WHERE ARE THE FAITHFUL RUTHS?

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

Shabbat shalom dearly beloved:

There is no other book in the Holy Scriptures that represents the Call of the Ecclesia (Church) to Covenant Relationship with Israel as the Book of Ruth. Studying this book is mandatory in order to be faithful to this Eternal and yet End Time Calling. Many people that have risen up to stand by and to support Israel, joining with her unconditionally, can identify with this precious Moabite. Her actions caused her to be memorialized in the Book of Matthew as one of the only women mentioned in the Royal Genealogy of King David and Messiah Y’shua.

“Salmon was the father of Boaz by Rahab, Boaz was the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse.”  Matthew 1:5

This woman belonging to an accursed people that despised Israel and where severely punished swam like a Salmon against the current of her own people, friends and family in order to join the “enemy” Israel through a bitter and pain stricken woman named Naomi.

"No Ammonite or Moabite shall enter the assembly of the LORD; none of their descendants, even to the tenth generation, shall ever enter the assembly of the LORD, because they did not meet you with food and water on the way when you came out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you.”  Deuteronomy 23:3-4

The enmity between the Moabites and the Jews was so fierce that YHVH punished them and they could not get saved or enter into Covenant Relationship with Him by joining Israel not even after 10 generations! Ruth against all odds humbled herself to overturn this terrible predicament and because of her faithfulness to ONE Jewish widow, she prevailed! She activated what I call “The Key of Abraham” to its maximum capacity, she was born under the curse and by her love for that Jew turned her life all the way into the Blessing Position!

“And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed."  Genesis 12:3

When her period of trials was over she had become the Queen of Bethlehem, having married the most prominent Prince of the City- Boaz! Gone were the memories of the “accursed Moabite”- now she was the most revered woman in that city! For all generations to come Ruth would be the great grandmother of King David and 14 generations later of Messiah Y’shua!

“All the people who were in the court, and the elders, said, "We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built the house of Israel; and may you achieve wealth in Ephrathah and become famous in Bethlehem.”  Ruth 4:11

How did she do it? What did she have to face? Was it easy? Let us look at the stages that she went through in order to inherit such a royal position:

