The Reception

Part 2 left off with the journey across the high country from Moab to Judea. Naomi had run out of options in Moab. She had lost her husband and her two sons and was too old to have any more children.

The likelihood of finding another husband in Moab were slim. Besides, Moab was a pagan country and worshipped false gods. Her faithfulness to the one true God prohibited participation in the Moabite culture.

Heading back to Bethlehem was the logical thing to do. She had kin there, it was a godly place – people there knew and honored the Lord, and there were provisions in the Law of Moses for her care. There were also legal matters she needed to attend to as well while she still could.

Her plan was to reconnect with her family and the family of her husband. Her heart must have been torn because it meant leaving her two daughters-in-law Orpah and Ruth; she had no expectation that they would or should come back with her to Judea. But it must have been a difficult decision, as they were all very close. But their families and culture were here in Moab. She did not want to burden her daughters-in-law with her needs and expenses when they could still find a husband and bear children. So she reluctantly tells them goodbye and prepares to return to Bethlehem.

But Ruth was determined to stay with Naomi. They had been through a lot together. So Ruth insists on returning with Naomi, having no idea how they would be received in Bethlehem or what would happen. But whatever happened, they had each other. The game changer in all of this was the commitment Ruth had made to the Lord, the God of Israel, whom she had come to know through Naomi.

So off they went to Bethlehem. They tearfully say goodbye to Oprah, who reluctantly chose to stay in Moab. But she had been convinced by Naomi that this was best.

After several days of difficult travel, Naomi and Ruth arrive safely in Bethlehem and thankfully, Naomi is recognized, even after so long. It has been maybe 14 years since Naomi had departed with her husband Elimelech.

The people of Bethlehem happened to be in the middle of the barley harvest as I am sure Naomi was aware. They needed food. Naomi, of course, knows of God’s ways and uses her knowledge of the Law of Moses and the culture to secure a future for herself and Ruth. At least, that was the plan.

There was a way ordained by God to take care of the “needy and the stranger” – to ensure they were fed (Lev 19:9-10). The requirement was to leave the edges of the fields unharvested for needy people to take what they needed. Its logical to assume Ruth knows of the custom of gleaning – probably something the Hebrew people were known for since it was required by the Lord. Ruth suggests to Naomi she go out to the fields to glean so they both can eat. So Ruth heads to the fields and ends up in a field owned by a rich man, Boaz, a close relative of Naomi’s deceased husband.

Now some commentaries would say that God guided Ruth to the field owned by Boaz. To be clear, God is guiding this entire process. There is massive prophetic purpose here. But I would speculate that Ruth’s long standing relationship with Naomi must have yielded some information about her life in Bethlehem prior to coming to Moab. Maybe Naomi had mentioned Boaz at some point in conversation.

I am convinced that a meeting between Ruth and Boaz is not happenstance. I have a hunch this may have been Naomi’s plan formulated on the way back to Bethlehem. Just a theory.

Boaz and Ruth

Boaz has been informed of Ruth’s relationship to Naomi, and of course he knows Naomi is the widow of his kin Elimelech – he hasn’t seen them for maybe 14 years. Under the law of Moses, the family of Naomi’s husband has a responsibility to her. But as a widow with no male heirs, she is required to sell her husbands land back to his family.

Clearly Ruth is a beautiful young woman. Boaz takes notice of Ruth but initially doesn’t know who she is, but Bethlehem is a small community. His employees tell him this is Ruth the Moabite woman who came back with Naomi. He is told of how Ruth has shown kindness to Naomi in taking care of her.

Ruth, finished gleaning for the day, hangs out in the house with the rest of the servants, no doubt waiting for an opportunity to meet Boaz (per Naomi’s plan). Boaz is introduced and shows kindness to Ruth because of her dedication to Naomi, his relative. He has also learned of her commitment to the God of Israel. Here is what Boaz says to her:

May the LORD reward your work, and your wages be full from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge.”

Ruth 2:12

Isn’t that a beautiful way to describe a relationship with God. This same metaphor would become encoded in the Psalms of David years later. Psalm 91 is an example, which did not even exist at the time. Possibly a Hebrew idiom? But its a great picture of how we should view our relationship with God – our refuge.

There also was a custom under the law that required the closest relative of a deceased husband without children to marry the widow so that the lineage of the husband would not be terminated. There was a lot tied to this custom including inheritance rights. The situation here is more complicated since Naomi is apparently no longer able to conceive. More on that (which is really the culmination of the story).

Here is Ruth’s response to Boaz’s blessing:

Then she said, “I have found favor in your sight, my lord, for you have comforted me and indeed have spoken kindly to your maidservant, though I am not like one of your maidservants.”

Ruth 2:13

Boaz continues his kindness and generosity, inviting her to dine with himself and his household. He lets her take what’s left of the meal for Naomi and also instructs his reapers to leave plenty for her to glean so she doesn’t have to go to other fields, where there may be a threat against her as a Moabite woman gleaning alone.

