Ruth...

We had just arrived home from a beautiful short stay in a cabin in the Bunya Mountains last Sunday when I started writing this post. I couldn't imagine a more lovely way to spend sabbath, surrounded by a symphony of bird song and total immersion in the forest gave me a re-energising dose of shinrin-yoku (森林浴) for the weekend. There was a lovely spot on the verandah to read, write and relax with a cuppa. It gave some time to start pondering the life of another woman I had planned to write about, Lydia (whose name may not even be Lydia) but more about that later. It was also a lovely spot to keep an eye open on any feathered friends that might drop in for a bath. We had a male satin bowerbird come for a spot of preening whilst we were enjoying our breakfast this morning.

I wanted to say my heartfelt thanks to those of you who have been giving me some wonderful feedback on this series, it really means so much. One friend shared that whilst she appreciates reading my reflections, by jumping in and reading the word for herself, she has found times of refreshing by reading the word for herself. I am really encouraged by her words, for it is in the mining for gems when we begin to hear the behind the scenes author of the word speaking to us. All we need to do is ask with a genuine desire and it's amazing what might happen. Please drop me a line if that is happening your end, I would love to hear more.

I was going to jump back to another New Testament sister this week but after discovering the connection between Rahab and Ruth last week, I thought we might just linger here around 1375 BC a little longer. Whilst we often read small parts of the word, by developing a practice of reading widely across the Bible; and familiarising ourselves with the timelines and stories, the brain will begin to make connections across time and space, helping us to map how it all fits together. It is a large text but by reading a little every day you will find you can get across it in a year. Having said that I have been reading the Bible for many years now and I'm seeing new links all the time. If you are new to my blog please jump across to my welcome comments and you might like to read Rahab before this post.

Ok let's meet Ruth!

A friend and I recently read through the story of Ruth together and both of us got so much out of the story. It's only four chapters (you can find a link here) but are they packed with flavour and you actually get three encouraging stories for the price of one! Ruth's story is set in the time that followed the great exploits we read about where Joshua led Israel into settle the promised land. It quickly turned into quite a troubled time due to a lack of strong leadership and Israel's incomplete settlement of the land. Many modern readers may struggle with these concepts and question why God would instruct the nation of Israel to go into an area and wipe out it's inhabitants. Yes they are big questions that go beyond this post. I will leave a few thoughts on this issue:

1) From a wholistic reading of the Old Testament the plan for Israel was for them to live in relationship with Yahweh and in accordance with certain standards of living that He set for them (outlined in the Torah);

2) These standards differed significantly from most other nations in the region at that time, they were vastly more protective of peoples rights and freedoms than for example the standards experienced in Egypt which was one of the most progressive societies of the time;

3) In order for Israel to achieve this goal they needed to live in an area where they had the freedom to put these laws and customs into practice and where the outcomes would not be diluted by the standards of other nations, it would take time for the flow on effect of these new community standards;

4) Through the example Israel would set, outsiders would be drawn to their way of life and would also come to seek a relationship with Yahweh. You may recall the promise of God to Abraham in Genesis 22:18 "and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me."

So after Joshua 'graduates', things go pear shaped fairly quickly. There is a leadership vacuum and whilst a raft of different leaders step up to steer Israel in the right direction, many people are just doing as they see fit and a famine unfolds.

A man named Elimelech, his wife Naomi and their two sons decide to leave their land which was given to them under the settlement conditions (their home town just happened to be a little town called Bethlehem) and go over to start a new life in Moab. Moabites were descendants of Lot who was the nephew of Abraham (remember it was Lot's wife who looked back and became a pillar of salt). The family lived there for many years and both son's married Moabite women which was not the usual practice for Jewish people. When I think more about this decision, yes the famine was clearly part of the reason for their relocation but the famine probably didn't last all that long; this family for some reason deserted their land, their people and their way of life. Perhaps the lack of direction and leadership in Israel led them to give up on their dreams of how life was meant to be in the 'promised land'; and perhaps even given up on God all together?

Naomi's husband dies then both sons pass away leaving her destitute with two daughters-in-law Orpah and Ruth. Naomi now decides she will return to Bethlehem and tells the girls to go back to their families. I can imagine Naomi must have had concerns about whether she would be welcomed back amongst her own people, would they see her as a deserter? What would people say? 'You brought all of that bad luck on yourself by abandoning us.'

Orpah heads back to her own people but Ruth refuses to leave Naomi...

