Ruth and the virtuous woman

A comparison between Ruth and the "Virtuous Woman"

Her family commitment is noted by others:

Ruth 2:11-12: "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 the land of your birth, and have 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".

Proverbs 31:11-12: "The heart of her husband safety trusts her; so he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life".

She provided sustenance for her household:

Ruth 2:14,18: "Now Boaz said to her at mealtime, 'Come here, and eat of the bread, and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar.' So she sat beside the reapers and he passed parched grain to her; and she ate and was satisfied, and kept come back"... "Then she took it up and went into the city, and her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. So she brought out and gave to her what she had kept back after she had been satisfied".

Proverbs 31:15: "She also rises while it is yet night, and provides food for her household, and a portion for her maidservants".

She gave attention to her appearance:

Ruth 3:3,5: "Therefore wash yourself and anoint yourself, put on your best garment and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking". "And she said to her, 'All that you say to me I will do".

Proverbs 31:22: "She makes tapestry for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple".

Her selfless lifestyle drew praise from others:

Ruth 2:11; 3:10; 4:15: (see 2:11 above) 3:10: "Then he said, 'Blessed are you of the Lord, my daughter! For you have shown more kindness at the end than at the beginning, in that you did not go after young men, whether poor or rich". 4:15: "And may he be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has borne him".

Proverbs 31:28: "Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her"

She committed herself to Yahweh as God

Ruth 1:16: "But Ruth said: 'Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following after you; for wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God".

Proverbs 31:30: "Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised".

Commitment

Ruth 1:16-17:

But Ruth said:

"Entreat me not to leave you,

Or to turn back from following after you;

For wherever you go, I will go;

And wherever you lodge, I will lodge;

Your people shall be my people,

And your God, my God.

Where you die, I will die,

And there will I be buried.

The Lord do so to me, and more also,

If anything but death parts you and me."

Commitment is the foundation for every relationship. Ruth willingly accepted an unsettled future and bound herself by solemn oath not only to Naomi but also to the God of Israel. Ruth officially joined the people whose God was Yahweh. He had become her God as well as Naomi's and was the present witness to and future judge of all subsequent activities. A commitment described by permanent bonding of hearts and pervasive linking of lives extends beyond a passing companionship.

Ruth 1:14: "Then they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her".

Ruth 2:8: "Then Boaz said to Ruth, "You will listen, my daughter, will you not? Do not go to glean in another field, nor go from here, but stay close by my young women".

Ruth "clung" to Naomi (the same word is translated "stayed close"). This covenant language is also used to describe the intimate relationship between husband and wife (Gen 2:24) and to picture the faithfulness of God to His covenant people (Deut 10:20). The word describes friendship more binding than brotherhood.

Gen 2:24: "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh".

Note: The marriage covenant has 3 parts:

1. to leave father and mother, a reference to the wedding ceremony or time of public commitment,

2. to "be joined", suggesting tender affection and faithful commitment in a permanent relationship of growing love, and

3. to "become one flesh" in physical union, which notes the deepest and most exclusive intimacy.

Deut 10:20: "You shall fear the Lord your God; you shall serve Him, and to Him you shall hold fast, and take oaths in His name".

A foundation of purposeful love and the outworking of devoted deeds set Ruth's commitment apart from verbal cliches and the whim of momentray emotions. Ruth left her pagan homeland on her own initiative, despite the protest of her mother-in-law, in order to come under the "wings" of God.

Ruth 2:12: "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".

Ruth offered herself first to Naomi and ultimately to God.

"Following Jesus" is the definition of "commitment". Commitment demands a choice. The choice to commit is the same for all believers- either we den ourselves or deny Him; either we go His way, or we pursue our way.

The disciples were to take up their crosses daily (Mark 8:34). Carrying the cross was a public declaration of Rome's authority. Jesus challenged them to put themselves voluntarily under God's authority, doing His will His way. Commitment demands action; it cannot be divorced from responsibility. Talk about Christ would be meaningless without the walk with Him. Ruth's words of commitment to Naomi did not speak as loudly as her actions to leave her family and homeland to return with Naomi to Bethlehem.

