Wednesday, January 3, 2018

Was Ruth of Moab the model for Proverbs 31?


 
Part One: Ruth’s Ethnicity
 

by
 
Damien F. Mackey

  

“From sun up to sun down, Ruth was in the field, working tirelessly to gather anything she could for her and Naomi to eat. She didn’t waste time because she lovingly took care of her family, just like the ishah hayil (noble woman) in Proverbs 31”.

  

 


Who was the biblical Ruth? From whence did she come? And when did she live?


 

According to the Book of Ruth, she was a “Moabite” woman, or a “Moabitess”, who lived during the period of “the judges” (Ruth 1:1-5):

 

In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. The man’s name was Elimelek, his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there. Now Elimelek, Naomi’s husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.

 

But firstly it is necessary to clarify that Ruth could only have been a “Moabite” geographically speaking.

Ethnically, Ruth must have been an Israelite – presumably a Transjordanian one.

I explained why (based on http://www.israelofgod.org/ruth.htm) in my article:

 

Bible Critics Can Overstate Idea of 'Enlightened Pagan'


 

The Story of Ruth the Israelite!?
 

Have you been taught that the Moabitess Ruth, the daughter-in-law of Naomi, was a Moabite? Yes, that is the question, it is neither intended as jocular nor facetious, although it may well be rhetorical.

Ruth 1:4 And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years.

In the first chapter of the book of Ruth it appears to be quite clear that Ruth and her sister Orpah were Moabite by descent or lineage.

Ruth 1:1 ¶ Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.

Further, as we can see in the above verse, Naomi, with her husband and sons, went to sojourn “in the country of Moab.” Now, if we stop here, we got about as far into this matter as the traditional scholars, theologians, biblical historians, and the vast masses of people who look to the bible as the word of God. By stopping here we are doing what so many do with the bible and in bible study, we take what appears to be “obvious” and indisputable as fact, then either ignore or find it imperative to “explain away” the contradictions within scripture created by our newly created “fact.”

What contradictions are we referring to? Glad you asked. For just one (there are several):

Deut. 23:3 An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the LORD for ever:

While “forever” in the Hebrew does not mean for the rest of eternity, it does mean so far into the future as to be impossible to “see” (or foresee from that vantage point). Thus, the expression, “even to their tenth generation” is not literally specific, but an idiom meaning that they can forget it, it won’t happen. So, the difficulty in justifying the two positions- (1) that Ruth was a Moabite by lineage, and (2) Naomi’s sons, as well as Boaz, would marry a Moabite and not only bring her into the “camp,” but in turn bring her into the line of David and Jesus (Yeshua), is in stark contrast with Deut. 23:3 and what a God-fearing Israelite would possibly do, especially when we consider what God had to say about such actions, not just in this time frame, but even in the time of Ezra. It then makes God look incompetent or extremely forgetful in His old age, or maybe God is just double-minded? Not to mention that this all transpires little more than a century after God declared His stand concerning this very matter to Israel in Deut. 23 above.

Or, is it possible, just asking mind you, is it possible that we may not yet have enough information to determine whether our “understanding” of Ruth’s heritage is biblically sound or correct? Should we not presume that in a circumstance wherein we find either, (1) our understanding is contradictory to some or all scripture, or (2) that it “appears” that the bible is contradicting itself, that we are the ones who are missing information necessary to eliminate such apparent contradictions? Let’s see if we can find out what is what- biblically.

You can do your own in-depth study, but just to present the minimum necessary to unravel this apparent contradiction let’s first begin by retracing the trail of Israel on their way out of the wilderness and into the Promised Land. We pick up the travels in Numbers 21.

Numbers 21:13 From thence they (Israel) removed, and pitched on the other side (north of) of Arnon (an east-west river), which is in the wilderness that cometh out of the coasts of the Amorites: for Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.

OK, note that Israel crossed the Arnon and left the nation of Moab behind them, thus now entering into the land of the Amorites. By the way, the Amorites are not Ammonites. Ammon and Moab are brother tribes or nations and related to Abraham, and thus Israel, through Lot, but Amorites were, at least generally speaking, Canaanite.

What happened next?

Numbers 21:21 ¶ And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, saying,

22 Let me pass through thy land: we will not turn into the fields, or into the vineyards; we will not drink of the waters of the well: but we will go along by the king’s high way, until we be past thy borders.

23 And Sihon would not suffer Israel to pass through his border: but Sihon gathered all his people together, and went out against Israel into the wilderness: and he came to Jahaz, and fought against Israel.

24 And Israel smote him with the edge of the sword, and possessed his land from Arnon unto Jabbok, even unto the children of Ammon (Ammonites were to the east of Amorites): for the border of the children of Ammon was strong.

