34 The book of Ruth | nazareneisrael2house

The book of Ruth.

Jewish tradition credits Samuel as the author of the book of Ruth. It appeared before or during King David’s reign in Israel (1011 – 971 BCE), when King Saul and King David ruled over both houses of Israel. But, it is a prophesy about what is playing out in our time, specifically at this time when we are at the point of getting together with Judah as a united nation awaiting the coming of the righteous branch of David to come and rule over us as a nation again.

The book of Ruth is read annually in the traditional Jewish synagogues on the Feast of Pentecost (Shavuot). This is also the day upon which two loaves of bread baked with leaven are waved before YHVH as per His instruction in Leviticus 23: 17, where he said: “You shall bring in from your dwelling places two loaves of bread for a wave offering, made with two-tenths of an ephah; they shall be of a fine flour, baked with leaven as first fruits to YHVH.” These two loaves of bread represent the two houses of Israel waved before YHVH as first fruits of the harvests presented for His acceptance, to be resurrected as the first born-again children of Elohim at Yahshua‘s return on Yom Teruah. The book therefore has a very special place in picturing how the two houses are eventually going to get together when our kinsman redeemer returns one day, but this time as the King of kings and Master of masters.

Before we start, we need to understand that there is a great deal of meaning in the names of the people and the places mentioned in the Scriptures and especially in the book of Ruth, and even though it sounds like just another story from the Scriptures, it has great significance for what is happening with Elohim’s people from both houses of Israel today. Commencing to read from verse 1 of Ruth 1, we see that there was a famine in the Promised Land during the days when the judges governed the land. Because of the famine a man whose name means Elohim is my King, i.e. Elimelech lived in Bethlehem (the house of bread) in Judah and he went to sojourn in Moab with his wife and two sons. Analyzing what is being said here, we see that there was a lack of food (bread) in the Promised Land where Elohim is supposed to be King, and this family decided to leave to stay in Moab for the duration of the famine. On the spiritual level this tells us that the spiritual food (Torah) normally in abundance in the Promised Land where Elohim is King became scarce. When reading the last verse of the Book of Judges we understand the reason for this to be (Judges 21: 25), as follows: ‘In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.’ From this it is clear that the people of Israel did not regard YHVH as their king at that time, and did what was right in their own eyes, meaning they like Adam and Eve took of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, instead of studying Torah (the tree of life) and were driven out of the land. They went and sojourn in the fields of Moab, because they chose a life of comfort - a life of carnality, rather than stay over and wait for Elohim’s perfect will and salvation.

Naomi (meaning pleasant in Hebrew) was a Jewish woman of noble birth married to Elimelech who lived in Bethlehem where the Southern Kingdom of the house of Judah also resided in the history of Israel, but left to go and live in Moab, because of a famine in the Holy Land. The house of Judah is represented by Naomi (an Ephrathite of the noble house of Judah), who was married to Elimelech (Elohim the King). They were in the house of bread (Bethlehem) in Judea. She turns her back on Torah truth; in a place where there was lots of spiritual food, and because there was a lack of physical food she chose to disobey Torah with her husband and went to live in exile in Moab. What is this saying: Rather than obeying Torah, Judah chose exile around 572 BCE and again in 70CE because of disobedience to Torah. They left for Moab rather than to wait on YHVH to renew their strength as He promised in Isaiah 40: 31 through the prophet Isaiah, saying: ‘Yet those who wait for YHVH will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.’ Yes they left instead of waiting for Elohim’s perfect will, since He said through David in Psalm 37: 25, ‘I have been young, and now I am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, or his descendants begging for bread.’ But, the condition for not going hungry given here, is that we remain righteous (Torah observant) if we want Elohim to provide for us. However, we know, as pictured in the account of Naomi here, that she (Judah) forgot Torah and as a result physical food also became scarce and she went to live in exile with her family.

We see further that Naomi and her husband took with them their two sons Chilion (meaning pining) and Mahlon (meaning sickly). After a time Elimelech died in Moab – the king of Judah ‘died’, because they did not want Him to rule in their lives any longer. Naomi remained in Moab for 10 years – a type of judgment for abandoning Torah. Then her two sons married two Moabite women. Notice these two sons were sickly, because they took woman from a people (non-Jews), whom YHVH has strictly forbidden Israel not to marry as given in Torah. When Judah rejected Elohim as King, He died for them. Both sons also died whilst in exile. This is a reminder of how many of our Jewish people lost their lives in exile - how many Jews were killed in persecutions in Spain and elsewhere in Europe; how many lost their lives in the holocaust in Germany before and during World War II. The house of Judah lost their King because they chose to disobey Torah. They left the Holy Land and went into exile in 70CE and were persecuted wherever they went ever since, to only return after World War II in 1948. This resulted that during the end time that we have been living in for the past almost hundred years; a time equal to the Great White Throne judgment period after Messiah’s millennium rule (as per Isaiah 65: 17 - 20[1]), YHVH wrote their sins (transgressions against Torah) on their hearts as we read from Jeremiah 17: 1, in this way: ‘The sin of Judah is written down with an iron stylus; with a diamond point it is engraved upon the tablet of their heart, and on the horns of their altars.’ YHVH chose Judah as His people to teach the rest of the world Torah; which is the manual He gave the united nation of Israel at mount Sinai, to live as a model nation and bride to Him and to have the right relationship with Him and their fellow human beings. As a result of the persecution of the Jewish nation over the past two thousand six hundred years, but especially before and during World War II, they became adamant to keep Torah no matter what – since they are fully aware that if they do not remain Torah observant – they will be punished for it. Despite this glaring confirmation that the Jews who were persecuted and killed by Hitler in Germany are the only authentic Jews alive on this planet today, there are people who believe that the Jews presently living in Israel are not the Jews of the Bible. How absolutely ridiculous! Or perhaps more correctly – how anti-Semitic can they get!

For clarity purposes I include the following side light: When Israel rejected YHVH as King; He gave them King Saul – who was great in his own eyes. The Hebrew name Saul is transliterated as Shaul (שאול). Shaul is related to the word Sha’al (שאל) meaning demand or ask. Israel demanded a king, and YHVH gave them Shaul (שאול) which can also mean sheol or the grave. So in the end YHVH gave Israel what they asked for. When much later King Manasseh ruled the house of Judah, he did much evil and spilled much innocent blood during his rule, We read from 2 Kings 21: 3 - 7 that Manasseh built altars for Baal, worshipped Astarte and offered his own son to Molog; a hollow god made from copper. Jewish history, describes Manasseh’s rule as a terrorist government. It is believed that Manasseh was responsible to remove the name of YHVH from all public notices, as well as from all Scriptures, before Judah went into captivity. Many worshippers including the prophets of YHVH were killed during Manasseh’s reign. We read how Isaiah’s life came to an end at the age of ninety years, when he was sawn into pieces according to the Talmud, as confirmed in Hebrews 11: 37 & 38, as follows: ‘They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (38) (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground.’ It is clear from a number of Scriptures that the sins of Manasseh was the direct cause of the captivity of Judah, as may be seen by reading from 2 Kings 23: 26, in this way: ‘However, YHVH did not turn from the fierceness of His great wrath with which His anger burned against Judah, because all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked Him.’ This is confirmed in 2 Kings 24: 3 & 4, as follows: ‘Surely at the command of YHVH it came upon Judah, to remove them from His sight because of the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he had done, (4) and also for the innocent blood which he shed, for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; and YHVH would not forgive him.’

Naomi returned to Israel because they heard Israel had milk and honey – so she returned for physical reasons and not for YHVH. This is a type of Judah returning to Israel out of Moab (the world), but again for the wrong reason. The Jews went into exile because of disobedience to Torah. This is why Yahshua said to them in Matthew 23: 39, prior to His death, ‘For I say to you, from now on you shall not see Me until you say, “BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF YHVH (Baruch Haba BeShem YHVH)!”’ If the Jews remained obedient to Torah there would not have been Palestinians in the Land of Israel. From this we also understand that real peace and prosperity will only return to Israel, when Yahshua who came in His Father’s name returns one day soon.

