "He gave me these six measures of barley, for he said, 'Do not go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.' "
18 She replied, "Wait, my daughter, until you learn how the matter turns out, for the man will not rest, but will settle the matter today."
The Marriage of Boaz and Ruth
Ruth 4:1 No sooner had Boaz gone up to the gate and sat down there than the next-of-kin, of whom Boaz had spoken, came passing by. So Boaz said, "Come over, friend; sit down here." And he went over and sat down. 2 Then Boaz took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, "Sit down here"; so they sat down. 3 He then said to the next-of-kin, "Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land that belonged to our kinsman Elimelech. 4 So I thought I would tell you of it, and say: Buy it in the presence of those sitting here, and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if you will not, tell me, so that I may know; for there is no one prior to you to redeem it, and I come after you." So he said, "I will redeem it." 5 Then Boaz said, "The day you acquire the field from the hand of Naomi, you are also acquiring Ruth the Moabite, the widow of the dead man, to maintain the dead man's name on his inheritance." 6 At this, the next-of-kin said, "I cannot redeem it for myself without damaging my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it."
7 Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging: to confirm a transaction, the one took off a sandal and gave it to the other; this was the manner of attesting in Israel. 8 So when the next-of-kin said to Boaz, "Acquire it for yourself," he took off his sandal. 9 Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, "Today you are witnesses that I have acquired from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon. 10 I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, the wife of Mahlon, to be my wife, to maintain the dead man's name on his inheritance, in order that the name of the dead may not be cut off from his kindred and from the gate of his native place; today you are witnesses." 11 Then all the people who were at the gate, along with the elders, said, "We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your house like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you produce children in Ephrathah and bestow a name in Bethlehem; 12 and, through the children that the Lord will give you by this young woman, may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah."
The Genealogy of David (Matt 1.2—6)
13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When they came together, the Lord made her conceive, and she bore a son. 14 Then the women said to Naomi, "Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without next-of-kin; and may his name be renowned in Israel! 15 He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has borne him." 16 Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her bosom, and became his nurse. 17 The women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, "A son has been born to Naomi." They named him Obed; he became the father of Jesse, the father of David.
18 Now these are the descendants of Perez: Perez became the father of Hezron, 19 Hezron of Ram, Ram of Amminadab, 20 Amminadab of Nahshon, Nahshon of Salmon, 21 Salmon of Boaz, Boaz of Obed, 22 Obed of Jesse, and Jesse of David.
Devotionals, Videos and more ...
by Bill Federer
A surprise attack before dawn, on this day May 10, 1775, gave America one of its first great victories of the Revolutionary War. Ethan Allen, who commanded the Green Mountain Boys of Vermont, captured Fort Ticonderoga on Lake Champlain without the loss of a man, by overrunning the stronghold in the early morning while the British were still sleeping. When Allen demanded immediate surrendered, the bewildered British captain asked in whose name such a request was being made. Ethan Allen responded: "In the Name of the Great Jehovah and the Continental Congress."
Federer, B. (2003). American minute. St. Louis, MO.: Amerisearch, Inc.
by whoever
I know God
will not give me anything
I can't handle.
I just wish that
He didn't trust me so much.
--- Mother Teresa
In many areas of understanding,
none so much as in our understanding of God,
we bump up against a simplicity so profound
that we must assign complexities to it
to comprehend it at all.
It is mindful of how
we paste decals to a sliding glass door
to keep from bumping our nose against it.
--- Robert Brault, www.robertbrault.com
... from here, there and everywhere
by D.H. Stern
These also are proverbs of Shlomo; the men of Hizkiyah king of Y'hudah copied them out:
God gets glory from concealing things;
kings get glory from investigating things.
Like the sky for height or the earth for depth
is the heart of kings—unfathomable.
Remove the impurities from the silver,
and the smith has material to make a vessel.
Remove the wicked from the king's presence,
and his throne will rest firmly on righteousness.
Don't put yourself forward in the king's presence;
don't take a place among the great.
For it is better to be told, "Come up here,"
than be degraded in the presence of a nobleman.
Stern, D. H. (1998). Complete Jewish Bible-OE
: An English version of the Tanakh (OT) and
B'rit Hadashah (NT) (1st ed.). Clarksville, Md.: Jewish
New Testament Publications.
