Wherever You Go

 

Chapter 1

The book of Ruth is a story. It begins like a story. Once upon a time, when the judges ruled, there was a famine. This sentence tells us a few things: 1) it is a story of things that happened long ago, 2) the historical setting is the time of the Judges, and 3) the event that instigated everything was a famine.

Because of the opening sentence, the Christian Bible places Ruth immediately after the book of Judges – for the sake of chronology. Placed here it makes a jarring contrast. The book of Judges spans a period in Israel’s history of constant warfare and unrest among the tribes of Israel. A frequent refrain in Judges is “The Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.”

The opening sentence of Ruth, then, reminds us of the overwhelming cruelty going on in the background. But the story of Ruth is not a national story or a cultural commentary – it is a small and intimate tale of a family.

What is in a name? In this story, a lot. The author of Ruth clearly intended the reader to hear these names as descriptive, telling much of the story.  The Patriarch is named Elimelech, which means “My God is King.” Naomi, his wife, means “sweetness.” Sadly, this good couple has two sons with the sorriest names ever – Mahlon, which means “sickness” and Chilion, which means “consumptive.” It appears that the author made up these names just for this purpose; they tell us all we need to know about these men.

Mahlon and Chilion marry two Moabite women: Orpah, which means “Back-of-the-neck” (I will explain) and Ruth. Ruth is generally interpreted to mean friend, companion, or “the one who fills to overflowing.” When we understand the characters’ names, we understand what roles they will play.

The first paragraph sets up the rest of the story: Back in the time of the Judges, Bethlehem, which literally means “House of Bread,” experienced a famine – that is, no bread. This family is forced to leave for the sake of their survival. In Moab, Elimelech died, then Mahlon and Chilion died.

In the Bible, a woman is a widow if she has no man to protect and provide for her – neither husband nor son. Now we know that Naomi, Orpah, and Ruth are widows in the true sense of the word.

There is nothing for Naomi in Moab now, so she begins her return to Bethlehem. Orpah and Ruth join her, but Naomi protests. Just as there is nothing for Naomi in Moab, there is nothing for Ruth and Orpah in Bethlehem. Their families are in Moab; other husbands might be found for them there, so they might have children of their own. She persuades Orpah, who turns back (turning the “back of her neck” to Naomi, hence, her name), but Ruth will not be dissuaded. She clings, or cleaves, to Naomi, a term that vividly references marriage (see Genesis 2:24 and Matthew 19:5.) Ruth makes a vow of loyalty to Naomi.

Naomi and Ruth arrive in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest, which was in April. The whole town is astir. All seems to signify abundance, but Naomi is feeling empty. We move toward Chapter 2 in a bleak mood.

Early in this story, we hear a word that will set an important theological tone. Naomi says to Ruth and Orpah, “May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me” (v. 8). The Hebrew word is hesed, which is commonly translated as lovingkindness. This is a Godly quality that the scriptures urge humans to emulate. Naomi’s words of blessing are also words of praise for the goodness of these young women.

Ruth quickly goes on to demonstrate this quality. She will not leave Naomi alone, no matter how sensible that might be for her. Surely, she understood that a woman traveling alone was a target for evildoers. She also knows, no doubt, that Naomi has little chance of managing on her own, even if she should make it back to Bethlehem. She will need a strong and loyal helpmate.

Undoubtedly, Ruth also knows the personal risk she is taking. She is a Moabite, going to a land that is known to be hostile to Moabites. This hostility goes all the way back to the time of Abraham. Here’s the backstory:

When Abraham first left his home to follow the call of God (Genesis 12), he took with him his nephew Lot. Abraham and Lot eventually parted ways because there were too many livestock between them to graze on the same land. Eventually, Lot and his family ended up in Sodom (Genesis 19), but were able to escape before the Lord destroyed Sodom for their wickedness. Lot’s wife, unfortunately, turned to a pillar of salt on the way out. Lot and his daughters found refuge in a cave, where the daughters decided their marriage prospects were quite dim. Consequently, they made a plan to get their dad drunk and then get themselves impregnated by him. So they can at least have kids. And it might have happened that way, but I doubt it.

By the way, the story of Lot’s wife is an origins story; it describes, in a fanciful way, why there are tall salt formations in the region. But the story says much more than that. Just what was it about looking back that led to her awful fate? We could have a good deal of discussion about that question.

Lot’s eldest daughter gave birth to a boy and named him Moab. It means “of the same father.” From then on, the people of Israel held a very low opinion of the Moabite people. And, in fact, the Moabites live up – or down – to their reputation. Again and again in the Old Testament, we see references to the Moabites bringing harm to the people of Israel. The feeling was so strong that the law of Moses forbids the presence of Moabite men in the religious assembly (Deuteronomy 25:1-6).

It is remarkable then, that Elimelech brings his family to Moab, where they find refuge. It is equally remarkable that a daughter of Moab, Ruth, should prove such great loyalty to a daughter of Israel. We should hold that thought. It will be important as the story unfolds.

 

Questions for Reflection:

·        What are your impressions of Naomi and Ruth from this first chapter?

·        Widowhood in the scriptures was not only a relationship status but also an economic status, because women were disadvantaged in every way. Consider whether, and how, such disadvantages are still in evidence today.