Perhaps you’re familiar with the story of Ruth in the Bible. She’s well-known for her bold marriage proposal to Boaz, and she’s an ancestor of Jesus Christ according to the genealogy found in the first chapter of Matthew (1:5).
I was rereading the little book of Ruth recently; the whole thing is just four chapters, and is well worth the time spent perusing it even if the story is somewhat familiar. With this rereading, I was struck by something new, and it was a truth my soul desperately needed to see in a fresh light.
You see, Ruth was a Gentile who came to saving faith in the God of Israel in spite of the some pretty serious obstacles. Let’s consider those for a moment.
Obstacle #1: Her background
Ruth was a Moabite, which meant nothing good for her as far as Israel was concerned. To start with, Moabites were the line of people that descended from Lot’s incestuous relationship with one of his daughters after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:30-38).
It only gets worse from there. After Israel’s exit from Egypt, King Balak of Moab hired a wicked prophet named Balaam to curse Israel, though God thwarted this plan and blessed His people instead (Numbers 22-24).
We also know that Israel was under Moabite rule during the time of the judges (Judges 3:12-14), and various other Old Testament passages refer to Moab as an enemy to Israel.
Moab was a harsh and cruel nation known for their pagan worship of Chemosh–worship that included child sacrifice. It’s really no wonder that God commanded His people that no Moabite could enter the Lord’s assembly, even to the tenth generation (Deuteronomy 23:3).
Obstacle #2: Her circumstances
Adding to this first obstacle of her Godless background, chapter 1 introduces Ruth to us smack dab in the middle of grievous circumstances. We learn right away that Ruth’s husband had died, along with her brother-in-law.
It seems apparent that this would’ve caused great heartache for Ruth. Beyond that, however, the death of a woman’s only male relatives in that time and culture left her with virtually no financial means. This would have caused Ruth, Orpah, and Naomi to be vulnerable to economic hardship and other types of trials, as well, since the rich and powerful often oppressed the disadvantaged, including widows.
Poor Ruth. I’m sure this isn’t how she imagined her life unfolding when she was a newlywed ten years prior.
Obstacle #3: A less than perfect example
The obstacles to Ruth’s faith began with her background and her circumstances, but they didn’t stop there. A third obstacle is that her mother-in-law, Naomi, was far from a perfect example during this time of crisis.
I don’t fault Naomi for anything in the book of Ruth. I can’t imagine the agony of losing a husband and both of your children in a ten-year span.
What’s often overlooked is that Naomi herself demonstrates remarkable faith in spite of these deep losses. Still, she was so distraught that she desired to be renamed Mara, meaning bitter, because “the Almighty has dealt bitterly with me” (Ruth 1:20). In the next verse, she accuses the Lord of dealing harshly with her.
Even though we can sympathize with her agony, I don’t think it’s unfair to consider what type of impact Naomi’s struggles could have had in Ruth’s life.
After all, why would a woman of pagan background who has just lost her husband want to worship the supposed harsh God of her in-laws who deals bitterly with His people?
Ruth had many reasons not to turn to the Lord in faith, but she does anyway.
Why is that? And what hope does it offer you and me?
Faith is a gift of God
It’s worth repeating. Faith is a gift of God.
Oh, what a gift!
This is good news on multiple levels. First, it keeps me from the kind of pride that postures me to be resisted by God (James 4:6). After all, if I could contribute something to my own salvation, I’m sure I would find that boast-worthy.
The idea of God and me working together to save me kind of puts me and God on the same level, if you think about it. And it also puts me above all the people who haven’t yet come to faith, because well, if they were as outstanding as I am, surely they would believe by now. (I hope you sense my sarcasm.)
Another blessing of faith being a gift of God is that it relieves me from the impossibly heavy burden of impressing my faith on others.
Maybe you’ve felt it before, this sense of responsibility to pass your faith on to someone else. To live out the gospel before them. To be the best example you can be of God’s love and light and truth.
Yes, my influence is important. My example matters. I might just be a tool God uses to point others toward Him.
And yet, their faith is still a gift of God.
It’s not dependent on a particular background.
It’s not contingent on positive circumstances.
And it doesn’t hinge on my perfect example.
Faith is a gift of God, and it’s not a result of works.
Not of their works.
And not of mine.
Praise God for the gift of faith we observe in Ruth’s life, for His determination to overcome every obstacle and draw her to Himself!
The rest of her story reveals that she experienced His distinct direction and provision in a way that demonstrates His acceptance of her faith and His delight in it.
May it be so for you and me. And may we thank Him for such a gift!