Ruth Introduction Various Passages

In his introduction to Ruth, Henry Halley states: “ The lovely story of a lovely woman, following, like calm after a storm, the turbulent scenes of Judges, is a delightful and charming picture of domestic life in a time of anarchy and trouble. A thousand years earlier, Abraham had been called of God to found a Nation for the purpose of one day bringing a Saviour to mankind. In this book of Ruth we have the founding of the Family within that Nation in which the Saviour would come. Ruth was the great grandmother of king David. From here on Old Testament interest centers mainly around the Family of David.” 1

______________________ This morning we are going to start a series on the book of Ruth. In this introduction we will examine the background of the book, review the time of the Judges and talk about the Moabites. Finally, I want to touch on the Orthodox Jewish perspective of the book. ______________________ I II III IV

THE BOOK THE TIME OF THE JUDGES THE PEOPLE OF MOAB THE JEWISH PERSPECTIVE ______________________

I

The Book: Here we will consider the usual information, but we will also find there is little known about the book. The following was taking from The New Ungers Bible Handbook and from Huey. A. Background: The setting of the book is the time of the Judges. Chronological uncertainties, however, make it impossible to date this period more precisely than the last third of the second Millennium B.C. 2 B. Place in the Canon: Its events transpired during the period c. 1400-1050 B.C. (Ruth 1:1). Therefore Ruth is correctly placed after Judges. Its place in the Hebrew Bible is in the third division of the threefold canon among the five shorter books called Megilloth or Scrolls (Song of Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther). It was apparently transferred from the second to the third division for liturgical reasons, its scenery of the harvest field adapting it for the harvest festival. 3

1

Halley, Henry H., Halley’s Bible Handbook, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1965, p. 175. Huey, F. B., The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, “Ruth,” Zondervan Interactive Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1990 3 Larson, Gary N., reviser, The New Unger’s Bible Handbook, Moody Press, Chicago, IL, 1966, p. 139. 2

C. Author and date: The general understanding is that the author of the book is unknown. There is speculation that Samuel is the author though nothing in the text supports this. Nevertheless, this is the position of contemporary Jewish scholarship. Scherman: “ The Book of Ruth begins with a phrase that, at first glance, appears designed to place the story in a historic time frame: — And it was in the days when the Judges judged. Upon closer examination, however, we see that Samuel, author of Megillas Ruth has, in fact, told us very little.” 4

Speaking of the time of the writing of the book MacArthur notes: “ This exquisite story most likely appeared shortly before or during David’s reign of Israel (1011971 B.C.), since David is mentioned (4:17, 22) but not Solomon.” 5

D. Typology: The rich underlying typology of this idyll makes the book of Ruth more than a pastoral story of love. It is an important link in the unfolding account of redemption, presenting in figure our Lord as the great Kinsman-Redeemer in general, but particularly as that aspect of His glorious character will affect Israel, His covenant people, in their future restoration. It presents an important link in the messianic family, from which our Lord came some 1,100 years later. 6 E. Themes: John MacArthur identifies some seven major themes within the book. While we go through the book we will certainly consider some in detail and only touch on others. He states the following: “ First, Ruth the Moabitess illustrates that God’s redemptive plan extended beyond the Jews to Gentiles (2:12). Second, Ruth demonstrates that women are coheirs with men of God’s salvation grace (see 1 Peter 3:7). Third, Ruth portrays the virtuous woman of Proverbs 31:10 (see 3:11). Fourth, Ruth describes God’s sovereign (1:6; 4:13) and providential care (2:3) of seemingly unimportant people at apparently insignificant times which later prove to be monumentally crucial to accomplishing God’s will. Fifth, Ruth along with Tamar (Genesis 38), Rehab (Joshua 2), and Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11-12) stand in the genealogy of the Messianic line (4:17, 22; see Matthew 1:5). Sixth, Boaz, as a type of Christ, becomes Ruth’s kinsman-redeemer (4:1-12). Finally, David’s right (and thus Christ’s right) to the throne of Israel is traced back to Judah (4:18-22); see Genesis 49:8-12). 7

The themes I want to focus on deal with the providence of God and the kinsman-redeemer. I may take one session to consider Proverbs 31 in relationship to Ruth. As we progress we may consider some other side paths, but we will have to wait and see. In the days when the judges ruled … II The Times of the Judges: “The book of Judges leaves us with the all-too-well-founded conviction that the general condition was one of moral deterioration” 8 4

Zlotowitz, Rabbi Meir, Translator and compiler, The Book of Ruth, Mesorah Publications, Ltd., Brooklyn, NY, 1994, p. ix-xx. 5 MacArthur, John, Ruth & Esther, Word Publishing, Nashville, TN, 2000, p. 1. 6 Larson, p. 139. 7 MacArthur, p. 3. 8 Baxter, J. Sidlow, Explore The Book, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1960, p. 27.

