INTRODUCTION
Trouble often comes without announcement, just when we expect it least. Yacoub Karavacca encountered it while he was waiting for a papier-mache cast to dry. Suddenly he was faced with charging Bedouin warriors with raised spears.
Yacoub had little time to react. Deciding to leave the cast, he turned toward his restless horse. As he prepared to fling himself over the back of his mount, one of his companions shrieked in agony as the spear found its mark, embedding itself in his thigh.
Terrified, Yacoub noticed his other companion Jamil, lunge for the almost dry paper cast. In a blur of commotion, Yacoub raced behind his fleeing companions away from the pursuing Bedouins.
They rode hard and long over the next several days, stopping briefly to tend to their companion’s injured leg. Eventually they arrived in Jerusalem, bedraggled but grateful to be alive. Yacoub and Jamil made their way to the French consulate to complete their mission.
Apologising for the state of the paper-mache mould, Jamil presented the seven mangled pieces to Charles Clermont-Ganneau. Now Ganneau was their employer, a young translator and amateur archaeologist working for the French consulate in Jerusalem.
Ganneau had heard of the stele, which was a stone slab erected in the ancient world as a monument. This stele had been discovered by a German medical missionary turned amateur archaeologist named Frederick Augustus Klein, who was scouring the area in search of ancient artifacts.
In 1868, while wandering around the north-east of the Dead Sea, Klein had stumbled on the smooth, round edged, polished black basalt rock stele during an archaeological foray into the ruins near Dhiban in modern day Jordan.
The black basalt stele was 112 cms tall, 71cm wide and 36cm deep and bore an inscription of 34 lines that Klein couldn’t decipher. But Klein was positive that the stele was an important find.
He even attempted to buy the stone slab from the local Bedouins, but they vehemently refused. So, Klein made some brief sketches of parts of the inscription, before returning to Jerusalem, a distance of over 110 kms [away], where he reported his find to the scholars.
Upon hearing this, Ganneau was determined to get the stone for France, but he didn’t want the inconvenience of travelling into the desert to get it. So, he paid Yacoub Karavacca and his two companions to find the stone stele and make a paper-mache mould of it – known as a ‘squeeze’ – of the stone.
Ganneau examined the seven pieces of the squeeze, or mould, and attempted to decipher the message. The inscription was written in an ancient dialect of Hebrew using the Phoenician script. The importance of this artifact was quickly recognised and caused a lot of excitement. It sparked a heated race between France, Germany, and England to acquire the stone from the Bedouins.
Unfortunately, before anyone could recover the original stele, a disaster occurred. The local Bedouins couldn’t understand all the interest in the stone and became suspicious. There must be treasure hidden inside it, they thought. So, they heated the stone in a fire, then poured cold water over it, and it shattered as they intended. But to their great disappointment there was no hidden treasure.
So, join us this week as we take a closer look at the Moabite Stone, along with one of history’s most famous Moabite women, Ruth. Her story is both heartbreaking and inspiring. It’s a story of sacrifice, devotion, and hope.
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ROAD TO DHIBAN
The King’s Highway winds through the western hills and plains of Jordan and leads to Dhiban. It was here that King Mesha’s fabled capital of the Moabite kingdom once stood. The ruins of the town’s ancient city wall, the royal palace, temples and houses, reach back 3,000 years into the past.
Although the stele was now shattered, some French scholars came to Dhiban and bought all the original pieces of the stone stele that they could from the villagers. They managed to recover about 600 of the roughly 1000 words on the stele, and so restored the shattered monument.
The reconstructed 3000-year-old stele was transported to the Louvre Museum in Paris where scholars set about translating it.
The priceless Mesha Stele or Moabite Stone was inscribed about 850 BC and it records the name of Mesha, King of Moab. Now, up until this time, the only mention of King Mesha was found in the Bible book of Kings, and many thought he was just a fictitious character.
The Bible Book of Kings records that King Mesha, had to pay tax to the King of Israel.
