Family history and family future . . . .

    This week we finish the book of Ruth in our OT cycle.  It is a shame.  Over the course of three years we read, at most two selections from the book of Ruth.  It is a timely reading us.  We have just come off a few weeks of Job.  People have been wondering how God can redeem particular circumstances in their life.  The right answer is always better than we can ask or imagine, but sometimes it seem incredibly hard to imagine that God can redeem some of the circumstances in our lives.  And, for those of you who have heard the story of one of the families in my last parish, and of the parish itself, it is good that we are reminded of God’s redeeming power.

     Ruth, like Job is a great book to study.  Unlike Job, though, Ruth is rather short.  It is only four chapters long!  If your reason for avoiding the whole book of Job is its length, you will get no such sympathy regarding Ruth.  It is a short book, fairly quick to the point, and more significant than its length might suggest.

     Finally, and perhaps most importantly to a certain cult at Advent, Ruth serves as the basis for Outlander.  Ok, gentlemen, don’t rolls your eyes so hard.  I meant what I said.  The author of Outlander, Diana Gabaldon, was inspired by the book of Ruth to retell the story for a modern audience.  Think of CS Lewis or JRR Tolkien.  Gabaldon was taken by the story of go’el, kinsman redeemer, and wrote a book in which Jamie serves as a kinsman redeemer for Claire.  And, lest you think the Start series based on the books is a bit too scandalous, you will find that Diana figured out sex played a prominent roll in the story of Ruth, too!

     Had we focused on the book last week, we would have been introduced to a theological commentary.  The book begins with the discussion of a drought.  Those familiar with the covenant should recognize that, if God is withholding the rains, Israel is doing a bad job of keeping the covenant.  God promised that when Israel did as instructed, He would send the rains.  When they sinned, though, God promised to withhold the rains.  So, were we faithful Israelites living in Israel in a drought, we would be called to examine our lives.

     The story, of course, takes a more tragic turn.  Elimelek and Naomi abandon the Land they have inherited from God and travelled to Moab.  Culturally speaking, we cannot understand the shock that revelation would convey.  It would be far worse for an Israelite to move to Moab than for a Tennessean to move to Alabama.  It is one of those things that just is not done.  Moab is an enemy of Israel.  As Larry has been teaching on Sunday mornings, Moab will often raid Israel’s farms for free food.  So, such a move would be almost unthinkable.

     Once we begin to do things our own way, though, such unthinkable decisions become easier and easier.  While living in Moab, Naomi and Elimelek get Moabite women as wives for their two sons.  Again, Israel was commanded not to marry people from the other “ites” because they would lead their children to chase after false gods.  The most tragic example of this would be Solomon’s decision to marry the Egyptian princess.  Up until that point in the histories of Israel, Solomon is a great king.  He marries the Egyptian princess and allows her to set up worship spots in other high places.  His action will let his progeny to find it acceptable to erect Asheroth poles and other forbidden altars to idols — but that is a story for another day!

     So, we have a man and woman from near the town of Bethlehem.  They have moved to Moab to scratch out a living, and they have found local wives for their two sons.  Then tragedy befalls them.  All the men are killed.  Naomi and the two Moabite women, Ruth and Orpah are left as widows.  Those hearing or reading the story would assume God’s judgement was upon the family.  They certainly deserved it.  But rather than telling how God had caused the death of the men in retribution for their unfaithfulness, the story goes in an unpredictable way.

     Naomi recognizes her plight.  There is no way for the women to make a living for themselves.  And, as Naomi notes, were she to conceive that night, would the daughters-in-law wait until a new son had grown up to marry them?  It is a rhetorical question, of course.  So, Naomi tells her daughters-in-law to go back to their families.  Orpah does just that, after some hugging and crying.  Ruth, on the other hand, clings to her mother-in-law.  “Your people will be my people; your God will be my God.”  Naomi tries to convince Ruth to leave her, but Ruth refuses.  So, together, they had back to Israel.

     We skip the introductions of Boaz in last week’s and this week’s reading.  Boaz, we are told is a righteous and wealthy man.  His actions support the description.  He allows the needy to glean his fields.  That was one of those practices that Israel was called to do, but many field owners refused.  One could not make money off the grain that was given away.

