My Favorite Bible Stories, Part 6 (Foreigners Allowed 2)

For this installment--and the next three--I'm taking a different approach. The story I want to tell you is that of Ruth, from the Old Testament. But instead of re-telling in my words, I'm simply going to present Eugene Peterson's wonderful rendering of it in The Message, a chapter at a time, followed by a few comments from me. I hope that this isn't a violation of copyright laws. If it is, I hope that I'll be forgiven...and I hope that everybody who reads this will buy The Message.

Ruth, chapter 1

1-2Once upon a time—it was back in the days when judges led Israel— there was a famine in the land. A man from Bethlehem in Judah left home to live in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. The man's name was Elimelech; his wife's name was Naomi; his sons were named Mahlon and Kilion—all Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They all went to the country of Moab and settled there.

1. The judges were people in the land of Israel who God periodically called to do things like lead armies and arbitrate disputes among the people. Later, reluctantly, God would accede to Israel's desire to have kings like the countries that surrounded them. But things rarely went well. In an ultimate sense, things never really go well when we let anyone or anything--even our families--have a higher place in our priorities than God.

2. There are several bits of irony in these opening verses. For one thing, Bethlehem is Hebrew for House of Bread. There was no food in the House of Bread. What happens when the bread basket gives out? Refugees go to where they might find food. That's what this family from Bethlehem did.

The other irony is where they go: Moab. (Two syllables, the first sounding like "mo" in the word motion and the second with a short a, like the a in abs.) Moab was directly east of the Dead Sea and its people, the Moabites, were fierce enemies of God's people, the Israelites. But when you're hungry, you pretty much don't care who your neighbors are if there's food at hand.

3-5 Elimelech died and Naomi was left, she and her two sons. The sons took Moabite wives; the name of the first was Orpah, the second Ruth. They lived there in Moab for the next ten years. But then the two brothers, Mahlon and Kilion, died. Now the woman was left without either her young men or her husband.

1. One tragedy after another befalls this family. There was joy that the boys found wives, no doubt. But then, in rapid succession, all the male members of the family die, first the father and then the grown sons.

2. Widows, for the most part, had zero standing in these ancient near Eastern cultures. Rarely did they have property rights. A widow might hope to be taken in by her father, if he were still alive. Her best hope of avoiding destitution would have been to get married again...and quickly. But many widows were forced into prostitution.

That's one aspect of the story of Ruth (and her mother, Naomi) that's so remarkable. This is the tale of faithful, resilient--even heroic--women who, in spite of heartache, continue to follow God and demonstrate admirable shrewdness. They exemplify the characteristics which Jesus says all believers should display: They're as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves.

The Hebrews, in spite of being a patriarchal society, were unafraid to have female heroes of faith.

6-7 One day she got herself together, she and her two daughters-in-law, to leave the country of Moab and set out for home; she had heard that God had been pleased to visit his people and give them food. And so she started out from the place she had been living, she and her two daughters-in-law with her, on the road back to the land of Judah.

1. The two daughters-in-law, amazingly want to go back to Israel with Naomi. As young women, they might hope to be taken back into their respective fathers' homes, avoiding poverty and humiliation. But they appear committed to their mother-in-law. This is some measure of the love that bound the three together. And something else: At least in Ruth's case, we'll soon see, there is also a devotion to the God which Naomi and her family claimed was the one true Lord of creation.

8-9 After a short while on the road, Naomi told her two daughters-in-law, "Go back. Go home and live with your mothers. And may God treat you as graciously as you treated your deceased husbands and me. May God give each of you a new home and a new husband!" She kissed them and they cried openly. 10 They said, "No, we're going on with you to your people." 11-13 But Naomi was firm: "Go back, my dear daughters. Why would you come with me? Do you suppose I still have sons in my womb who can become your future husbands? Go back, dear daughters—on your way, please! I'm too old to get a husband. Why, even if I said, 'There's still hope!' and this very night got a man and had sons, can you imagine being satisfied to wait until they were grown? Would you wait that long to get married again? No, dear daughters; this is a bitter pill for me to swallow—more bitter for me than for you. God has dealt me a hard blow."

