The reading
Ruth 1:1-18
In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and
a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to live in the country of Moab, he and
his wife and two sons. The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his
wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion; they were
Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained
there. But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two
sons. These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of
the other Ruth. When they had lived there about ten years, both Mahlon and
Chilion also died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her
husband.
Then she started to return with her daughters-in-law from the country
of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the Lord had considered
his people and given them food. So she set out from the place where she had
been living, she and her two daughters-in-law, and they went on their way to go
back to the land of Judah. But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back
each of you to your mother’s house. May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you
have dealt with the dead and with me. The Lord grant that you may find
security, each of you in the house of your husband.” Then she kissed them, and
they wept aloud. They said to her, “No, we will return with you to your
people.” But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters, why will you go with me? Do
I still have sons in my womb that they may become your husbands? Turn back, my
daughters, go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. Even if I thought
there was hope for me, even if I should have a husband tonight and bear sons,
would you then wait until they were grown? Would you then refrain from
marrying? No, my daughters, it has been far more bitter for me than for you,
because the hand of the Lord has turned against me.” Then they wept aloud
again.
Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. So she said,
“See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return
after your sister-in-law.” But Ruth said, “Do not press me to leave you or to
turn back from following you! Where you go, I will go; Where you lodge, I will
lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die, I
will die— there will I be buried. May the Lord do thus and so to me, and more
as well, if even death parts me from you!” When Naomi saw that she was
determined to go with her, she said no more to her.
The message
Part of the
excitement and challenge of following this new Narrative lectionary is the
chance to look at new stories, learn about new people, develop a stronger
understanding of our faith story, and see how many different ways God’s love
has been, is and will continue to be expressed to and through people. Today is the
first time I remember hearing any part of the book of Ruth read at church. Ruth
and Naomi are two of the great women of the Old Testament. Throughout history their story has been
looked to as an encouragement for converts to Judaism (and other faiths), a
challenge to restrictions on marriages between people of different groups and
an example of welcome, kindness, loyalty, law and mercy. Their story has been
described as an illustration of two strong, powerful, self-sufficient, unscared
and independent women. It has also been described as the opposite, an
illustration of oppressed, male dependent women who need to marry at any cost
and bear children to survive. However
Ruth is understood, she is a significant part of history since she is the Great
Grandmother of King David. She is part of the ancestry of Jesus and a central
figure in maintaining this family line.
The book’s author is never identified but historically people have
attributed it to the prophet Samuel (who will be essential to King David’s
story). Most scholars believe that this book is a teaching story more concerned
with showing the world something about God and faithfulness to the law, the
Lord and one another than it is about reporting actual events.
The book of
Ruth is set during the time of Judges. This
period in ancient Israel takes us from the time of the Exodus from slavery in
Egypt until Saul is anointed as the
first King. This covers the events that happened as the people of Israel
conquered and settle in the promised land of Canaan. During this time the people of Israel were led
by a series of Judges, whose stories are told in the suitably named biblical book
of Judges. The judges were part
political official, part prophet, part priest and part military leader. They communicated
God’s word and promises to the people and lead them out of terrible situations,
claiming great victories in the aftermath of great defeats. The time of the Judges is marked by cycles of
unfaithfulness. Their stories all follow
a pattern. The people are unfaithful to
God, ignoring, forgetting, doubting and disobeying God’s law. God punishes the
people, letting them fall to enemies and be oppressed by foreign rulers. The
people remember their covenant with God, repent, change and seek mercy. God
answers these cries for help through a judge who leads the people to victory
and renewal. After some years, the
unfaithfulness begins again and the cycle of disobedience, consequences, seeking
mercy and restoration starts all over again.
The time of
Judges is often summarized as a time of unfaithfulness where people break
promises and disregard the law God gave to them. In contrast, Ruth’s story is
one of keeping the law, of going above and beyond what is required and of
taking promises seriously. Today, we heard the first chapter of Ruth’s
story. After Ruth makes the promise to
Naomi “Where you go, I will go; Where you lodge, I will lodge; your people
shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die, I will die— there will
I be buried”, the two of
them return to Naomi’s homeland of Bethlehem. There, they struggle. Ruth helps them survive by gleaning wheat from
a nearby field (as part of the law, after the harvest was complete, land owners
were required to leave whatever fell for the poor to take).
The field
Ruth gleans from happened to belong to Boaz, a close relative of Naomi’s
deceased husband. By law, they thought he was supposed to marry Ruth. Naomi sends Ruth to him (to seduce him or to
convince him to fulfill this obligation, whichever one worked). Boaz,
recognizes that he is not obligated to marry Ruth, but he is so impressed by
her loyalty and faithfulness, he makes arrangements and marries her anyway. Ruth and Naomi now stay with Boaz on his land
and are well cared for. Ruth and Boaz have
children, including a son, Obed, who is the Grandfather of King David.
The book of
Ruth is set at a time of unfaithfulness, broken laws and ignored promises. In
contrast to people who fail to even marginally keep their agreements with
God, The book of Ruth tells the story of
people who take God’s love, law and promises seriously. Naomi and Boaz take the
faith they grew up in seriously. Ruth takes the new faith that she converted to
seriously. Ruth takes the marriage commitment she made with Malhon and his
family seriously, keeping it though times of comfort, struggle and uncertainty. Even the death of her husband and Naomi
releasing her from any obligation does not stop Ruth from doing what she said. Boaz makes a decision based on compassion and
care, taking responsibility for two women in a tough spot, two people that he
had very little or no obligation towards.
The actions
of the book of Ruth’s main characters show us something about belonging, gives
us an example of Hesed (a Hebrew word meaning mercy, faithful love or loving
kindness), and remind us of God’s faithfulness through displaying the
faithfulness of one person to another. Ruth was an
outsider, a woman from Moab. Her
Loyalty, her commitment, trust, and
willingness to keep promises leads everyone around her to forget she was not
one of them. Ruth would have had a much
easier time in her homeland, with her own people, Instead, she travels with
Naomi to Bethlehem to face whatever happens there. It is a profound thing that
Jesus, our Lord and savior, is not only from one people, he is the savior of
all, cares for all. There is plenty of room for all in God’s kingdom.
The Hebrew
word and idea of Hesed has generated a lot of scholarship, research, debate and
disagreement. It has been used to describe the relationship between 2 people as
in Genesis 40 when the Pharaoh's Cupbearer iss in prison with Joseph. They
dream puzzling dreams, but Joseph interprets them for them. After interpreting
the dream of the Cupbearer he tells him, "When all goes well with you,
remember me and show me hesed; mention me to Pharaoh and get me out of this
prison."
It is used in
merciful, helping relationships between the strong and weak, for example Gen
47:29, Where Jacob, asks that Joseph show hesed toward him, and bury him in the
promised land, rather than in Egypt. It
is occasionally used to show the relationship between people and God but most
often as an attribute of God, who does all of those things much better than we
do.
In the story
of Ruth, Hesed describes an active, encompassing love, one that forgets rules
and wrongs and that forgives and moves on. It is a relationship, where each person gives
and receives. The ultimate example is
always God’s interaction with the world, something we celebrate but barely
imitate.
