April Newsletter- As It Turned Out

'AS it turned out', is a phrase which caught my attention as I was reading the book of Ruth. The verse is found in chapter 2, verse 3. Ruth was the daughter-in-law of Naomi, the wife of Elimelek, who was from Bethlehem. That's right, the birthplace of David and Jesus Christ. This story is about God's love and care for two widows.

BECAUSE there was a famine in the land of Judah (Bethlehem), Elimelek took his wife and two sons to the land of Moab in order to survive. Tragically, while in Moab, Elimelek and his two sons died leaving three widows - Naomi, Orpah and Ruth.  Naomi thought it best to return to Bethlehem where she had family. She urged her daughter-in-laws to go back to their families. But Ruth would have none of it. She said to Naomi, "Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me." Ruth 1:16-17. So, Naomi and Ruth left Moab and went back to Bethlehem destitute and in bitterness.          

ONCE the two widows reached home, they needed to eat. So Ruth left her mother-in-law, and went to glean in the fields. This is where the statement, 'As it turned out' is found. Ruth, not knowing anyone in Bethlehem, just happened to glean in a field that belonged to Boaz - one of the men who could help their destitute situation.

ACCORDING to the law of Moses, the land that Elimelek owned was left unoccupied upon his death. Now if he had sons, the land would have legally transferred to them. But since he did not have any, the land had to be purchased by the closest relative. No one else could own the property. The land had to stay with the original clan that inherited it. What may seem unfair to our culture is that Naomi, the wife of Elimelek, could not possess the property, nor could Ruth, the daughter-in-law. The land had to go to a male descendant of the clan.

NOTHING seemed to be on Naomi and Ruth's side. Both were widowed and unable to own 'their' land. All they could do is hope a relative would rescue them from their situation. And then, adding insult to injury, the closest relative did not even want them. What's a girl to do?

BOAZ was a very wealthy man, and he wanted to rescue Ruth and Naomi. He just wasn't able to because he was not the first in line to help. But he pressed the issue with the man who was the closest relative and forced him to make a decision. In Ruth 4:4, Boaz said, "If you will redeem it, do so. But if you will not, tell me, so I will know. For no one has the right to do it except you, and I am next in line." On a side note, in order for you and I to be rescued, the closest in line to do so was ourselves. The way we were to do this was to keep the law. But we could not keep it so another redeemer was needed. Jesus! He came to earth with the sole purpose of saving us from our sins - Our Redeemer.

AS followers of God, there really are no, 'As it turned out' moments in our lives. Every step we take is directed by the Lord. Ruth went to a field to glean. A random field in her mind. But it was not at all random to God. It was the precise field that was owned by Boaz, a servant of God. As a result, Boaz married Ruth and she became pregnant with a son (Obed) who ended up being the grandfather of King David and ultimately an ancestor of Christ. Which, 'as it turned out', became the Savior of our lives.