It is one of the most powerful, truly inspirational, but also tragically moving stories in the entire Bible. There is famine in the land and so, Elimelek, along with his wife Naomi and their sons Mahlon and Kilion, emigrates from Bethlehem in Judah to the land of Moab. Soon after, however, tragedy strikes; Elimelek dies. Naomi is left alone with her sons Mahlon and Kilion, both of whom take to wife two Moabite women; Ruth and Orpah. About a decade or so later, both Mahlon and Kilion also die! Oh how tragic! Widowed Naomi is left forlorn and bereft. She is inconsolable. Her whole future has come crumbling down. The embittered Naomi learns that Elohim has revisited his people and that the famine upon the land of Judah is over. She decides to journey back to her native land. Her two daughters-in-law, Ruth and Oprah see her off. After some distance, Oprah kisses her mother-in-law goodbye and returns to her people and her gods. 

However, the other Moabite girl, Ruth, adjures her mother-in-law not to seek to be parted from her. Her's is the ultimate sacrifice in selflessness. She adamantly insists on following her aging mother-in-law into the unknown. She (Ruth) will be a total stranger in an alien culture, yet Ruth is categorical in her decision to throw her lot in with Naomi. Naomi, on the other hand selflessly tells Ruth to go back to her people and her gods, that she has better prospects in Moab than in tagging along with her into the land of Israel. In the end, it is Ruth’s poignant statement of love and dedication to Naomi that settles the matter: “...And Ruth said, entreat me and not leave thee, or to return from following after thee; for whither thou lodges, I will lodge. Thy people shall be my people and thy God my God; where thou diest, I will die, and there will I be buried; the LORD do so to me and more also if aught but death part thee and me.” (Ruth 1:16-17, KJV) That solemn oath settled it! It is one of the most oft-quoted statements out of the Bible today. It is an expression of such beautiful, pure and unequivocal love! So the Gentile Moabite woman and her Jewish mother-in-law arrive back in Bethlehem, Judea, at the beginning of the barley harvest. The whole town is astir; “... Is this really Naomi?!” (Ruth 1:19). Such is the picture of utter tragedy and loss that Naomi presents that the town's people are at a loss! “No, don’t call me 'Naomi'... rather call me 'Marah' for the LORD Almighty has made my life very bitter…” (Ruth1:19-20) 

Shortly thereafter, with the blessing of her mother-in-law, Ruth goes to glean leftover grain in one of the barley fields. It so happens (providentially, no doubt) that she is in the field of one Boaz – a man of good standing - and a kinsman-redeemer to Naomi. The man arrives at noon to see how the work in his field is going. He greets his workers and then closely enquires as to the identity of the hardworking stranger gleaning grain in his field. The foreman informs him that she is Ruth, the Moabitess, the daughter-in-law to his relative Naomi. Boaz is greatly touched, he summons the girl, comforts her over the loss of her husband, her husband's brother, and her father-in-law. He remarks upon the special bond of kindness and love that she displayed in accompanying widowed Naomi back to the land of Israel. Moreover, he not only shares his lunch with her but charges her to ensure she remains with his harvesters throughout the barley harvest! Later in the evening, Ruth relates the day’s activities to her mother-in-law. Naomi tells her: “It will be good for you my daughter, to go with the women who work for him, because in someone else's field you might be harmed…” (Ruth2:22) 

Through Naomi’s insight and encouragement, Ruth is then married to Boaz who agrees to redeem Elimelek’s estate. It is a master-stroke! While Elimelek’s lineage and inheritance are secured for posterity, both Naomi’s and Ruth’s welfare are also guaranteed. The marriage comes with its own blessings as Ruth gives birth to Obed the progenitor of the versatile King David, Israel's second monarch. It is through this same family line that Yahshua, the Redeemer of Mankind, is later born into the world! There are a number of lessons ensconced within this beautiful story. First, old Naomi typifies Israel (the Daughter of Zion) under the Mosaic Covenant. It was a period in which Israel was guided by the Sinaic Covenant, with the Levitical Priesthood in effect. Just as Naomi is significantly reported to have come from Bethlehem (“House of Bread” in Hebrew). Israel too is spiritually nourished by Elohim through His word as written in the Torah and also as delivered through his prophets. And just as Naomi goes into exile and loses almost everything and is faced with widowhood, poverty, and desolation, so also does Israel. Naomi's tragic story is such that she is barely recognizable in the eyes of the bystanders who ask; “...can this really be Naomi?” (Ruth 1:19). She looks back at herself and declares that she is “mara” (meaning “bitter”) and not Naomi (meaning “pleasant”) since her story has been a litany of tragedy after calamity. So too is the story of Israel who left Egypt with religious favour, fervour, vigour, and total dedication to Elohim. Says Jeremiah: “…I remember the devotion of your youth, how as a bride you loved me and followed me through the wilderness, through a land not sown...” (Jeremiah 2:2,NIV). Israel was holy to the LORD. Untainted with idolatry and the ways of the heathen. 