Commitment limits choices because it is exclusive. Commitment builds up faith and develops character. It is a spiritual discipline (Prov 16:3). It is a lifetime venture, requiring time, work and determination (Matt 16:24).

Prov 16:3: "Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established". (Commit= lit. "roll" or "roll away". Carries the idea that each woman should roll her efforts or roll away her burdens on the Lord)

Matt 16:24: "Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me".

The Woman's Study Bible NKJV, 2nd edition. Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Trusting patiently

Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave (1 Kings 8:56)

Someday we will understand that God has a reason behind every no He gives through the course of our lives. Yet even in this life, He always makes it up to us. When God's people are worried and concerned that their prayers are not being answered, how often we have seen Him working to answer them in a far greater way! Occasionally we catch a glimpse of this, but the complete revelation of it will not be seen until later.

If God says yes to our prayer, dear heart,

and the sunlight is golden, the sky is blue,

while the smooth road beckons to me and you,

and songbirds are singing as on we go,

pausing to pick the flowers at our feet,

stopping to drink of the streams that we meet,

Happy, more happy our journey will grow,

if God says yes to our prayer, dear heart.

If God says no to our prayer, dear heart,

And the clouds hang heavy and dull and gray;

if the rough rocks hinder and block the way,

while th sharp winds pierce us and sting with cold;

yet, dear, there is home at the journey's end,

and these are the trials the Father does send

to draw us as sheep to His Heavenly fold,

if God says no to our prayer, dear heart.

If only we had the faith not to rush into things but to "be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him" (Ps. 37:7)- waiting for HI full explanation that will not be revealed until Jesus Christ comes again! When has God ever taken anything from a person without restoring it many times over? Yet what are we to think if HE does not immediately restore what hs been taken? Is today His only day to work? Does He have any concerns beyond this little world of ours? Can He still work beyond our death, or does the door of the grave open on nothing but infinite darkness and eternal silence?

Even if we confine our thinking to this life, it is true that God never touches the heart with a trial without intending to bestow a greater gift or compassionate blessing. The person who knows how to wait has grown to an exceptional degree in God's grace.

When the frosts are in the valley,

and the mountaintops are gray,

and the choicest blooms are blighted,

and the blossoms die away,

A loving Gather whispers,

"This all comes from my hand";

Blessed are you if you trust

when you cannot understand.

If, after years of toiling,

your wealth should fly away

and leave your hands all empty,

and your hair is turning gray,

Remember then your Father

owns all the sea and land;

Blessed are you if you trust

when you cannot understand.

Beautiful devotion

Sometimes God causes severe winds of trial to blow upon His children to develop their gifts. Just as a torch burns more brightly when waved back and forth, and just as a juniper plant smells sweetest when thrown into the flames, so the richest qualities of a Christian often arise under the strong winds of suffering and adversity. Bruised hearts often emit the fragrance that God loves to smell.

I had a tiny box, a precious box

of human love- my perfume of great price;

I kept it close within my heart of hearts

and scarce would lift the lid lest it should waste

its fragrance in the air. One day a strange

deep sorrow came with crushing weight, and fell

upon my costly treasure, sweet and rare,

and broke the box to pieces. All my heart

rose in dismay and sorrow at this waste,

but as I mourned, behold a miracle

of grace Divine. My human love was changed

to Heaven's own, and poured in healing streams

on other broken hearts, while soft and clear

a voice above me whispered, "Child of Mine,

with comfort wherewith you are comforted,

from this time forth, go comfort others,

and you will know blest fellowship with Me,

whose broken heart of love has healed the world".

Streams in the Desert devotion

Poem from Streams in the Desert

When winds are raging o'er the upper ocean,

And waves are tossed wild with an angry roar,

It's said, far down beneath the wild commotion,

That peaceful stillness reigns forevermore.

Far, far beneath, noise of tempests falls silent,

And silver waves lie ever peacefully,

And no storm, however fierce or violent,

Disturbs the Sabbath of that deeper sea.