“Now Mesha, King of Moab raised sheep, and he had to supply the King of Israel with a hundred thousand lambs and with the wool of a hundred thousand rams. But after King Ahab died, the King of Moab rebelled against the King of Israel.” (2 Kings 3:4,5)
KING’S REBELLION
Now, King Mesha was successful in his rebellion. He was able to throw off Israel’s rule and put an end to paying tax to the King of Israel. He was so proud of his deeds that he had the story engraved on the Moabite Stone. He then erected this monument at Dhiban, his home town, where it lay for thousands of years until discovered by the German doctor, Klein.
The Moabite Stone was an important discovery because it was the earliest example of Hebrew script to be found, and the first major monument with inscriptions found in Palestine, and proved the historical accuracy and reliability of the Bible.
The message is also the earliest and most extensive inscription ever to be recovered that mentions Yahweh, the God of the Bible. It belongs to a grouping of four contemporary inscriptions that contain the name of Israel, joining the Merneptah Stele, the Tel Dan Stele and one of the Kurukh Monoliths.
The Moabite Stone has been part of the collection of the Louvre Museum in Paris since 1873, though the Kingdom of Jordan has been requesting it to be returned to its place of origin for nearly a decade.
ELIMELECH MOVES TO MOAB
The Moabites are first mentioned in the Bible in the unfortunate story of Lot and his daughters in the book of Genesis. Beginning there the Kingdom of Moab turns into one of Israel’s staunchest enemies.
Despite their connection to Abraham, the Moabites moved away from worshipping Yahweh, embracing the pagan gods of the Canaanites along with all their rituals of child sacrifice and other inhumane practices.
During this time Israel was in an unbroken cycle of apostasy, oppression, repentance, and deliverance. It was as unending as it was toxic. Israel continuously wandered after foreign gods. The inevitable result of their apostasy was invasion followed by oppression at the hands of a foreign power.
Amidst this cycle of national strife, a family of four from Bethlehem, near Jerusalem, decided to migrate to Moab. Elimelech and his wife Naomi had two sons, Mahlon and Chilion and the family was in dire straits.
The Bible says,
“Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem Judah, went to dwell in the country of Moab, he, and his wife and his two sons.” (Ruth 1:1-2)
It’s a familiar story of immigrants leaving their homeland in search of better opportunities for themselves and their children. The only variation in this story is the tenuous relationship that existed between Israel and Moab, but even this couldn’t deter Elimelech from venturing forward.
FAMILY TRAGEDY
At first, everything seemed to go well. The family found a small farm, settled into their new surroundings, and seemed to flourish. Then disaster struck. Elimelech died.
The Bible says of the two sons, Mahlon and Chilion,
“Now they took wives of the women of Moab: the name of one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. And they dwelt there about ten years.” (Ruth 1:4)
But then disaster struck again. Both the young men died, leaving behind three grieving widows with no means to fend for themselves in their patriarchal society.
Widows were left with only two options; remarry or live off the generosity of their relatives. Since Naomi was too old to consider the first option, she decided to go back home to Israel to investigate the second one.
At first her daughters-in-law followed her. Perhaps clinging to Naomi gave them a fragile connection to the men they had lost. Mired in grief, Naomi allowed them to accompany her until she came to her senses.
While they were still in Moab, she said to them,
“Go, return each to her mother’s house. The Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. The Lord grant that you may find rest, each in the house of her husband.”(Ruth 1:8-9)
Naomi was able to lay aside her own grief momentarily to consider the plight of her daughters-in-law. She understood what the future would look like for Orpah and Ruth if they lived in Israel.
As Moabites and foreigners none of the men in Israel would consider marrying them. They would be attached to a widowed mother-in-law, stuck in an endless cycle of poverty.
TOUGH CHOICES
Their best option was to go back to their parents’ homes where they could begin the search for new husbands without delay. As young women they still had the opportunity to become both wives and mothers.