  • She loved the People of Israel and had married a Jew but he died.  Very often when you pursue your Call to love and stand by Israel and all that Israel represents you will suffer loss to start with. For some it will look like the Call will die first before it can bear fruit. “Then Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died; and she was left with her two sons.  They took for themselves Moabite women as wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. And they lived there about ten years. Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and the woman was bereft of her two children and her husband.” Ruth 1:3-5 This will ensure that your Call is genuine and that it will bring forth much fruit!          “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.  "He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal.” John 12:24-25
  • She was faced with a tough choice: To pursue the object of her dreams, her calling and vision to join these People and their God forced her to forsake her own family and country and all that she believed in.  “Then she arose with her daughters-in-law that she might return from the land of Moab, for she had heard in the land of Moab that the LORD had visited His people in giving them food. So she departed from the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah.”  Ruth 1:6-7 Would she let go of her inherited gods and religions in order to follow the God of Israel and His Torah? When you choose to be grafted into Israel through the Jewish Messiah and His Blood Atonement, you are called to be grafted into the Olive Tree, the nation of Israel. Maybe you were raised as a Christian celebrating the pagan feasts of Christmas and Easter, being totally disconnected from the Jewish Roots of the faith, but now you are called to celebrate the Holy Feasts with Israel and to honor Shabbat. Maybe you knew Jesus Christ as a gentile kind of god but now you are called to know Y’shua the Jewish Messiah. Maybe your family and denomination think that the law is done away with, but you are called to honor Yah’s Commandments and allow them to be written in your heart by the Holy Spirit as a token and sign of the New Covenant made with Judah and Israel. (Jeremiah 31:31-34).  “But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you.” Romans 11:17-18
  • The more she chose to follow Naomi, her God and her people, the more she lost close friends and relatives. Even those that seemed to be walking the same road with her for a while would abandon and even betray her. Orpah her sister in law, who because of the same vision had married a Jew (Machalon) and had been widowed, seemed to be a covenant companion that would go all the way. But when Orpah is forced to choose between the familiar Moab with all its traditions, family, relatives and popularity with friends, Orpah chose to leave Ruth and Naomi and to pull back! Ruth lost the only friend that she would have had on this journey. In the same way at first when you walk the road of the “grafted in” of the MAP Revolution, you will have friends and relatives that will agree with your love for Israel! They “love” Israel too! But when you go all the way to renounce Replacement Theology and the Council of Nicea, to honor Shabbat, the Feasts and the dietary laws; they think that you are a “fanatic” and they will leave you! Once they see that you are going to support Israel’s right to be in its own Promised Land even if it’s not popular, they will go back to their comfort zone and you will have no friends left! Except the Jewish Messiah and His People that is! The Orpahs leave at the first sign of hardship and we can never find them again! The name Orpah comes from the word OREF in Hebrew which means the back of the neck. To give the OREF or to be an Orpah means to “betray”. Orpah betrays both Naomi and Ruth with a kiss. This is an “elegant betrayal” because Naomi in her distress asks them to leave and releases them from their obligation to follow her. There is nothing she can give them so why would they follow? Those that are motivated by selfish interests cannot stay with heart- broken and destitute Naomi! Israel is like that Naomi: It is heart- broken and has many problems. If you love Israel in a selfish way you will end up leaving like Orpah!   "Return, my daughters! Go, for I am too old to have a husband. If I said I have hope, if I should even have a husband tonight and also bear sons, would you therefore wait until they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters; for it is harder for me than for you, for the hand of the LORD has gone forth against me." And they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.” Ruth 1:12-14
  • Ruth makes the choice to go all the way-there is no turning back now! She makes an all binding vow that if she breaks it will cause her death and her being worst off than when she was an accursed Moabite! She is now committed to be ONE with Israel, for better or for worst, for richer or poorer. This is a real “marriage vow”.  “Then she said, "Behold, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods; return after your sister-in-law." But Ruth said, "Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. "Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may the LORD do to me, and worse, if anything but death parts you and me." When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her.” Ruth 1:15-18
  • Ruth is faced with a lonely and dangerous road next to a grief stricken woman. As they walk the dangerous, desert road that leads from Moab to Bethlehem, there were no shopping malls, no fun and games. It was a sober walk and probably exhausted Naomi was leaning on Ruth all the way. In spite of the somberness and her own fears of rejection by the People of Israel, Ruth keeps walking UNTIL she arrives to her destination. Remember that the road passes through the Wilderness of Judea, it is hot and dusty and there are plenty of snakes and scorpions. Since you started to bless Israel and to become ONE with her, has your road been hot and dusty? Have you met any snakes and scorpions? If so, be encouraged! You are in the right way! “So they both went until they came to Bethlehem. And when they had come to Bethlehem, all the city was stirred because of them, and the women said, "Is this Naomi?" She said to them, "Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.”I went out full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the LORD has witnessed against me and the Almighty has afflicted me?" Ruth 1:19-21
  • Ruth had everything in Moab, now in Israel she is forced to become a beggar! So it is with many people that begin to bless Israel, sometimes their finances are severely stricken! It really tests your faith and commitment when instead of inheriting the Blessing as promised in Genesis 12:3 you actually lose everything! If you are in ministry, maybe many of your members or partners will leave you and with them also your finances will leave!  Do not be fooled, this is just one more trial and test of faith and faithfulness! Ruth humbled herself to become a “gleaning widow”! “Now Naomi had a kinsman of her husband, a man of great wealth, of the family of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz. And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, "Please let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after one in whose sight I may find favor." And she said to her, "Go, my daughter." Ruth 2:1-2
  •  She has to face rejection ALONE! Let us remember that there is no welcoming party in Israel for Ruth! She is the “enemy”, an accursed Moabite! In the same way that many Jews see the Christians as their number 1 enemy! After all most every anti-Semitic event was in the name of Jesus Christ, all the way from the signing of the Council of Nicea in the 4th Century to the Shoa (Holocaust) in Nazi Europe! You can imagine Ruth having to sort out through all these fears and making up her mind to love Naomi and her people even if they would reject her! She could not allow their rejection and bitterness to get to her. Everyone in Boaz’s field knew that she was a Moabite, she was at their mercy. They could even have decided to mock her or kill her! Love truly conquers all! “Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, "Whose young woman is this?" The servant in charge of the reapers replied, "She is the young Moabite woman who returned with Naomi from the land of Moab.” Ruth 2:5-6
  • The Blessing begins to manifest when Ruth’s actions are made known in public! Ruth’s faithfulness to Naomi becomes famous! How did people know that she had sacrificed ALL to follow her mother in law risking poverty, rejection and even death? Who told Boaz about it? “So that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. "When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. "But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.” Matthew 6:4-6.  This is a Kingdom Principle! We don’t have to advertise our good deeds on TV, Yah Himself makes you famous when you are faithful! Ruth was faithful to Naomi; she passed every test and did not complain; now the time had come to reward her in public! Boaz notices Ruth and favors her! “Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground and said to him, "Why have I found favor in your sight that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?" Boaz replied to her, "All that you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband has been fully reported to me, and how you left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and came to a people that you did not previously know. "May the LORD reward your work, and your wages be full from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge." Ruth 2:10-12
  • Once the Key of Abraham is placed on the lock in the Open Position through faithful, perseverant acts of blessing towards the Jews and Israel; the Door of Blessing opens all the way! Yet it still demans obedience and humility from Ruth. Ruth follows the instructions (the Torah!) of her mother in law and lies at the feet of Boaz in the threshing floor. That was a very daring instruction to follow! If she was found she could be accused of being a prostitute! Being a Moabite the whole town would have scorned and abused her! Yet she TRUSTED her mother in law and entrusted herself to the Almighty! When Boaz discovers her, he is greatly honored! She is a young beautiful woman and he a middle age man! More than that he has already recognized her value and is willing to do anything to bless her and to help her to be fully “grafted in”. Boaz represents Y’shua the Jewish Messiah that is willing to reward His Bride because of her faithfulness to His family, the Jewish People! “Now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you whatever you ask, for all my people in the city know that you are a woman of excellence.”  Ruth 3:11 Y’shua said in the Book of Matthew that those who help the “least of His brethren” (the Jews!) will be blessed of the Father.  "Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 'For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.'  ……. "The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'”  Matthew 25:34-36,40
  • Ruth has done ALL! Now it is Elohim’s turn to move! Once Ruth had proven herself faithful all the way, her time came to simply rest and wait for the outcome! Once you have been faithful with your assignment concerning Israel, you know that you have done your best to love Israel with selfless actions, the God of Israel, the Messiah and His Torah, you can only WAIT. "Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." Psalms 46:10 Your reward is about to come to you speedily and no one can stop it!  “Then she said, "Wait, my daughter, until you know how the matter turns out; for the man will not rest until he has settled it today."  Ruth 3:18 It is very important that you arm yourself with Faith as you are waiting, trusting in His promises and in His Loving Kindness! He is the rewarder of the faithful and the diligent. You have passed all the tests, all the trials and have remained faithful! “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”  Hebrews 11:6

