The Calling of the Church in THE BOOK OF RUTH

By Aly Zadurowicz

The book of Ruth serves as an allegory of the call of both Israel and the church in the plan of God.

This came from a teaching I had read in Jeff Lowenthal's Book "The Last Chance For The Church To Love The Jewish People". Jeff had heard this message from Messianic Rabbi Jonathan Cahn (of Garfield, NJ).

Iwas so impressed with this allegory and its message that when Tomek & I went to minister in Poland I incorporated it into what I shared. I added a few of my own insoights/comments too.

People were truly touched. I trust it will make a strong impression upon your heart and spirit as well.

In this story Naomi represents Israel and Ruth represents the part of the church that has the heart of God.

The story begins when a Jewish man, Elimelech (“my God is king”) and his wife Naomi (“my pleasantness”) leave their home in Bethlehem (“house of bread”) with their 2 sons Mahlon (“sick”) and
Chilion (“pining away”) because of a famine in the land. THEY GO TO A PAGAN COUNTRY.

So we have a Jewish family, leaving the place of God’s presence and word. The word IS our bread and Yeshua, The bread of life! Yeshua was born in Bethlehem - The house of bread!

The names of their sons (sick and pining away) are illustrative of what separation from the presence and blessings of God is like for our souls.

Elimelech dies; his sons marry :Mahlon marries Ruth (“friendship”) and Chilion marries Orpah (“stiff neck”). Then 10 years later the sons die. After hearing that the Lord had blessed Bethlehem with bread, Naomi decides to return to her land from Moab. LIKE ISRAEL - God brought out His provision and the land was restored to Jewish people - Jewish people in the diaspora began to return to Israel.

At first both of Naomi’s daughter-in-laws go with her. Naomi then tells them to go back to their own country; she says she is old and what could she possibly provide for them? She has no vision for herself or for them if they remain with her. She only knows she must now return to her people and her heritage.

Orpah (“stiffneck”) goes back to her people and to her gods, leaving Naomi.
She has no vision for going on with Naomi and returns to Moab. Israel, as we know, exists today. As for Moab we read: Zephaniah 2:9 “Therefore [as] I live, saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Surely Moab shall be as Sodom, and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah, [even] the breeding of nettles, and saltpits, and a perpetual desolation: the residue of my people shall spoil them, and the remnant of my people shall possess them.”

From History we saw that as the Jews became persecuted, the church left it’s Jewish roots & took on new customs (often Pagan customs “messianized”), separating itself from the Jewish people.This is what we see in Orpah.

Ruth, on the other hand, is not swayed; she cleaves to Naomi saying:
Ruth 1:16-17 “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 tome, and more also, If [anything but] death parts you and me." Ruth believed in the Lord. She chose to follow after Him.

Ruth selflessly commits her life to Naomi. She makes a decision and sticks with it, not turning back.
In the natural perhaps this seems crazy! Orpah did the natural thing; RUTH DID THE SUPER-NATURAL. She put her
trust in Naomi’s God and chose to be part of Naomi’s people, rather than returning to her mother’s house and false gods.

When the Jewish people were persecuted, there were those who were Orpah’s and there were those who were Ruth’s. Satan is so against the Jewish people because of God’s plans through her & for her.
Will the church stand by ISRAEL? -in the day of trouble? Will she stick with Israel and believe for the blessings of God as a result?

As Ruth & Naomi return to Bethlehem, Naomi wants to be called Mara “bitterness” because the Lord had dealt with her severely in her exile. God uses Ruth to restore Naomi to herself (pleasantness).

They return at the barley harvest. Barley, it is said, is a “poor man’s grain”; there is a sense of humility to this. So Ruth & Naomi return together in humility. It is humility that will bring Israel and the church together before Him.

As Naomi is probably too old at this time, Ruth goes into the fields to glean food for them, following behind the reapers.

She goes into the field of Boaz (“in Him is strength”) a symbol of the Messiah. Boaz returns to his field and learns of Ruth and her love & care for Naomi. He tells Ruth that she may glean exclusively from the better parts of his fields and that she may eat and drink with his harvesters. Why has Ruth found such favor with Boaz? 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.’"

Because Ruth (church) joined herself to Naomi (Israel) & her people, Ruth (church) received abundant blessing from Boaz (Messiah)!