Naomi had nothing to offer either of her widowed daughters-in-law. She couldn’t give them husbands, nor could she give them hope for a future. Everything she had was gone. Seeing the logic behind her suggestion, Orpah relented.
However, while Orpah returned home, Ruth refused to leave Naomi. She understood that Naomi had nothing to offer her, she also understood that life in Israel for a foreign woman would be far from easy, yet she couldn’t abandon Naomi to a life of uncertainty and loneliness.
Clinging to Naomi, Ruth pleaded,
“Entreat me not to leave your 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.” (Ruth 1:16-17)
STRANGE WORDS
These are some of the most touching words in all of Scripture. As a young widow, Ruth had every right to leave behind her mother-in-law and carve out a new life for herself. It was the most practical thing she could do.
Ruth had about as much to offer Naomi, as Naomi had to offer her – which was nothing. You see, during ancient times women rarely worked outside the home. A woman’s entire identity was wrapped up in the family unit which consisted primarily of a husband and children. Without husbands, neither Ruth nor Naomi had any way of supporting themselves.
But when she saw how determined Ruth was, she relented, agreeing to take her along on the journey, not just to Israel but into an unknown, uncharted future as well.
When they arrived in Bethlehem the entire village came out to see the returning widow with a foreign daughter-in-law. Naomi, broken in spirit, refused to acknowledge the joyful welcome they extended her.
“But 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 and the Lord has brought me home again empty.” (Ruth 1:20)
It was a strange thing to say. Because, you see, while it was true that she had suffered great losses, Naomi’s bitter grief blinded her to the gift God had given her in the person of faithful and loyal Ruth. While she had gone out full and had lost quite a bit along the way, she didn’t come home entirely empty.
Sometimes, when we’re faced with terrible disappointments in life it can be hard to count our blessings. As surely as Naomi’s biggest blessing was Ruth, even in our darkest moments there are silver linings to offer us hope, if only we’re willing to open our eyes enough to see them.
When Ruth and Naomi returned to Israel the barley harvest was already well under way. It’s safe to assume that Ruth and Naomi took shelter in the old, abandoned homestead that Elimelech and Naomi had left behind decades earlier.
Life for two widowed women in Israel wasn’t easy. Though they had a roof over their heads, providing food for themselves along with other necessities was almost impossible. However, the timing of their return to Bethlehem was providential.
OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS
The barley harvest offered unique opportunities. God had given his people a special command that made provision for the poor to glean among the sheaves of grain that were harvested, so they could gather food for themselves during hard times.
Poor widows like Naomi or Ruth could go out into the field of a neighbour during harvest
time and pick up any heads of grain that were dropped by the reapers; or forage for grain in the unharvested corners of the fields.
Seizing this opportunity Ruth went out to glean. Providentially she found herself in the fields of a man named Boaz who was a relative of Elimelech. Boaz was wealthy, which in those days meant he had significant land holdings and probably also owned livestock.
Keeping her head down Ruth gleaned in Boaz’s fields, trailing behind the reapers even in the heat of the day. Her diligence revealed both her determination and perseverance in the face of challenges.
When Boaz came out to his fields he noticed her. A few well-placed inquiries helped him profile the young woman who had ventured into his fields. He was told she was Naomi’s Moabite daughter-in-law.
Boaz approached Ruth and personally extended an invitation to glean in his fields. Surprised Ruth asked,
“Why have I found favour in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?” (Ruth 2:10)
Boaz’s response would have provided encouragement to a young woman struggling to eke out a living amid difficult circumstances.
“And Boaz answered and said to her ‘it had 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 who you did not know before.” (Ruth 2:11)
AN INSPIRED CHOICE
Ruth’s choice demonstrated her willingness to do hard things for someone she loved. Boaz acknowledged that choice by saying
“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 2:12)
In choosing to follow Naomi, Ruth had also adopted Naomi’s God which was a significant shift in her thinking. As a Moabite she would have been raised to worship Chemosh who was vastly different from Yahweh, God of the Hebrews.
