Scandal and Redemption in Ruth 4: The Necessity of ‘Chesed’ in Transforming Ignominy into Exaltation: An Exegetical Essay by Tamice Namae
The story of Ruth is deliberately placed in between the time of Israel’s judges and Israel’s monarchy as a reminder of Yahweh’s חֶסֶד and is intended by the author to function as a blueprint for their own kindness, redemption, and inclusion upon their acquisition of power and monarchal status. Imitation of the themes presented in Ruth will set them apart from the surrounding nations unto the glory of Yahweh and fulfillment of His covenant promise.
At a time in Israel’s history when the corporate future looked bleak, the author of Ruth zooms in on a story of two women as a timely reminder. Naomi has lost her husband and two sons and finds herself in a desperate situation prompting her to return to Judah.
Ruth, contrasted with Naomi’s other daughter in law Orpah, decides to cling to Naomi demonstrating the thematic ‘חֶסֶד ’ which sets her up as the main character in the story. Ruth’s actions are kind, loyal and in tandem with the God of Naomi and are the cause of her reception of the ‘חֶסֶד ’ of Boaz in chapter four. The lovingkindness of the God of Naomi has had an effect on Ruth and has ultimately influenced her allegiance. Yahweh responds to Ruth’s display of ‘חֶסֶד ’ by visiting her womb and weaving her into the unfolding story of the promised Seed.
חֶסֶד is often used as a characteristic of God. God’s חֶסֶד is an essential part of His character. When He appears to Moses, God describes Himself as abounding in חֶסֶד and keeping חֶסֶד for thousands. His חֶסֶד is associated with His covenant love for Israel. In the Ten Commandments, God describes Himself as showing חֶסֶד to those who love and obey Him. This description is echoed throughout the OT.
‘חֶסֶד ’ is the impetus for transformation and redemption: bitter things are made sweet, barren women are made fruitful, competitors are made collaborators and outcasts are included in the family of God by virtue of response to or demonstration of it. And despite His seeming invisibility in the story of Ruth, Yahweh’s nature is clearly at work. Ruth, a Moabite woman who has a scandalous encounter with Boaz is put on the same pedestal as Rachel and Leah; Naomi a woman past childbearing is said to have the blessing of seven sons; and even Tamar, a demonstrator, and recipient of ‘חֶסֶד ’ is mentioned by name and lauded by the witnesses to Boaz’s declaration. These are deliberate inclusions by the author for the sake of reiteration. Alan T. Levinsen says it best in his article, The Mantle of the Matriarchs:
After all, like Ruth, Tamar began life as a non-Israelite, and a despised one at that; the former a Moabite, the latter a Canaanite. Both had an unfruitful prior marriage before the unions with Judah and Boaz. Both, against all social expectations and against real resistance, join their fates to that of the people of Israel.
Two other distinctives in the fourth chapter lead the reader to conclude that it is the narrative intention of the author to state that Yahweh’s ‘חֶסֶד ’ is sometimes manifested through unorthodox means and individuals to accomplish His will. First, the protagonists in the chapter are women--and not just any women---scandalous women that have been marked by ‘חֶסֶד ’. Secondly, the unnecessary connection of levirate marriage and property redemption.
Normally, when a kinsman redeemed his relative’s property, no levirate marriage was involved, on the other hand, when levirate marriage occurred there was generally no question of redeeming property since the land bequeathed by the husband would be administered by the levir until a child was born and became the legal heir.
The combination speaks to the authors intent to highlight ‘חֶסֶד ’ which would be equally concerned about the preservation of both land and descendants due to the covenant.
In conclusion, Ruth is a snapshot of the redemptive nature of ‘חֶסֶד ’ and a call for Israel to not only be recipients of it but to be a covenant community that demonstrates it to the nations. After all, it is this ‘חֶסֶד ’ which has formed them as a nation and more importantly has made a way for those who were outcasts not only to be acquired and redeemed but also responsible for the birth of their coming King. This theme is relevant for us today, for we who have been forgiven much must, in turn, love much. As Thomas Mann put it: “Redemption comes as much from the redeemed as the redeemer”*.