We left off with Rahab the harlot and her being in the lineage of Jesus Christ. So a moabite is in the lineage of Jesus. As we have already studied, from the mixed multitude to Rahab, we know that the nation of Israel is not purely ethnic in nature, as there are a large variety of mixed ethnicities in Jehovah’s chosen people. Now we continue on our search thru the Bible to ascertain the true Israel by studying the story or Ruth. We begin by getting to know Ruth.
Ruth 1:1 Now it came about in the days when the judges governed, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the land of Moab with his wife and his two sons.
1:2 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, Ephrathites of Bethlehem in Judah. Now they entered the land of Moab and remained there.
1:3 Then Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died; and she was left with her two sons.
1:4 They took for themselves Moabite women as wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. And they lived there about ten years.
1:5 Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and the woman was bereft of her two children and her husband.
Ruth was also from Moab, just as was Rahab. She was married to one of Naomi’s sons, but now all three women had become widows. What would happen next? What choices are there for widows at this time in Moab or Israel?
1:6 Then she arose with her daughters-in-law that she might return from the land of Moab, for she had heard in the land of Moab that the LORD had visited His people in giving them food. 1:7 So she departed from the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah.
1:8 And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go, return each of you to her mother's house. May the LORD deal kindly with you as you have dealt with the dead and with me. 1:9 "May the LORD grant that you may find rest, each in the house of her husband." Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept.
It would appear that both daughters-in-law loved Naomi and did not want to leave her. The custom in both countries would be for the family to provide for the widows in their family. Today, that sense of responsibility or even love is lost to most in the U.S. They are often left to depend on themselves or the government. Ruth, however, refused to go back to her family in Moab, but would return to Israel with Naomi.
1:16 But Ruth said, "Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.
1:17 "Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may the LORD do to me, and worse, if anything but death parts you and me." 1:18 When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her.
Ruth’s testimony confirms her new faith in the God of Naomi and her desire to make a home in Israel. Jehovah had reached out to her, just as He reached out to Rahab. While the whole story of Ruth has many truths for us today, we will continue to focus on Israel.
2:19 Her mother-in-law then said to her, "Where did you glean today and where did you work? May he who took notice of you be blessed." So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked and said, "The name of the man with whom I worked today is Boaz."
2:20 Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, "May he be blessed of the LORD who has not withdrawn his kindness to the living and to the dead." Again Naomi said to her, "The man is our relative, he is one of our closest relatives."
Ruth had to glean in the fields to provide food for her and Naomi. Boaz was a relative and actually qualified to be her kinsman redeemer.
4:1 Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there, and behold, the close relative of whom Boaz spoke was passing by, so he said, "Turn aside, friend, sit down here." And he turned aside and sat down.
4:2 He took ten men of the elders of the city and said, "Sit down here." So they sat down.
4:3 Then he said to the closest relative, "Naomi, who has come back from the land of Moab, has to sell the piece of land which belonged to our brother Elimelech.
4:4 "So I thought to inform you, saying, 'Buy it before those who are sitting here, and before the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if not, tell me that I may know; for there is no one but you to redeem it, and I am after you.'" And he said, "I will redeem it."
4:5 Then Boaz said, "On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also acquire Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of the deceased, in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance."
4:6 The closest relative said, "I cannot redeem it for myself, because I would jeopardize my own inheritance. Redeem it for yourself; you may have my right of redemption, for I cannot redeem it.
There is an order of redeeming land that must be followed and in this case included acquiring Ruth as a wife to continue the man’s name. Boaz was second in line, but the first did not want to have another wife.
4:9 Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, "You are witnesses today that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon.
4:10 "Moreover, I have acquired Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, to be my wife in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance, so that the name of the deceased will not be cut off from his brothers or from the court of his birth place; you are witnesses today."
So a widow from Moab marries a wealthy land owner in Israel. Where does this lead?
4:21 and to Salmon was born Boaz, and to Boaz, Obed, 4:22 and to Obed was born Jesse, and to Jesse, David.
As we studied last week, Rahab married Salmon. Boaz was her son. Boaz was half Moabite and now marries another woman from Moab. So Rahab was Ruth’s mother-in-law.
All of these marriages lead to David and eventually to Jesus. Obed, Jesse, and David all had Moab blood in their veins. They were both godly women who Jehovah chose out of Moab to be in the lineage of Jesus.
More next Saturday.