A Daily Devotional by Oswald Chambers
Take the initiative
Add to your faith virtue … (“Furnish your faith with resolution.”) --- (MOFFATT) 2 Peter 1:5.
“Add” means there is something we have to do. We are in danger of forgetting that we cannot do what God does, and that God will not do what we can do. We cannot save ourselves nor sanctify ourselves, God does that; but God will not give us good habits, He will not give us character, He will not make us walk aright. We have to do all that ourselves, we have to work out the salvation God has worked in. “Add” means to get into the habit of doing things, and in the initial stages it is difficult. To take the initiative is to make a beginning, to instruct yourself in the way you have to go.
Beware of the tendency of asking the way when you know it perfectly well. Take the initiative, stop hesitating, and take the first step. Be resolute when God speaks, act in faith immediately on what He says, and never revise your decisions. If you hesitate when God tells you to do a thing, you endanger your standing in grace. Take the initiative, take it yourself, take the step with your will now, make it impossible to go back. Burn your bridges behind you—‘I will write that letter’; ‘I will pay that debt.’ Make the thing inevitable. We have to get into the habit of hearkening to God about everything, to form the habit of finding out what God says. If, when a crisis comes, we instinctively turn to God, we know that the habit has been formed. We have to take the initiative where we are, not where we are not. Chambers, O. (1993). My Utmost for His Highest
the Poetry of R.S. Thomas
Suddenly
Suddenly after long silence
he has become voluble
He addresses me from a myriad
directions with the fluency
of water, the articulateness
of green leaves; and in the genes,
too, the components
of my existence. The rock,
so long speechless, is the library
of his poetry. He sings to me
in the chain-saw, writes
with the surgeon's hand
on the skins's parchment messages
of healing. The weather
is his mind's turbine
driving the earth's bulk round
and around on its remedial
journey. I have no need to despair; as at
some second Pentecost
of a Gentile, I listen to the things
round me: weeds, stones, instruments,
the machine itself, all
speaking to me in the vernacular
of the purposes of One who is.
R.S. Thomas Selected poems, 1946-1968
Bava Kamma 60b
At the onset of the AIDS epidemic, many people believed that those afflicted with the disease were "getting exactly what they deserved." Drug-users who shared dirty needles or homosexuals who engaged in risky and promiscuous behavior were reaping what they themselves had sown. Many saw the virus as God's punishment for sinful behavior. As long as one did not commit the sins, one had nothing to fear from the punishment. But it soon became clear that this black-and-white view of AIDS was not accurate. A young boy, a hemophiliac, contracted the disease from a blood transfusion. The same thing happened to a superstar tennis player during a heart operation, and to the wife of a well-known television actor. All three were to die of AIDS. Faithful wives were infected by their husbands who, unbeknownst to them, were leading secretly promiscuous lives. "Once permission has been given to the Destroyer, it does not differentiate between righteous and wicked."
We would like to think that technology has brought us to the point where we can fight "clean" wars. The nation watched television during the Gulf War, enthralled by the "smart bombs" that could be directed to a specific target and even guided through a chosen window or door. We came to believe that only the target would be hit, leaving no "collateral damage." But our assumptions about the new warfare proved illusory. Some of the smart bombs malfunctioned; others were adversely affected by wind or weather conditions. And of course, there was always human error. The truth is that innocent civilians who happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time continue to die in war. It is in the very nature of bombs and warfare itself to be indiscriminate. "Once permission has been granted to the Destroyer, it does not differentiate between righteous, and wicked."
Two people are sharing some juicy gossip. One says to the other: "Can you keep a secret? I've just got to tell you what I heard yesterday, but you've got to promise me that you won't breathe a word of this to anyone!" The next day, the person sworn to secrecy has "just got to tell" someone else, who will also be told to keep it confidential. Pretty soon, the secret is public knowledge and is not only being passed from one person to another but also being embellished. Whether it is true or false, whether it was supposed to be private or not is now irrelevant. Several people will be deeply embarrassed; reputations may even be ruined. Someone may be fired; another person's marriage may be destroyed. Once the genie is let out of the bottle, it cannot be put back in. That is the nature of gossip. "Once permission has been given to the Destroyer, it does not differentiate between righteous and wicked."
