First, I have to say the book of Ruth came to life for me this time reading it through. I have always thought that it was a nice story, kind of a Cinderella type story. I love Cinderella. But this time rather than look at it through the eyes of "the fair maiden meeting her prince charming," I read it this time as an example of an authentic relationship between women. I like to call it a "real-ationship." As I was reading it I discovered the four pillars to a R.E.A.L. women friendship.
The first pillar being respect. In Chapter 1 verses 15-18 it says "'Look,' said Naomi, 'your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.' 16 But Ruth replied, 'Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, bit ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.' When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her." Ruth obviously respected Naomi for the kind of life she lived. She wanted to follow in her footsteps. In return, Naomi respected Ruth enough to bring her along.
The second pillar is encourage which is found in Chapter 2. Beginning with verse 2, Ruth says to Naomi, "Let me go to he fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor." Naomi said to her, "Go ahead, my daughter." 3 So she went out and began to glean in the fields behind the harvesters. As it turned out, she found herself working in the field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelech." This man Boaz was a relative of Naomi's late husband. Most of know the end of the story. If Naomi had not encouraged Ruth to do what she thought she needed to, she would have never met Boaz.
The pillar of accountability is found in the second portion of Chapter 2. After Ruth returns from spending the day in he fields, Naomi says beginning in verse 19 "Where did you glean today? Where did you work?" Blessed be the man who took notice of you!" When Ruth told Naomi who the man was, Naomi told her that he was a close relative. She again encouraged Ruth to stay close to him.
In Chapter 3, Naomi tells Ruth to dress up in her finest clothes and put on perfume. To go to the threshing floor and wait until Boaz falls asleep and lie down at his feet. I believe this is another example of respect. Respect requires trust. Ruth had to trust Naomi enough to do this. Personally, I don't know if I could have done that. Its one thing to get all dressed up, but to lie down at the feet of a man you barely know would seem a bit odd. Yet Ruth did not even question Naomi's plan. She responded in verse 5 by saying "I will do whatever you say."
The last portion of Chapter 3 is another time when accountability is found. After Ruth returns from the threshing floor, Naomi she asks her how it went and what happened? Like most of us women, we want details.
But Chapter 4 clearly speaks of the fourth pillar of love. After Boaz marries Ruth in verse 14 it says "The women said to Naomi: 'Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a kinsman-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! 15 He will renew our life and sustain you in your old age. Four your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons has given him birth." Because of the real-ationship between these two women, not only one of them, but both of them were blessed far beyond their wildest dreams. Ruth found a husband and Naomi was now a grandma which I'm sure she never thought would come to pass since she lost both of her sons.
As I've thought about this for the past several days, I also thought about the idea of gleaning. I believe there is some hidden message there as well from God to us. Ruth was not an Israelite, she was a "gentile" if we talk in New Testament language. By allowing Naomi to lead her, who was an Israelite, Ruth found God and married and Israelite for a second time. But what I believe is symbolic here is the fact that after they had harvested the grain, she would go behind and pick up the left overs. It says she returned to Naomi with an ephah which is about 22 liters. Thats quite a bit of grain. Okay, stay with me here because I'm going in deep. Jesus referred to himself as the "bread of life". What is bread made from? Grain. Ruth didn't get the first round of grain, she got the left overs. By the time Jesus came on the seen, the Religious Leaders had been doing their jobs for so long, they missed "the bread of life." So who got to receive the left overs when it wasn't recognized by the priests? The Gentiles. It was after Jesus ascended to Heaven that the Gospel got out to the new group of people who wanted to hear about "the bread of life." Thus we now have Christians. Thanks for hanging in there with me.
I need to have a disclaimer as this is not coming from a Biblical scholar, I'm just a housewife, who happened to receive my pastoral credentials because I married a pastor. But I do love to read my Bible and find all these neat ways that the Lord speaks to me. I'll have to include my study on "Seconds" with this. I truly believe God blesses the "seconds" in a unique way. Read the following and you'll see why.
Second Best is Double Blessed
(two): An addition;strength, help, confirmation (Eccl. 4:9-12).
First represents“first fruits” – second being “blessing”
- Adam / Jesus (referred as the second Adam)
- God created two people (male first, female second)
- The female (the male carries the seed, but the female is the one to the bear fruit)
- God destroys the earth, but gives Noah the opportunity to give man-kind a second chance.
- God told Noah to take the animals in two’s.
- Abram’s name was changed to Abraham (second name) (Abraham means “father of many”
- Then Abraham was given a second son, Isaac
- Rebecca had two sons.
- Jacob was Isaac’s second son.
- Jacob was given a second name,
- Jacob’s second wife was his true love, Rachel.
- Rachel was Laban’s second daughter.
- Perez was
- Joseph ended up second in command in
- Joseph’s second son’s name was Ephraim, which means “It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering” Gen. 41:52
- Jacob crossed his hands when blessing Joseph’s sons and Ephraim, the second son was given the birthright. Genesis 48:19
- God said to Moses “If they do not believe you or pay attention to the first miraculous sign, they may believe the second.” Ex. 4:8
- God says
- Two cherubs were placed on the ark of the covenant.
- Two trumpets were used to call the Israelites to battle for their land. “This is to be a lasting ordinance for you and the generations to come.” Num. 10:8
- Moses broke the first set of the law when he found the people worshipping the golden calf. God told him to chisel out two stones like the first. A second set of the law was the final set. Exodus 34:1
- The tabernacle was set up in the second year. Ex. 40:17 (2nd year after leaving
- It was the 20th day of the second month of the second year that the Israelites left Sinai.
- Joshua and Caleb (only 2 men) had faith to make it into
- It was the second generation that entered the promised land.
- David was the second king of
- Solomon was David’s second son with Bathsheba, who was the wisest and most prosperous king of
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- The temple was built a second time (Harrod’s temple being bigger) after the first one was destroyed.
- Job was restored a double portion in the second half of his life. Job 33:29 Job 42:10
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- The Bible is divided in two testaments. (old) (new – representing hope of salvation through Jesus)
- Jesus touched the blind man’s eyes two times.
- Jesus gave Simon a second name, Peter. (Peter means “stone”)
- Jesus sent Peter back out fishing a second time. Luke 5:1-7
- Jesus gave Saul a second name, Paul. (Paul means “humble”)
- The second temple was destroyed and never to be rebuilt.
- Heaven is the second
- We have been given a second birth – salvation.
