“….and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.” Ruth 2:12
Dear Ones:
The book of Ruth is a picture of the heart of God. It is true that there is a love story found in its pages, between Boaz and Ruth, but there is a deeper meaning, one that extends over a thousand years. It is a story of true “blessing,” or rather, the unveiling of the heart of God in the face of human tragedy and need. This blessing transcends countries, cultures, families, and the day to day duties of life, to bring us face to face with the eternity of God. The love of God for mankind is revealed with immaculate detail, in a wisdom and beauty, that only He could have conceived it, and bring it to pass. It is a story of the immeasurable need of man, and the eternal provision of God to meet that need.
The book begins with a famine in the land, and the consequent search for survival by moving to another country, but one where the customs and religion are not those of Abraham. There, tragedy strikes, and the husband and two sons of Naomi die. Upon declaring that she is to return to her home in Bethlehem-judah, one of the daughters-in-law will choose to stay in Moab. The other will leave her father and mother, the land of her birth, to come with her mother in law “…to a people which she did not know.” (2:11) Why? Somewhere along the way, Ruth saw in Naomi true faith, and learned the truth of the God of Israel. It would be said of her, after her return with Naomi, that she had chosen to believe in the Lord God of Israel, “…under whose wings thou (she) had come to trust.” (2:12) God would take care of these two widowed women, guiding Ruth to glean in a field belonging to a wealthy relative, Boaz. Ruth would eventually gain the respect and admiration of “…all the city,” as all knew that she was a “virtuous woman.” Boaz also would see, and know this. It would be at this time that Naomi, seeking the security of a home for Ruth, would choose to sell her land to Boaz. According to the customs of that time, there was a relative in line to buy the land before Boaz. However, upon hearing that in buying the land, the owner would of necessity, take Ruth as his wife also, to “…raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance” (4:5), the relative gave to Boaz his right to buy the land. Boaz would then buy the land of Naomi, and Ruth, take Ruth to be his wife, and have a son by her, whose name would be Obed. It is at this point that we might think that this is a good story, and that we have arrived at its end. But that is not the case with God.
The loss of Naomi’s husband and sons, and Ruth’s first husband, was a very harsh and painful event. What did it accomplish? It produced in the heart of Naomi and Ruth a faith that was firmly and solely fixed in God. In response to such faith, great blessing would come, not only in the form of a love story and the well-being of all involved, but with regard to the entire world. Obed would be the father of Jesse, the father of David…in the lineage of Christ…the Savior of the world. The great descendant of Obed would indeed be “famous in Bethlehem,” as He would be born there, to save us all. All of this was born out of a famine, tragedy, and need. The heart of God is immeasurable in His mercy, wisdom, and love. Is He not worthy to be trusted fully?
Dear Father, open our eyes to see and understand your heart, wisdom, love, and power. Give us to live as those who also have come to dwell under Your wings, ever trusting wholly in Thee. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad