«　WEEK 12　DAY 2　»

　　Ruth 1:16 But Ruth said,…Wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you dwell, I will dwell; and your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.

　　Matt. 1:18 Now the origin of Jesus Christ was in this way: His mother, Mary, after she had been engaged to Joseph, before they came together, was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit.

　　Before going to Moab, Elimelech sold all his property. This left Naomi, a widow with two widowed daughters-in-law, empty-handed, not having any portion of land. As a godly woman, she returned to the Holy Land, that is, to the rest in God’s economy, to participate again in the enjoyment of the God-promised land and to become related to Christ’s genealogy. Although her returning was a great matter, it was not accomplished by power. Naomi believed in God, feared God, and regarded God, but she was simply like a beggar. For this reason Ruth, her daughter-in-law, went gleaning…. Ruth was a poor beggar, depending upon others’ mercy. To be sure, there was no power in this. Nevertheless, Ruth was very much in the line of life. (CWWL, 1993, vol. 2, p. 73)

　　Naomi told Ruth that she had no more capacity to produce a husband to redeem her and bring forth a descendant of Elimelech, and she advised Ruth to return to her own parents. Ruth’s reply was full of life. She told Naomi that she would return with her in poverty [cf. Ruth 1:16]….What Ruth did was in the spirit of the New Testament believers. The Lord Jesus commanded His disciples to forsake parents, children, relatives, houses, and all things and come to Him empty-handed (Matt. 19:29; Luke 14:26).

　　Besides Naomi and Ruth, the book of Ruth also has Boaz. The two widows were poor, and Boaz was rich, but all three were persons fully in life. Boaz altogether restrained, constrained, and controlled his lust. Naomi instructed Ruth, “Wash yourself therefore, and anoint yourself, and put on your best clothes; and go down to the threshing floor. But do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. And when he lies down, notice the place where he lies, and go and uncover his feet, and lie down. And he will tell you what you should do” (3:3-4). Without the proper restriction and control, no man could endure such a temptation. Upon waking up at midnight, Boaz found a woman lying at his feet (v. 8). Ruth said to him, “I am Ruth, your female servant. Spread your cloak over your female servant, for you are a kinsman” (v. 9). Boaz was not moved in his lust but instead addressed her as “daughter” (vv. 10-11), and he acknowledged that as her kinsman, and according to God’s ordinance, he had not only the right but also the responsibility to redeem the possession that was her father-in-law’s and her husband’s. Moreover, he agreed to marry her. This man had the highest standard of life.

　　Today in the Lord’s recovery we do not take the way of the judges to be powerful and to do a great work….None of the judges became a forefather of Christ…. Rather, it was one couple, Ruth and Boaz, who did this (Matt. 1:5). They did not fight a war or exercise power. Although Boaz was rich, he was still a farmer who slept with the sheaves of grain in the field during harvest. Even when a young woman offered herself to him, he told her, “My daughter,…there is a kinsman closer than I. Stay for the night; and in the morning if he will do the kinsman’s duty, fine; let him do it. But if he is not willing to do the kinsman’s duty for you, I will do it for you, as Jehovah lives. Lie down until morning” (Ruth 3:11-13). Boaz knew that if he did not care for the closer kinsman, the holy society of God would condemn Ruth for overstepping. This shows how lawful Boaz was. This was not related to power; it was altogether based on life. (CWWL, 1993, vol. 2, pp. 73-74)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of Ruth, msgs. 2,5,8; CWWL, 1953, vol. 3, “The Knowledge of Life,” chs. 1-2, 5