Knowing that this is true, we need to be extremely careful that we ourselves are not the ones who give "permission" to the various "destroyers" of life and human dignity.
Bald from both sides.
Text / Rav Ammi and Rav Assi were sitting in front of Rabbi Yitzḥak Nappaḥa. One said: "Tell us a law!" The other said: "Tell us a legend!" He started to say a legend but was not allowed to. He started to tell a law but was not allowed to. He said to them: "I will tell you a parable. To what can it be compared? To a man with two wives, one young, one old. The young one pulls out his white hairs, while the old one pulls out his black hairs, and thus he becomes bald from both sides!"
He said to them: "If so, I will tell you one thing that is good for both of you: 'When a fire is started and spreads to thorns' [Exodus 22:5]. 'Is started'—by itself—'[so that stacked, standing, or growing grain is consumed,] he who started the fire must make restitution.' The Holy One, blessed be He, said: 'I must make restitution for the fire I started. I started a fire in Zion, as it says: "He kindled a fire in Zion which consumed its foundations" [Lamentations 4:11], and I will one day rebuild it by fire, as it says: "And I Myself … will be a wall of fire all around it, and I will be a glory inside it" [Zechariah 2:9].' A law: The verse begins with property damage and ends with personal damage, to show that fire is his responsibility."
Context / The Rabbis of the Talmud felt free to cite and quote not only God's words but also God's thoughts and intentions. There are times, though, when the Rabbis went even further, taking a verse out of context or quoting only the part of the verse that suited their own purposes. The verse from Zechariah is a classic example. It would be awkward, redundant, and contradictory to have God quote the entire verse, saying:
And I Myself—declares the Lord—will be a wall of fire all around it, and I will be a glory inside it.
Therefore, the verse is quoted in the Gemara without the two Hebrew words n'um Adonai, "declares the Lord." It is likely that the Rabbis saw no problem with this truncated reading of the verse, taking the words and putting them back in God's mouth in a totally different context. In order to accomplish this, the Rabbis had to leave out two words to make God sound sensible.
In this Gemara, Rav Ammi and Rav Assi, two sages often quoted together, are studying with Rabbi Yitzḥak Nappaḥa. Each student wants his mentor to teach the material that he enjoys most: One asks for legend/midrash, the other for law/halakhah. Rabbi Yitzḥak is caught in a bind. When he starts to teach midrash, one student interrupts and asks his teacher for law. But when Rabbi Yitzḥak switches to law, the other student prevents him from continuing, for he prefers legend.
Being a master teacher, Rabbi Yitzḥak resorts to the use of a parable to explain his predicament: A man with two wives, one young and one old, would have one of them wanting him to look more youthful and the other desiring a more mature husband. (It seems that Rabbi Yitzḥak did not really consider the possibility that a young wife might want an older man, or that an older woman might prefer a more youthful husband.) Each wife pulls out only some of his hair, but nonetheless, the result is that the man is left "bald from both sides." Thus, the expression is roughly equivalent to our English "no-win situation" or the more contemporary "Catch-22."
Rabbi Yitzḥak is such an expert teacher that he finds one biblical verse that serves the purpose of both a midrash/legend and a halakhah/law, thus satisfying both students. The midrash is that if the person who started the fire must make restitution, then even God will do so. God had caused Jerusalem to be destroyed by fire (as the verse from Eikha, or Lamentations, attests), and God will accept the responsibility and cause Jerusalem to be rebuilt by fire (the verse from Zechariah). The law that Rabbi Yitzḥak teaches is that both property damage and physical damage are referred to in the verse from Exodus. Property damage is from the words "When a fire is started and spreads to thorns," while personal damage is implied in "he who started the fire," that is, someone started it (as opposed to the beginning of the verse, where it appears as if the fire started on its own). Even though the fire may appear to have started by itself, there is still a responsible party who must pay.
In the Hebrew, what is translated as "fire is his responsibility" is literally "fire is his arrow," meaning that it is something that the man himself did. Just as shooting an arrow can start an entire process that may have been unintended and unexpected, but is nonetheless the responsibility of the marksman, so too the one who started a fire which spread to another's field is responsible.
