Ruth: Chapter 2 - The Beginning of Hope

We left off with Naomi in misery. God had dealt bitterly with her, or so it seemed.

I call this life Opposite Land. Because here we esteem men of power for greatness, while Jesus tells us that just the opposite is true in God's Kingdom. Those who desire greatness in the Kingdom of Heaven must be servant of all here on earth. And when trials come our way, we are told to do what? Rejoice? Get real! But if this life is not the true reality, then to rejoice in times of trial is more real than you may think! Do you want to get rich? Sell what you have and give alms! What about investment? You ARE investing!

So maybe things aren't as bad as Naomi's misery makes them out to be. That doesn't change the tragedy she has to endure. That doesn't stop the pain. And here again there is a saying among athletes: No pain, no gain.

So Naomi is at the bottom of her valley. But the last words of the first chapter give us a glimpse of things to come:they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.

And now at the beginning of Chapter 2, we who sit on the sidelines, we the audience, get a piece of narration that Naomi knows nothing about:

Rth 2:1 And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz.

We're privy to a piece of information here, and you know that there is a reason for telling us this. This Boaz is going to be a major player.

The casual reader will miss the import of the term, kinsman in this passage. For an Israelite widow in ancient times, it meant the difference between withering away to nothing, and a new beginning.

In our day and age, we've lost much of the meaning here. But if we try to understand what was at stake in those days, we might understand the daughters of Lot, and why they did what they did with their father in that cave.

Gen 19:30 And Lot went up out of Zoar and lived in the mount. And his two daughters were with him. For he feared to live in Zoar. And he lived in a cave, he and his two daughters.
Gen 19:31 And the first-born said to the younger, Our father is old, and there is no man in the land to come in to us as is the way of all the earth.
Gen 19:32 Come, let us make our father drink wine, and let us lie with him, that we may keep alive seed of our father.

This thing about preserving the family name through the offspring was extremely important in those days. And of course, Ruth would never have existed had they not done what they did, for Ruth was a Moabitess.

Gen 19:36 And both the daughters of Lot were with child by their father.
Gen 19:37 And the first-born bore a son and called his name Moab; he is the father of Moab to this day.

The daughters of Lot provide a glimpse into the mindset of that time, when keeping alive the seed of the father was held to be a matter of life and death.

And then there was Tamar:

Gen 38:11 And Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, Live as a widow in your father's house until my son Shelah is grown. For he said, Lest he also die like his brothers. And Tamar went and lived in her father's house.
Gen 38:12 And the days were many, and the wife of Judah, the daughter of Shuah, died. And Judah was comforted, and he went up to the shearers of his flocks, he and his friend Hirah of Adullam, to Timnah.
Gen 38:13 And Tamar was told, saying, Behold, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his flocks.
Gen 38:14 And she took off her widow's robes from her, and veiled herself with a veil, and disguised herself. And she sat at the entrance of Enaim, which is on the way to Timnah. For she saw that Shelah had grown up, and she had not been given to him for a wife.
Gen 38:15 And Judah saw her. And he thought her to be a harlot, because she had veiled her face.

In both cases, the widows sought to be the avenue through which the seed and legacy of their family would continue. This is ancient stuff! But it is interesting to note that through the actions of these women, they have a place in the lineage of Jesus Christ.

So the kinsman, the brother of the deceased, had the right to restore the name of his brother, and continue the legacy of his house. Of course he did not have to do it. There was sacrifice involved. Why carry on your brother's name at your own expense?

Looking back to the story of Tamar, we find a brother who wouldn't do it.

Gen 38:8 And Judah said to Onan, Go in to your brother's wife and marry her, and raise up seed to your brother.
Gen 38:9 And Onan knew that the seed would not be his. And it happened when he went in to his brother's wife, he wasted his semen to the ground, not giving seed to his brother.

The rest of that text tells us that God killed Onan for the evil he had done. That could possibly be due to the fact that Judah told Onan to perform the duty, and Onan disobeyed his father. Onan was under a direct obligation, which he refused.

Back to Ruth. Naomi's hope is gone. She is old, and Ruth is not even an Israelite. It seemed the only thing left to do was go and live out what was left of her life with no hope of seeing any grandchildren.

But God is at work, isn't He? He has plans in the works, and we are introduced to Boaz, the close relative who is able to restore the hope that no longer exists as far as Naomi is concerned. And God is at work in your life as well.

You might think things could not get worse. Maybe that is true. But behind the scenes of Opposite Land, there is something going on that is very positive on your behalf. You don't know what God is preparing. The heir of salvation, while yet unsaved, has a Boaz who is able to save, and will receive a harvest of abundance. Of course, this Boaz is Jesus Christ, the True Redeemer. And one that is already a child of God has the promise that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

Mat 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit! For theirs is the kingdom of the Heavens.
Mat 5:4 Blessed are the ones mourning! For they shall be comforted.

Although she doesn't know it, Naomi is about to be comforted.

Rth 2:1 And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz.