In the same situation, your mother-in-law intends to return to her homeland. She's heard that her god was providing for his people there in the midst of a famine. The lack of food originally drove your father-in-law to your homeland where food was present. That is how you met your husband.
Now, your mother-in-law is leaving for her place of birth and encourages you and your sister-in-law to go to your home, to marry again, and then sends you off with a blessing from her god. Your sister-in-law decides she will go back. Possessing nothing, you decide to leave your homeland to follow your marital family's god. Out of your mouth, you declare to your mother-in-law, "Where you go, I will go. Your people will be my people and your God will be my God."
You pause momentarily and ponder where those words of dedication originate. You decide that a continuing relationship with her is sweet for the soul. With nothing to lose, the two of you head out.
Arriving at Bethlehem, your mother-in-law, Naomi, is greeted by the townspeople, her relatives and friends. They are excited; Naomi exclaims that she is bitter and explains that her Lord has afflicted her.
Since it is harvest time when you arrive, Naomi instructs you to glean the fields of barley. Turns out that Naomi's God and the God of this people, has instructed those who plant to not harvest ever single grain or fruit of the crop of the field.
As you gather the grain, the wealthy, influential owner of the field greets all of the workers with blessings from his God. He tells you that he has instructed the men working to not interfere with you, and, when you are thirsty, you may drink from the jars of water filled by men.
You stand in wonder because this man has treated you with respect, showing kindness and protection. You were used to filling jars with water for the men, not the other way around.
"Why," you ask, "are you showing me this favor? I am a foreigner in your land." The wealthy owner responds and says he has been informed of the reason for your recent journey, the kindness you have shown your mother-in-law, and then blesses you once again in the name of his God. Later, he invites you to share in his meal.
When you arrive at your home, Naomi seems to no longer be depressed. She proclaims the wonder of her God, telling you He has not stopped showing His kindness. She proceeds to tell you that the owner who has shown you kindness is Boaz, a close relative, a kinsman-redeemer, who can buy your husband's land and even wed you.
Armed with this information, Naomi instructs you to bathe, perfume and prepare yourself to go to Boaz this evening. Specifically, notice where he lies down for the evening but do not let him see you. Uncover his feet, lie down and he will tell you what to do.
Motivated by love for your mother-in-law and the kindness of strangers, you obey Naomi. In the middle of the night, Boaz wakes to find you at his feet but he does not know it is you. He asks your name and you respond with, "I am your servant, Ruth. Spread the corner of your garment over me since you are a kinsman-redeemer."
Boaz responds by blessing you in the name of his God. He compliments your character and respect for elders - it's all over town; he noticed that you did not lie down at the feet of a younger man and is blessed by your kindness. He then tells you that another kinsman-redeemer exists who is first in line to your husband's land and will give him the opportunity to redeem. However, if he does not redeem, Boaz swears to you by his God, the LORD, that he will.
Wanting to return the kindness and preserve Boaz's reputation, you leave for home before morning carrying your shawl full of the grain Boaz poured into it, six measures! He continues to be generous to you.
Later in the day, word reaches you that Boaz has proclaimed his relationship of kinsman-redeemer with you in front of the town elders. He presented the facts to the relative first in line for redeeming your husband's land who was set to take the land until he found that a widow was also involved. At that discovery, he said he was unable to fulfill and proceeded to release his right to the land and to Ruth.
Having cleared the only hurdle to becoming a kinsman-redeemer, Boaz declares his intentions to the elders and those in attendance: To redeem the property of Naomi and to wed you.
The elders and those at the gate proceed to bless...YOU!
Time has passed but where you are now, time does not exist. You are endowed with looking at the past with a complete understanding not found while you lived on earth. You can now see the grand plan conceived prior to time.
- After the wedding to Boaz, the Creator opened your womb. You conceived and gave birth to a son, Obed.
- Your son, Obed, fathered Jesse who was the father to King David, whose lineage brought forth, the Son of God, Jesus the Christ.
- Christ became your kinsman-redeemer, you now see. He was the only One who could save you. You had nothing within you to save yourself - no right to inheritance, a stranger and alien to God's chosen people, His elect.
- In fact, you realize that your people and heritage were declared enemies of God. His Kinsman-Redeemer, Christ, received God's wrath that you were due as His enemy.
- You marvel how God chose you to be in His family. You see now His desire worked out in your life when you left your homeland with your mother-in-law despite her encouragement to you to stay.
- The story, you see and tell everyone you meet (and they back to you), is really all about the Holy One Whose plans and purposes to glorify Himself were decreed before time and continue to be carried out as He designed.
- As you tell those you meet, you hear:
"Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the ages. Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed." Revelation 15:3-4
--CM
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