Katz, M., & Schwartz, G. (1998). Swimming in the Sea of Talmud: Lessons for Everyday LIving
by Diana Wallis
Run in such a way as to get the prize. --- 1 Corinthians 9:24
These words were taken from a runner running for a wager, a very apt picture to set before the eyes of the saints of the Lord. The Heavenly Footman
Beware of bypaths. Mind the path before you, turn neither to the right nor to the left. Even though the kingdom of heaven is the biggest city, yet usually those bypaths are most beaten; most travelers go those ways. Yet, it is in this case as it was with the harlot of Jericho; she had one scarlet thread tied in her window by which her house was known; so it is here. The scarlet streams of Christ's blood run throughout the way to the kingdom of heaven, but have a care you do not beguile yourself with a fancy. So that you may not be mistaken, consider, though it seem ever so pleasant, if you do not find that in the very middle of the road there is written with the heart-blood of Christ that he came into the world to save sinners and that we are justified though we are ungodly, shun that way. How easy a matter it is for the Devil to be too cunning for poor souls by calling his bypaths the way to the kingdom. How speedily, greedily, and by heaps do poor simple souls throw away themselves on it, especially if it is daubed over with a few external acts of morality. But it is because people do not know painted bypaths from the plain way to the kingdom of heaven. They have not yet learned the true Christ and what his righteousness is, neither have they a sense of their own insufficiency but are bold, proud, presumptuous, self-conceited.
Take heed that you do not have an ear open to everyone that calls after you as you are in your journey. People who run, if any call after them saying, "Do not go too fast and you will have my company with you," if they run for some great matter, they say, "I can't delay for you, I am running for a wager. If I win I am made, if I lose I am undone, therefore do not hinder me." Thus are those wise who run for corruptible things, and thus should you do, and you have more cause to do so than they, for they run for things that do not last, but you for an incorruptible glory. You will have enough that call after you—the Devil, sin, this world, worthless company, pleasures, profits, esteem in human society, ease, pomp, pride—crying "Do not leave me behind."
Have a care you do not let your ear open to the tempting, enticing, alluring, and soul-entangling flatteries of such sink-souls as these are.
--- John Bunyan
(27). Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications.Teacher's Commentary
The story of Ruth takes place in the time of the Judges (Ruth 1:1). The book tells a simple, beautiful story, that is even more compelling because of the spiritual darkness of the times.
The last chapters of Judges describe the tragic moral and spiritual state of the Jewish people during this era. They had lost track of the Law, perverted the worship of God, and slipped into moral depravity. The Book of Ruth reminds us that even in evil times a godly life is possible. There will always be believers who love and honor God even in sin-saturated societies.
Ruth herself is also important genealogically, for she was the great-grandmother of King David. Ruth is also an important reminder that, even though through the Old Testament era the Hebrews were God's chosen people, Gentiles like Ruth of Moab could find a personal relationship with the God of Israel.
Kinsman-Redeemer. The story of Ruth also illustrates the meaning of the Hebrew word ga'al, which means to "play the part of a kinsman." In Old Testament Law, a near relative had the right to act on behalf of a person in trouble or in danger. When persons or possessions were in the grip of a hostile power, the kinsman might act to redeem (to win release and freedom). The marriage of Boaz to Ruth involved buying back Naomi's family land, and meant that their son would carry on Naomi's family line. Jesus, by taking on humanity, became our near Kinsman, with the right to redeem you and me.
Commentary / A teenager stands before the juvenile court judge. Who's to blame? The home? The society? The individual? Questions like these reflect one of the most significant disputes of our day: conflict between the notion that society shapes and determines the individual—and the notion that the individual bears full responsibility for his own acts. Pleas to juries, much of our social legislation, various schools of pyschology and sociology, and the supposed philosophies of political parties, all reflect the conflict between these two views.
How much of a person's choice is determined by social conditions and how much by the individual's free volition is a tangled question. There's no doubt that environment and society do have an impact on personality. This is one reason why Israel's lifestyle under Law placed so much emphasis on discipline. The people of Israel were to judge and cleanse themselves of sinful patterns which might emerge in the society. The people were jointly responsible to maintain a holy way of life. When righteousness did mark the lifestyle of the nation, the promised blessings included the eradication of social ills.
