My Thoughts on the Story of Ruth
The story of Ruth is a beautiful love story of redemption. It's a short book in the Bible and it's considerably one of those books in the Bible where I can read it today and have more appetite for reading several chapters in 1 Samuel after that. However, there is much meaning in the four chapters of the Book of Ruth than one can imagine.
The disastrous decisions
The first part of the story talks about the disastrous decision of Elimelech and Naomi. They should have known it was better to starve in God's presence than to be in the territory of the enemy. They went to the land of Moab. The Moabites were the second set of oppressors after Othniel died. Judging by the timeline - it must be sometime the Book of Judges when they flew to Moab. Both their sons Mahlon and Chilion now committed yet another transgression - they married two Moabite women named Ruth and Orphah. It's even believed that both Mahlon and Chilion were infected with malaria that led to their deaths.
It was time to return to Bethlehem. 10 years had passed since and it was time to return. I always found it unbecoming that Naomi would send Orphah back to the land of Moab. Orphah made a bad choice to go back to her pagan gods! Ruth decided to cleave unto her first mother-in-law Naomi even if it meant poverty. Ruth had no child with her first husband Mahlon. But what she didn't know was that God was going to use her as a picture of redemption was also for the Gentiles.
It was time to return to Bethlehem. 10 years had passed since and it was time to return. I always found it unbecoming that Naomi would send Orphah back to the land of Moab. Orphah made a bad choice to go back to her pagan gods! Ruth decided to cleave unto her first mother-in-law Naomi even if it meant poverty. Ruth had no child with her first husband Mahlon. But what she didn't know was that God was going to use her as a picture of redemption was also for the Gentiles.
Boy meets girl
It's not known whether or not Boaz was a widower or an old bachelor. But it looked like he was an old bachelor. Some say Boaz was 80 and Ruth was 40 though it seems to be based on Jewish fables than Biblical truth. However, Boaz was still quite active so which would mean he was probably in his 40s. I would assume that both Ruth and Orphah were probably teenagers when they married. Ruth could have been 13-16 years old so she would be in her 20s by the time she returned. Boaz was probably only 13-16 years older. People married too young in those days so Boaz was probably expected to marry at 16. Yet, he was probably 42 if he were 16 years older than Ruth. Back then, a man 16 years older than you were is considered old enough to be one's father.
I always found it interesting that Ruth immediately caught Boaz's attention. The late Dr. Vernon McGee suggested in his commentary that Ruth was probably very attractive to look at. Why would Boaz immediately inquire of who she is that fast? Why was Boaz having doubts? I believe Boaz probably felt he was only lusting after Ruth. He was a man in his 40s and Ruth was probably just in her early 20s. Boaz started seeing Ruth for her true value - not her outer beauty but her inner beauty. The event where he found Ruth's faithfulness and Boaz's willingness to obey the law made it a perfect match in spite of their age difference!
What was interesting is that the genealogy of Jesus also records that Rahab the Canaanite woman was married to Salmon a Jew from the Tribe of Judah. The result of Rahab's union with Salmon gave birth to Boaz. It's unknown whether or not Rahab and Salmon were still alive at this point - if they were I can't imagine what conversation Ruth would have had with her new mother-in-law. Perhaps, an older Rahab would have talked how she was a prostitute of Canaan redeemed by God. Ruth would have probably told Rahab a lot about her getting redeemed from the idolatrous lifestyle of Moab.
I always found it interesting that Ruth immediately caught Boaz's attention. The late Dr. Vernon McGee suggested in his commentary that Ruth was probably very attractive to look at. Why would Boaz immediately inquire of who she is that fast? Why was Boaz having doubts? I believe Boaz probably felt he was only lusting after Ruth. He was a man in his 40s and Ruth was probably just in her early 20s. Boaz started seeing Ruth for her true value - not her outer beauty but her inner beauty. The event where he found Ruth's faithfulness and Boaz's willingness to obey the law made it a perfect match in spite of their age difference!
What was interesting is that the genealogy of Jesus also records that Rahab the Canaanite woman was married to Salmon a Jew from the Tribe of Judah. The result of Rahab's union with Salmon gave birth to Boaz. It's unknown whether or not Rahab and Salmon were still alive at this point - if they were I can't imagine what conversation Ruth would have had with her new mother-in-law. Perhaps, an older Rahab would have talked how she was a prostitute of Canaan redeemed by God. Ruth would have probably told Rahab a lot about her getting redeemed from the idolatrous lifestyle of Moab.
Boaz was shown to be a very patient man. He perhaps saw his friends getting married but he just chose to stand with God. He probably wasn't interested in marriage that time so God moved fast. The marriage of Ruth soon gave birth to Obed and from Obed came Jesse. She became the great-grandmother of David and she soon had a place in Jesus' human genealogy. Also from her roots came both Mary and Joseph. Joseph was from the line of Solomon and Mary was from the line of Nathan - both sons of David by Bathsheba.