The Book of Ruth
The Book of Ruth is the eighth book of
the Old Testament of the Bible. A short story, it tells how Ruth, the Moabite
widow of a Bethlehemite, with her mother - in - law Naomi's assistance, married
an older kinsman Boaz, thereby preserving her deceased husband's posterity and
becoming an ancestor of King David. The plot is artfully constructed and
exhibits a pronounced belief in the comprehensive but hidden providence of God
that works quietly in ordinary events. The legal customs concerning levirate
marriage, redemption of property, and gleaning in the fields are relatively
ancient, and the vocabulary and style are consistent with a date between 950
and 750 BC. The Davidic genealogy is a secondary appendix, written between 500
and 350 BC, which served to increase the importance of the book for postexilic
Jews.
Ruth,
a friend, a Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, whose father, Elimelech, had settled
in the land of Moab. On the death of Elimelech and Mahlon, Naomi came with
Ruth, her daughter-in-law, who refused to leave her, to Bethlehem, the old home
from which Elimelech had migrated. There she had a rich relative, Boaz, to whom
Ruth was eventually married. She became the mother of Obed, the grandfather of
David. Thus Ruth, a Gentile, is among the maternal progenitors of our Lord
(Matt. 1:5). The story of "the gleaner Ruth illustrates the friendly
relations between the good Boaz and his reapers, the Jewish land system, the
method of transferring property from one person to another, the working of the
Mosaic law for the relief of distressed and ruined families; but, above all,
handing down the unselfishness, the brave love, the unshaken trustfulness of
her who, though not of the chosen race, was, like the Canaanitess Tamar (Gen.
38: 29; Matt. 1:3) and the Canaanitess Rahab (Matt. 1:5), privileged to become
the ancestress of David, and so of 'great David's greater Son'" (Ruth 4:18-22).
The
Book of Ruth was originally a part of the Book of Judges, but it now forms one
of the twenty-four separate books of the Hebrew Bible. The history it contains
refers to a period perhaps about one hundred and twenty-six years before the
birth of David. It gives (1) an account of Naomi's going to Moab with her
husband, Elimelech, and of her subsequent return to Bethlehem with her
daughter-in-law; (2) the marriage of Boaz and Ruth; and (3) the birth of Obed,
of whom David sprang. The author of this book was probably Samuel, according to
Jewish tradition. "Brief as this book is, and simple as is its story, it
is remarkably rich in examples of faith, patience, industry, and kindness, nor
less so in indications of the care which God takes of those who put their trust
in him."
Explain some marriage customs
of ancient Israelites as related to the life of Ruth?
Though there are some cultures in the
Ancient Near East which were matriarchal in structure, Israel's was not one of
them. Israel's family life was dominated by the husband .When a marriage
occurred the husband took his wife from her home and “ruled” over her. Because
the husband was the dominant member of the family, he was given the title of
lib (Ba'al) which meant "lord", "master of the house",
"leader of the family circle". The fact that some men remained single
was an anomaly in ancient Israel, as we learn from Jeremiah 16. After all, it
"is not good for the man to be alone", and a good wife is a gift from
Yahweh. The wife was to be taken from within the larger family circle in order
to maintain the purity of the family line. Thus, in Israel the practice was to
marry within the tribe -- and if that was not possible, then within the larger
tribal confederation. That marriages were often arranged is well known. Yet
these arrangements were not devoid of love. Related to the story of the life of
Ruth in the bible if the husband past away widowed have the right to find
another companion in life.
What qualities than those
enumerated the story should a man or a woman looks for in a perspective partners?
A man or a woman should look for perspective
characteristics such as loyal, kind, trustworthy, and faithful.
Many Filipinos newly wedded
couples stay with their parents in law. What did you think of this practice?
As
a Filipino student, Filipino couples in the dwelling of the parents in law of
the boy or the girl in order to be close in the parents of his/her
wife/husband.
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