So to the heart that knows Your love, O Father,

There is a temple sacred evermore,

And all life's angry voices causing bother

Die in hushed silence at its peaceful door.

Far, far away, the roars of strife fall silent,

And loving thoughts rise ever peacefully,

And no storm, however fierce or violent,

Disturbs the soul that dwells, O Lord, in Thee

Harriet Beecher Stowe

Wives: Encourage Manliness Through Your Femininity

by Mary Farrar from her book: Choices: For Women Who Long to Discover Life’s Best

Marriage Vine Ministries article June 2010

What a man needs is an emotionally grounded, God-dependent, soft woman who understands her husband, loves him deeply, knows how to draw healthy boundaries, and—most important—encourages every step he takes toward true manliness. This means that we women have to grow just as much as our men do. We cannot fully study healthy femininity and how to achieve it in this article. But for now, let us simply say that the more healthy we are in our femininity, the more we can encourage our men in healthy manliness.

True femininity stirs the embers of manliness. It awakens a man’s calling, and breathes life into his manly quest.

Our men and boys need such women.

In this feminized world, where else will your men be encouraged towards healthy manliness? Your encouragement will be like rain in the desert.

The Hebrew word for “encourage” means “to strengthen.” And the Greek word carries the idea of “putting courage into.” That’s what every man and boy needs from us.

There is nothing more encouraging to a son or a husband than a woman who believes in him. One man put it this way: “It’s all about whether my wife thinks I can do it. A husband can slay dragons, climb mountains, and win great victories if he believes his wife believes that he can.”

Oftentimes men don’t step up because they feel it will involve a battle. Or they may simply find it is much easier to be enabled by a wife who will do their job for them.

May I tell you what many men from around the country have expressed to my husband? An astonishing number who grasp their call to godly manliness and decide to make a serious change in their lives, face a surprising resistance at home. Not long ago Steve received an e-mail from one bitter wife:

My husband has left me in charge of the house for so long that I will not give it up … I REFUSE TO GIVE THAT UP. THIS IS MY HOUSE AND CHILDREN. I’m the one who has been reading the Bible to the kids. I defaced the book my husband bought from you, and hid it in a place he won’t find it. If he really wants to be a leader of the house, then he has to KILL ME FIRST, OR YOU CAN.

Okay. Is it any wonder that this man didn’t feel overly inclined to attempt his manly role sooner? As over-the-edge as this e-mail was, it represents a certain kind of control that kills a man’s spirit. A man needs to know that if he is attempting to step into godly manhood, he is not going to have to face a continual counter-attack. Or be killed. If your husband expresses a desire to become the man he has not been in his home, love him for it and give him all the space he needs to grow into that role.

Most of us, however, are guilty of enablement. We have allowed our men to depend on us to discipline the children, oversee their education, make family decisions, and basically determine our social, financial, even spiritual lives. The single best thing an enabling women can do is to step back. Way back. And we must do it graciously, without great drama.

If you never step back, he will never step forward.

This doesn’t mean that you drop everything or cease being his helpmate. Think of it rather as gently laying the mantle of leadership at his feet. Where once you would have led the charge, you are now turning to him. Let your husband hear, see, and feel by your actions that you are serious about stepping back. Dead serious.

“What if I do this and he does nothing?” you may ask. Give it time. Hold off. Let the void be felt. Let the chips fall where they may. Pray for him. Let God have an opportunity to work in the void. Your children will not die and your marriage will survive. Men need time and space and all kinds of encouragement.

Is this easy? No. It may be the hardest thing you have ever done.

But it is the first—and possibly most important—of many steps you must take in being a catalyst in helping your man to grow into his manly role.

Does this raise hard questions? You bet. It raises a boatload of questions. And we will try to tackle at least some of them later in this book. But for now, think on this:

There is a distinct difference between demanding manliness (which attempts to manipulate and change a man) and encouraging it (which expresses need and verbally appreciates manly behavior when it shows up). It is entirely possible to express a desire for manliness in a way that emboldens a man rather than making him feel like he is a complete failure.