Ruth and the third man of Hindustan

The third wise man of Hindustan says, "No, brothers. 'Tis evident to me that the book of Ruth is not primarily about God's outreach to Gentiles nor about God's zeal for Land and Inheritance. The theme is surely this---that nothing is impossible with God."

The proof of it (quoth the wise man) is found in the author's arrangement of his textual material in Chapter 1 into a Gordian knot for God to untie: dead husband, two dead sons, two useless Moabite daughters-in-law, one aging widow.

For those still too doltish to feel the weight of the impossibility, the author reinforces the point through the words of Naomi: "I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, even if I should have a husband this night and should bear sons, would you therefore wait till they were grown?" (1:11-12).

These are fighin' words for God, especially as Naomi has said them publicly before her daughters-in-law---and the principalities and powers. Shall we not expect God to do something for His great Name? Are we so jaded that we cannot hear the shepherd David's response to Naomi, as if present? "Who is this that defies the armies of the living God?" (1 Samuel 17.) Are we so poor of memory that we forget God's answer to Sarah when she said nearly the identical thing as Naomi, that she was too old to have a baby: "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" (Genesis 18:14.)

By the end of four chapters, God has unraveled the strands and made Impossibility bow to Him and crown Him Lord. Naomi, who thought it hopeless that she could ever have a son, is cradling her new son and heir.

It is interesting to me that though Naomi is very verbal throughout most of the book of Ruth, she is given nothing to say in Chapter 4. I take it as a gentle rebuke, even as the priest Zechariah was hushed up for nine months in chastisement of his unbelief at the good tidings of the angel (Luke 1:20). Whenever God does something impossible for me after I have been wallowing in unbelief, I also feel like being quiet.

To read Andrée Seu's series on the book of Ruth, click here.

To hear commentaries by Andrée Seu, click here.