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Ruth 1 and 2
How to get a good man and keep them. If there was one answer that could be universally
accepted, half the women’s magazines and targeted books would vanish from the
shelves. Funny enough, I think I see a universal
truth for that in our readings from Ruth. I know my little blog post won’t be
universally accepted, but I think it may offer insight that applies to both
male and female. The really cool part
about this truth is that it requires no fad diet, no expensive cosmetics, and
isn’t dependent on being a specific size.
You see, God’s truth doesn’t make money on how crappy you feel about
yourself. It sets you free from that,
allowing you to refocus on what makes you eternally attractive. Here we go…
In Ruth 1, we have a famine.
Times are rough for the trio of females that start our story. All of them are widows, by the way, which in
this time where the men are the total providers for the family makes them
especially vulnerable. Naomi, Ruth, and
Oprah, left alone in the world. Oprah
leaves, and we don’t know what happens to her, but we are left with Naomi and
Ruth. Ruth is our focus, because Ruth
gives us an example of some true beauty. (After all, not only does she get her
prince charming- who she is, and what she does, merits a whole book of the
Scripture named after her.) The first
thing she does is stick tight to her Mother-in-law. More than that, she accepts not only her
Mother-in-law, but also God. Let’s
forget Ruth’s gender for a moment, because this is a pivotal and universal
foundation point of being attractive to someone. Male or female, we all know it’s easy to be ‘with’
someone (anyone) while times are good.
It’s this moment, when all might seem lost, that the choice of loving
someone means the most. In the modern
world, we often fear that when the going gets tough our partner, friends, or family
will abandon us. It was the same
then. So, we see the first hint of Ruth’s
beauty in her dedication. She begs Naomi
not to make her leave, she accepts her and her God. Ruth wants the privilege of staying by her
side, through thick and thin. Given the
condition of widowhood, and famine this moment contains a LOT of thin. That is dedication, and if we yearn for
relationships that are of value then this is something we ourselves need to
learn from.
In Ruth 2, we begin to see that her beautiful humility and
dedication don’t go unnoticed or unrewarded, both by God and by the person
around her. We first see that Ruth,
having made this sacrifice, doesn’t feel she deserves to be treated better or
be granted anything special. How many times
have we fallen into that trap? We do
something noble, and suddenly expect everyone around us should treat us better
or that we deserve more for doing what was right in the first place. She approaches Boaz’s fields to work to get
food for herself and Naomi, asking only to be allowed to get the scraps. Boaz, being a man of quality as well, and who
had been told of Ruth’s dedication, sets her up to be protected and given
better. Ultimately, her dedication, and
his wisdom to see that dedication brings them together as husband and
wife. It’s an important pairing, since
their son becomes the father of Jesse, who is father of David, and ultimately
the root from which the bloodline of Jesus comes from.
Our focus and point in this writing are the relationship of
Ruth and Boaz. We don’t know what Ruth
looked like, she may have looked like she could chew through a fence to get to
a piece of corn. Boaz never remarks on
that, he is focused on who she is, and what she has done for his
kinswoman. He sees the quality of her
character, and that makes him want her as a wife. From Ruth’s perspective, we have a man who
values her for who she is, and is willing to protect and care for her and her
mother in law, not for what she looks like, but for who she is as a
person.
The ultimate relationship tips here, for both genders, are obvious
to me and as applicable now as they were then.
1.
Be dedicated to God, and people.
2.
Do the right thing for the right reasons,
without expectation of reward.
3.
Look for that Godliness in your partner.
A three step, no money down, no cost at all, no being made
to feel inadequate in the worldly sense truth on how to get and maintain a
beautiful relationship. The cool thing
is that it applies to family relationships, friendships, as well as romantic
connections. They are foundation points
of all healthy relationships, and may save you from finding your “Ruthless and
Bozo”, instead of your Ruth and Boaz.
Just some food for thought and prayer….
Almighty Father, please
grant me the wisdom and strength to be like Ruth and Boaz, wise in seeing
eternal and true beauty, let me able to make the commitment to stay by people’s
side through famine and feast. In Jesus
name, AMEN!
Here I am, Lord, send me!
Lisa Brandel
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