25 And Israel took all these cities: and Israel dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all the villages thereof.

26 For Heshbon was the city of Sihon the king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab, and taken all his land out of his hand, even unto Arnon.

Now we see that Israel conquered and occupied the Amorite land from the river Jabbok (an east to west tributary of the Jordan and is north of the Dead Sea) and fully eastward to the border of the Ammonites, again, related to Moab.

So, for the land between the river Jordan and the Dead Sea on the west and the border of Ammon on the east, plus the land north of Arnon all the way to the river Jabbok, was now owned and operated by Israel and their to do with as they pleased.

Side note: It is vital to make notice that this describes the borders and nations at the time being discussed. Earlier in history the nation of Moab did “occupy” or possess land north of the Arnon- all the way to Jabbok, but they lost possession of that territory prior to the Israelites appearance and as such, Moab’s northern border was the Arnon when God told Israel to “by-pass” them (Moab). To further clarify what we have just covered we can read from Deut 2 below.

Deut. 2:34 And we took all his cities at that time, and utterly destroyed the men, and the women, and the little ones, of every city, we left none to remain:

35 Only the cattle we took for a prey unto ourselves, and the spoil of the cities which we took.

36 From Aroer, which is by the brink of the river of Arnon, and from the city that is by the river, even unto Gilead, there was not one city too strong for us: the LORD our God delivered all unto us:

37 Only unto the land of the children of Ammon thou camest not, nor unto any place of the river Jabbok, nor unto the cities in the mountains, nor unto whatsoever the LORD our God forbad us.

Just what did some Israelites think of this newly possessed land that was “east” of Jordan?

Numbers 32:1 ¶ Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle: and when they saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, that, behold, the place was a place for cattle;

2 The children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spake unto Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and unto the princes of the congregation, saying,

3 Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Shebam, and Nebo, and Beon,

4 Even the country which the LORD smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle, and thy servants have cattle:

5 Wherefore, said they, if we have found grace in thy sight, let this land be given unto thy servants for a possession, and bring us not over Jordan.

The short story is that Moses and God agreed to let Reuben and Gad and half of Manasseh possess the newly possessed lands east of Jordan so long as they helped the rest of Israel conquer the lands west of Jordan.

Joshua 13 also confirms for us that Reuben, Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh received for their inheritance this land east of Jordan. The half tribe of Manasseh possessed the land of Bashan, to the north of the land of the formerly Amorite land. This area also included the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee and the east bank of the Jordan river northward to (at that time) the land of the Hittites.

But, where again did Israel cross the Jordan and enter into the land west? We all know the story of Jericho, but who recalls where it was, or what the area was called where Israel camped immediately prior to their siege of Jericho?

Numbers 33:48 And they departed from the mountains of Abarim, and pitched in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho.

49 And they pitched by Jordan, from Bethjesimoth even unto Abelshittim in the plains of Moab.

50 ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, saying,

51 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye are passed over Jordan into the land of Canaan;

From this we can note that the “plains of Moab” are not in Moab! They may certainly have once been “in” Moab, but at the time of the entrance into the Promised land, the Moabites all lived well to the south, and their northern national border was the river Arnon, which the Israelites had already passed over to eventually arrive at the embarkation point in the “plains of Moab” for their march forward to Jericho.

We should also note that as a matter of course and history, 1 Chronicles 5 shows that this conquered and possessed land stayed in Reuben’s, Gad’s, and the half tribe of Manasseh’s control until Assyria took them away captive some 700 years later, Manasseh being in Bashan to the north of the Plains of Moab.

One might now ask, “So, what’s the big deal? This still does not prove Ruth was not a Moabite by race.” Well, not in itself, and not yet, but we do have more to consider as previously stated. There is still more to the story. Remember this?

Deut. 23:3 An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the LORD for ever:

 

The Problems


1.  How could a law abiding Israelite, whether Mahlon or Boaz, legally marry a Moabite?

2.  How can we circumvent Deut 23:3 in order to accept the actions of Mahlon, Elimelech, Naomi, and later Boaz to let Ruth become a part of their family by law and bring her into Israel?

3.  The women of Israel welcomed Ruth into the “family” in Ruth 4:11 … The LORD make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem:

4.  If Ruth was a Moabite by race, why would there be such attention to detail concerning the law of redemption by Naomi, Boaz, and the “near-kinsman” more near than Boaz? It would all have been performed in complete opposition to the very law being invoked to settle the issue being settled!