Israel, under Joshua, did maintain a just society. But there was no guarantee that individuals would continue to choose God's ways. The nation drifted away—away from trust in God and away from commitment to righteous paths. Israel increasingly became an unjust society, marked by all the sins and insensitivity we see portrayed in Judges 17–21. The society as a whole became ungodly.
What then about the individual? Did an unjust society, amplifying the tendency to evil that sin implants in every person, make it impossible for the individual to choose good? The last chapters of Judges might suggest this, for they give us insight into the deterioration of Israel as a whole, through descriptions of two people whose experiences reflect the condition of the nation.
But now we turn to a cameo portrait of different individuals, and look into the private lives of Ruth and Boaz, two who lived in that same paganized culture. These individuals, private rather than public personages, reveal something of the freedom that each of us has to choose.
You and I live in what is, in many ways, an unjust and an unrighteous society. The standards of our day often reflect values and a morality which are tragically far from the divine ideal. But we, no less than Ruth and Boaz, also have the freedom to choose. Despite the pressures and temptations of our times, we too can live godly lives as we follow closely Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Two Who Chose / The Bible gives a surprising amount of space to the days of the Judges. Israel passed some 400 years in Egypt, but the Bible is silent about these centuries. Yet chapter after chapter portray, in depth, the life God's people lived during the 300 or so years of Israel's deterioration. It follows that God recorded these stories of men and women, as well as the tale of the nation, for an important purpose. Through the inspired record God communicates His message—to the generations of Israelites who lived later, and to us who live today.
Ruth (Ruth 1–4). When Elimelech took his wife, Naomi, and two sons to the land of Moab, one of Israel's traditional enemies, he was fleeing a famine. He was also leaving his heritage in Israel. During the following 10 years, Elimelech died and Naomi's two sons married Moabite wives. Within the decade the two boys also died, and Naomi, hearing that the famine time was past in Israel, determined to return home.
At first the two daughters-in-law intended to return to Israel with her. But Naomi urged them to stay in Moab. There seemed no hope of a marriage or a home for them if they returned with Naomi, who was by now a bitter widow. One of the two listened to Naomi's urging, and she returned to her people and their gods. But Ruth, the other, made one of the most touching and courageous statements of individual commitment recorded in Scripture. Abandoning her people and culture, Ruth chose to identify herself with Naomi, Naomi's then powerless people, and with Naomi's God (Ruth 1:16–17).
The Book of Ruth tells of the return of the two women, and shows the results of Ruth's commitment.
First, however, we see Ruth's commitment expressed in her lifestyle. Even though Ruth was a foreigner, she was recognized as a good woman who had come to take refuge under the wings of the Lord God of Israel (Ruth 2:8–13).
The story of Ruth continues with her meeting of Boaz, a relative of her dead husband. In Old Testament times, it was customary for a widow who did not return to her father's household to marry someone in her dead husband's family. The nearest kinsman had this privilege and obligation. The first child of such a second marriage was given the inheritance and name of the first husband, rather than inheriting from the actual father's holdings, particularly if the second husband had been previously married and had a family of his own.
With Ruth's reputation and her faith in God established, Boaz was drawn to this young widow. When, following Naomi's instructions, Ruth indicated her willingness to marry Boaz, he agreed to marry her and to take responsibility for Elimelech's inheritance.
It's easy to misunderstand some of the story here, unless we grasp something of the customs of those days. For instance, when Ruth went at night to the threshing floor where Boaz and his men were threshing wheat, and lay down at his feet, no immorality is suggested (Ruth 3:6–9). This was a symbolic act expressing Ruth's willingness to place herself under the protection of Boaz.
Similarly the discussion at the gate, and the taking off of the sandal, reflect Old Testament customs. The city gates were where the older men gathered and where business could be transacted in front of many witnesses. Taking off the sandal and passing it had the same force in Israel in those days as signing a contract has in ours.
So Boaz quickly cleared away the legal requirements and married Ruth.
The last verses of the Book of Ruth contain a striking revelation: the child born to Ruth and Boaz (and "given" to Naomi as a grandson) was Obed, the grandfather of Israel's greatest and most godly king, David.
Samson (Judges 13–16). Four Old Testament chapters are allotted to Ruth. Four are also devoted to Samson. Very possibly Samson was a contemporary of Ruth's son Obed, or of Ruth herself!