"Don't urge me to leave you, and to return from following you, for where you go, I will go; and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God my God."

It would have been easy for Ruth to go back to her own people, find a new husband, like Orpah, but she doesn't. Something about the time that Ruth has spent with Naomi compels her to want to stay and be a part of her life and her culture, even in the darkest of times and facing a very uncertain welcome. She is drawn body, mind and soul to being part of this different way of living, drawn to the chance to be a part of the people who follow Yahweh.

So the two women return to Bethlehem, Naomi carrying a heart full of grief, loss, bitterness, trepidation, perhaps some anger.... but with the comfort of her one companion, Ruth, who carries hope.

The little community of Bethlehem is amazed that Naomi has returned after all this time. Word get's around as to what has happened to her family and news of her companion. The women arrive at the beginning of the barley harvest and Ruth takes no time in getting to work to make a new life for the two of them. Remember those standards I mentioned earlier? One of them is the practice of leaving some of the harvest around the edges of the field for the poor and for outsiders, non-Hebrews who are perhaps passing through. It was part of their in-built welfare systems to ensure vulnerable members of the community were taken care of.

Ruth is already familiar with the concept so she tells Naomi her plan and ends up in the field of Boaz, a kind and compassionate man who looks after Ruth and makes sure she is well looked after whilst gleaning in his fields. He also just happens to be one of Naomi's relatives and a kinsmen-redeemer which means he has the opportunity to redeem or buy the family land but must also marry the widow connected with the estate....

So Naomi and Ruth's prospects appear to be improving, but things are moving too slowly for Naomi and the harvest is coming to an end so they are running out of time for an excuse for this pair to keep 'bumping into each other'..... (wink)

So being the good mother-in-law.... (double-wink and for those who know our family, you know how blessed I am with my wonderful mum-in-law) Naomi cooks up a provocative plan to let Boaz know that the family assets are 'on the market'.

The poor guy, can you imagine what he is thinking when Ruth approaches him in the middle of the night?

It's clear that Boaz is older than Ruth, how much older we don't really know, but it appears he has also missed the boat in the family department; probably resigned himself to a life of bachelorhood and given up any hope of having a son to continue his own line.

If I can just press pause here....

We need to contextualise this situation for Boaz, Ruth and Naomi. For this time and culture, marriage and continuing the family line were of utmost significance to their community and social values. People were often married by the age of 18. Even when people are kind to us, having that sense of people 'feeling sorry for you' or tip-toeing around what they see as the gaps in our lives, can often lead us to feel isolated.

Plus poor Boaz is probably in quite a state of shock by Ruth's night time visit and what it means....

One thing is certain, he has now received the message loud and clear and knows what he needs to do next!

Being a man of integrity, he sets about to ensure he clears off a closer relative who is legally first in line to redeem the land. There is still a possibility that things may not work out for Boaz but he does things by the book and is willing to accept the outcome. Business is done at the town gate over the old sandal exchange, Boaz commits to buying the estate from Naomi, takes Ruth as his wife, receives one cracker of a blessing from the community elders and..... has the son he thought he would never meet.

Ruth, what a woman, she takes a massive gamble on God and look how her story unfolds, she gleans so much more than just barley from the edges of the lives of these Bethlehem folk; another outsider get's woven into the family line from which Jesus was born...

It's as if over time these principles of hope, new beginnings, second chances and welcoming outsiders are woven into his DNA...

I really sensed Jesus speaking to me through this story on a couple of main points. I'll share one with you.... it was the principle of leaving space around the edges; space so that I have time to think, to dream, to relax and pray and write; time for others and the unexpected, allowing room for surprises and opportunities to meet and connect with new folk. If you look at the way Jesus spent his days, he had a general plan but there were so many unexpected encounters and he just rolled with it, making time for anyone who genuinely wanted to know him. How many of us in this modern life fill our lives so full that there is simply no room for anything or anyone new or anything creative? So I have been working on implementing that concept in the way I plan my time and my life in general. People often ask me if I've been busy so now I tell them, actually I'm not so busy... (though I do get a few funny looks from time to time on that response).

I'd love to hear what you are picking up through this story.

I don't have a song this week but for those of us with a passion for the visual arts I found this beautiful impressionist piece that I feel goes so well with this post. If you read a little more here you will see the inspiration the artist took from the Old Testament scriptures and possibly even from this very story.

Les glaneuses (The Gleaners) by Jean-Francois Millet, 1857, oil on canvas, Musée d'Orsay, Paris