5.  Judah’s eldest two sons were slain by God, Er for his wickedness and Onan for his disrespect for the very law Boaz invokes to accomplish his goal to marry Ruth. Now Er and Onan were both from a Canaanite mother, the first wife of Judah. Point being, God slew Onan for not obeying a part of the very law that Mehlon and Boaz would likewise have been guilty of breaking had Ruth really been Moabite.

The Solutions


We should closely take notice that in Numbers 25 we see the direct result of breaking the law. Are we to believe that later on this law is “suspended” for Mahlon and then Boaz, which would also mean it was suspended for Naomi, her husband, and all who welcomed Ruth into Judah? Considering the death of 23,000 Israelites that resulted from their law breaking, might it be somewhat still in the memory and history of Naomi, her husband, her sons, and Boaz and even his near kin?

Therefore, let’s look a little closer at what is really stated in the book of Ruth.

Ruth 1:1 ¶ Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.

First of all, the use of the word “country” must be understood both by definition and also by context. The Hebrew word translated to “country” here is one that simply means or refers to “the country” as in a rural area or field, not a “nation.” For one example we can look at:

1Sa 27:5 And David said unto Achish, If I have now found grace in thine eyes, let them give me a place in some town in the country , that I may dwell there: for why should thy servant dwell in the royal city with thee?

Notice that the “town” is “in” the country, as opposed to a major city in a metropolitan area. As a result of this we now have absolutely no reason to assume that “the country of Moab” was “the nation of Moab.” Nor do we have any reason to claim that the “plains of Moab” were “in” the nation of Moab, the location of which we previously addressed.

Next, we can note that the time period is one where-in Israel’s tribes were not yet unified into a Federalist single nation or kingship, but were independently ruled by judges, each with jurisdiction in their own tribe and not beyond or overlapping into other tribes.

Continuing, we see that Naomi’s husband was from Judah, and a town called Bethlehem. You may have heard of this town before? Thus, Naomi, her husband and her sons, were Israelites of the tribe of Judah, and in the land of Judah.

Putting this all together, with what we have so far, leaves us with Naomi and her family escaping the famine by traveling to a place identified as “the fields of Moab,” which then equates better to “the plains of Moab,” which were in Reubenite and Gadite possession and inheritance. Thus, Ruth, in the land of her nativity (Ruth 2:11), was either Reubenite or Gadite. ….



Part Two: Ruth’s Noble Character

 
 
“Ruth gratefully worked to get whatever she could to provide for her and Naomi, just like the Proverbs 31 woman makes sure there are provisions for everyone in her household”.





 

In Part One, I had concluded (following others) that the biblical Ruth could not have been ethnically a Moabite, but that she was an Israelite who dwelt in “the country of Moab”, in Transjordania.



 

Consequently, I would not be able to accept the view - at least in the case of Ruth - that the sons of Naomi must “have lost their faith” due to the fact that they married Moabite women:

 

in the story Ruth where the family of Naomi and Elimelech have lost their faith, leave their land in Bethlehem, move to the very nation that is oppressing Israel, marry their sons off to Moabite wives. We know that the events in the book of Ruth happened at precisely this same period. Elimelech dies at the hand of God for not joining the war against Benjamin (Jabesh-Gilead were annihilated for this) and their two sons were killed by Ehud's army as they fought for Eglon, King of Moab.
 

The chronological consideration as expressed here, that the story of Ruth belongs to the time of the judge Ehud, may be worth further consideration.

For some more on this particular period, and its archaeology, see my:

 
Eglon's Jericho
 

https://www.academia.edu/31551008/Eglons_Jericho



 
The Book of Ruth simply informs us that (1:1): “In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land …”, without specifying to which phase of the Judges period this belongs.
 
 
Various authors have suggested a connection between the Book of Ruth and Proverbs 31.

For instance, there is this academic one:
 

Did Lemuel's Mother know Ruth?:

Allusions and Literary Borrowing between Ruth and Proverbs 31:10-31
 
https://www.academia.edu/16293130/Did_Lemuels_Mother_know_Ruth_Allusions_and_Literary_Borrowing_between_Ruth_and_Proverbs_31_10-31

 
A less complex example is this one:

 
Ruth Is Her Name and Proverbs 31 Is Her Game.