     In an interesting twist, it turns out that Boaz is kinsman to Naomi.  Modern critics, of course, will allege that Ruth pimps out her daughter-in-law.  Certainly, Ruth takes a risk following her mother-in-law’s instructions.  But, Boaz has proven himself a righteous man.  In face, we would say he has been very gracious to the older woman and her daughter-in-law.  Is he motivated by Ruth’s beauty?  Sure.  But at no time does he force himself upon Ruth.

     Now, on the day in our reading today, Boaz is working at the threshing floor.  Naomi tells Ruth to trust her and do as she instructs.  She tells Ruth to wash and put on her best clothes.  She is to wait until the men are ready to sleep and pay attention to where Boaz chooses to sleep.  Once asleep, Ruth is supposed to the uncover the feet of Boaz and lie down.  Naomi promises that Boaz will show Ruth what to do.

     Now, what we do not catch as a modern Americans is what’s really being suggested.  We have some kids in the congregation today, so I will be delicate.  Something is being uncovered, but the foot is a euphemism for another appendage that is being uncovered.  Yes.  It is exactly what you think.  So, we have a young widow, with no man to protect her, all dolled up, uncovering the . . . ahem, foot of this man, laying down, and awaiting instruction.  I trust even Bartimaeus can see the possible wrong turns of this story.  

     Boaz, for his part, really is a righteous man.  He understands that Ruth is doing this for the benefit of her mother-in-law, Naomi, Boaz’ kinswoman.  In fact, Ruth calls Boaz the go’el of our family.  Being a righteous man, and a bit flattered, Boaz tells Ruth there is one family member closer — that one is the go’el.  He tells her to sleep there until morning, but to leave before anyone recognizes she is there.  He wants all to know she has a noble character.  On her way out the next morning, he gives her six measures of barley, telling Ruth not to return to Naomi empty-handed.  There will be a play on words later, and some symbolism now.  Six measures of barley would have been heavy.  In her robes, she would have appeared pregnant to any who saw her.  Later, of course, when Obed is born, the symbolism will be fulfilled.

     Boaz fulfills all righteousness, but he does not give the kinsman all the details.  He fails to mention the beauty of Ruth.  He finds the closer family member at the city gate and tells him that Naomi has returned and needs to be redeemed.  The kinsman is excited to redeem Naomi and acquire Elimelek’s land and agrees to do it.  Boaz warns him, though, that he will also get Naomi’s Moabite daughter-in-law in the exchange.  It would be one thing to get Elimelek’s land and only have to care for Naomi until she dies.  It is far less appetizing to have to work the farm only to give it to a child he would father on Ruth as heir to Elimelek.  The kinsman tells Boaz, in front of the elders at the gate, that Boaz can redeem her, if he wishes.  Boaz does this, and exchanges sandals, in front of the elders so that the kinsman cannot later change his mind.

     In front of the witnesses Boaz proclaims he is go’el to the family of Elimelek.  He will do his best to father a child on the Moabite widow, so that names of Elimelek, Kilion, and Mahlon do not become disinherited.  The witnesses, for their part, accept Boaz’ oath to try and give the Moabite woman a child who can inherit Elimelek’s land.  They pray that the Moabite woman will be like Rachel and Leah and build up the family, and they pray that his family will be like Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.

     Understand the oath and responsibility that Boaz has undertaken.  He has agreed to try his best to father a child on Naomi’s daughter-in-law who will be, under the torah, the son of Ruth’s first husband.  That child will be raised as and always considered the son of Ruth’s first husband.  Elimelek’s land will not merge with Boaz’.  It will be set apart for the first son to inherit.  He also pledges to care for Naomi until her death.  Unless Ruth bears him two or more sons, he will not have an inheritor.  That’s why the formal negotiations, that’s why the formal oath, that’s why the formal blessing and prayer.  The elders are hoping that God will reward Boaz for his righteous behavior.  He has agreed to redeem Naomi and a Moabite daughter-in-law.  

     Now, we know there are some job more pleasurable than other jobs, right.  I mean, we are told Ruth is stunningly beautiful.  Poor Boaz is going to have to spend the rest of his life trying to father at least two sons on Ruth.   I can well imagine the jokes that could have made between Ruth and Boaz.  And make no mistake, Ruth understands what she has in Boaz.  Yes, he is older.  No, he is not Jamie from Outlander.  But he is a righteous man.  He made sure she and Naomi were fed.  He did not take advantage of her position and force himself upon her.  He is what most of would call a good man.

