Religion and Theology

The book Romance of Redemption is written by renowned Bible scholar M.R. De Haan.  The book centers on the story of Ruth, one of the prinicipal personalities in the Old Testament.  The story of Ruth tells about filial piety exhibited by Ruth, a Maobite (Gentile) woman to her mother-in-law, Naomi.  Naomi told her widowed daughters-in-law, Oprah and Ruth to return to their families as she decided to return to her homeland.  Oprah complied but Ruth asked to stay by her side. This is captured in in the Book of Ruth  Do not ask me to abandon or forsake you For wherever you go, I will go, wherever you lodge, I will lodge, your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Wherever you die I will die, and there be buried. May the Lord do so and so to me, and more besides, if aught but death separates me from you (The New American Bible, Ruth 1.16-17)   Besides this extraordinary display of filial piety, Ruth also demonstrates her willingness to make big sacrifices of having to leave her homeland to return to the land of her mother-in-law.

Upon arriving in Bethlehem, it was the time of the barley harvest and Ruth went to the fields to glean in the fields owned by a prominent Jew named Boaz who is a kinsman of Naomi.  Upon seeing this foreign woman in his field, Boaz instructed his people to look after Ruth and attend to her needs.  After Ruth told Naomi of her encounter with Boaz, she helped Ruth to become more presentable to Boaz by familiarizing her with their customs.  Boaz was pleased even more that he eventually married her.  From their union they would sire Obed, who would become to father of Jesse, and he the father of David who would eventually become the great king of Israel (Ruth 4.17,22).

But the story of Ruth is not merely a biblical  love story,  there is much more to this than a foreign woman who demonstrated deep commitment and won the heart of a wealthy landowner.  This is also a story of redemption.  Metaphorically, Naomi represents Israel and Ruth would act as a catalyst towards its redemption.  Naomi initially left Caanan improverished to seek greener pastures elsewhere.  When her husband and sons left her, she decided to return to her estate still in debt.  Ruths entry into the picture has set the wheels in motion for redemption which came in the person of Boaz (De Haan, 16-17, 28, 43).  By marrying Ruth, Naomi was  redeemed.   Such was the case of Israel (De Haan, 52).  Her people had been exiled many times only to come back and rebuild themselves until the coming of a Redeemer who would bring about salvation.  From Boaz and Ruths house would spring forth the progeny that would help being about the coming of the Redeemer in Jesus Christ (De Haan, 36).  Besides, Ruth, another personality in the Bible faced a similar situation   Queen Esther whose courage redeemed her people from annihilation and ensure the preservation and continued existence of her people (De Haan, 21).

On a more personal level, as stated in De Haans book, it can also speak about personal redemption.  The challenge here is to be willing to leave behind everything they even hold dear and venture out into a world that is uncertain.  Ruth had disregarded whatever self-interests she may have had to go with Naomi back to her homeland.  She left behind her homeland which had been her  comfort zone  to glean in the barley fields. But her faith, that is her willingness to embrace Naomis God, ensured that she will be blessed when she caught the eye of Boaz (De Haan, 45, 55-56).  By trusting in God, everything fell right into place to set the stage for what is to come in the future which would be full of blessings.