The Book of Judges ends by showing the state of the people.
In those days there was no king in Israel; all the people did what was right in their own eyes (Judges 21:25).
The Book of Ruth takes place during the time of the judges, but the world is turned upside down. Bethlehem, known as the house of bread, faces a famine while Moab’s fields are fruitful.
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 (Ruth 1:1)..
What’s in a Name?
The names of the people who left Bethlehem, “the house of bread,” for Moab hint at the troubles they will face there.
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 (Ruth 1:2).
Elimelech means my “God is King,” which ties in with the final verse of the Book of Judges, stating there was no king in Israel.
Naomi means sweet or pleasant. Mahlon sounds like sickness, and Chilion means destruction.
These names imply sickness and death, highlighting the complete ruin of the family that left their homeland for the seemingly better land of Moab.
Rather than a better life, the Israelite family encountered sickness and death in Moab.
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 (Ruth 1:3=5).
Elimelech and Naomi not only left the promised land, but they also moved to a place where their sons married women who were not allowed to be part of Israel.
No one born of a forbidden marriage nor any of their descendants may enter the assembly of the LORD, not even in the tenth generation.
No Ammonite or Moabite or any of their descendants may enter the assembly of the LORD, not even in the tenth generation.
For they did not come to meet you with bread and water on your way when you came out of Egypt, and they hired Balaam son of Beor from Pethor in Aram Naharaim to pronounce a curse on you (Deuteronomy 23:2-4).
In today’s YouTube video, Rudy Ross discusses the significance of the importance of the Book of Ruth to Jewish heritage.
He also discusses how Elemelech’s two sons could marry women from Moab. Women were seen more as possessions and not having agency on their own, so marriage was permissable.
In the commentary on Ruth that I’ve been reading, many scholars with a feminist perspective are noted. They appreciate this book because it highlights God’s work with women during a time when women were often overlooked as servants of the Lord.
As the story unfolds, we will see that Ruth becomes part of David’s lineage and, ultimately, in the lineage of the Lord Jesus, himself.
Two Acts of God
God’s unseen hand is evident throughout the book of Ruth. Yet, there are only two instances where God acts directly. The first is providing food. The second is giving Ruth a child, ensuring the continuation of Elimelech’s lineage.
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 (Ruth 1:6-7).
In the ancient world, if a husband died, his wife would become a non-person. Her presence in the story would vanish. Naomi might have seemed anonymous to the world, but she was never anonymous to God.
Naomi urges her daughters to go back home, just as she is doing. She hopes that God will show them kindness and mercy, just as they have shown her.
Naomi blesses them, invoking the name of Yahweh, expecting Him to reward them for their good deeds.
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 ((Ruth 1:8-9**).
The world of Naomi, Ruth, and Orpah was filled with gods. Chemosh was the god of the Moabites and its possible that Naomi expected her daughters-in-law to return to Moabite worship.
That being so, Naomi asked the one and only God to bless the women she loved and who had been married to her sons.
Invisible People in Troubled Times
The news media often focus on major historical figures, whether from ancient texts like the Bible or today’s headlines. Kings and prominent officials usually get the spotlight.
Small groups, like Naomi’s family, rarely make the news. Yet, God often uses these unnoticed people to fulfill His plans.
In the story of Ruth, we see how God worked through those who might otherwise be overlooked.
One person said about the Apostle Paul that while he was unknown on earth, he was very well known in heaven. Many people are just like Paul, unknown to most but celebrated in heaven for their devotion to the Lord.
Let’s aim to be one of those invisible people on earth but very visible in heaven today.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I begin our discussion of Ruth today.
Real Voices 