 

  • During the time of waiting a legal transaction is taken place! Maybe there are claims over your life, obstacles that seem insurmountable, even legal problems that prevent you from the Blessing. But while Ruth was resting Boaz was taken care of all the legalities, she did not need to do a thing besides trust and believe, obeying her mother in law (Torah!)! “Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, "You are witnesses today that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon.  "Moreover, I have acquired Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, to be my wife in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance, so that the name of the deceased will not be cut off from his brothers or from the court of his birth place; you are witnesses today."  Ruth 4:9-10 Y’shua is fighting for you now, He is removing every opponent that has claims over your life! He will have you solely for Himself and will bless you beyond your imagination! “For you showed sympathy to the prisoners and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and a lasting one. Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.”  Hebrews 10:34-35
  • Ruth enjoys the Blessing to the uttermost! Time for the fullness of the Blessing to manifest has come!  ”So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife, and he went in to her. And the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son."  Ruth 4:13 Notice that Ruth remained faithful to her mother in law after the Blessing was released in her life! In fact Naomi benefited from Ruth’s rewards, no less than Ruth herself!  “Then the women said to Naomi, "Blessed is the LORD who has not left you without a redeemer today, and may his name become famous in Israel.  "May he also be to you a restorer of life and a sustainer of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him." Ruth 4:14-15 Most people when they get blessed forsake their life assignments, but not Ruth! She stayed faithful to Naomi fulfilling her vow to her even after she is rewarded with fulfillment! She never forgets her vow, she is “married” to Noami and to her wellbeing! In the same way those who will remain faithful to their “Naomis”, whether to people (spiritual mothers and fathers), to their life assignments, ministries and especially to Israel will become famous with God and man, will display ROYALTY all the way and will make history with Faithful Ruth! Many people fail this last test and they actually quit their “Naomis” because they are blessed and thus break their original irrevocable vow! It is time to share the Blessing with your Naomi for life! If “Naomi” is a person or a Jewish Ministry or Israel herself, stay as faithful as Ruth when blessed for your Blessing to REMAIN! “Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her lap, and became his nurse.” Ruth 4:16

Many thanks to all the faithful “Ruths” like people (men and women!) who support, bless and pray for us; for this ministry and for Israel diligently. May you have FULL WAGES that we can enjoy together for eternity!
"May the LORD reward your work, and your wages be full from the YHVH, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge."  Ruth 2:12

Your “Naomi” like friends in Israel
Rabbi Baruch and Bishop Dominiquae Bierman