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Dr. McGee makes an interesting comment when speaking of the times of the Judges: “ The Book of Ruth fits into this period of the judges. The incidents that are recorded here take place on this black background of the judges, a time when a man like Samson was a public figure. Today when scandals have shaken our own country, think of the scandal of a Samson! During the period of compromise, corruption, and confusion, this lovely story takes place. It is light in the midst of darkness. This is the way God writes, is it not? He writes the story of salvation on the black background of sin, and He put this love lovely little story on the black background of the time of the judges. This is the picture that we have before us. It is “in the days when the judges ruled.”” 9

Reed notes: “ The degree of permissiveness in Israel was a theme repeated often in the Book of Judges and restated in the book’s last verse: “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit” (Jud. 21:25). By contrast the Book of Ruth provides a view of people who acted responsibly, rather than permissively, and with faith in God’s sovereign, superintending control.” 10

Keep in mind the comment “in the days when judges ruled …” means the book was written at a later time, but the events occurred during this period. III The People of Moab: There are some interesting problems presented by Ruth being a Moabitess. There is also a problem created by Naomi and her family living in Moab. Different commentators see this problem in different ways depending on, among other things, how they perceive the famine of chapter One. Let’s first look at Moah’s history. A. The History: The people of Moab are the descendants Moab, Lot’s son. “

Lot and his two daughters left Zoar and settled in the mountains, for he was afraid to stay in Zoar. He and his two daughters lived in a cave. One day the older daughter said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is no man around here to lie with us, as is the custom all over the earth. Let’s get our father to drink wine and then lie with him and preserve our family line through our father.” That night they got their father to drink wine, and the older daughter went in and lay with him. He was not aware of it when she lay down or when she got up. The next day the older daughter said to the younger, “Last night I lay with my father. Let’s get him to drink wine again tonight, and you go in and lie with him so we can preserve our family line through our father.” So they got their father to drink wine that night also, and the younger daughter went and lay with him. Again he was not aware of it when she lay down or when she got up. So both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their father. The older daughter had a son, and she named him Moab; he is the father of the Moabites of today. The younger daughter also had a son, and she named him Ben-ammi; he is the father of the Ammonites of today” (Genesis 19:30-38).

From this incestuous relationship came the people of Moab. The NIV Dictionary describes the people as follows: 9

McGee, J. Vernon, Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee, Vol. 2, “Joshua - Psalms,” Thomas Nelson Inc., Nashville, TN 1982, p.89. 10 Reed, John W., The Bible Knowledge Commentary, Volume 1, “Ruth,” Victor Books, Wheaton, IL., 1986, p. 416.

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“The nation or people descended from Moab. They settled first at Ar, just east of the southern part of the Dead Sea. The Lord commanded Moses not to vex them when Israel passed through their vicinity on their way to the Promised Land. However, their king Balak hired Balaam to come and curse Israel (Num 22-24). After God prevented him from cursing the Israelites, Balaam suggested other tactics. The Moabite girls entered the camp of Israel (Num 31:16) and seduced the men (25:1-9). As a result God sent a plague that killed 24,000 men. It was on Mt. Pisgah in the land of Moab that Moses died. Nearly a century after the conquest of Canaan, Israel was subject to Moab for 18 years (Judg 3:12-14). God raised up Ehud, who killed their king Eglon and so subdued Moab (3:30).” 11

B. Israel & Moab: I like what Dr. McGee says in his introductory comments in his commentary on Ruth: “ There is something in the Word of God about Moab that’s quite interesting. It is almost humorous. In Psalm 108:9 it says, “Moab is my washpot.” Now that’s what God says of Moab. You see, these were an outcast people. They had a very sordid and sorry beginning, and Moab just doesn’t stand out very well in the Word of God. One way to paraphrase what God says about Moab might be to say, “Moab is my garbage can.” 12 “ Marriages of Israelites with women of Ammon or Moab are nowhere in the Law expressly forbidden, as were marriages with the women of Canaan (Deuteronomy 7:1-3). In the days of Nehemiah the special law (Deuteronomy 23:3-6) was interpreted as forbidding them, and as excluding the children of such marriages from the congregation of Israel (Nehemiah 13:1-3). 13

