Love is... (part 1)
The Book of Ruth: Exploring Love, Loyalty, and Life’s Uncertainties
Ruth is the only book in the Old Testament canon named after a non-Israelite. It is surprising that the book is named after Ruth. Based on the plot, it would have been more appropriately named “The Book of Naomi,” and based on the dialogue, it should have been titled “The Book of Boaz.” What is the special fascination with Ruth that caused the book to be named after her? Let’s discover it together in this new series!
The Book of Ruth is one of the most delightful literary compositions of the ancient world. The narrator is a master at painting word pictures. He skillfully employs the techniques of dialogue, characterization, repetition, reticence, ambiguity, suspense, wordplays, inclusios, et cetera to produce this moving work of art. But what is it about this picture that moves the reader? And what are the points he seeks to get across? Although Ruth is a short book, it is complex in its plot and subtle in its development of themes (of which there are several).
—Daniel Isaac Block, Judges, Ruth, vol. 6, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 603.
Before jumping into the story I want you to keep in mind the words of Paul recorded in romans 8:28.
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
— Romans 8:29 NKJV
Do you believe in these words? Do you think they represent an eternal truth that applies even in the Old Testament? This story will not be simple or clean; it will be messy, like our lives often are.
Are you ready?
Setting
Now it came to pass, in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem, Judah, went to dwell in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons.
—Ruth 1:1 NKJV
“In the days when the judges ruled” indicates that the events described in the book of Ruth took place not after but during the period of the Judges. Although the Book of Ruth follows the Book of Judges, the events occurred during the same time period, although we are not given many details beyond that. We do not know who the judge was during the period described in the Book of Ruth; we only know it took place sometime after Joshua's death and before Saul's crowning.
“There was a famine in the land.” The cause of the famine is not indicated in the biblical text. Meteorologically speaking, it did not rain long enough for the crops to fail and animals to die, causing a famine. Theologically speaking, this could be a judgmental act by God. If God’s people went after other gods and persisted in rebelling against His covenant, He would make the heavens like iron and the earth like bronze. (see: Leviticus 26:18-20 and Deuteronomy 28:23-24)
Geographically, the story begins in Bethlehem of Judah. The irony is lost to us who don’t speak Hebrew. Bethlehem means “house of bread,” but there is no food there. We may be familiar with the town of Bethlehem because of King David and Jesus. Still, at this time in history, it was an insignificant town located five miles south of Jerusalem.
Meet the Family
2 The name of the man was Elimelech, the name of his wife was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion—Ephrathites of Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to the country of Moab and remained there.
—Ruth 1:2 NKJV
The story begins with a general problem, then focuses on its impact on a specific family. We are introduced to Elimelech and his family. Elimelech’s name is interesting because it appears to be a sentence name that means “My God is king,” but his departure to the land of Moab seems to indicate some doubt about the truth his name declared. We don’t know for certain whether Elimelech should have left Bethlehem or stayed, and the narrator does not instruct us on how to interpret the move.
Some would argue that if Elimelech was aware that the famine resulted from breaking the covenant with God, he should have stayed and repented and started a revival and a reformation where necessary. After all, according to the Book of Deuteronomy (Deuteronomy 30:1-3,8-10), if the people would repent, the famine would end. Therefore, it seems like Elimelech would rather move for a while than turn back to God. Elimelech’s move also paralleled Abraham’s move to Egypt (Genesis 12:10-20), which has also been connected to a lack of faith and even cowardice.
If Elimelech could avoid the famine by simply crossing the Jordan to Moab (east of the Dead Sea), it suggests that the famine was localized to the land of Israel. This supports the interpretation of the famine as a covenantal curse. And Elimelech chose to deal with the symptoms instead of the root cause. Instead of repenting and calling on God for mercy, he decided to move.
Moab
Deciding to move to Moab must have been a very difficult choice for Elimelech, and it could also explain why only his family decided to move (temporarily - Hebrew verb gur means to sojourn, dwell for a time). The Israelites and Moabites did not get along for at least five reasons.
Moabite origin - They came from the incestuous relationship of Lot and his daughters. (Genesis 19:30-38)
The Moabites resisted when Israel passed through their territory when they came out of Egypt. (Numbers 22-24)
The Moabite women seduced the Israelite men and caused them to sin, which caused Israel to be punished. (Numbers 25:1-9)
Israel had a constitutional exclusion of Moab from the assembly of the LORD. (Deuteronomy 23:3-6)
Israel had recently been oppressed by Eglon, king of Moab (Judges 3:15-30)
These five factors make the wholehearted acceptance of Ruth by Naomi, Boaz, and the people of Bethlehem even more remarkable.
Tragedy Strikes
3 Then Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she was left, and her two sons. 4 Now they took wives of the women of Moab: the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth. And they dwelt there about ten years. 5 Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died; so the woman survived her two sons and her husband.