     Why do we spend so much time on this story?  One of those titles that we pay too little attention to in our church is the idea that Jesus is our go’el.  In the South, we might not shy away from the language of calling Jesus our Redeemer, but we often forget that part of the reason for His Incarnation is so that we would know Him as one of us.  He is, to use colloquial language, our brother.  Sometimes, we spend so much time think of God as holy other and distant that we forget that Jesus was fully divine and fully human.  We often forget that when He ascended back to be with the Father, He took a piece of us back with us.  The theologians say He took our humanity back to the Trinity.

     We just spent several weeks on Job, discussing both his horrible experiences and our own.  In conversations with Adventers, I reminded us that, part of that for which Job so longed, a mediator and an advocate, we already have.  When we are suffering, our go’el is already at the right hand of the Father making intercession on our behalf.  When we are experiencing injustice, we know our go’el is already advocating for redemption and justice.  That go’el of ours could rightly have left us to wallow in the consequences of our sins.  But He chose to come down and rescue each and every one of us who would accept His offer.  And what did that redemption cost Him?  His reputation.  His life.  You see, Jesus lived the life that you and I could not.  Jesus believed in the Father and ignored the whispers of the enemy when you and I could not.  He came into what was His own, what was made through Him, and we rejected and mocked and finally tortured and killed Him.  But because the Son was faithful, the Father vindicated Him.  He was raised on that Easter morning, testifying to us that He had power to redeem all things, even death!  And because the Father redeemed our go’el, we know that we will, one day be redeemed, vindicated for trusting in Him.

     I am often asked what such vindication and redemption looks like.  In truth, my answer is usually the same.  I have no idea.  God always does more than we can ask or imagine.  Today, I have told you the story of a go’el, what you might know as a type and shadow of THE GO’EL, Jesus.  But because you do not plumb the Scriptures as you should, you likely do not know the rest of the story.  Boaz faithful performs the oath he accepts in front of the elders.  He fathers a son on Ruth.  Naomi, of course, is elated.  Remember at the beginning of this how I reminded you of her abandonment of her land and her people and of God’s torah.  I am certain in her heart she had no expectation of a happy ending.  And yet, against all odds, she finds herself at the end of this book holding her grandson, the inheritor of her son and of her husband.  God provided her with a righteous kinsman redeemer.

     But this is better than any happy ending or fairy tale.  The is better than you and I could ask or imagine.  Were we Naomi, we would be thankful that we now had an heir, that our family would not be disinherited.  But the story ends with a footnote that should blow each one of us away.  We are told in verse 17 that they named the child Obed.  Obed was the father of Jesse.  Jesse was the father of David.  For all her failures to be faithful at the beginning of the story, look what has happened!  Naomi has been grafted into the holy family!  She is the great grandmother of the great king, David!  You know David’s eventual grandson by the Name of Jesus.  

      In the midst of everything, Naomi did the best that she could.  When there was no hope in her powers, she returned to God.  A curious thing happened along the way, though.  He love of God penetrated the heart of her Moabite daughter-in-law.  Though Ruth had every reason to abandon Naomi as did Orpah, she clung to Naomi and refused to leave.  She swore Naomi’s people would be her people and that Naomi’s God would be her God.  She trusted and served her mother-in-law well, risking her reputation and even her life.  And lest we forget, she was the mother of Obed.  An enemy of God’s people was drafted into the lineage of the Holy family.  How kinsman is Jesus to us?  His family is even messed up like our own.  When we say, you should meet my uncle or my crazy aunt or my sister or my . . . . whatever, Jesus has a family of His own, every bit a human as our own!  And still, and still, when He might have said he had enough nuts in His family, He became our Go’el and redeemed each one of us.  Despite our unfaithfulness at times.  Despite our “I’ll do it my way” attitudes sometimes.  And because of that work and mercy, each one of us knows that we are members of that same Holy Family, heirs of His eternal kingdom.  That is a story worth sharing, that others might join this crazy family of God through the redeeming work of His Son.

 

In Christ’s Peace,

Brian+