The Book of Ruth starts with two widows, who were at the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder. Yet, Ruth was included in the genealogy of King David, and eventually in the genealogy of Jesus Christ, our LORD. The story of God simply amazes us.
Summary of Ruth 1
In the days of Judges, a severe famine came in the land. A man named Elimelech decided to leave their land of Bethlehem in Judah for the land of Moab, along with his wife, Naomi, and two sons, Mahlon and Chilion.
In the next ten years, Elimelech died and their two sons married two Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth, respectively. Then, the two sons died, leaving Naomi without her husband and two sons.
When Naomi heard that the LORD provided food to His people back in her hometown, Bethlehem, she decided to go back. Although Orpah left, Ruth made her confession of “faith” in the LORD God, clung to Naomi and went to Bethlehem with her. As Naomi stepped into her hometown with Ruth for the first time in ten years, the whole city was stirred.
God’s Invisible Hand
Let’s take a step back and see where the Book of Ruth stands in the Bible, especially in relation to its previous book, the Book of Judges. I would like to use Elijah’s special experience of encountering God in 1 Kings 19 to compare these two books.
When Elijah was in a cave, downcasted, the LORD God decided to show His presence. Soon mighty forces were on full display as a great and powerful wind, an earthquake, and a great fire (1 Kings 19:11-12). However, the LORD was not in any of those mighty forces of nature. After in a small voice, a gentle whisper that came to Elijah was the presence of the LORD God (1 Kings 19:13).
The Book of Ruth is like a whisper of God to Elijah whereas the Book of Judges is like the great, powerful wind, earthquake, and fire that preceded the whisper. The Book of Judges is filled with major political and military leaders and events associated with them. Othniel, the first judge, saved Israel from Cushan the King of Mesopotamia. Ehud delivered Israel by killing Eglon, the Moab king. Deborah and Barak defeated Sisera’s formidable 900 chariots. Gideon used 300 men to defeat 130,000 Midianites. Jephthah was a valiant warrior, defeating the Ammonites. These leaders were well-known heroes. In contrast, the Book of Ruth starts with two nameless widows, one Israelite and the other Moabite daughter-in-law. Their presence was indeed like a whisper compared to those well-known Judges. However, the sovereign presence of God’s hand was with those two widows.
Tragedy and Brutal, Harsh Life
It would not be an exaggeration to state that the story of Ruth started with a series of tragic events. The three verses (Ruth 1:3-5) summarizes a brutal, tragic event for Naomi.
In response to famine, the Elimelech family chose to move to Moab to search for better life circumstances. However, for Naomi, it was only the start of her 10 years of nightmare. Not only did she lose her husband (Ruth 1:3), but also, she lost her two sons (Ruth 1:5). Although two sons were married, there was no mention of her grandchildren. Naomi lost everything: no sons, no husband, no heir to continue her family line.
These must have been brutal life events for Naomi. Her family came for a better life, but she underwent a harsh reality, almost to a point of utter hopelessness. What good would be to Naomi with two daughters-in-law? Try to imagine the level of sorrowfulness when you had to bury your husband and two sons in a foreign land.
Glimpse of Hope
Once she heard that the LORD had visited His people in Judah by providing them with food (Ruth 1:6), she decided to return to Bethlehem. A decision to return to her hometown, after losing her family, was a natural response. So was the decision made by Orpah, one of Naomi’s daughters-in-law, to leave to seek a different path (Ruth 1:14).
What was unnatural was Ruth’s response. Ruth clung to Naomi and made a remarkable confession of her faith in God (Ruth 1:16-17). Ruth said that she would follow Naomi unless death separates them. Ruth said Naomi’s people would be her people, and Naomi’s God, the LORD, would be her God.
Ruth following Naomi into the land of Judah would not be a rational decision. Ruth would be going into a foreign land where nothing would guarantee a better life for her. Ruth would be an alien – being a Moabite in Israel would not elicit a natural good reception. Ruth, by going with Naomi, would need to support Naomi, who was older, economically. Naomi would be a net negative to Ruth in terms of economic well-being. Then, what enabled Ruth to make such a bold decision?
It must have been that Ruth somehow experienced a personal encounter with the true LORD sometime in the past ten years. We, the readers, do not know the details of that encounter. However, Ruth truly grasped the value of the “Kingdom of God.” Her decision reminded me of the parable that Jesus spoke: when a man found the treasure hidden in a field, he sold all he had and bought that field (Matthew 13:33-46). Ruth found the treasure, the LORD, in Israel and she knew that it would be far more worth than all the risks that she would be taking by going with Naomi.
What kind of conversation do you think Ruth and Naomi had over the 60 to 70 miles (which would have taken a week to 10 days) of journey from Moab to Bethlehem?
God’s Invisible Hand II
Let’s try to picture how God’s invisible hand worked over the (tragic) lives of Naomi and Ruth.
Natural famine pushed Naomi to move to the land of Moab. A series of family tragedies took place to move Naomi back to her hometown Bethlehem with Ruth.
Without the famine, Naomi would not have emigrated to Moab. Without tragedy, Naomi would not have come back to Bethlehem.
Indeed, what a sorrowful, excruciating event for Naomi and Ruth! Although it was bitter for Naomi, these tragedies placed Naomi along with Ruth in a perfect place for God’s sovereign plan to unfold.
God’s Hidden Treasure
Although Naomi was bitter, relegating herself to the name Mara (which means bitter), God’s gracious hands had prepared something beyond her imagination. First, God brought her in perfect timing at the beginning of barley harvest (Ruth 1:22). Plus, Naomi still had Ruth who would support Naomi economically by going out in the field to glean (Ruth 2). Then, finally, Boaz, a godly man with a standing, was a relative of Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, which meant he could be redeemer.
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