Tanak Foundations-Concepts in Ruth-Part 1

We are going to take a look into the Book of Ruth and try to glean (a good word for this book) some concepts from this book that will help us in numerous areas. This book is a teaching on lovingkindness, betrothal, non-Jewish believers, redemption, harvest and very messianic. It takes place at the time of Shavuot and the first tithe and bikurim (first fruits), which was the time of the giving of the Torah. The kinsman redeemer in this story is called the “Goel” in Hebrew and he must have three things in order to be the goel. First, he must be related by blood to the one redeemed. This is why Yeshua became man, he had to be a blood relative to us. Second, he must be willing to redeem. Third, he must be able to redeem.

This is a clear teaching about the role of Yeshua as Messiah in the second redemption, as does all the Scriptures (Psa 40.7; John 5.39-47; Luke 24.27). We will look at this book closely because it is full of teaching that will help us understand this redemption, and we will look at phrases and words that allude to different concepts. The goal is to have you understand this book in a deeper way and to have you understand the second redemption through Yeshua.

We will have several people and places in this story that will be a picture some eschatological concepts. Elimelech and Naomi will be a picture of Israel. Their two sons will be a picture of the lost children of Israel. Bethlehem (“house of bread”) will be a picture of the Kingdom of God. Boaz is “Lord of the Harvest” and the Goel and a picture of Yeshua. Ruth is a picture of the non-Jewish believers, and Orpah typifies the unbelieving non-Jews. The next of kin, who fails to obtain the inheritance, is a picture of Adam. As we go through this story we will refer to these characters and how they typify eschatological characters.

Ruth 1.1-5 tells us there was a famine in the land in the closing days of the Judges. These were dark days in the history of Israel and it was summed up in the last verse of Judges, “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” The theme song for the period of the Judges was, “(I Did it) My Way” by Frank Sinatra.

There was a man in Bethlehem (“house of bread” symbolizing what the Kahal and and the Kingdom should be) who went to sojourn eastward in Moab (“seed of the father”). This alludes to Adam leading mankind away from God (to the east) and Israel going into the nations. He was clearly going in the wrong direction, right into the wilderness. The man’s name was Elimelech (“my God is king”) and his wife was Naomi (“pleasantness”) and she will be a type of believing Israel. They took their two sons, Mahlon (“sick”) and Chilion (“consumption”). This alludes to the fact that if we move away from God it leads to sickness and consumption (death-1 Cor 11.30).

Elimelech died in Moab (Rom 8.13) and Naomi was left with her two sons. When they were older, they took for themselves Moabite women as wives (Ezra 9.12; Neh 13.23). One was named Orphah (“her neck” alluding to pride and self-will-Exo 32.9; Acts 7.51). The other was Ruth (“satisfied”). They lived in Moab for ten years (the number of divine government and judgment) and then Mahlon and Chilion died (alluding to judgment imposed).

Ruth 1.6-22 tells us that Naomi arose with her daughters-in-law so that she might return to the land, for she had heard that the Lord had “visited” his people with food. The word “visited” is an allusion to the redemption (Gen 50.24; Exo 3.16, 13.10; Luke 19.44). A spiritual person will see the Lord in things, and a non-spiritual person will see things as an act of nature. So she departed from Moab with Naomi and Orpah and went towards Judah (like in 1948). She told Naomi and Orpah to go back to their families. They wept because at the time they both did not want to leave her, but emotions are not to be trusted, especially when dealing with the spiritual.

So, they wanted to continue on with her, but Naomi insisted they go back. She was too old to have any more children so there were no husbands in the future for them. So Orpah decided to go back to Moab, to her people and to her gods. Orpah is a type of the unbelieving non-Jews who turn away from God’s ways, and she forfeits any prospect of an inheritance from Naomi and family. Naomi says that the hand of the Lord has gone forth against her and she typifies a believer who is grieved when they obey the flesh rather than the Spirit, and suffers the consequences. But she did not see that the Lord was working in her life and his hand would go out on her behalf very shortly.

But Ruth knows that Naomi is the last link to her husband and she is determined to go with Naomi. Ruth is a type of the non-Jewish believer who comes to the Torah and the ways of God. Ruth says in v 16-17, “Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people will be my people, and your God, my god. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may the Lord do to me, and more, if death parts you and me.” This is one of the most beautiful statements of faith in the Scriptures. She was willing to forsake all the Moabite gods and embrace the Torah of the God of Israel as it applied to her. For ten years Naomi compromised in the land of Moab, but as soon as she decided to go back to Judah and put her life into the hands of the God of Israel, Ruth decides to go with her. We will never lead anyone to the Lord by compromising about Yeshua as Messiah and the Torah.

So, the two of them departed and went on their way to Bethlehem, and we know from Scripture that the Messiah and the Goel will come to Bethlehem in Yeshua (Mic 4.8; 5.1-2), and the city was stirred because of their return. Bethlehem was a small village so everyone knew everyone else, and even the ones who left years earlier. She wasn’t going to sugar-coat her absence in front of everyone who knew her. Naomi says to the people, “Do not call me Naomi (“pleasantness”); call me Mara (“bitterness”), for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.” She knew that the things that happened to her was not by chance but were a part of God’s sovereign plan for her, but she could not see how it would all end. She was not “bitter” towards the Lord, and she knew that the answer to her problems was not to stay in Moab, but to come back to God, his land and his promises.

This also shows the harm in a believer’s life that comes from disobedience. She went out full but came back in spiritual poverty. She went to Moab in subjection to her husband, but she suffered due to his disobedience. They came to Bethlehem with very little and at the beginning of the barley harvest in the spring. This was the time of the spring festivals and they teach about the first coming of the Messiah.

In Ruth 2.1-7 we begin to get into the heart of this book and the story of the redemption. Naomi had a kinsman (a type of the second Adam and Yeshua) of her dead husband (a type of Adam) who was wealthy, and his name was Boaz (“swiftness”). Ruth wanted to go to the fields (type of the world, harvest) and glean (alludes to the personal study of the word of God) according to Lev 19.9-10. So she leaves and starts to glean. She went straight there and this alludes to the fact that the study of God’s word is for our “daily bread” needs, not just listening to things. Ruth 2.3 says that she “happened” to come (no accident, this was by the leading of the Ruach Ha Kodesh) to where the reapers (type of the teachers) were working, in the portion of the field that belonged to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.

Boaz is the “Lord of the Harvest” and a type of Yeshua, and Ruth comes under the authority and control of Boaz. Now, Ruth 2.4 is a very important verse and we are going to spend some time on it. We have heard teachers say that it is forbidden to say the name of God. We know that the name of God is Yehovah because it has been found in over 2300 Hebrew manuscripts, even the Aleppo Codex. In this verse we have Boaz greeting the reapers by saying, “May Yehovah be with you” and the reapers replying, “May Yehovah bless you.” This is just one case of many where the name of God was spoken openly by people in everyday conversation. The Mishnah recommends that we should greet others by using God’s name in Berachot (“blessings”) 9.7 where it says, “And it is ordained that a man should salute his fellow with the use of the name of God” and then it quotes Ruth 2.4.

In Part 2, we want to get into this concept a little more and dispel any belief that it is improper to say the name Yehovah. Many messianic believers follow the rabbis who prohibit the saying of the name and we will show you why this is incorrect and how this prohibition came about. It was never God’s intention that his people not say or even know what his name was, so what happened? We will get into all that and more in Part 2.

Posted in All Teachings, Articles, Idioms, Phrases and Concepts, Prophecy/Eschatology, The Festivals of the Lord, The Tanak

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