How to Become a Woman of Covenant-Loyalty: A Lesson from Ruth
- Kate
- Sep 5, 2022
- 12 min read
📖✨ “Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following after you; for wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried. The LORD do so to me and more also, if anything but death parts you and me.” -Ruth 1:16-17
📖✨ “Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies” -Proverbs 31:10
I don’t know about you, friend, but my heart’s desire is to be a woman of loyalty. A woman whose lips continually offer kindness and encouragement to others. A woman whose arms lovingly embrace those who are hurting. A woman who does what she says she’ll do. A woman who works hard. A woman who is faithful even amidst adversity. If you have similar desires, let’s examine the life of Ruth together. She is a shining example of what the biblical virtue of “covenant-loyalty” looks like in action.
As I write this, we are currently in the month of Elul on the Hebrew calendar. Elul is a month of preparation and repentance for the Jewish people as they head into the upcoming fall feasts which include: the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles. Paul spoke of these feasts as prophetic “shadow pictures of good things to come” (Colossians 2:17). They are dripping with messianic fulfillment and expectation. In Leviticus 23, God calls these feasts HIS feasts”: “The feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts.”
For context, the Book of Ruth actually takes place during the span of time from the barley harvest (the beginning of the month of the Aviv/Nisan when Passover takes place) to the wheat harvest (around the time of Pentecost). However, the month of Elul is significant to our study of Ruth because the four Hebrew letters that make up the word ‘Elul’ are an acronym for a Hebrew saying from the Song of Songs: “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine” (Song of Songs 6:3). Elul also happened to be the appointed time for when “the king was in the field” - in ancient Israel, there were specific times when the king would leave his royal palace in the capital city and come to the fields outside the city. At that appointed time, he was accessible to all his people. “The peasant behind his plow had access to the king in a manner unavailable to the highest ranking minister in the royal court when the king was in the palace.”
Both of these points will make more sense as we dive into the story of Ruth. It is a beautiful love story of loyalty amidst adversity and total redemption by the hand of the Lord. Christ, your Kinsman-Redeemer, will sweep you off your feet as you realize you’re in a real-life fairytale with the King of kings.
The story of Ruth begins during a dark time for the nation of Israel. Prior to this dark period, Israel had entered into a covenant with the LORD on Mount Sinai. When they did so, there were terms and stipulations governing that covenant. "And Moses called all Israel, and said to them: ‘Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your hearing today, that you may learn them and be careful to observe them…Therefore you shall be careful to do as the LORD your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. You shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess.’”
-Deuteronomy 5:1-5,32
The portion of Scripture I underlined is very important. In a covenant, the party with more power & authority sets the terms of the covenant. The weaker party with less power and authority agrees to be completely loyal to the higher power; promising to follow the terms of the covenant. The LORD gave specific terms, which He calls His statutes and judgments, and warns them to be careful to observe them and walk in the ways in which He commanded them. In other words, to be loyal to Him and the covenant. As you can see from verse 32 above, if they obey Him and are loyal - not turning aside to the right or left - they will live abundantly in the land He has given them to possess. They will have all of their needs taken care of. If they are not loyal, Deuteronomy 28 lists the curses for their disobedience: “If you do not carefully follow all the words of this law, which are written in this book, and do not revere this glorious and awesome name—the LORD your God— the LORD will send fearful plagues on you and your descendants, harsh and prolonged disasters, and severe and lingering illnesses…”
-Deuteronomy 28:58
I know this sounds scary! It might even confuse you. We can praise God that we are under the new covenant that is sealed with the blood of Jesus Christ. He took the curses of disobedience onto His sinless Body on the cross and rendered them powerless. However, we can see from this verse how serious a covenant was to be taken.
Now, let’s get back to the story of Ruth. As I said previously, it was a dark time for the nation of Israel. Judges 21:25 says that during the time of Ruth, “Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” Wait a minute! How can that be possible if they are in covenant with the LORD and He already gave them clear commands on how to live? Sadly, the nation of Israel had already forsaken their covenant-loyalty to God. The LORD told the nation of Israel that they were His kingdom of priests and His holy nation. He chose them to be His special treasure to show the entire world the love and good-nature of the LORD through His covenant with Israel. Yet, they’ve forsaken His ways and are doing what looks right in their own eyes. God warned that there would be consequences if they turned aside to the right hand or to the left and did not carefully follow all the words of the law He had given them. “Fearful plagues sent even on their descendants, harsh and prolonged disasters, and severe illnesses.” We find these exact things occurring at the beginning of the Book of Ruth. We quickly discover there is a severe drought in the land of Israel which is causing a famine. Even Bethlehem, which in Hebrew means “House of Bread,” is completely empty of food. Then, we are introduced to an Israeli family of four: a man and his wife, and their two sons. They decide to move to the land of Moab to get relief from the famine in Israel.