“ When the LORD your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess and drives out before you many nations—the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites, seven nations larger and stronger than you —and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally. Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy. Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons” (Deuteronomy 7:1-3). “ No Ammonite or Moabite or any of his descendants may enter the assembly of the LORD, even down to the tenth generation. For they did not come to meet you with bread and water on your way when you came out of Egypt, and they hired Balaam son of Beor from Pethor in Aram Naharaim to pronounce a curse on you. However, the LORD your God would not listen to Balaam but turned the curse into a blessing for you, because the LORD your God loves you. Do not seek a treaty of friendship with them as long as you live” (Deuteronomy 23:3-6). “ On that day the Book of Moses was read aloud in the hearing of the people and there it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever be admitted into the assembly of God, because they had not met the Israelites with food and water but had hired Balaam to call a curse down on them. (Our God, however, turned the curse into a blessing.) When the people heard this law, they excluded from Israel all who were of foreign descent” (Nehemiah 13:1-3). 11

Douglas, J. D. and Merrill C. Tenney, editors, NIV Bible Dictionary, Zondervan Interactive Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1989. 12 McGee, J. Vernon, Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee, Vol. 2, “Joshua - Psalms,” Thomas Nelson Inc., Nashville, TN 1982, p. 90. 13 Fuller, A., Barnes’ Notes on the Bible, Vol. 2, “Exodus – Ruth,” The Master Christian Library, AGES Software, Albany, OR, Version 8.0 © 2000

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Cundall and Morris in their comments on the dating of Ruth make the following comments about the interaction of Israel and Moab when they say: “ There is also the fact that according to the Deuteronomic legislation Moabites were not permitted to enter the congregation. That the heroine was a Moabite points to a time like that of Judges when foreign wives were not so likely to be objected to.” 14

Of course if Cundall and Morris’ assumption is correct it continues to demonstrate how far Israel had drifted from where God desired them to be. IV The Jewish Perspective: What I always find sad is how close the Jewish scholar can come to the truth without ever hitting the mark. Take for example the words of Scherman: “ … the closing tragedies of the Book of Judges: the concubine in Giv’ah and the Idol of Michah, were … indelibly inscribed in Jewish though because they are more than tales. They are expressions of what can occur when ‘there is no king in Israel, every man does what is right in his own eyes.’ As Such, they are timeless and eternal. The Jew in every age must know what his fate can become if he refuses to accept authority and leadership. Ruth is of a piece with those other illustrations of what can happen when there is no vested authority in Israel. Megillas Ruth, too, begins with a cryptic phrase ‘in the days when the Judges judged.’ The prophet, in three Hebrew words captures the attitude of an era. As the Talmud interprets, it indicates that the people judged, criticized, flouted their judges. Under such conditions authority breaks down. When that happens, there is famine — physical and spiritual. When that happens, even so great a man as Elimelech — learned, honored, wealthy — can cast off his responsibility to his people and flee to the fields of Moab. Seen in this light, the story of Ruth as the background of … the kingship of the House of David takes on a new perspective. Ruth, princess of Moah, might never even have seen a Jew, much less married one, had it not been for the lapse of Elimelech and the Jewish people. Because there was relative anarchy, a family from Bethlehem went to Moab and set in motion a chain of events that resulted in a princess from Moab becoming … the mother of Jewish royalty, matriarch of the family that produced David, bearer of God’s glory on earth, and will ultimately produce Mashiach who will lead Israel and all mankind to the spiritual splendor intended by God when He said … ‘let there be light!’” 15

So near and yet so far. All hail, King Jesus! All hail Emmanuel, King of Kings, Lord of lords, Bright Morning Star. And throughout eternity I’ll sing Your praises, And I’ll reign with You throughout eternity. 16

14

Cundall, Arthur E. and Leon Morris, Judges & Ruth, Inter-Varsity Press, Downers Grove, IL, 1968, p. 237. Zlotowitz, p. xxi-xxii. 16 Moody, Dave, “All Hail, King Jesus,” Maranatha Music Praise Chorus Book, 3rd Edition, Word, Inc., Nashville, TN, 1993, #1. 15

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Ruth Introduction Various Passages

I II III IV

THE BOOK THE TIME OF THE JUDGES THE PEOPLE OF MOAB THE JEWISH PERSPECTIVE

A. The Book – 1. Background:

2. The Place in Cannon:

3. Author & Date:

4. Typology:

5. Themes:

B. The Times of the Judges:

C. The People of Moab: (Genesis 19:30-38)

D. Israel & Moab: (Deuteronomy 7:1-3, 23:3-6; Nehemiah 13:1-3)

E. The Jewish Perspective: