Naomi blesses her two widowed daughters-in-law with “Hesed.” She announces God’s loving kindness to these two Moabite women. The term “Hesed” as used predominantly in the Psalms, is reserved for God’s attitude toward his people Israel. But here, Naomi extends God’s special blessings to these two Gentile women. Then, in Ruth 1:9, she extends her blessings on the girls by saying, “The Lord grant that you may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband!” Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept.” Naomi prays for her two daughters-in-law for two specific things. Then she expresses her love for them, and with deep emotion, Naomi prepares to leave them in Moab as she returns to her home and family in Israel.
The idea of “covenant” between God and His people appears frequently in the Old Testament. Smith says, “The covenant concept is used to describe the marriage relationship, and as such, it speaks to us of the fact that the covenant is not just a legal contract but is also a loving relationship, a continuous fellowship between the parties involved. Associated with the Biblical covenants is the idea of mercy or lovingkindness (hesed). God is represented as a faithful, covenant-keeping God, even when his people are not always faithful.”[1] As “hesed” is extended to these two gentiles, it is extended to all believers in Jesus. We make up the bride of Christ, and the loving, covenant-keeping God brings us into the family.
Naomi wants what is best for Ruth and Orpah. She prays that the Lord will grant them rest. Interestingly, Naomi prays to the “Lord” of Israel. She has not been converted to the worship practiced in Moab but retained her faith in the God of Israel. God had promised “rest” to the Israelites if they drove out the Canaanites from the Land. But for women in that culture, the idea of security and rest had to do with marriage. As Fruchtenbaum points out, “The term rest in the context of this book refers specifically to the state of marriage. In the Book of Joshua, rest did not merely mean the end of the war but also security and the blessing of the Lord. Here in this book, the word rest implies both husband and home, but the primary emphasis is on the husband. In a society where women could not find security alone, it was her husband who would be the one who would provide it. And that is where the problem came in for the two Moabite daughters-in-law. In Israel, it was unlikely they would find husbands since they were both Moabites. So, in the end, they will only end up sharing in Naomi’s poverty, and therefore, would not have the rest.”[2] In the modern society that we live in, such an attitude would be ridiculed as sexist by many. But regardless of gender, everyone needs the bond of lovingkindness, and it’s offered free for those who receive the bond of God’s love expressed to them, men and women alike. He offers “rest” to all who would receive His love. God so loved us that He sent His only Son to establish a new covenant with all who would believe. He offers “eternal life” to each believer. Jesus speaks to His disciples and us in John 14:27. He says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”
[1] Smith, Morton H. 1978. “The Church and Covenant Theology.” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 21, no. 1: 48.
[2] Fruchtenbaum, Arnold G. 2006. Ariel’s Bible Commentary: The Books of Judges and Ruth. 1st ed. San Antonio, TX: Ariel Ministries.