— Ruth 1:3-5 NKJV
What a tragic experience, to flee from famine only to experience death in a foreign land. Naomi, now a widow, becomes the head of her family. This is indicated subtly in the narrative. Naomi is not mentioned as Elimelech's wife, but rather Elimelech is now referred to as Naomi’s husband. Similarly, Elimelech’s children are now referred to as Naomi’s sons. The story stopped being about Elimelech and is not about Naomi. All hope is not lost at this point because Naomi’s sons are still alive and able to marry, so we hope they will have children of their own and their family line will continue.
How should we feel about Naomi’s sons marrying Moabite women? If we are familiar with some Old Testament laws, we would oppose their marriages (Deut. 7:3; 23:3; Ezra 9:2; Neh. 13:23). However, the narrator is ambiguous. There are some possible hints in the original language regarding marriage, where the word used means “to lift or carry a woman,” (used only 9 times in the Old Testament Judg 21:23; Ruth 1:4; 2 Chr 11:21; 13:21; 24:3; Ezra 9:2, 12; 10:44; Neh 13:25) as opposed to the more commonly used word for marriage, which means “to take a woman.” Some also point to the fact that Naomi’s sons were married for nine years without children as evidence of God’s disapproval of their marriage. (Deuteronomy 28:18) Later, when Ruth has a son, it is considered a special blessing from God. (Ruth 4:13) The strongest argument in favor of God’s displeasure with the decisions of Elimelech, Mahlon, and Chilion is their death. Once again, the narrator does not weigh in but leaves the interpretation of these events to the reader. Was this judgment from God, or simply bad luck?
Naomi is left all alone. She has no husband, no children. (The word used in Ruth 1:5 means children as opposed to the word often used for sons used in Ruth 1:1-3, 11-12)
Response to the Crisis
Naomi and her daughters-in-law now face a present without men and a future without hope.
6 Then she arose with her daughters-in-law that she might return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the Lord had visited His people by giving them bread. 7 Therefore she went out from the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. 8 And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each to her mother’s house. The Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. 9 The Lord grant that you may find rest, each in the house of her husband.”
So she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept. 10 And they said to her, “Surely we will return with you to your people.”
—Ruth 1:6-10 NKJV
God acts, and hope breaks through the dark clouds that overshadowed Naomi’s future. God came to the aid of His people by giving them bread, and Naomi decides to return to her people and her God. Interestingly, Naomi’s daughters-in-law want to join her. We are not told why this is the case. Why would these widows not return to their families? Why would three widows stick together? We are not told explicitly, but imagining possible reasons to desire to follow someone should not be difficult. Something about Naomi caused her daughters-in-law to prefer to travel to a foreign land with her than to stay in their homeland without her.
Naomi, being aware of how challenging life can be for a Moabitess in the land of Judah, tries to discourage her daughters-in-law from following her. Naomi gives her daughters-in-law a double command, “Go, return.” By sending her daughters-in-law to their mother’s house, Naomi was likely releasing them to remarry. (Genesis 24:28; Songs of Solomon 3:4; 8:2) This is made clear by verse 9 where Naomi prays they find rest in the house of their husband.
Though Naomi’s double command may sound harsh, she also prays a double blessing on her daughters-in-law. Naomi invokes the name of the LORD (YHWH) to bless them. In the Book of Ruth, much of what we learn about God is revealed through speech/dialogue. Naomi’s prayer reveals her understanding that the authority of the God of Israel extends beyond the border of Israel and even into the territory of another god, in this case, Chemosh. Naomi’s prayer also assumes that God cares about these non-Israelite ladies. Naomi’s prayer introduces us to her God and what she believes about Him.
Naomi’s prayer also introduces one of the key theological terms in the book.
May the LORD show you loving devotion (hessed), as you have shown to your dead and to me.
(Ruth 1:8b Berean Standard Bible)
Hessed
Hessed cannot be translated with a single English word.
It is a covenant term, wrapping up in itself all the positive attributes of God: love, covenant faithfulness, mercy, grace, kindness, loyalty. In short, it refers to acts of devotion and lovingkindness that go beyond the requirements of duty.
—Daniel Isaac Block, Judges, Ruth, vol. 6, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 633–634.
Naomi understood that divine acts of hessed would bring the opposite of pain and suffering, which all three women have been experiencing for over a decade. Perhaps this was also opening the doors for covenantal blessings. (Leviticus 26:3-13; Deuteronomy 28:1-14 - The link of hesed with covenant is made explicit in the hendiadic expression “the covenant and the lovingkindness,” viz., “the gracious covenant,” in Deut 7:9, 12; 1 Kgs 8:23 = 2 Chr 6:14; Neh 1:5; 9:32; Dan 9:4.)