Even though Naomi said to her daughter-in-laws, ‘go back to your father’s house in Moab’ – both of them said they want to go to Israel with their mother-in-law. This pictures non-Jews from the lost ten tribes of Israel, wanting to leave the religious system they were born into, to go to Israel with the Jews, and to accept the Elohim of the Jews as their Elohim. However, to this day only Orthodox Jews are welcomed in Israel. We cannot go to live in the land at this time. Not even Reformed Jews are welcome in Israel. How many Israelites died and are still dying in Moab, pictured here as the false church system of Christianity? Don’t wait for Naomi (Judah) to give you citizenship. In their heart only a few Jews and a remnant of the lost ten tribes of Israel, understand that since 700BCE the Kingdom of Israel consisted of two houses not only one. It was for this reason that Naomi wanted to know, why her daughters in law - who were really returning Israelites wanted to live in Israel. She indicates that there is no material advantage for them in the land. Up to the recent past, the Jews did not want us (from the lost ten tribes) in Israel, unless we accept the Noahite laws and later convert to Rabbinical Judaism. Similarly the church system says to those who want to return to their Hebrew roots, ‘you are crazy to follow Judaism.’ We are only welcome with Christianity, if we believe their false doctrines, and up to the recent past Judah only wanted us if we renounce the Messiah we believe in. So, Judah (Naomi) wants us to go back to Christianity, and Christianity claims that we are mad to want to follow Torah. But neither understands that we as Nazarene Israel were never really Christians. It is as Yahshua said in Luke 9: 58: “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” Up to now, we as Nazarene Jews/Israelites like Yahshua did not have a place in the religions of the world, to worship our heavenly Father. We know Christianity is false and Judah did not want to accept us unless we renounce our faith in Yahshua. But Kolhator in Israel is busy changing that for us – Baruch HaShem YHVH! The only problem is that most are too blind to see that!

Orpah kissed her mother-in-law but Ruth clinged to her. Orpah is representative of non-Jewish Messianic believers who kiss up to Judah, saying they love Jews, and will pay for Russian and Ethiopian Jews to return to Israel, but in their hearts they want to remain ‘Christian’. These so-called Jews from Russia and Ethiopia come to Israel for the wrong reason; they are only Jews in name, since they are the ones who greet Messianic and Christian visitors to Israel during December, saying ‘Shalom; followed by the traditional Christian, ‘Happy Xmas’. YHVH wants returning Israel to go past the kissing stage, to get out of discovering their Hebraic roots and start living like Israelites or more correctly Jews. Orpah is representative of those who want to learn about her Hebrew roots, but at a distance. They attend church on Sunday and Messianic services on the Sabbath, but they are not interested to ever give up their false Christ for the truth. YHVH wants us to choose to serve Him and Him alone and do so fully. These are people who love Jews at a distance – want to celebrate Passover, but go back to Christianity on Sundays. But Ruth clung to Naomi despite her rejection. This is why YHVH says about Ephraim in Hosea 7: 8 – 11, ‘Ephraim mixes himself with the nations; Ephraim has become a cake not turned. (9) Strangers devour his strength, yet he does not know it; gray hairs also are sprinkled on him, yet he does not know it. (10) Though the pride of Israel testifies against him, yet they have neither returned to YHVH their Elohim, nor have they sought Him, for all this. (11) So Ephraim has become like a silly dove, without sense; they call to Egypt, they go to Assyria.’ Ephraim is like a silly dove – yes when she sees a Jew she acts like a silly dove. The point is; we need to stop studying our Jewish roots and become Torah observant with everything we have – we have to become better than the Jews, since we have a proclivity to idolatry. The point is, that we a remnant from the lost ten tribes, who like the Jews are now chosen by Elohim (as per Romans 11: 5[2]), have to make them jealous (as witnessed in Romans 11: 11[3])