Ruth (church) then shows Naomi (Israel) all the grain she has gleaned and the favor with which Boaz (Messiah) has blessed her. Naomi instructs Ruth to remain with Boaz’s field until the end of harvest.

Naomi informs Ruth (church) that Boaz is actually a relative of Naomi’s/Israel (Messiah is from the Jewish nation!) and is a kinsman-redeemer (Messiah is our redeemer). This meant that He had the
right to marry Ruth (church) and thus perpetuate the family line of Elimelech (my God is king). Because of Naomi (Israel), Ruth (church) is directed into Blessings from Boaz (Messiah).

It is interesting that Naomi doesn’t go directly to Boaz and, for example, say she’s back in town and that as kinsman-redeemer he should help them out etc.

Naomi’s (Israel's) only contact with Boaz (Messiah) at this point is through Ruth (church)! Yet, it is because of Naomi’s family tie to Boaz that Ruth has connection with him in the first place!

Naomi counsels Ruth how to approach Boaz to seek him as Kinsman-redeemer (husband) and Ruth follows her instructions (Ruth 3). Boaz agrees to marry Ruth, however, he must first make sure that theone kinsman before him will relinquish his right to redeem and thus allow Boaz to redeem.

Boaz meets this other relative who does not exercise his right of redeemer for fear of ruining his own inheritance by marrying Ruth. (If the relative had a son by Ruth & that son wound up being the only heir,the relative’s own land would then be transferred over to the family of Elimelech. Boaz took the same risk and was willing to do so).

Here is a picture of the loving kindness and generosity of Boaz (Messiah)
towards the church JEW and GENTILE can come under the salvation of the Jewish Messiah.

Like this relative, other Jews, not realizing that G-d says He will also be a light to the nations/gentiles and looking only at the persecution of the Jews from the church, may, out of fear, chose not to join with
the church and thus miss out on the blessings of this unity before the Messiah.

Is the church sensitive tothis issue? We need to see a church that presents/supports the gospel in its original, Jewish context to the
Jewish people. Clinging to “our own way” of doing things will cause us to miss out on what G-d wants to do through us. Again - it is humility and love that will bring about this unity.

So Ruth and Boaz are married and the result of this union is a child, Obed (“servant/service”) Service and

worship is the blessing from Boaz (messiah) to Ruth (church).

Obed (service/worship) is the continuation of Naomi’s (Israel) name and heritage, which would have been extinct because there was no heir. Obed is to become the grandfather of King David, from whose line
comes Yeshua!

Because of Ruth’s (church) marriage to Boaz, a Jewish man relative (Messiah-Redeemer), Naomi (Israel) is restored. She is back in the family line with Boaz (Messiah), through Ruth’s (church) bearing Obed (service-which can also mean the good news/gospel). Together the church and Israel are joined to Messiah, as Ruth and Naomi are joined to Boaz.

In the pregnancy, Ruth (church) alone is carrying the gospel (Obed). When this comes to full term Obed is laid upon Naomi’s bosom and she nurses Obed (gospel, service) through whom her line is saved/restored. (Israel is restored to her relationship with God and her call from God through the gospel).

Naomi adds nourishment to the life of Obed (gospel) and she has a great love for him. We recall howNaomi (Israel) instructed Ruth (church) in the ways of her people thus leading to Ruth’s (church)introduction & then marriage to Boaz. So too now Obed, after being carried by Ruth, isbeing nurtured up by Naomi (Israel).

Here is the picture of both the church and Israel coming into their calling of service - of bringing the good news.

Out of the love,grace, and humility of Ruth (church) toward Naomi (Israel), Ruth steps back & allows Naomi to nurse Obed. Israel then takes up her calling to show forth the Lord. We all need to wallk in this grace, humility and love...

The Gospel is restored to being Jewish again and the church is excited because this is God’s plan!

Proverbs 27:18 says: “he who tends a fig tree (representative of Israel) will eat its fruit.”

“Tend” in Hebrew is ”nahtzar”, which means to guard, watch over, tend with fidelity.

What is the fruit of Israel? The messiah Himself! The heritage of our God! The Blessings of God (I will bless those
who bless you!) The land of the return of the Messiah and the New Jerusalem Life from death! (Ro11) Riches!

Romans 11:12 “Now if the fall of them [be] the riches of the world, and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles; how much more (riches) their fulness?”

Will the church care for Israel and reap the fruit?