Yet because of her love for Naomi, Ruth made the difficult decision to turn her back on everything she had known in Moab and embrace a new life.
When Ruth went home and told Naomi who she had met, Naomi was immediately excited. Because you see, Boaz was a near kinsmen of Ruth’s husband, which meant he was able to offer her a levirate marriage.
Now technically, levirate marriages occurred between a widow and her deceased husband’s brother. The purpose of the marriage as described in the Bible book of Deuteronomy was to ensure that the name of the deceased was not forgotten.
Though Boaz was not Ruth’s brother-in-law, he was a near relative who could offer her the same provisions for the same purposes.
Under Naomi’s guidance Ruth approached Boaz with the words,
“I am Ruth, your maidservant. Take your maidservant under your wing for you are a close relative.” (Ruth 3:9).
Elated, Boaz agreed to do everything in his power to provide for her.
Going to the city gate where most legal transactions were made among the elders of the city, Boaz negotiated a suitable arrangement that helped him lay claim to Elimelech’s lands and Ruth’s hand in marriage.
“And Boaz said to the elders and all the people ‘You are witnesses this day that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s and all that was Chilion’s and Mahlon’s from the hand of Naomi. Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, I have acquired as my wife to perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance.” (Ruth 4:8-10)
A BRIGHT FUTURE
Boaz redeemed Ruth and Naomi along with everything that belonged to them. He saved them from poverty and distress, offering them protection and hope for the future.
Ruth’s story doesn’t end there. After her marriage to Boaz, Ruth gave birth to a son named Obed. He became the father of Jesse, who was the father of King David, who was in the ancestral line of Jesus.
That’s the perfect ending to Ruth’s story. A Moabite woman was given a place in the ancestral line of Jesus, the saviour of the world, as a reward for her belief, faithfulness and sacrifice.
When Ruth left Moab for Israel, she had no prospects. What stretched before her was a long life of hard work. Trying to make a living for herself and Naomi; caring for an embittered old woman who had lost everything; surviving in a land that was strange and foreign, [and] that was not accepting of people like her.
Nothing about Ruth’s prospects were encouraging. Yet she chose the road less travelled because it offered her the opportunity to demonstrate the greatest love. It wasn’t the most advantageous, but it turned out to be the most rewarding.
OUR JOURNEY
Ruth’s life traces the journey God often calls us to make. When tragedy struck, Ruth chose to cling to God instead of walking away from him. She chose to serve instead of focusing on her troubles. This single, simple choice made all the difference in how her journey unfolded.
Yet, despite her struggles Ruth didn’t complain. She remained faithful to God despite her challenges, trusting Him to provide for her when the time was right.
Then came her biggest challenge yet: approaching Boaz with the prospect of a levirate marriage. Boaz was much older than her and the idea of marrying a stranger she barely knew was probably daunting. Yet Ruth chose to trust Naomi’s advice.
In the end Ruth experienced complete restoration. Not only was she given a husband, but she was blessed with a son and a place in God’s plan of salvation.
Often trusting God doesn’t come easily for us. It’s easier to trust in the familiar, the seen and the known. Trusting God often accompanies a big leap into the unknown which takes us well out of our comfort zones.
Yet Ruth’s story reminds us that when we’re willing to trust God and follow His leading, the journey can be more rewarding than anything else we could produce on our own. Yes, faith requires a leap, but its rewards more than compensate.
Following God isn’t always easy or comfortable but there is joy in the journey and numerous blessings along the way. Without Jesus we have no hope. Through Jesus we have the promise of a bright future.
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If you have enjoyed our visit to the Bible lands, our discovery of the Moabite stone and our reflections of the story of Ruth, then be sure to join us again next week, when we will share another of life’s journeys together. Until then, let’s pray to our loving Heavenly Father.
Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for the moving story of Ruth and Boaz. It gives us a glimpse of your great redeeming love for us. Thank you for covering us with your goodness and righteousness. Please keep us faithful and true to you. We ask these things in Jesus name, Amen.
