By Josephine Benton
A Commentary on the Sabbath School Lesson for June 16–22, 2001, "Women in Scripture"
Have you wondered how Ruth felt during her entry to Israel? Think of the contrast in circumstances between her and Naomi—the latter surrounded by friends from the past, returning to her home town, whereas Ruth knew only one person in a country she had never seen before.
I wonder, did Ruth speak with an accent? We know Ruth considered herself a FOREIGNER, for she said so in her first contact with Boaz. (Ruth 2:10)
Moses had instructed, "No…Moabite or any of his descendants may enter the assembly of the Lord" (Deut. 23:3 NIV).
In Bethlehem, Ruth learned from her mother-in-law the provision for gleaning on the part of the needy, and opted to give it a try. The plucky, vulnerable young foreigner found her way to property owned by Boaz. (Ruth 2:3 NIV)
Boaz astonished Ruth with his compassionate invitation to continue gleaning in his fields, drinking his water, and eating his food. She was an "outsider," yet Boaz accepted her warmly. "WHY?" she asked.
Boaz replied that he had heard what she had done for her mother-in-law (v. 11). To Boaz, Ruth’s background as a a Moabite was less important than her quality as a considerate woman.
Boaz had the potential to be for Naomi and Ruth their "kinsman-redeemer" (2:20; 4:14). When it was legally settled that Boaz would perform this role, Boaz bought the property of Naomi’s deceased husband and sons and announced, "’I have also acquired Ruth the Moabitess, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property.’ So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife" (4:10, 13). Thus Ruth, with her non-Israelite ethnicity, became the wife of Boaz, enjoying full membership in Israel.
What light is shown upon God’s character from the story of Ruth? First, wherever there is a "Ruth" in this world—an "outsider," someone ethnically different from you and me—we can believe God loves that person immeasurably, with acceptance like that of Boaz for Ruth.
Second, we see that although God didn’t want his chosen race enmeshed with heathen people in their idolatrous ways, he welcomed the foreigner who demonstrated faithfulness to him in the same ways as ethnic Israelites—even if that foreigner was a Moabite!
In answer to the question of why the Moabite young woman was accepted into Israel fully, one reason may be that there was no one of such influence in Bethlehem to whom it was more important to enforce the letter of the law (NO MOABITES!) than to hear God’s reproof to Jonah concerning Ninevah (which Jonah had predicted would be destroyed): "Should I not be concerned about that great city?" (Jonah 4:11).
The book ends with the birth of baby Obed. Naomi again had a descendant to love, whereas Ruth, the foreigner, became the great-grandmother of King David and a progenitor of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Such is the mystery, the grandeur, the compassion of our God.
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