All through the days of Moshe and Joshua Israel bloomed and flourished as they unwaveringly followed the ways of Adonai. No enemy could stand before them and all the promises of Elohim to them were fulfilled (Joshua 21:45). But alas, she left the "House of Bread" for Moab! The days of the shofetim (judges) bear testimony to this apostasy: "...in those days Israel had no king, Everyone did as they saw fit.” And, "...again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD..." (Judges 10:6). These two statements are indeed common refrains throughout the book of Judges. Even the theocratic structure of governance (via the Levitical Priesthood) was largely being ignored. Elohim sent a great many prophets starting with Samuel but Israel’s spiritual condition was never truly fully restored to the levels of the halcyon days when Moshe lived. She eventually went into exile in Babylon and Assyria. A semblance of restoration occurred with the rebuilding of the temple and the walls of Yerushalayim during the days of Nehemiah and Ezra. But though there were numerous times of revival and renewal, more were the days of luck-luster commitment to Adonai all down through the centuries right up to the birth of Yahshua. 

Yes, it is He, Yahshua, as kinsman redeemer that sets things to rights having been sent to the "...lost sheep of the House of Israel." (Matthew 15:24). Boaz, the "man of standing", is therefore a type of Yahshua. He is said to be a relative of Naomi and therefore a kins-man redeemer. Boaz gets to hear of Naomi’s return from the land of Moab and of all the great losses she had suffered in that land of sojourn. He is also told of Naomi’s loving daughter-in-law, Ruth the Moabitess and the selfless sacrifices she had made for Naomi her mother-in-law. When he sees Ruth gleaning in his fields, he summons her, comforts her and adjures her to remain in his fields till the end of barley harvest. He readily shows great kindness to this stranger. Moreover, he accepts the onerous responsibilities of securing Elimelek’s estate as kins-man redeemer by marrying Ruth. Such is the role we see Yahshua playing. By readily agreeing to die on the cross for the sins of his people Israel (John 11:50, 18:14), Yahshua redeems them and restores their favoured status in Elohim's sight. He freely invites all those who are weary and burdened to seek rest in him (Matthew 11:28-29). However, apart from dying for the sins of the Jewish nation (John11:49-50), Yahshua also died for the sins of the rest of mankind. "...I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen." (John 3:16, John 10:16). So Yahshua is like Boaz in the sense that He took in, not only Naomi (Israel under the Levitical Priesthood) but also Ruth (the renewed covenant church comprising both Israel/the Jews and the Gentiles). 

Just as Boaz offers Ruth both food and water (Ruth 2:8-9), so too does Yahshua offer spiritual food (the word of life) and the Holy Spirit (water) to Gentile believers in the Renewed Covenant (John 6:35, Revelation 22:17). Finally, we have Ruth, the spirited Moabite daughter-in-law to Naomi. She is a fitting symbol of the Gentiles grafted into spiritual Israel. Ruth abandons all the ways, culture, and religion of Moab. She wholeheartedly embraces Naomi’s people as her own, Naomi’s religion as her own, and Naomi’s future (destiny) as her own. She solemnly swears a dreadful oath that absolutely nothing shall stand between Naomi and herself! Such passionate devotion! Such selfless love! Such faithful commitment! Naomi could not find it in her to continue to dissuade Ruth from her set course! And so they journeyed back together into Bethlehem… Isn’t this the same kind of devotion that Elohim desires of us? We of Gentile extraction, but now grafted into spiritual Israel through Yahshua’s blood of the eternal covenant? Says Paul the Apostle; "...if some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, do not consider yourself superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this, you do not support the root, but the root supports you…” (Romans 11:17-18). In fact, Paul goes on to say that we have been grafted in "CONTRARY TO NATURE" (verse 24). This means that we should not seek to impute any of our previous Gentile ways into our new Hebraic Faith but rather zealously seek to worship the God of Israel in the manner that He prescribed that Israel should worship Him. Says the ancient prophet Jeremiah: "... And it shall come to pass if they diligently learn the ways of my people... then they shall be built up in the midst of my people..." (Jeremiah 12:16, RSV, emphasis added). 

The same laser-focused, the single-minded zeal with which Ruth proposed to forge her relationship with Naomi and her people Israel, is the same dedication that the Renewed Covenant church is expected of Elohim in following His ways. Let us remember that Israel was: "... entrusted with the very oracles of God...” (Romans 3:1-2). And that: “... theirs is the temple worship...”(Romans 9:4). Only then, can we be fully integrated into the “...commonwealth of Israel...” (Ephesians 2:11-12). It is via that seamless grafting can we become part of the "...Israel of God..." (Galatians 6:16). We also become heirs with Yahshua in the soon-coming Millennial Kingdom (Galatians 3:26-29, Isaiah 58:13-14). We will then be adequately nourished with the Bread of Life, that is, Yahshua (John 6:35). This Bread is served out of the “House of Bread”, even Bethlehem of Judah. Says the prophet: "But you O Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times." (Micah 5:2). 

And so, just as in Boaz (the kinsman-redeemer) both Naomi's and Ruth's welfare and futures were secured, so also, in Yahshua, the future of both Jewish and Gentile believers is totally secured. Just as the names and properties of Elimelek, Mahlon and Kilion were "rescued" from "...disappearing from the town's records..." (Ruth 4:10), so also has Yahshua's redeeming sacrifice at Calvary ensured that both Jewish Gentile people are in the Lamb's Book of Life. Says the Psalmist: "...I will record Rahab and Babylon among those who acknowledge me - Philistia too, and Tyre, along with Cush - and will say, 'This one was born in Zion...' " (Psalm 87:4) Again; "... the LORD will write in the register of the peoples: 'this one was born in Zion.' " (Psalm 87:6). O what glorious tidings as we come to the end of the Age! 

What sweet promises! Maranatha!! 

Pst Ken Chang'andu