Boaz surely knew that Naomi was unable to glean for herself, completely reliant on Ruth for her care. So he generously provides enough grain for both of them as Ruth heads back.

When Ruth returns from the meeting with Boaz, she and Naomi discuss how things went. Ruth describes the kindness of Boaz. Naomi is pleased to hear of his kindness and generosity. Her plan is risky. There are no guarantees of how this will go, but so far so good. Naomi is a good judge of character and blesses Boaz:

“May he be blessed of the LORD who has not withdrawn his kindness to the living and to the dead.” Again Naomi said to her, “The man is our relative, he is one of our closest relatives.”

Ruth 2:20

Perhaps Naomi sees a glimmer of God’s purpose towards her as a kindness worked through Boaz. But she still refers to herself as “dead”. She cannot fully see God’s purpose – indeed, she will never comprehend the full weight of what is about to happen. God will use every action that Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz take from this point forward to lock in His purposes, not only for them, but for all of us.

Naomi’s Plan Continues

Naomi is concerned for Ruth, who is still young. She continues the plan to secure a future for Ruth, requiring more risk and reliance on her knowledge of Boaz, as well as the Law of Moses. It’s an ingenious plan that does not violate integrity or the law. In fact she makes use of the law and relies on the integrity of Boaz.

She instructs Ruth to bathe and anoint herself and dress in her best clothes. Then Ruth is instructed to go to where Boaz is at the threshing floor and there, she is to lay at his feet when he asleep. This is clearly designed to communicate that she is requesting redemption from Boaz as permitted by the Law.

Boaz wakes in the middle of the night and is surprised by Ruth. Its dark and he doesn’t know who this is at his feet. Ruth identifies herself and asks Boaz to “cover her” for he is a redeemer. This is a request under the law, for redemption. Redemption was a legal, social, cultural custom in the ancient world. Go to the link if you want more information about the custom of redemption.

As I said, the requirements and process for redemption were established by the Lord through Moses. This action by Ruth, and the short conversation she has with Boaz, had to do with formally starting the process. For Ruth, it was simply a request to Boaz based on the relationship they had established – a desire to formalize the relationship – to become part of his family. Again, this is Naomi’s plan based on three things: 1) Boaz was the close relative of her deceased husband, 2) the provisions of the Law of Moses, 3) her reliance on the integrity of Boaz to conduct himself in accordance with the law.

The Character of Ruth and the Integrity of Boaz

Boaz knows Ruth is requesting redemption through an act of humility accomplished exactly in accordance with the law and as instructed by Naomi. Naomi was not asking Ruth to seduce Boaz – not understanding the custom of the time might lead us to that conclusion. But that is not what happened.

Boaz explains to Ruth that he is happy to redeem her, but tells her the right of redemption is not his. The right belongs to another man who is a closer relative of Naomi. Now if the closer relative were to give the right of redemption up, then that right would pass to Boaz.

Boaz, though he desires Ruth, knows all must be done in accordance with the law. There is risk here for Boaz because any chance for him to be with Ruth is in the hands of his relative.

Boaz must have fallen in love with Ruth for several reasons: 1) she was a convert who had “sought refuge” in the Lord, 2) she was a woman of good moral character (probably the influence of Naomi), and 3) she was apparently an attractive woman. For Boaz, physical attraction was not sufficient. Commitment to the Lord and strong character were of primary importance. It would go better for all of us and society in general to remember that. Traditions that flow from scripture cannot be dismissed as if they mean nothing.

Concerned for Boaz’s reputation, Ruth gets up early. Boaz sends her off with more food, telling her to stand by, promising to get the matter of her redemption settled the same day. Ruth returns to Naomi who asks how things went. Ruth explained what happened, the plan was successful, but the final outcome is not yet determined due to the legal issue of right of redemption.

God’s law, given through Moses, is higher than the desire Boaz has for Ruth. It is the law that brings order to the community and the blessing of the Lord as long as it is followed. Boaz is committed to honor God by his obedience to the law regardless of the outcome. He will go and make the case to the town elders as required.

A lot is at stake here – not only is the welfare of Ruth and Naomi, but inheritance and their standing in the community as well. Technically, the property belonged to Naomi who is offering it back to her husband’s family – but the redemption of Ruth and herself is part of the deal. Boaz totally understands and is on-board but he must resolve the legal issue with the elders of the town.

The Matter of Redemption is Resolved

Everybody is watching. How interesting this must have been to the town – everybody knows who Ruth is and have a favorable opinion of her. Ruth had come from Moab, a pagan land, but ever since she has arrived, she has conducted herself with kindness, humility, and compassion. She works hard. She has respected the customs and traditions of the community and has won their favor. Character really does count for something.

