Naomi, Ruth and the faithful mercy of God
Monday, May 30, 2016
*Rogelio Zelada
At midnight, a stream of cold air shakes Boaz. A slight movement at his feet has awakened him, and in the stillness of the newly harvested ground, the sweet smell of a woman’s perfume sharpens his senses:
Who are you?"I am your servant Ruth. Spread the wing of your cloak over your servant, for you are a redeemer."
In her mind, Ruth visualizes the distant fields of the Moab plateau where she met Naomi, her mother-in-law, mother of Mahlon, a good man who left her widowed more than 10 years before. A terrible misfortune connects her to Orpah, the widow of Naomi’s other son. Three single women in a world where a widow with no family or children was the most vivid image of helplessness.
The sacred text that tells this story is written as a prophetic message from God, the great protector of widows and orphans. A short story that seems to be the counterpart to the laws of the time of Ezra and Nehemiah, when any marriage contracted with a foreigner was not only banned, but was also considered a crime. To preserve the purity of the sacred seed of Abraham, and despite having children with them, all Israelites were forced to abandon their foreign wives.
Ruth is an extraordinary woman. When Naomi decides to return to Bethlehem, her native land, she asks her daughters-in-law not to follow her because in Moab they would have better opportunities to marry and start a new life. Orpah returns to her people, but Ruth refuses Naomi’s good advice: “Do not press me to go back and abandon you! Wherever you go I will go, 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 be buried. May the Lord do thus to me, and more, if even death separates me from you!”
Ruth accompanied Naomi to Bethlehem Ephrata, where they arrived in time for the barley harvest. Aware of the customs that allowed the poor to collect the loose ears that remained after harvesting, she asks permission to glean in the land of Boaz, not knowing that he was a relative of Naomi’s former husband, a rich man with authority, standing in the community, and power.
In the story, Boaz quickly gains an appreciation for Ruth. He discovers in her an unpretentious, humble, extremely laborious woman who is unconcerned about her own comfort, does not seek her own advantage, but wants to help Naomi. In a small town, where everybody knows everything, Boaz immediately learns the story of the Moabite who has so generously followed her mother-in-law, the widow of Elimelech, his relative.
Providence weaves roads and blessings that Naomi decides to take advantage of. With cunning ability she asks Ruth to lie down that evening at the feet of the owner of the land. The fields were threshed from late afternoon until dusk, because at that time the winds were favorable for winnowing the harvest and separating the wheat from the chaff. At night, people slept outdoors to prevent thieves from stealing the grain. Following Naomi’s advice, Ruth urges Boaz to fulfill his duty as her closest relative and marry her, in order to provide protection and perpetuate the family name.
This not the Levirate Law, which forced a man to marry the widow of a brother who died without having children in order to give him offspring, so that those born from that union were considered heirs of the deceased. What Ruth invokes is the Law of Go'el, the legal defender of close relatives who have fallen into distress, whom he must rescue. Boaz is that relative and, therefore, the go'el.
Naomi wants to ensure that her family will have descendants and resorts to a ruse, as Tamar did in her day to have a son by Judah. The step suggested by Naomi to her daughter-in-law is motivated by filial piety, which seeks to consolidate not only Ruth’s future but also to renew the family seed.
Boaz, a man of honor, acknowledges that he not only has a responsibility to marry Ruth, but also the willingness. However, as a man faithful to the law, he recognizes that there is another relative who has more rights than he does, and calls for a legal debate at the gate of the city, attended by the elders as witnesses. It is not just a matter of buying land that belonged to Naomi's husband, but also of marrying Ruth so her children will inherit the land of the deceased. In the East, every woman belonged to a man, either as a wife, daughter or slave. None was independent; each had to be legally bound to a male.
The relative, who sees no benefit to marrying Ruth, relinquishes all his rights to Boaz, who marries the Moabite. It is a union blessed by the Lord, who will make it fruitful. Ruth will bear a son, Obed, who will become for Naomi the go'el who will restore her socially and familiarly, recovering her life and the future lineage of her husband Elimelech’s family.
The genealogical prologue of the Gospel of Matthew tells us that Boaz and Ruth were the parents of Obed, and Obed begot Jesse, and he begot King David. That way, the modest and brief history of Ruth, Naomi and Boaz becomes a solid link on the path to the Messiah King.
The Book of Ruth compels us toward an open disposition, one that seeks to break down alienating barriers and prejudices. It aspires to shows us that generosity, kindness, hospitality and openness toward the foreigner will always be a concern in the heart of God; and that he expects from us a sincere attitude of good will toward everyone who walks this world.
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