Tolle Lege: Ruth

The book of Ruth, a short historical narrative, has long been viewed from Jewish interpretation as a part of the Writings, rather than the English category of history. This provides perspective into the Hebrew prose of Ruth, since meaningful words and names, filled with rich symbolism, punctuate the story. Likewise, dramatic ups and downs mark the well-crafted events across only four chapters.

Naomi’s family left the famine-stricken land of Judah in Bethlehem to the greener pastures up in Moab, where the change of altitude likely brought a change in weather (Ruth 1:1–2). Since Bethlehem means “house of bread,” the reader is already meant to see an ironic problem. Famine curses the land and rather than wait upon the Lord in the house of bread, the family departs the Promised Land for territory where other gods are worshiped. They lack faith in the God of their forefathers. They forget that God’s “steadfast love…never ceases” (Lam. 3:22–23). In Moab, Naomi’s husband dies, and the two sons marry Moabite women, another sign of faithlessness (Ruth 1:3–4; cf. Deut. 7:3–4). After ten years in Moab, the two sons die too, and Naomi is left with two Gentile daughters-in-law (v. 5). She determines to return home to Bethlehem in bitterness. She testifies, “I went away full, and the LORD has brought me back empty” (v. 21). She even desires that people call her Mara (meaning “bitter”) rather than Naomi (meaning “pleasant”). Yet, has the LORD––the covenant-keeping God of her forefathers––really brought her back empty? The situation is dire, she and her family have been faithless, but not all is lost.

One of Naomi’s two daughters-in-law clings to her, remaining by her side despite Naomi’s misfortune, bitterness, and poverty (Ruth 1:14). Ruth’s faithfulness to Naomi is described as hesed (1:8; 3:10), a Hebrew word for loving kindness or steadfast love. Ruth’s devotion to Naomi led her to provide for their well-being (2:2, 11, 17–18, and 23) and show hesed loyalty to Naomi even over her own natural family (1:8–10; 2:11). She tells Naomi: “‘Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the LORD do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you’” (1:16–17). For this she is considered a “worthy woman” (3:11) and faithful whatever the cost. Ruth means “friend” and how fitting that is as she befriends desperate Naomi.

But there is more that Ruth provides as a channel for Naomi’s redemption. Like Rahab, the Canaanite prostitute of Jericho who saved the spies (Joshua 2:1), Ruth would redeem Naomi. Ruth worked to provide for Naomi in the fields of Boaz, an honorable man who was a relative of Naomi’s husband. Ruth approaches Boaz for a bit more than extra crops. She asks Boaz to be her redeemer (Ruth 3:9), echoing imagery of “wings” that Israelites had heard before in their great redemption (Ex. 19:4). After discussing the matter with their closest kinsman redeemer, Boaz agrees to redeem the land and redeem the bloodline by marrying Ruth. Boaz, through Ruth, redeems bitter Naomi by giving her a grandson who is “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 given birth to him” (Ruth 4:15).

Why Should I Read This? Read the book of Ruth when you’re struggling to trust the faithfulness of God or when you wonder if he is even there. In other words, are you bitter like Naomi? As you turn to this story, you see how God redeems Naomi and how through her line, all of humanity is redeemed in Jesus (Matt. 1:5). Even when we have abandoned God and live in the cursing of our sin and faithlessness, God is rich in mercy and moves to redeem “even while we were still sinners” (Rom. 5:8).

Key Themes.

1) The book uses three uses of the term hesed. In two of these uses Ruth is described directly (1:8, 3:10) and in one use, Boaz’s actions remind Naomi of God’s hesed (2:20). When human beings show imperfect hesed we are to ultimately see the one who is perfect hesed himself (Ex. 34:6–7; Deut. 7:9; 1 John 4:8).

2) The theme of hesed leads to the next key theme, redemption. Ruth’s hesed helps to redeem Naomi. But Boaz’s implied hesed is the full redemption of Naomi and her family. What she thought was lost entirely (Ruth 1:12–13) is rebuilt (4:13), because God redeems. Boaz is the most willing kinsman redeemer (Deut. 25:5–10) related to Naomi, who can marry Ruth and restore the family line.

Applying the Book. Certainly, we can read about Ruth and Boaz as examples for us as we’re called to bear one another’s burdens (2 Cor. 1:4), like Ruth cared for Naomi and Boaz cares for Ruth. Importantly, we do this because God has cared for us through the redeeming work of Christ on the cross. His love turns us toward love for others (1 John 4:19). So, the book of Ruth provides wise counsel for faithful living in our love for neighbor and family and it, primarily, points forward to Ruth’s great offspring through King David, namely, Jesus Christ the son of God. He loved us so much that he was “obedient to the point of death” on the cross (Phil. 2:8).