The character of Ruth is one that many have written about for countless generations. Her Moabitish background should have naturally precluded her from participating in the inheritance of the children of Israel, but by dogged determination, she was able to follow and break through the barriers, that her mother-in-law lovingly, and rationally set up for her in Ruth 1:15, “And she said, Behold, they sister-in-law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister-in-law. And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.” That dogged commitment followed her until she got back to Israel with her mother-in-law.
On arrival, they faced the reality of famine in the land. Naomi was older, and having lost the men in her life, her two sons and her husband, it was up to Ruth to fend for the home. Without hesitation, she joined the women of the land and helped her mother-in-law, gleaning grains that were left behind, sifting them, and bringing them over to Naomi. An industrious woman, she continued diligently until she caught the attention of one of the top men in the land, Boaz (Ruth 2:11-16). Her virtue and chastity earned her a reputation for reverence among the Israelites. It tells us that although not a virgin, since she was initially married, her virtue singled her out, even in a land where, at that time, virginity was one of the crowning achievements of unmarried women. Thus, even if you have lost something dear and valued, even as precious as virginity, in Christ, we can walk with our heads held high, with the virtues of the Lord. Divine virtues can make a difference in our lives as we move on from our past.
In diligently and consistently working, Naomi told Ruth, in the book of Ruth, chapter 3, to meet with Boaz, someone who had taken an interest in Ruth and the state of their family. As she went and lay down by his side, they communed when he woke up, and Boaz said he was going to give her something for her mother-in-law. That’s where it gets very interesting. Ruth 3:15 says, “Also he said, Bring the veil that thou hast upon thee, and hold it. And when she held it, he measured six measures of barley, and laid it on her: and she went into the city.” The six measures of barley that was to be given to her in one night, was about double of what he had gathered for the entire days’ work in Ruth 2:17, “So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out that she had gleaned: and it was about an ephah of barley.” Thus, the result of her labour all day was about to be doubled in one night, and that, without any labour. However, Boaz asked her for one thing, something to carry that barley. Since she came to talk to him in the night, she wasn’t expecting to carry barley home, as she had enough to last her and her mother-in-law for days. What was she going to use? It was a veil she had upon her.
A veil was a covering that women wore around them. It wasn’t their main piece of dress, else asking her for it would have exposed her nakedness. Instead, it was an extra piece of covering that women wore and wrapped around themselves. For something extra, like a piece of clothing accessory, you might expect that some people wouldn’t give it too much thought and be comfortable with a patched or leaking veil that has a little hole or perforation in it. Not Ruth! A small hole, or a loose thread, would have been the weakest link, allowing the weight of the barley to concentrate on that spot, break it, and cause the food to leak out on her way back to Naomi. If it had holes, it would have leaked out before she took another step. Instead, that veil had a secondary purpose in God's hands, and she was able to provide food for her family seamlessly. It was also a precursor that led Boaz to press on in pursuing her, and eventually they became the progenitors of David, and of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Another implication of that is that the quality of her outward appearance brought glory to the Lord. That little veil with you can be the veil that God uses to bring an end to your negative situations and turn them for good, but if it is leaking, even a little, that could drain out all you receive from the Lord. Don’t be lezzer-faire about little external things that can have great implications, even though you don’t see their inherent value at the moment. We further see that one thing can have multiple uses at critical times, such as the dead of night. Where would Ruth have gone to obtain other things? In situations when you might be desperate or in critical times, what you have on you can be the difference between night and day. The Lord asked Moses what he had in his hand. Elisha, the Prophet of God, asked the widow to get vessels, not a few. In receiving from the Holy Spirit, bring your new wineskin vessels, that are not patched with old wineskin, lest they be rent and burst out.
PRAYER POINTS
Pray that the Lord will help us so that we are carriers of His fullness, power, and presence both now and forever in Jesus' name! (Amen).
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