But what a contrast in the lives of these two who lived during the same era of Old Testament history.
Ruth had been born in a pagan home, and later, influenced by Naomi, had chosen to identify herself with Israel and Israel's God—even though at the time Israel was an oppressed people. Samson was born in Israel, and his birth was preannounced by an angel. His father and mother were godly believers. Their response to the angel clearly demonstrates that. When Manoah's wife told him an angel had spoken to her, Manoah prayed and asked that the angel be sent again to instruct them how to bring up the child. When the angel came, Manoah's first words were, "Now when your words are fulfilled, what is to be the rule for the boy's life and work?" (Judges 13:12)
The parents of Samson were taught that their boy was to be dedicated to God from birth, never to drink wine, or cut his hair, or eat any unclean thing. This pattern of life is defined in the Old Testament for those taking a special vow to God. Such persons were called Nazarites. From his birth, Samson knew an ideal environment. The Bible tells us that "he grew, and the Lord blessed him, and the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him" (Judges 13:24–25).
This promising start soon drifted into a disturbing pattern of life. Samson, for all his advantages, was a selfish and sensual man. He was not motivated by a concern for God's people; in fact, the Lord had to use his passion for a Philistine woman to move Samson to act against his people's enemies (Judges 14:1–4). Engaged to the girl he desired, Samson was tricked into the loss of a bet with guests at the wedding feast. Angry because the girl had betrayed the answer of the riddle over which he'd wagered, Samson paid—then disappeared in hot anger (Judges 14:19). His bride was given to another man!
Furious, Samson took revenge by burning the Philistines' fields and by waging one-man guerilla warfare against Israel's oppressors. Instead of leading his people to throw off Philistine domination, Samson continued to act alone, being moved only by his thirst for revenge. Ultimately Samson's own people were forced to deliver him to their enemies, or face destruction! Samson went with them. But when the Israelites left, Samson broke off the bonds that held him and, grabbing a donkey's jawbone, used it as a weapon to kill a thousand enemies (Judges 15:10–15).
Samson was personally invulnerable. He possessed a supernatural physical strength so unnatural that the lords of the Philistines realized there must be some secret source—and perhaps some way to neutralize it. Samson's strength became his weakness: his dominance over others was based on physical prowess alone. But his weakness was the domination of his own personality by the desires of his flesh.
Samson became involved with a prostitute named Delilah, who was bribed by the Philistines to seek the source of Samson's power. Judges 16 tells how Samson foolishly betrayed his secret—his long hair, which had never been cut and which symbolized his Nazarite commitment. Once Samson's hair was cut, he was easily taken by the Philistines, blinded, and forced to grind grain at a mill in a Gaza prison.
Much later, the Philistines gathered to praise their god, Dagon, for giving them Samson, "the one who laid waste our land" (Judges 16:24). Samson was brought in to be ridiculed. Leaning against the two middle pillars which bore the weight of the great temple, Samson, his hair now regrown, prayed for strength. With a mighty heave, Samson displaced the pillars, and the temple crumpled, killing Samson and about 3,000 of the enemy.
Samson had judged Israel for 20 years. Yet he is the only one of all the judges of whom it is not recorded that he brought rest to the land.
The Family Factor: Deuteronomy 11:18–21 / The portraits of Ruth and Samson in the days of the Judges focus our attention on another important issue. In each setting, we gain fascinating insight into families.
Ruth, brought up in a pagan home, turned from her upbringing to identify with Naomi, Naomi's people, and Naomi's God. Samson, child of a godly home, dedicated to the Lord, lived for himself. Even in his death, Samson's primary motive was selfish. "Strengthen me," Samson prayed, "and let me get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes" (Judges 16:28).
What can we conclude from the record? First, environment alone does not determine us for either good or evil. Neither being members of a sinful society nor a pagan family fixes our future. There is an element of freedom and of individual responsibility that must be accepted by each one of us. We cannot blame our parents for our choices. We cannot blame our friends. We cannot blame the moral state of the society in which we live.
A bad environment may make it more difficult to choose the right. But the individual still remains responsible for his acts. In the same way, a godly environment is no guarantee that one will choose wisely. We can take no comfort in our parents' faith. We need to make our own commitment lest we too wander from God.