Boaz immediately takes the matter of redemption to the elders of the city and explains the situation (they were probably aware). Naomi is required to sell the land for redemption, but Ruth is part of the deal. Whomever acquires the land also acquires Ruth and Naomi. Boaz puts it before the elders and offers redemption if the right is given up by the closest relative to Naomi’s deceased husband. This man is unable to take on the associated expenses to acquire the land, Ruth, and Naomi, so he gives up the rights of redemption to Boaz (a wealthy man). The deal is sealed with the whole town as witnesses, so everything is done in accordance with the legal requirements. Here is how Boaz puts it to the town:

Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses today that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon. Moreover, I have acquired Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, to be my wife in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance, so that the name of the deceased will not be cut off from his brothers or from the court of his birth place; you are witnesses today.”

Ruth 4:9-10

Ruth was welcomed into the community because she demonstrated her respect of the culture and of the Lord. This brought the blessing and joy of the Lord as well as the community but also set in motion the fulfillment of messianic prophecy.

The Prophecy

Now I have said that this book is prophetic. It is. Here is one of the prophecies given as a blessing from the elders of the town as Boaz takes possession of the property as well as the welcoming of Naomi back within his famiy with Ruth as his wife:

Moreover, may your house be like the house of Perez whom Tamar bore to Judah, through the offspring which the LORD will give you by this young woman.”

Ruth 4:12

Out of Perez came the royal lineage of David, King of Israel – these people had no idea this was going to happen, that they would represent a critical milestone in biblical prophecy. Prophets yet to come – Isaiah, Ezekiel, and others would speak again of Bethlehem and of a King that would come 1000 years hence.

Now this is getting to the amazing completion of this chapter in the path of redemption that leads through Bethlehem of not only for Naomi and Ruth, but for us as well.

So Boaz took Ruth as his wife. God was working through the hardship and affliction of Naomi and Ruth to bring them to this point. They went through famine that drove Elimelech to Moab with his family, his death in Moab, the marriage of his sons to Ruth and Orpah, the loss of both husbands and sons, the loving relationship that developed between Naomi and Ruth, the return to Bethlehem over 50 miles of rough terrain, gleaning for a living, the kindness and compassion of Boaz, the upright character of Ruth, the steadfast faith and brilliance of Naomi, the kindness of Boaz who loved Ruth, his integrity before the elders of the town, the embrace of Ruth by the community of Bethlehem, the redemption, the wedding and then the culmination of this whole beautiful story.

One more thing that the Lord would accomplish. Ruth the Moabite would conceive a child as enabled by the Lord whose plan it was all along. A child conceived as a result of it all – godliness, integrity, love, compassion, kindness in the midst almost 14 years of affliction, loss, grief, heartbreak. The most amazing things often come as a result of faithfulness to the Lord in the face of adversity. In Naomi’s case, almost 14 years of it.

Another key prophecy comes from the women of the town at the birth of a son:

Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed is the LORD who has not left you without a redeemer today, and may his name become famous in Israel. May he also be to you a restorer of life and a sustainer of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you  and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.”

Ruth 4:14-15

These words were spoken, not to Ruth, but to Naomi. Words spoken specifically about a Name that would indeed become famous in Israel; a prophecy that would carry through to the fulfillment of all prophecies yet to be made unto the fullness of God’s ultimate purpose in His coming Kingdom.

The son Naomi would hold, born from Ruth but considered her own son with these prophetic words spoken over the child by the women of Bethlehem.

Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her lap, and became his nurse. The neighbor women gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi!” So they named him Obed.

Ruth 4:16

Naomi considered herself dead with the loss of her husband and sons, thinking the hand of the Lord was against her. Fourteen long, hard years would bring her to this moment with the prophetic words spoken over her that this son would be to her a “restorer of life”, words that ring true for her personally. Once empty, now filled with the joy of the Lord. Once dead, now life restored, finally realizing in the brokenness of her humanity that God’s hand was never against her, not even for a moment. It may have seemed that way because He was silently and secretly fulfilling great, magnificent purpose in all of this.

And here is why I consider this story every Christmas: “the restorer of life” – these prophetic words would ring through time into the lineage that would lead from Ruth’s son to another who would be king of Israel. Because from Obed came Jesse and from Jesse would be born David who would be anointed King of Israel – a royal lineage and a throne that would remain forever.

The words would extend another 1000 years through the history of Israel and come right back to this very same place – Bethlehem of Judea – in a manger where would be laid another King born in the fullness of time, who would be the “restorer of life” for us all who are dead in our sins. A savior who is Christ the Lord.

You see, Naomi and Ruth never knew what God was accomplishing in the midst of pain, loss, suffering, darkness, risk, uncertainty. They never knew that through their integrity, kindness, compassion, and faith that God would change the course of human history through them.

For you and me, when we experience adversity and God is silent – keep a clear conscience. Don’t turn your back on God. Keep the faith with integrity like Naomi. When God is silent its because he may be very busy doing something BIG. We may never know what that is but then, neither did Ruth, Naomi or Boaz. They simply remained faithful to His ways and God completed one of the most important prophetic purposes ever. A purpose that would lead directly to the birth of the messiah, Jesus Christ.

And that’s what happened in the lowly farming town of Bethlehem in Judea over 3000 years ago.

Jesus – the Restorer of Life.

Merry Christmas.