We hope this week's devotional will encourage you in your spiritual walk.
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Ruth 3.1-5; 4.13-17
Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, I need to seek some security for you, so that it may be well with you. 2 Now here is our kinsman Boaz, with whose young women you have been working. See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. 3 Now wash 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. 4 When he lies down, observe the place where he lies; then, go and uncover his feet and lie down; and he will tell you what to do.” 5 She said to her, “All that you tell me I will do.”
13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When they came together, the LORD made her conceive, and she bore a son. 14 Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without next-of-kin;[a] and may his name be renowned in Israel! 15 He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has borne him.” 16 Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her bosom, and became his nurse. 17 The women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed; he became the father of Jesse, the father of David.
Psalm 127
1 Unless the LORD builds the house,
those who build it labour in vain.
Unless the LORD guards the city,
the guard keeps watch in vain.
2 It is in vain that you rise up early
and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
for he gives sleep to his beloved.
3 Sons are indeed a heritage from the LORD,
the fruit of the womb a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
are the sons of one’s youth.
5 Happy is the man who has
his quiver full of them.
He shall not be put to shame
when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.
Devotional Thought:
In 1966 a song came on the radio that began like this, ‘This is a man’s world, This is a man’s world.’ It was the opening lyric to a song written by James Brown and Betty Jean Newsome. Brown bellows out the lyrics in a way only Brown can do. You can hear the passion and honesty in his voice as the lyrics roll off his tongue. And just as soon as he finishes making this statement, ‘This is a man’s world’, he continues, ‘But it wouldn’t be nothing, nothing, without a woman or a girl.’
Reading the passages above I couldn’t help but hear Brown’s voice as a kind of backing track to the story of Ruth. It is clear in this story that yes, this was a man’s world. Naomi, now a widow, along with her daughter-in-law Ruth, also a widow, were discussing and planning how they could manage living in this man’s world, now that they were widows. Remember, in this day, to be a widow was to be one of the most vulnerable in society. It was truly, a man’s world. Or was it?
What we learn from this story is how equally important women are in this world. The wisdom of Naomi and the dedication of Ruth combined to create an opportunity to see themselves out of a difficult situation. Ruth managed to convince Boaz to marry her, and as a result, she and Naomi were saved from their circumstance. Ruth’s marriage to Boaz resulted in the birth of a son, called Obed, who became the father of Jesse, who in turn became the father of David.
So what is significant about this story, other than a depiction of how these two women managed to save themselves? In the first chapter of Matthew we read the genealogy of Jesus. Most of the people listed are men, the fathers, but interspersed throughout are also women. One of those women listed is Ruth. Matthew is recognising that without Ruth, there would be no Jesus. Psalm 127 talks about sons being a reward from the Lord, but I think the book of Ruth and the genealogy of Jesus indicate that even though their world was a ‘man’s world’, ‘it wouldn’t be nothing without a woman or a girl.’
Prayer:
Almighty and loving God, we thank you that you are the God of all people. Thank you for empowering women like Naomi and Ruth to reveal your Spirit at work in both women and men. We pray you continue your work in us this day and every day. Amen.
Rev Dr Joseph WoodDean of Students and Lecturer in Theology and Church History