Gospel

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Usually at this time of the year, while everybody else is shopping, caroling, eating and God knows what else, I go into deep study of themes that some people might consider taboo. For instance, I have been reading the Book of Rut and while some consider this one of the greatest love stories ever told, I have discovered it is otherwise. It does not have anything romantic, but it does have another aspects: kindness, mercy and redemption.

The Book of Ruth is one of the books of the Ketuvim ("Writings") of the Tanakh (the Hebrew Bible) and of the Historical Books of the Old Testament. It is a rather short book, in both Jewish and Christian scripture, consisting of only four chapters, usually read on the festival of Shavu'Ot (on the second day of the festival outside Israel). According to the Talmud (BB. 14b), Ruth is the first book of the Hagiographa, preceding Psalms. This is appropriate, since in rabbinic tradition the Book of Psalms is attributed to David.

Now that being said, let's go deep into the story.

Interesting to point out that some scholars believe the Book of Ruth is more of a novella. Others claim that the Book of Ruth was a response to Ezra's reform on intermarriages. But whatever the case might be, I found out something that completely changed the way I saw this story: This is not your typical love gooey-my-eyes-are-filled-with-tears-Hollywood-romance. Depending on the way you see this, you can come to these conclusions:

1. Nothing to do with love and all to do with provision. Cruel, maybe, but think of this. Ruth did everything her mother-in-law told her to do, from who Boaz was to how to get him to redeem them both and ensure their economical future. Ruth 3 explains this: One day Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, "My daughter, should I not try to find a home [a] for you, where you will be well provided for? 2 Is not Boaz, with whose servant girls you have been, a kinsman of ours? Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. 3. Wash and perfume yourself, and put on your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don't let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do."

2. Nothing to do with love and all to do with preserving the family name. This is not a bizarre custom, since it was established way back in Deuteronomy 25:5-10 under the law of Levirate Marriage. This custom required a close relative to marry the widow of the deceased (the kinsman) in order to continue his family line. Interesting, since Ruth is not Elimelech's widow, but in this case, Boaz can be considered "near kinsman" in order to purchase the land of the death and their names would not be erased from the books of Israel.

3. Or maybe, just maybe, it does have to do with love... but not the love we are used to see. The word used in the scroll of Ruth is checed (H2617 Strong's Concordance) which means loving kindness, mercy, favor, and sometimes loyalty. Checed is used and woven through all the narrative, from Naomi's farewell to their daughters-in-law (“May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me.” ) to the words Boaz tells Rut when she is gleening the barley.

I will finish this up in part II, I promise... because the word checed has me thinking... How does Gos show checed in our daily lives?

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