The land of Moab gained its namesake from Lot’s son, Moab, who was conceived through incest (Lot was the nephew of Abraham). The land of Moab was a fertile land east of the Dead Sea. It had natural resources like limestone, salt, and balsam. It was situated along the King’s Highway which was a trade route connecting Egypt to Mesopotamia. This allowed the city to be wealthy. The Moabites chief “god” was Chemosh and human/child sacrifices were offered to him. Not the best place to live for a God-fearing Jewish family.
So, Elimelek, Naomi, and their two sons, Mahlon and Kilion, are living in Moab. Shortly after settling there, Elimelek dies. After his death, Elimelek’s two sons, whose names translated from Hebrew mean sick and weak, take two Moabite women for their wives. However, the LORD commanded the Israelites not to intermarry with foreigners. “Do not let your daughters and sons marry their sons and daughters, for they will lead your children away from me to worship other gods” (Deuteronomy 7:3). After living there for almost ten years, both Mahlon and Kilion die. Again, we see the curses for disobedience taking place. Following Naomi’s sons’ deaths, she is left alone with her two daughters-in-law, Ruth and Orpah. They are in a very bad predicament because they are now without a patriarch to protect them. They are widowed and childless. Naomi has nearly lost all hope when she hears that the LORD has visited His people in Israel and given them bread (the drought ended). She determines that she must return to her homeland. Initially, her two daughters-in-law are planning on returning to Bethlehem with her. However, Naomi knows that she has no husband and no other sons. She knows that if Ruth and Orpah return to Israel with her, they may stay widowed and childless for the rest of their lives. The chances of an Israeli man taking a Moabite woman, a foreigner, as his wife is bleak. Naomi is advanced in years and is past her time of childbearing. What kind of life would these two young women have if they join her in Israel? Naomi makes up her mind that it would be much more advantageous for them to return to their father’s household in Moab and find a husband from their people. “But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Are there still sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? Turn back, my daughters, go—for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, if I should have a husband tonight and should also bear sons, would you wait for them till they were grown? Would you restrain yourselves from having husbands? No, my daughters; for it grieves me very much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD has gone out against me!”
At this, Orpah sadly returns home with a tear-filled, bitter goodbye. However, Ruth clings to her mother-in-law and vows,
“Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following after you; for wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried. The LORD do so to me and more also, if anything but death parts you and me.”
The words Ruth vows to Naomi are words of covenant-loyalty. It doesn’t matter what hardships they face, what circumstances arise, where they live, or where they die; she is vowing to stay at Naomi’s side and be loyal to her. I underlined a very important part of this Scripture. Ruth proclaims, “The LORD do so to me and more also, if anything but death parts you and me.” When a covenant is made between two parties, a sacrifice is offered. The animals are slaughtered and then cut in half down the middle. The weaker party of the covenant walks through the middle of the slaughtered animal halves and proclaims that just as this animal was ripped apart and slaughtered, so it be done to him if he is not loyal to the stronger party. This is precisely the language you see from Ruth. She is pledging full and complete covenant-loyalty to Naomi. She is renouncing her ties to her birthplace, Moab. She is renouncing her Moabite gods. She is renouncing her birth family. Most importantly, she is pledging loyalty to the LORD, the God of Naomi.
I hold the belief that during the ten years Ruth was married to Naomi’s son, she experienced the presence of the God of Israel and her heart was never quite the same. I believe that Naomi’s faith was an anchor in Ruth’s life beckoning her into a relationship with Him. If she returned to her father’s household, as Naomi suggested, she would never see Naomi’s face again nor experience the presence of the God of Israel. I believe that Ruth’s unswerving loyalty was as much to the LORD, as it was to Naomi.
So, here is a gentile woman outside of the blessings and promises of Israel, yet operating in covenant-loyalty. While the very people the covenant was established for were forsaking it.
Ruth was a gentile. This means that she was born outside of the nation of Israel whom God had appointed as His chosen people. She didn’t have a Jewish ancestry and she didn’t grow up in the land of Israel. However, she chose to pledge her covenant-loyalty to the God of Israel. She chose to obey Him and walk in His ways. She decided that she would not do what was right in her eyes, but what was right in His. When Israel was failing in being obedient to God and was reaping judgment for their sin, Ruth, a Moabitess (a gentile), chose differently.
