Ruth 2:20

“Then Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, ‘Blessed be he of the LORD, who has not forsaken His kindness to the living and the dead!’ And Naomi said to her, ‘This man is a close relation of ours, one of our close relatives (our redeemers, Heb. goalenu).” Ruth 2:20 NKJV In the KJV the note is “Or, one that hath right to redeem.”

I do not know the Hebrew pronunciation for goalenu but in English I would pronounce it goal-en-u. Our goal as believers is to get our Redeemer in you – goal en u.

This is an amazing verse that I have read many times and did not think anything about until this morning. In the first line Naomi is blessing both GOD and Boaz; GOD because He has not forsaken her or her Moabitess daughter-in-law, even though her husband and she had not trusted GOD during the drought and gone to a foreign land. Then they let their sons marry foreign women, which was against GOD’s commandment. Boaz because he was giving them great kindness under no obligation since there was a nearer kinsman than himself. The fact that Ruth was a Moabite widow did not stop his kindness. We know very little about Obed and Jesse, Boaz’s and Ruth’s son and grandson, but David their great grandson exhibited some of Boaz’s greatest attributes, kindness and loyalty in service to GOD.

Their lives took place during the time of the Judges and several times the Moabites ruled over the Israelites, so they were not necessarily friendly with each other plus the Law and custom forbid inter marriage. Even though Ruth was a Moabitess widow she was obviously young enough and attractive enough to catch Boaz’s attention, but Boaz’s answer to Ruth’s question of why he was being so kind to her in 2:11-12 show his reason and his heart was in service to GOD. “And Boaz answered and said to her, ‘It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and left the land of your birth, and come to a people whom you did not know before. The LORD repay your work and a full reward be given you by the LORD GOD of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.’”

For the line “…who has not forsaken His kindness to the living and the dead!” both the KJV & the NKJV reference Proverbs 17:17, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” Which references Ruth 1:16, “…for wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your GOD, my GOD.” and Proverbs 18:24, “A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” Proverbs 17:17 has always been an enigma to me, I’ve never felt that either part of that statement was fully true. There are many brothers who are close and support each other no matter what and there are friends that will not always help in a time of conflict or trouble. As a New Testament believer I understand that my brother in Christ should be closer and should be more caring and dependable then my natural brother if he is not a believer, this is not always the case.  Proverbs 18:24 is much easier to understand, if you want to have true friends you must be a true friend and there is a true friend (Jesus) who sticks closer that a brother, both natural and spiritual. “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. These things I command you, that you love one another.” John 15:12-17 Wow, Jesus says a lot in this statement, first is, He tells us what a friend is, one who does what you say, while expanding our understanding of being His friend, one who obeys His commandment to love one another as He has loved us. This is still an unfulfilled commandment, while there are many Christians who truly love other Christians and unbelievers as GOD does that is not true for most of the Church (enough said for this teaching). Second He tells us that He no longer considers us to be servants but friends. The children of Israel were servants of GOD’s Kingdom and Law, very few were called GOD’s friend, only Abraham and GOD said David was a man after His Own heart, both were flawed but through obedience and repentance they faithfully served GOD. But, after Christ gave His life as a ransom for all humanity; born again believers are now sons of GOD. That means we are Jesus’ brothers and sisters – joint heirs of GOD’s Kingdom, and as Jesus tells us we are His friends. We are both close relatives and friends, the best of both the natural and spiritual Kingdom of GOD (there is only one Kingdom of GOD that encompasses all of creation). Then He tells us that He chose us and appointed us to bear fruit so whatever we asked of the Father in His name, GOD would do. That’s because as Jesus’ friend we would not ask anything of the Father that would offend Jesus or His Father. That means that He has chosen and appointed every human being, but only those who receive Him as savior and LORD will know His will and desire to fulfill it (enough said for this teaching).

For the line, “…and a full reward be given you by the LORD GOD of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.” It is cross referenced to Psalm 91:4, “He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler.” When we take refuge under His wings we receive His truth and this defeats fear and brings peace to our lives no matter our circumstances or situation (read verses 5 & 6).

The concepts revealed in these verses are the very concepts Jesus taught the disciples and therefore us; love your enemies, pray for those who spitefully use you, seek His Kingdom first and all your needs will be met, support the poor, orphans, and widows.