1. In those days, the next unmarried brothers of a deceased man would be obligated to marry his brother's widow. But Naomi is pointing out that it's highly unlikely that she will have any sons soon. Orpah and Ruth would have little chance at a good life in Israel. Naomi, as always, was being practical in telling the her daughters-in-law to stay in Moab.

2. In speaking of how bitter her life has become, Naomi gives us more of the irony that fills this little book. Her name, Naomi, means sweet. One commentary suggests that her name was roughly equivalent to the term, sweetheart, as we use it today. Life has become bitter for Naomi. Having faith doesn't mean that our lives are all sweetness.

14 Again they cried openly. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye; but Ruth embraced her and held on. 15 Naomi said, "Look, your sister-in-law is going back home to live with her own people and gods; go with her." 16-17 But Ruth said, "Don't force me to leave you; don't make me go home. Where you go, I go; and where you live, I'll live. Your people are my people, your God is my god; where you die, I'll die, and that's where I'll be buried, so help me God—not even death itself is going to come between us!" 18-19 When Naomi saw that Ruth had her heart set on going with her, she gave in. And so the two of them traveled on together to Bethlehem. When they arrived in Bethlehem the whole town was soon buzzing: "Is this really our Naomi? And after all this time!"

1. Ruth not only expresses her love and allegiance to her mother-in-law, but also to her mother-in-law's God and people. Through her husband's family, she has come to know and worship the one true God revealed to the Israelites.

2. This passage is often read or sung at weddings. There's nothing especially wrong with that. But it's interesting to note that like that other famous "wedding Scripture," First Corinthians 13, this passage had nothing to do with marriage at all.

20-21 But she said, "Don't call me Naomi; call me Bitter. The Strong One has dealt me a bitter blow. I left here full of life, and God has brought me back with nothing but the clothes on my back. Why would you call me Naomi? God certainly doesn't. The Strong One ruined me."

1. Naomi blames her tragedies on God. Whether we agree with their view or not, the ancient Hebrews unflinchingly believed that God, as Sovereign, orchestrated the good and the evil that befell them.

I say "unflinchingly" because, in spite of the incredible psychological, intellectual, and emotional issues this belief raised, their notion that God had a right to do what He might was so strong that it seldom caused them to doubt their basic belief in God.

Our post-modern belief in personal sovereignty--in our capacity and our "right" to do what we want--is so strong that we're inclined to find reasons not to believe in or follow God in life's inconveniences, adversity, or tragedy .

To blame our tragedies on God isn't evidence of faithlessness, although it may indicate that we haven't taken every aspect of our tragedies into consideration. The person who "blames God" or gets angry with God nonetheless believes in God. You hardly become angry with someone you don't think exists.

2. The actual name Naomi asks her Bethlehem neighbors to call her is Mara, which means Bitter.

In ancient Hebrew culture, a lot of stock was put in names. Names were thought to express some deep truth about a person or to contribute to their destiny. Naomi's life was far from sweet and, she felt, a new name was warranted.

Today, of course, we generally give names that to our children that we happen to like. It's in our nicknames that we act more like the Hebrews. Since I was about four years old, it's been rare for any member of my family to call me by my given name, for example. The first of four younger siblings tried to call me "brother," and I've been "Bub" or "Bubba" ever since. I'm even Uncle Bub to my nieces and nephews.

Sometimes nicknames are used almost in the same way Hebrews used names, as something like an article of faith about their destiny. Years ago, I read about a football coach who wanted to encourage his players toward excellence. So, he started calling the slowest runner on the team by the nickname of Speedy. In time, Speedy became the fastest player on the team.

22 And so Naomi was back, and Ruth the foreigner with her, back from the country of Moab. They arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.

1. Two important facts to remember here. First, Ruth, a foreigner, not a member of God's people. Second, harvest time, a time when God commanded His people to leave some portion of the harvest in the fields, so that the poor and the foreigners among them could glean some of the crop and so, not go hungry.

We'll leave it there until the next time.