In Naomi’s first speech (1:8) we are introduced to the key theological term in the book and one of Yahweh’s most treasured characteristics: ḥesed. Ḥesed is one of those Hebrew words whose meaning cannot be captured in one English word. This is a strong relational term that wraps up in itself an entire cluster of concepts, all the positive attributes of God—love, mercy, grace, kindness, goodness, benevolence, loyalty, covenant faithfulness; in short, that quality that moves a person to act for the benefit of another without respect to the advantage it might bring to the one who expresses it. Naomi’s use of ḥesed as the direct object of the verb ʿāśâ, “to do, act, demonstrate,” reflects the fact that this quality is expressed fundamentally in action rather than word or emotion
—Daniel Isaac Block, Judges, Ruth, vol. 6, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 605–606.
Why do they need a husband?
The second blessing Naomi prays over her daughter-in-law is that the LORD would grant them security to each in the house of her husband. Maybe some in our modern day would take offense to this prayer. Why can’t the three women be strong and independent without a husband in their lives? I do not take this prayer as a mandate that all women must be married to be fulfilled. Instead, I take it as a window into the culture of the time.
The death of a husband meant the loss of one’s economic support base and the severing of connections to the kinship structures. Widowhood often meant inevitable alienation and destitution.
—Daniel Isaac Block, Judges, Ruth, vol. 6, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 634.
With this blessing, Naomi kissed her daughters, and they lifted their voices and wept, a common Near Eastern expression of grief to this day. Surprisingly, the two Moabite women were determined to stick with Naomi. Despite all their suffering together, these two women would rather travel with Naomi to a foreign land than stay in their homeland without her. What caused these women to be more attracted to their mother-in-law than to their people?
Think this through
11 But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Are there still sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? 12 Turn back, my daughters, go—for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, if I should have a husband tonight and should also bear sons, 13 would you wait for them till they were grown? Would you restrain yourselves from having husbands? No, my daughters; for it grieves me very much for your sakes that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me!”
—Ruth 1:11-14 NKJV
This is Naomi’s longest speech in the book. Naomi challenges her daughters-in-law's decision by asking them to list the advantages of leaving with her. She follows this up with another question: Are they hoping to marry her future sons? This question may sound ridiculous, but it points out important factors. These women need husbands, and Naomi cannot provide them with them. They will have a harder time finding husbands in a foreign land. Naomi knows how the Israelites feel about the Moabites.
Bitterness
Naomi’s speech continues with an answer to her questions. The answer is a resounding and bitter “No.”
“No, my daughters, it is much more bitter for me than for you, because the hand of the LORD has gone out against me.”
—Ruth 1:13b Berean Standard Bible
Naomi reveals her true feelings about her lot in life. She is bitter and blames God for her suffering. Naomi feels like the target of God's wrath. The cause of the famine in Bethlehem, the death of Elimelech, Mahlon, and Chilion, and the barrenness of Orpah and Ruth may be mysterious to the reader, but Naomi is clear regarding the cause of her troubles. This is challenging because Naomi’s blessings earlier indicated her faith in God’s ability to bless Orpah and Ruth, yet now she blames God for making her life bitter.
Some may be tempted to criticise Naomi for taking no responsibility for what has happened in her life. Instead, she accuses God. She does not mention her people's sins or the need for repentance. So, does Naomi have strong faith in the LORD, or does she view her God as others from her time and place viewed their gods? We don’t know for certain. Life is messy, and emotions color our thoughts. Our faith and theology are constantly being shaped, strengthened, and challenged. Struggling is not a sign of quitting. Naomi may be angry with God, but she would still rather trust God than rebel against Him.
But Ruth clung to her
The women wept once again. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.
14 Then they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.
15 And she said, “Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.”
— Ruth 1:14-15 NKJV
Naomi draws Ruth’s attention to Orpah, who is heading back to Moab, her people, and her gods. This could shed light on why Ruth does not want to return. This is not only about the geographical location, language, food, customs, religion, and theology.
My belief is that Ruth's main reason for wanting to stay with Naomi is because of Naomi’s God. Ruth has to decide between returning to a familiar place, language, culture, people, and religion, or venturing off to a new land, new people, new customs and food, and most importantly, a new religion that she only got to know through Naomi’s witness. But Ruth has made up her mind.
Ruth stood the supreme test She proved to be more of a Jewess at heart than she was a Moabitess. A change had taken place during her association with Naomi, and she knew she would feel more content and more at home in the strange land of Israel than she would in the familiar land of Moab, and among her lifelong friends. A knowledge of the true God binds human hearts more closely together than do the ties of race or kindred.
—Francis D. Nichol, ed., The Seventh-Day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 2 (Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1976), 432.
But Ruth said
16 But Ruth said:
“Entreat me not to leave you,
Or to turn back from following after you;
For wherever you go, I will go;
And wherever you lodge, I will lodge;
Your people shall be my people,
And your God, my God.