Ruth arrived in Bethlehem with Naomi. She immediately got to work to glean barley & wheat for them to live off of. She arose early in the morning and worked diligently through the midday sun to glean as much as she could. Her hard work caught the attention of the field owner, a man of valor, named Boaz. He was so impressed with her work ethic and persistence that he ordered his workers to allow her to pick up as much as she can and to drop barley on purpose for her to gather. He said to Ruth, “Listen, my daughter. Stay right here with us when you gather grain; don’t go to any other fields…I have warned the young men not to treat you roughly. And when you are thirsty, help yourself to the water they have drawn from the well.” Boaz also provided food for her at mealtime and made sure she had more than enough grain to take home to share with Naomi. Ruth found favor in the eyes of Boaz. He lavished Ruth with praise, “Everything you have done for your mother-in-law since your husband’s death has been fully reported to me: how you left your father and mother and the land of your birth, and how you came to a people you didn’t previously know. May the LORD reward you for what you have done, and may you receive a full reward from the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.” And later he said, "I will do for you whatever you say, since all the people in my town know that you are a woman of noble character.”
Let’s briefly talk about Boaz, his role as Naomi’s kinsman-redeemer, and how he is an earthly representation of our heavenly King, Jesus Christ.
Here’s what we know about Boaz…
• the Bible describes him as a “wealthy and influential man;” some translations call him a mighty man of valor (Ruth 2:1)
• he’s from the town of Bethlehem (v. 2:1)
• he’s a relative of Naomi’s husband, Elimelech (v. 2:1)
• he owns the field Ruth is gleaning grain from (v. 2:3)
• he is a godly man (v. 2:4)
• he is protective over Ruth and wants to guarantee her safety and livelihood (v. 2:8-9)
• he is generous and kind (v. 2:14-16)
• he takes care of the needy, widowed, and disadvantaged (v. 2:14-16)
• he is honorable and does what is right in the sight of God {according to the Lord’s commandments} (v. 3:13)
• he is wise (v. 4:5)
• he is a man of his word (v. 3:18)
We can glean from the book of Ruth that Boaz is a prominent man in the city of Bethlehem and may even have held a noble position of some kind. He is a man of character and conviction. He is careful to obey the LORD’s commands, such as not reaping the edges of his field as provision for the needy (like widows, orphans, & foreigners; Leviticus 19:9-10) and fulfilling the responsibility of the family redeemer to redeem (buy back) what his destitute relative lost or sold (Leviticus 25:25). Boaz is a representation of Christ. It is interesting that a majority of the setting of the Book of Ruth takes place in the field of Boaz. Just as Elul is an acronym for “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine,” Boaz fell in love with Ruth, his beloved, while she gleaned in his field. Boaz, a mighty man of valor, fell in love with an impoverished widowed gentile girl from Moab. He asked her to stay in his field where he could care for her, watch over her, and provide for her abundantly. She responded with loyalty to her compassionate redeemer and asked him to cover her with his garment. She chose to sit under his protection and wanted to enter into covenant with him. Their beautiful love story is a foreshadowing of ours. Like Ruth, a majority of the Church today (the Bride of Christ) is made up of gentiles (foreigners). We’re in the “field” (this world system) laboring under heavy yokes trying to glean our provision. But our King is in the field. He comes to meet our greatest need: REDEMPTION. He comes with tender love in His caring eyes. He comes with full provision for our every need. We find Him completely accessible and willing to cover us with His garment of protection. He chooses us and takes us for His Bride. He redeems us and makes us His Beloved. Interestingly, in Solomon’s Temple, one of the pillars was named Boaz. Like that pillar, Our heavenly Kinsman-Redeemer, Jesus Christ, is our Strength.
So, let’s wrap this all up. (Thanks for sticking with me this long!) Like Ruth, we can choose to be solely devoted in covenant-loyalty to our Father! His word says that He wants to impart His teachings and His character by the power of the Holy Spirit to every one of His children who are born again by the Spirit of Truth. His word also says that He will write His Law (His teachings and character) on our hearts and minds (Jeremiah 33:31, Hebrews 8:10, Hebrews 10:16, Isaiah 59:21, Ezekiel 11:19). Because of her virtuous character displayed through her covenant-loyalty, Ruth’s good deeds were known throughout Bethlehem.
“For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and His Bride has prepared herself. She has been given the finest of pure white linen to wear.’ For the fine linen represents the good deeds of God’s holy people.” -Revelation 19:7-8
Recap: Even though she was a gentile, Ruth had the Law written on her heart. She was a woman of covenant-loyalty and of noble character. A virtuous woman. God loved Ruth and sent Boaz to be her Kinsman-Redeemer. God blessed the fruit of Ruth’s womb and she had a child. This child became the grandfather of King David. Ruth finds herself in the lineage of the Messiah, Jesus Christ – the Son of God.
References -
The Month of Elul -
The Month of Elul - “The King in the Field”
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