Posted on December 2, 2011by Diane Montgomery



There’s a tiny little book in your Bible,  only about 4 pages but those 4 pages tell the powerful story of a woman who impacts the genealogy of Christ. Ruth is her name and Proverbs 31 is her game. As a Moabitess, Ruth came from a distant country, filled with false idols and child sacrifice to their god Chemosh. But through God’s mercy, forgiveness, and transformation, Ruth becomes a woman of immense faith, strength, and devotion to her family and the Lord.  She becomes what Proverbs 31 describes as an ishah hayil, a “noble woman.”
Ishah Hayil (woman of noble or virtuous character) is only found in Proverbs 12:4; 31:10, 29 and Ruth 3:11. In Ruth 3:11, the same words, ishah hayil, are used by Boaz to describe Ruth as a “virtuous woman.” Interestingly enough, in the Tanakh (Jewish Bible), Ruth is immediately after Proverbs 31 making her the Bible’s real life example of what a  “woman of noble character” really looks like.
 
Ruth’s Character Was Noticed By All
 
Ruth hadn’t been in town long but her reputation already preceded her.  Everyone knew how she had left her own home, was taking care of her mother-in-law, and believed in Yahweh. She had sought refuge under the Lord’s wings and it showed to the whole world! The Proverbs 31 woman seeks after the Lord and walks in His ways all the days of her life, making everyone take notice her character built by the Lord. If a woman is seeking the Lord and living for His glory then everyone who comes in contact with her will notice because the Holy Spirit’s work in a person’s heart cannot be hidden. God’s glory will shine through!
Is He shining through you?
 
Ruth Surpassed Them All
 
In a culture where sons were highly esteemed and desired, Ruth received the greatest of praise! The women who knew Ruth said she was better than seven sons, SEVEN! They knew Naomi and Boaz were the most blessed people for having Ruth in their lives. She was blessing, beyond blessings! Ruth surpassed all other women because of her faith in the Lord and His transformation of her heart and life which completely reflected the character of Christ!
 
 
Ruth Chose a Wise, Godly Man
 
Ruth didn’t choose Boaz just because he could be her Kinsman Redeemer, there was another man who should have been the first in line for that (Lev. 25;Ruth.3:13). Ruth chose to ask Boaz to be her kinsman redeemer because she and Naomi knew he was a godly man, a man that treated her with respect and kindness. Boaz was even an elder in the city and it was clear he was highly respected by all. The Proverbs 31 woman did the same in marrying a man that treated her respectfully and was respected in the town too. Godly women should be careful about who they choose to marry and choose men who love them and fear God above all.
 
 
Ruth Spoke With Wisdom and Kindness
 
    In the first chapter of Ruth, Naomi continually talked about how God’s hand had stricken her, how He dealt bitterly with her. She even changed her name to Mara, meaning “bitterness.” This was a woman who’s soul and personality had changed so much that her old friends didn’t even recognize her. You could even call her a “negative Nelly,” who blamed God for all the bad things in her life. Most people would find it hard to deal kindly with a woman like this, including me, but Ruth always spoke to her with such gentleness, such kindness and respect, as a Proverbs 31 woman does.
This seemed to have a great impact on Naomi because soon after Naomi is praising the Lord and thanking Him for His kindness, it’s like she’s a completely different woman! No doubt, Ruth’s kindness and love had something to do with this change! The words that come from a woman’s mouth can have the power of life or death in a person’s life (Prov.18:21). Do the words you speak offer life, joy, and encouragement to those around you? Or, do they speak negativity, death, and discouragement? To be like Ruth and the Proverbs 31 woman, we must be women whose words are healing, gentle, bringing forth life. Our tongues must be a reflection of Christ’s love to everyone around us. (Prov.10:31; 12:18;15:4)
 
Ruth Took Care of Her Family
 
As widows without family to take care of them, Ruth and Naomi were both very poor and needed a way to provide for themselves. Not waiting for others to provide for them, Ruth takes the initiative to take care of her and Naomi. She made a vow to Naomi and she intended on keeping it. With utmost humility, Ruth asks if she can glean from Boaz’s field to get what would have been like the crumbs of the field. She didn’t demand it or  act as though she was entitled to these provisions because she was a widow. Ruth gratefully worked to get whatever she could to provide for her and Naomi, just like the Proverbs 31 woman makes sure there are provisions for everyone in her household.
A Proverbs 31 woman works to provide food for her home and she works hard, never leaving an idle moment. She is resourceful, intentional, and productive. She knows the value of time when taking care of a family and she doesn’t waste it, making sure her family doesn’t suffer because of her laziness. Idleness doesn’t produce fruit but physical and spiritual diligence produces the fruits of the Spirit.
 
