There
is a lot of talk these days about ‘aliens’ and ‘foreigners’. The concern is not new. In the Old Testament, there are many citations
about treatment of the foreigner, along with reminders that the Children of
Israel were “strangers in the land of Egypt”. (Exodus 22:21, Deuteronomy 10:19,
Deuteronomy 23:7)
Leviticus
19 further says, “When a stranger resides
with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. The stranger who resided
with you shall be as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself,
for you were aliens in the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.”
(Leviticus 19:33-34)
The
New Testament builds on this base. Jesus says that all will be judged by their
response to the needy, “For I was hungry
and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink,
I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I
was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” (Matthew
25:25-36) Of course the story of the Good Samaritan is, on one level, a
condemnation of the religious and a commendation of the foreigner, who acted
with greater mercy than the priest and lawyer. (Luke 10: 25-37)
There were
rules in the Old Testament, making provision for the aliens, along with widows
and orphans.
Psalm 146:9 says, “The LORD protects the strangers;
He supports the fatherless and the widow,” The stranger gets the same level
of care as the orphans and widows. The law in Leviticus 19:9-10 is especially
applicable to the woman we are meeting today. We read, “When you reap
the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather
the gleanings of your harvest. Do not go over your vineyard a second time or
pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the
foreigner.”
Today
we see that God provides for those who are ‘foreigners,’ just as much as God provides for the Children of Israel. Ruth was a
foreigner, without a doubt. She was born in Moab and raised in Moab, She
was wed in Moab to a Hebrew man. This is not the first instance in the Bible of
foreign women becoming wives of Hebrew men. Judah, son of Jacob, married a
Canaanite woman. Joseph, while in Egypt, married Asenath, daughter of a priest
of On. Moses himself was married to a Midianite woman-Zipporah.
Ruth,
we learn loved and clung to her mother-in-law even after her husband died.
(Ruth 1:6-19) She returned to Bethlehem with Naomi. In my book Naomi’s Joy, it is Ruth who helps Naomi
understand that she is not cursed by God. In my story, when the miller will not grind the
grain Ruth has gleaned in Boaz’ field, the young woman is devastated. As she
comforts her friend, Naomi realizes God loves her, and has provided for her all
her life:
It was a subdued meal. I was distracted by the idea that Boaz bar
Salma was developing an interest in my daughter-in-law. Ruth stared at the
basket of grain as if she detested the sight.
“My mother, forgive me for bringing such shame to his house,” when
she spoke, I realized that she thought my preoccupation was from anger.
“Oh, my child, no!” A wave of sympathy swept over me. “You have
done nothing wrong. I was thinking about something. My daughter, truly without
you I would not care to live.”
Tears welled and slipped down her smooth cheeks.
“I am a foreigner,” through sobs she spoke. “The ga-al you spoke
of will not want to have the burden of two women. Why would anyone be concerned
with what happens to a Moabite?”
“Ruth, my daughter,” compassion had me scrambling to her side.
I took the slender frame in my arms. Sobs shook her body. I held
my friend tight.
“Ruth, you must forget what Ahaz said. He is wrong. You are a
daughter of Israel.” Comforting words flowed easily.
I felt the negative motion of her head on my shoulder.
“Yes,” I insisted, “Your faith is greater than mine. I have turned
away from the God of Israel in despair and anger.”
My own words convicted me. I stopped with a gasp. It felt as if
all my breath had been kicked from my lungs. Ruth drew back to look at me when
I stopped speaking. I stared past my companion trying to draw air past the
great lump that felt lodged in my throat.
“Mother Naomi?” I barely heard the question.
I lowered my head in despair. Tears welled in my eyes. Suddenly I
was sobbing. Whimpers of animal anguish wrenched from my lips.
“God, God,” it was all I could say. I rocked back and forth holding
my knees as the truth rolled over me.
“My mother,” Ruth tried to take me in her arms.
She had to be satisfied with patting my shoulder as I continued to
rock and weep. A lifetime of pent up sorrow and grief flooded out in my tears.
“It is true.” I spoke more to myself than Ruth. “God did not
reject me I turned away from the Holy One. I would not let I AM comfort me.”
“I did not know,” the girl stroked my hair.
“I needed to blame the Almighty for my grief. I told myself that
God took what I loved because I had done something wrong or because I was not
thankful enough. All my life I hated I
AM. I never dared trust that I would be cared for. If I failed in any way I
was certain that I would be punished. When Elimelech died I knew I was right. I
told myself that the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob turned away when we left
the Promised Land. After Adah’s death I was sure that the Holy One hated me
because I allowed her to marry a foreigner.” I panted as the confession poured
out through my sobs. “I hated my life enough to die.”
“Mother Naomi,” the young woman held me tight unable to respond to
my words.
“I was wrong. The Living Lord did not desert me.” I spoke low as
comprehension burst into my heart. Tears I could not stop rolled down my face.
“You once said that the Holy One of Israel provides healing even for death and
pain. Ever since my father died from the bite of the serpent I have been angry
with God. Everything that went wrong was another reason to blame the Lord of
Life. All I saw were the many laws that had to be followed. When I AM brought the people from slavery it
was not to blindly follow laws.”
“Really?” Ruth was trying to understand me. “All the gods have
rules to follow.”
“That is not the way of the One God. Sarai once tried to explain
to me that the Law is a guide built on love not a whip for punishment.” I
raised my head and took my friend’s hands in my own. “It is in relationship
with one another and with God we can all live in freedom no matter what our
circumstances. Your loyalty and steadfast faith in God are all that kept me
alive even when I have refused to be free. All my life I preferred rage. The
Almighty never stopped providing help and comfort. Even in the depths of my
despair, a way was opened to return to Bethlehem. We have come here to the land
of promise.”
“Your God may yet be gracious,” hesitantly the young woman
offered.
“Yes,” I took a deep shaky breath. My tears dried on my cheeks as
I moved my head in assent. With my newborn faith I asserted. “I AM will provide.”
Ruth tilted her head to study me. In an awestruck voice she
whispered, “You really do believe the God of Israel will help us.”
“I do not know what will happen now that we have returned to
Bethlehem.” Tears began again. They were joy ful.
Confidence enfolded me. I held Ruth’s hands between mine. “Already we are being
provided for. God is with us. I know that the God of Israel will yet bless you,
bless us.”
In writing
this part of the book, I was reminded of the times in my life when God provided for me and my family. Sometimes it was actual money in just the right amount and at the right time. At others it was the direction toward a new job or new opportunity. God has always been there for me. God is there for all of us, all the time. There is a saying: "God is good all the time." and the response to that is "All the time, God is good!"
In
the New Testament letters, the early Christians were called aliens and
foreigners. the First Letter of Peter notes “Dear friends, I urge you as aliens
and exiles to keep on abstaining from the desires of the flesh that wage war
against the soul.” (I Peter 2:11) Paul tells the Gentile
congregation in Ephesus “remember that at that time you were separate from Christ,
alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of
the promise, without hope and without God in the world." (Ephesians 2:12).
However, he continues, “you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens
with God's people and also members of his household,” (Ephesians 2:19)
Have you ever known that God has provided for you?
Since God doesn't make any distinction between loving you and loving a ‘stranger’
or ‘foreigner’, shouldn’t we treat everyone the same?
(Image: Cover, Naomi’s Joy, (c) 2005)
(c) Cynthia Davis
2017
