RUTH

Ruth 1-4

THE HISTORICAL/GEOGRAPHICAL/SOCIAL BACKGROUND

The book of Ruth is set late within the time frame of the book of Judges. As you may recall, the period of the Judges lasted for about 350 years from approximately 1385 to 1050 BC. It was a time of spiritual upheaval with Israel consistently falling away from the Lord and being punished by the Lord, only to repent and be rescued through a judge raised up by the Lord. The principal characters of the book—Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz—stand in sharp contrast to vast majority of the people of Israel in those days. Here we find one foreigner and two of God’s children determined to live their faith in the midst of hostile environment. The book of Ruth is a love story—a story of three people’s love for God and their mutual love for each other. The book of Ruth stands as a testament to the power of faith and the ability of individuals enabled by God’s love to live sanctified lives in the midst of a sinful world.

The settings for the book are twofold. Ruth was a Moabitess. The people of Moab were descendants of Abraham’s nephew, Lot. They lived in the lands east of the Dead Sea. Naomi and Boaz were descendants of Judah living in their ancestral village of Bethlehem, which lies about five miles south of Jerusalem just west of the top of the Dead Sea.

Key to understanding the faith and beauty of the book of Ruth is an understanding of the Jewish custom of the Kinsman-Redeemer. According to Old Testament law (cf. Leviticus 25:25; Deuteronomy 25:5-10) if a poor person lost his land, a relative had the right to buy the land back in order to keep the land in the poor person’s family. Beyond this, if a man died having no children, the man’s brother would marry his widow and their first child would be raised as the dead man’s heir. If a man had no surviving brother, a near kinsman was encouraged to fulfill this responsibility if it would not endanger his own inheritance. Such an act, while not strictly required by Mosaic Law, was viewed as a magnanimous act and a mark of loyalty to the family. These laws had the two-fold purpose of keeping Israel’s families on the land and preserving the family lines within Israel. These two purposes were important, for God had chosen the land of Israel as the place where He would fulfill His plan of salvation for mankind and it was through one of those families within Israel that the Savior would be born.

It is interesting to note that in order to be a Kinsman-Redeemer three conditions had to be fulfilled. First of all, you had to be related by blood. Secondly, you had to be able financially to bear the burden of either buying the land and/or supporting your brother’s wife and potential heir. Thirdly, you had to be willing to act on your brother’s behalf. The role of Kinsman-Redeemer was a "type of Christ" within Old Testament society. Jesus had to be related to us by blood in order to be our Redeemer, and so He became true man (cf. Hebrews 2:14). He had to be able to redeem us, and so He had to be both true man and true God (cf. Galatians 4:4-5). He had to be willing to redeem us, for then alone would He allow Himself to both suffer and die on our behalf (cf. Matthew 26:42).

RUTH

• The name Ruth means "friendship" or "rose."
  
• Ruth was a Moabitess, who married Mahlon, the son of Elimelech and Naomi (cf. Ruth 1:2,4).
  
• Ruth became a widow at a very young age (cf. Ruth 1:5).
  
• Ruth was a believer, whose faith revealed itself in her faithfulness to Naomi (cf. Ruth 1:14-18).
  
• Ruth’s faith revealed itself in her humble, hard-working attitude (cf. Leviticus 19:9-10; Ruth 2:2,7,17,23).
  
• Ruth’s life was guided by the providential hand of God and blessed through the godly attitude of Boaz (cf. Ruth 2:3-5,11-16)
  
• Ruth’s faith further revealed itself in her unselfishness (cf. Ruth 2:18).
  
• Ruth’s faith was also evident in her obedience to Naomi (cf. Ruth 3:1-5).
  
• Ruth’s faith revealed itself in her understanding of, belief in, and adherence to Scriptural principle (cf. Ruth 3:9-18).
  
• Ruth’s faith was blessed by God with the gift of a second husband and a family (cf. Ruth 4:13).
  
• Ruth was an ancestor of Jesus (cf. Ruth 4:17; Matthew 1:5).
  

Observations on the Purpose of the Book of Ruth

A variety of suggestions regarding the exact purpose of the Book of Ruth have been made over the centuries. Some of those suggestions are:

• To inculcate the lesson of filial piety and devotion (Young).
  
• To show that even in the blackest period God has men and women who love and serve Him (Sell).
  
• To show that goodness is rewarded by God (Drewes).
  
• To show your value as a woman and your vital relationship to a living and loving God (Smith).
  
• To illustrate love’s power to surmount all barriers (Hess).
  
• To present a supplement by way of contrast to the Book of Judges and thereby to show the true spirit of Israel (Edersheim).
  
• To illustrate the subject of redemption (McGee).
  
• To exhibit the function of the "goel"—the kinsman-redeemer (Archer).
  
• To trace the genealogy of David (Robertson).
  
• To reveal the universal nature of God’s grace and to show that salvation does not depend on ethnic background, but rather upon faith alone (Kretzmann).
  

I mentioned these because they serve to show us the many varied approaches one might take to Bible study. While these themes differ widely both in practical scope and theological significance, they all are addressed within the 85 verses of the Book of Ruth. Let us never assume that Scripture is a shallow lake, but rather recognize it as the deepest of seas. Dive in and discover the cool and refreshing waters of life!

--Pastor Paul D. Nolting