Ruth Worked Hard 
 
From sun up to sun down, Ruth was in the field, working tirelessly to gather anything she could for her and Naomi to eat. She didn’t waste time because she lovingly took care of her family, just like the ishah hayil (noble woman) in Proverbs 31. Ruth lived her life serving others which is exactly what a godly woman is supposed to do (Ti.2:3-5). We’re to work hard to serve those around us so they experience the grace and love God shows us every day. Women of godly character make God’s word attractive which means there isn’t much time to waste because too much is at stake. Is being the Proverbs 31 woman tiring sometimes? Yes. Does it make the Gospel more attractive to a lost and dying world? YES! Being tired is worth it if God is glorified through hard work for His glory!
 
Ruth Was a Woman of Strength
 
The basic meaning of the word “noble” (hayil) is “strength” and “power” and can be applied to a variety of people, including warriors (powerful), functionaries (able), and landowners (wealthy). This word embodies all the characteristics listed in Proverbs 31:10-31. Ruth embodies all these things as well. She worked in the fields from dusk until dawn, being the sole provider for her family, and made herself very strong! She “dressed herself with strength and made her arms strong” just like the woman in Prov. 31:17! Girl must have been IN SHAPE!
 
Ruth Feared the Lord and Walked in Faith
 
But more important than being physically strong, she was spiritually and emotionally strong! Can you imagine the strength, the faith in God, it must have taken to leave her family, her home, giving up the prospect of marrying again and having children, to go to a foreign land, in order to serve your mother-in-law and follow a God who was once your enemy? Ruth did all this without complaint or waiver. When she trusted in Yahweh, she became a woman who was faithful and strong. She sought refuge in the Lord’s arms to give her strength because she knew He was the only way she was going to make it! She trusted Him to provide for her, to give her hope, and to give her joy! She could laugh at the days to come because she feared the Lord God and trusted Him to give her strength! (Prov.31:25)
She  didn’t let her past as former enemy of God, her status as a poor, Moabitess widow, imprison her and keep her from doing the work the Lord had called her to do. The Lord was her greatest Redeemer and she lived her life in worship to Him because He had forgotten her past and instead given her a future, one that would impact the world FOREVER! (Matt.1) Ruth feared the Lord completely, believed in God’s grace and forgiveness and followed Him in all ways. She was a Proverbs 31 woman to be praised! (Prov.31:30)
Ruth is an incredible example and encouragement to all Christian women. Not only is she an example of Christ’s redeeming love and power to transform any heart, she’s an example that, through the Lord’s power, any woman can be a Proverbs 31 woman.God can take any woman, no matter her background or her past sins, and use her to for His glory. If we trust the Lord and walk in all His ways then He is faithful to change us to become more like the godly women He designed us to be!
 

Ruth was, of course, an ancestor of King David, and of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:5-6):

….
Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab,

Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth,

Obed the father of Jesse,

and Jesse the father of King David.
 

According to the following piece, Ruth’s husband Boaz was a type of Jesus Christ himself:



Christ in the Story of Ruth

 The most important symbolic manifestation of Christ in the story of Ruth is in Boaz’s role as guardian redeemer. In Boaz, we see Christ who has purchased the Church to be His bride. In Ruth 4:4-10 alone, the word “redeem” occurs a total of six times. In verse 10, Boaz explains that if one is to redeem the property, one must also wed the widow.




In order to have the right to redeem, our Lord Jesus had to become united with humanity, thereby becoming our fellow man. The name Boaz means ‘ability’. Our kinsman redeemer has the ability to save men to the uttermost. A kinsman redeemer must also be free of debt himself – likewise, Christ our kinsman redeemer was Himself free of sin.

As if that wasn’t enough, Ruth 2:14 refers to Ruth and Boaz at mealtime together, and refers to them dipping their bread in wine vinegar. The meal should remind us of our communion with Christ where the bread is symbolic of Christ’s flesh and the wine symbolic of His blood which is poured out for us (see Luke 22).

It is also of significance that the narrative unfolds in the town of Bethlehem, the city where Christ was to be born many hundreds of years later. Bethlehem, significantly, literally means “house of bread.” Jesus declares Himself to be “the bread of life” (John 6:48). Micah 5:2 famously foretells the birth of Jesus in the town of Bethlehem:
 

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
though you are small among the clans of Judah,
out of you will come for me
one who will be ruler over Israel,
whose origins are from of old,
from ancient times.”
 

What’s more, at the end of the story Ruth and Boaz give birth to a son named Obed. Obed became the father of Jesse. And Jesse became the father of King David. Jesus traces his ancestry directly to David, thus making Ruth and Boaz a part of the lineage of Jesus himself!

In previous blog posts (here, here, here), I have drawn attention to several other foreshadows and prototypes of Christ. The astonishing parallelism in all of these instances — and there are many others — with the gospel of Christ is striking, and assuredly is only explicable by the typical design of the inspiring Spirit. ….













 





 













































 




 

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