Covenant Restoration The Amazing Drama of Ruth

Ruth: A Short Story Quickly Told Elimelech takes his family to Moab The men die, leaving Naomi a widow with two daughters-in-law Naomi returns to Bethlehem, Ruth refuses to let her go alone Ruth gleans to support them Boaz gets friendly, makes arrangements to marry Ruth Everybody lives happily every after

Ruth: A Literary Gem Tremendous economy of words: 1260 Profound symmetry: Structure: Intro: succinct report of conditions (1:1-5; 71 words) Act 1 (two scenes: private/public): The Condition (1:6- 22; 253 words) Act 2 (two scenes: private/public): The Care (2:1-23; 368 words) Act 3 (two scenes: public/private): The Consecration (3:1-15; 204 words) Act 4 (two scenes: public/private): The Conclusion (3:16-4:12; 263 words) Conclusion: succinct report of conditions (4:13-17; 71 words) Epilogue: link to King David (4:18-21; 30 words)

Ruth: A Dramatic Gem Concise Character Parallelism: Lead Characters: Ruth (female, young, widowed, alien) Boaz (male, older, wealthy, Israelite) Dramatic Counterpoint Minor Characters: Orpah: female, foil to Ruth Other Kinsman: male, foil to Boaz Background Support Choruses: The Women who surround Naomi The Men who surround Boaz Note: The Role of Naomi is not paralleled! Naomi is the Main Character! Her changing situation is the point of the drama!

Ruth: A Symbolic Gem Begins in the time of the Judges, ends in the time of the Kings Begins in famine & want, and ends in a full harvest brought in Flight to Moab produces emptiness, not fullness Names: Bethlehem – “House of Bread” Elimelech – “My God is King” Naomi – “My Sweetness/Pleasant” Machlon – “Sickly” Chilion – “Weakling” Mara – “Bitter” Ruth – “Companion/Friend” Boaz – “In him is strength” Obed – “Servant”

Introduction (1:1-5) Naomi Destitute Conclusion (4:13-17) Naomi Fulfilled Act I Act II Act III Act IV 1:6-22 2:1-23 3:1-15 3:16-4:12 Public Places Private Places On the Road In the Fields Naomi’s Home Naomi’s Home (6-18) (1-17) (1-6)(3:16-18) Naomi’s Home Naomi’s Home In the Fields On the Road (19-22) (18-23) (7-15) (4:1-12) Private Places Public Places The Condition The Care The Consecration The Conclusion Epilogue (4:18-21)

“Ruth” Is All About “Naomi!” “Naomi” Is All about “Israel!” It begins during the time of the Judges: Turning away from Yahweh Experiencing the Curses of the Covenant Losing their place on the Land It points to the need to return “home” to the inheritance: Land People Religion The problem of “Mara” (destitution to blessing) is resolved through Covenant obedience: The faithful service of Ruth The committed care of Boaz It ends (Epilogue) with a direct link to the Kings: David will be the epitome of Covenant Theocracy To David will be given the Royal Covenant (2 Samuel 7)

Note on Two Customs: Ruth & Boaz at the Threshing Floor Why did Naomi make this happen? “If brothers are living together and one of them dies without a son, his widow must not marry outside the family. Her husband's brother shall take her and marry her and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to her. The first son she bears shall carry on the name of the dead brother so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel. However, if a man does not want to marry his brother's wife, she shall go to the elders at the town gate and say, "My husband's brother refuses to carry on his brother's name in Israel. He will not fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to me.“ Then the elders of his town shall summon him and talk to him. If he persists in saying, "I do not want to marry her," his brother's widow shall go up to him in the presence of the elders, take off one of his sandals, spit in his face and say, "This is what is done to the man who will not build up his brother's family line." That man's line shall be known in Israel as The Family of the Unsandaled.” (Deuteronomy 25:5-10)

Note on Two Customs: Boaz & the “Kinsman Redeemer” Why did Boaz make this happen? "The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is mine and you are but aliens and my tenants. Throughout the country that you hold as a possession, you must provide for the redemption of the land. If one of your countrymen becomes poor and sells some of his property, his nearest relative is to come and redeem what his countryman has sold. If, however, a man has no one to redeem it for him but he himself prospers and acquires sufficient means to redeem it, he is to determine the value for the years since he sold it and refund the balance to the man to whom he sold it; he can then go back to his own property. But if he does not acquire the means to repay him, what he sold will remain in the possession of the buyer until the Year of Jubilee. It will be returned in the Jubilee, and he can then go back to his property.” (Leviticus 25:23-28)

Rendezvous with Ruth Not simply a male/female Love Story (though it is a very good one!) This is a Covenant Love Story: Live out the Covenant and people will be blessed Live out the Covenant and the land will be blessed Live out the Covenant and the nation will be blessed Live out the Covenant and Yahweh will be blessed Both Ruth & Boaz lay their own selves on the line to meet the needs of Naomi’s destitution. They embody the Covenant. Those who embody the Covenant enter into Rest (Shalom) and bring others with them. This is a domestic microcosm or mirror of the macrocosm of Israel’s national situation Yahweh’s blessing rests on those whose lives are an incarnation of the Covenant Emptiness is found outside, Shalom within

Bible “Big Picture” Covenant Making – God establishes a covenant relationship with a missional community by way of a redemptive act Genesis – Why? Exodus – What? Leviticus – How? Numbers – Who? Deuteronomy – How Long? Covenant Living – God guides the covenant relationship with the missional community by way of authorized spokespersons Joshua – Possessing the Land/Rest/Promise Judges – Nearly losing the Land/Rest/Promise Ruth – Recovering Covenant Land/Rest/Promise through obedience Covenant Questions – God nurtures the covenant relationship with a missional community by way of spiritual wisdom and insight