17 Where you die, I will die,
And there will I be buried.
The Lord do so to me, and more also,
If anything but death parts you and me.”
18 When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she stopped speaking to her.
— Ruth 1:16-18 NKJV
The first words we hear from Ruth’s lips alone are among the most memorable in all of Scripture. Few utterances in the Bible match her speech for sheer poetic beauty, and the extraordinary courage and spirituality it expresses.
—Daniel Isaac Block, Judges, Ruth, vol. 6, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 640.
Ruth delivers a beautiful and eloquent response that continues to amaze those who read it. Ruth’s pledge of devotion to Naomi is one of the loftiest expressions of commitment found in the Bible. Ruth essentially tells Naomi, “Nothing but death will separate us.” This declaration leaves Naomi speechless.
Ruth’s answer is the keynote of the whole book. It is not merely that Ruth’s love for her mother-in-law leads her to cleave to Naomi. Ruth has discovered that it is Naomi’s faith that makes her a wonderful woman. Ruth resolutely makes her decision for the true God: “Thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.” No more sublime affirmation of love and devotion is to be found anywhere.
— Francis D. Nichol, ed., The Seventh-Day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 2 (Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1976), 432.
Ruth gained knowledge of the true God by seeing Him reflected in the lives of Naomi and the other members of Naomi’s family. This is how God reveals Himself to people—by demonstrating the power of His love operating in the lives of former sinners. The transforming power of divine love is the best argument in favor of the truth. Without it, our profession is no better than “sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal” (1 Cor. 13:1).
Arriving in Bethlehem
19 Now the two of them went until they came to Bethlehem. And it happened, when they had come to Bethlehem, that all the city was excited because of them; and the women said, “Is this Naomi?”
20 But she said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. 21 I went out full, and the Lord has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?”
22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. Now they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.
—Ruth 1:19-22 NKJV
We do not know at which point in the journey Naomi had her daughters-in-law have their conversation and for how much of the journey it was just Ruth and Naomi, but the next thing we know, the two women arrive in Bethlehem. The town is excited by Naomi’s return, but something has changed, and they wonder if she is indeed Naomi. She left with a husband and two sons, (likely) full of life and optimism. Now she has returned aged by the hardships she has faced. She is alone except for Ruth, her daughter-in-law.
Apparently, Naomi overheard the question the women of the city were asking each other, and she addresses the women of the town, venting publicly her frustration and pain. She left Bethlehem as Naomi, but she has returned a different woman. She no longer wishes to be called Naomi; from now on, she will be called Mara. Naomi blames God, the Almighty, for what has happened to her.
When she first left, Naomi was not full in the sense of having food. If she had been full, she would have remained in Bethlehem. But she was full in that her future was secure with a husband and two sons. Now, she has no future. Naomi has returned home and recognizes the LORD as sovereign, but her theology does not seem well-rounded.
Naomi may have come back home in faith, but hers is a flawed faith. Unable to see human causation in Israel’s famine and in her own trials, the woman the neighbors greet is a bitter old woman. She does indeed ascribe sovereignty to God, but this is a sovereignty without grace, an omnipotent power without compassion, a judicial will without mercy.
—Daniel Isaac Block, Judges, Ruth, vol. 6, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999), 647.
Conclusion
We like to clean up and sanitize biblical narratives. We want neat conclusions. But what do we have so far? We have Naomi, who seems like a nice person. After all, her daughters-in-law were willing to follow her to a foreign country. Yet, Naomi has experienced bitterness and loss. She considers herself judged by God. She returned home empty, having lost her husband and both her sons. She is vulnerable and alone, except for Ruth, another widow, who is also a foreigner. What kind of future could they possibly expect?
Would they become beggars?
Would Ruth turn to prostitution?
What other options were there for them in the ancient world?
To find out, you must continue reading the Bible story and check in my future posts as we wrestle with this complex story.
For now, suffice it to say that the presence of hardships is not to be taken as evidence of God's absence. Therefore, if God is the Almighty and remains in control, do you trust Him to work through the bitterness to bring about a blessing?
How often do we quit amid bitterness and never discover the blessing waiting for us on the other side?
My challenge for you is to return to God, to a community of faith, like Naomi, even if you feel like you are returning empty, even if you feel self-conscious or embarrassed. God has a good plan for you. I wish I could tell you it will all be easy and fun. It won’t. But I can tell you it is the best possible plan for your life and that you will never regret sticking with God. God loves you. He will save you. And He will use you in ways you don’t expect to bless those around you. Your part is not to walk away. Stick with God and trust in His character, trust in His love, trust in His power, trust in His plan, and keep showing up.
God will never leave you nor forsake you.
(Deuteronomy 31:6; Matthew 28:20)
