This particular chapter in the book, is subtitled, "Loyalty and Love" and if you are familiar with Ruth's history, then you understand why MacArthur subtitled it such.
Ehart's post with regards to the chapter of Ruth can be found by clicking here.
The book of Ruth starts out by giving us a little bit of background. Elimelech was an Israelite married to Naomi. The famine in the land had become so severe that Elimelech and family took refuge in Moab.
The relationship between Moab and Israel was often tense, or at times even hostile. The Moabites were a pagan society that worshiped several gods. Their idolatry included a god named, Chemosh. When Solomon strayed from the one true God and became influenced by his pagan wives, he built an alter in the high places for Chemosh, which the Scripture calls "the abomination of Moab." With this knowledge of the kind of society that Elimelech was taking refuge within, we can only imagine that the famine was fierce in his land to have driven him there.
Elimelech died while living in Moab, which left Naomi alone with her two sons. Mahlon and Chilion (Elimelech and Naomi's two sons) took wives from the Moabite women. Orpah and Ruth are those two Moabite women. Times would have been difficult for Naomi, as her sons took wives from the pagan society, but she does seem to have accepted these daughters-in-law. Later, after the death of Mahlon and Chilion, Naomi was left in this foreign land with the two widowed wives.
Naomi receives word that the famine in her homeland had eased, so she prepares to return to her people. As we see in Ruth 1:6-14, Naomi encourages her daughters-in law to return to their people and their gods. Orpah makes the decision to return to Moab, but Ruth decides to remain with Naomi. What beautiful poetry Ruth states when pleading her case to her mother-in-law:
"Entreat me not to leave you,
Or to turn back from following after you;
For wherever you go, I will go;
And wherever you lodge, I will lodge;
Your people shall be my people,
And your God, my God.
Where you die, I will die,
And there will I be buried.
The do so to me, and more also,
If anything but death parts you and me."
Ruth 1:16-17
Here is a fine example of Ruth proclaiming her faith in God. How beautiful!
Once Naomi saw the firm decision of Ruth, she accepted it. MacArthur suggests that perhaps Naomi was testing her daughters-in-law by requesting they return to their land and their gods. If so, Ruth passed the test.
Upon returning, Ruth and Naomi were greeted by the people and they remembered Naomi well. Of course, as we shall see, Naomi had relations among the people, so I wouldn't say that was surprising.
Ruth, being a young, physically strong, woman, knew that she needed to help support her aging mother-in-law. As commanded by God to the Israelites to leave the edges of the fields for the foreigner, the orphan, and the widow, Ruth went to a certain field to glean barley for the two of them. She was noticed by Boaz, a relative of Naomi.
Boaz, despite the famine, had remained somewhat prosperous. Upon learning who Ruth was, Boaz recommended that Ruth only glean from his fields. He also gave her permission to drink from the water that was supplied to his servants, and he instructed the young men not to touch her. Ruth returns home to Naomi with an abundance of grain that she had gleaned from the fields under Boaz's protective watch.
Upon learning that Ruth had gleaned her abundance from Boaz's fields, Naomi 'helps' along the situation. She suggests at the end of the harvesting that Ruth go to the threshing floor where the grain was winnowed and give herself in marriage to Boaz. MacArthur suggests that Naomi's scheme was "bold and utterly unconventional....the propriety police certainly would have been up in arms."
Upon following Naomi's instructions, Boaz informs Ruth that there is another, who is a closer relative that could "perform the duty of a close relative for you." The very next day Boaz takes care of the matter and discovers that the closer relative was unwilling to ruin his inheritance by performing his right of redemption.
Boaz, being the next closest relative does as he promised Ruth on the threshing floor, and said, "You are witnesses this day that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's, from the hand of Naomi. Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, I have acquired as my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brethren and from his position at the gate. You are witnesses this day."
MacArthur states that Ruth is a symbol for all believers due to her being redeemed by Boaz. We, too, have a Redeemer. We are His own bride, and loved by Him with the affection that He demonstrated by sacrificing His life on the cross.
Isn't that a wonderful love story?
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