Second, there seems to be an interplay in the era of the Judges between three factors rather than just two. It's not just the influence of society versus the individual's freedom to choose. There is a family factor as well. Judges and Ruth show us that even in a corrupt society there were godly men and women, and godly families. It also shows compellingly the fact that believers need to understand how to share their faith with the next generation!
Samson's parents, for all their personal piety, were not effective in sharing their faith with their son in any life-shaping way. Naomi, despite her unhappiness, communicated compellingly with her pagan daughter-in-law, Ruth.
How can parents, whose own relationship with God may be strong, communicate effectively with their sons and daughters? The Old Testament, reinforced by the New, suggests these principles:
Parental piety is a prerequisite (Deuteronomy 11:18). God's command to adults is to "fix these words of Mine in your hearts and minds." This does not mean that a parent must be perfect, an "ideal" believer who never makes a mistake and never sins. Instead, it means that the parent's faith must mean more than Sunday expression; more than giving lip service to God and to His Word. Knowing a great deal about the Bible is not stressed here. What is important is that the parent be a person who himself or herself responds to God's Word. The parent needs to be building the messages of God into his or her own heart and soul. God's revelation is to shape the attitudes and values and behaviors of believers, as well as our beliefs.
Only a person who is growing in the Lord will be able to communicate his or her faith to others compellingly.
Intimate relationship provides a context (Deuteronomy 11:19). The Scriptures focus on the privilege of communicating God and His ways to each new generation in the home. "Teach them to your children." Israel's lifestyle did include certain institutions, such as the cities of refuge and the levitical cities. But there were no educational institutions. There was no Sunday School for the nurture of a new generation, and no colleges for their instruction in the faith. The home, with its intimate and warm personal relationships, was the context in which God's Word was to be communicated.
The rest of Scripture shows us why the home is so important. Faith is best communicated when there is a love relationship between the teacher and learner. Where there is opportunity to observe the life, and participate in shared experiences, the values and the attitudes, the emotions that are associated with actions, all these are learned along with beliefs.
In the context of warm relationships there is a chance for the communicator to explain in words his or her inner feelings and thoughts.
In this whole process, faith's lifestyle is not just talked about: it is modeled, incarnated in the life of the older believer.
When the relationship is a continuing one, extending over the growing years, and not simply one of infrequent contact, faith's lifestyle can be gradually developed.
The critical relational factors shown throughout Scripture seem to be these: loving, being and staying close, sharing, communicating openly, and of course, living by one's commitment to God and His Word.
Somehow Samson's parents, for all their personal piety, were not successful in shaping a godly son. And Naomi, for all her disappointments in life, was able to influence Ruth to love her, and then to love her God.
Explicit teaching in daily life (Deuteronomy 11:19). The Deuteronomy passage makes it clear that we are to teach God's Word. It also shows us when and how. We are to teach by talking about God "when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down, and when you get up." The stress here is not laid on what we would call formal teaching—teaching with a teacher, a curriculum, a classroom, a particular time of day. The emphasis in the Bible is on informal teaching: on using God's Word to explain and interpret experiences we share in daily life.
The other morning a conflict flared up between my youngest son and my daughter. He said something thoughtless that hurt her feelings. After I spent 10 minutes of quieting and helping her, my son was angry with me. He felt she had taken his remark wrongly, and so it was her fault. I'd been altogether too comforting to suit him!
It took about half an hour to work things through with him, and help him see that his words had been thoughtless, and that he had really spoken in anger, selfishly. It took even more time to come to the place where forgiveness could be asked and given. Then we talked more about forgiveness, and that for the Christian it means that a confessed sin is truly gone. God's promise is "I will forgive their wickedness, and will remember their sins no more" (Hebrews 8:12).
Later that day our youngest was going over to play with a friend with whom he'd had some conflict. Didn't it bother him to go over there again?
"No," he said. "When you've forgiven someone, you forget."
It is this kind of teaching of God's ways, using His Word to interpret and guide in daily experience, that is the key to effective Christian nurture. It was this kind of teaching which might have helped Israel to avoid the dark days of the Judges—if only the adults had first made their own choice to be faithful to God.
How good to know that when you and I trust God, and seek to obey Him, we can communicate our faith effectively to those who are near us, to those whom we love.