Look at Naomi’s heart. She goes back to Judah for the wrong reason. Naomi sends Orpah back to her gentile ways. We need to understand that even if Judah rejects us, YHVH wants us to cling to Judah. Moab is the false religions of the world – the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Torah is the tree of life. If we cling to Naomi, we will see the heavens open, since Ruth 1: 16 is about national salvation, whereas John 3: 16 is about individual salvation; Ruth 1: 16 is the Key to become a citizen of Israel. When Naomi again spoke to Ruth in Ruth 1: 15, saying: “Behold, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” She answered Naomi in verse 16, saying: “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 you’re Elohim, my Elohim.” We should not teach people about their Jewish roots, we should teach them to become Israel. Ruth 1: 16 is in fact the Gospel of the Kingdom of Elohim – when the united nation of Israel is reborn, ready for King Yahshua to rule over them. When reading Galatians 6: 16 together with Romans 9: 6 and Galatians 3: 26 – 29, we understand that it is not only if we are bloodline Israelites that we are Abraham’s heir’s according to the promise that YHVH made with him, but it is through faith in Messiah that we become Abraham’s heirs, because we like Isaac are children of promise. Messiah’s disciples asked Him in Acts 1: 6, saying: “Master, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” The Kingdom of Israel is simply another name for the Kingdom of Elohim, which Yahshua our Messiah will come to administer on earth with the help of His saints (Nazarene believers in Yahshua who keep Torah together with our Torah observant Jewish Brothers). We need to graduate from John 3: 16 to Ruth 1: 16 to become the Israel of Elohim (Both Houses). Your Elohim, Judah, is my Elohim, your people is my people. We need to become physical Israelites and don’t let anyone discourage us, since we read from Romans 10: 13, ‘For “WHOEVER WILL CALL UPON THE NAME OF YHVH WILL BE SAVED”’

Christians and Jews claim to worship the same Father, but Ruth 1: 16 is different. Ruth did not say ‘can you teach me about my Jewish roots’ – no she claimed that your Elohim is My Elohim and your people are my people. She was in fact saying I am Israel and Elohim is both your and my Elohim, as confirmed in Romans 3: 29, as follows: ‘Or is Elohim the Elohim of Jews only? Is He not the Elohim of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also.’ There is no such thing as separate entity religion – there is only one Israel of Elohim. We are not saved Gentiles, we are Israelites as witnessed in Ephesians 2: 11, 12 & 19, in this way: ‘Therefore remember, that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “Un-circumcision” by the so-called “Circumcision,” which is performed in the flesh by human hands— (12) remember that you were at that time separate from Messiah, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without Elohim in the world. (19) So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of Elohim’s household.’ We the ten tribes who have returned are now part of the commonwealth of Israel. We are not Israel on our own– even though the Churches of G-d, the Assemblies of YHVH, and many Nazarene Israelites believe they will get to the kingdom of Elohim on their own. But they are mistaken. YHVH will only remarry a united Israel from both houses, as witnessed in Jeremiah 31: 31 – 34, as follows: “Behold, days are coming,” declares YHVH, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, (32) not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares YHVH. (33) But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” declares YHVH, “I will put My law within them, and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their Elohim, and they shall be My people.” We are circumcised Israelites, we wear Yarmulkes, we wear tzitzit. We do everything what is required of any Israelite; we keep the weekly Sabbath, the Feast Days of Elohim as well as eating Kosher. Yes, we will be persecuted for claiming that we are Israelites – by Moab (the Christians) as well as Jews.

But our Master warned us about this in John 15: 20, saying: “Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.” Ask yourself: are you prepared to be persecuted for your faith, like our Master was persecuted? Continuing in Ruth 1: 17 - Where will Messianic Jews be buried one day? In the Jewish cemetery? In the Christian cemetery? But Ruth said, where you Naomi (Judah) is buried, I will be buried – in Israel. What is Yahshua doing now? We read Isaiah 11: 12 & 13, ‘And He will lift up a standard for the nations, and will assemble the banished ones of Israel, and will gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. (13) Then the jealousy of Ephraim will depart, and those who harass Judah will be cut off; Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah, and Judah will not harass Ephraim.’ He is gathering the lost tribes of Israel, whilst Naomi is vexing Ruth. But when Messiah comes, he will stop the vexing of all twelve tribes. Naomi is presently learning to stop vexing Israel.

As in verse 19 both Ruth and Naomi returns to Bethlehem and the people said ‘Is this Naomi?’ The people did not recognize Naomi because she is not Torah observant, and because she looks like a Gentile. She did not only reject the Father, she called herself Mara. She changed her Hebrew name to a gentile name – and she becomes Mara – bitter. She said, when I was Naomi I called the Father YHVH, now that I returned I call Him Lord. (Mara in Aramaic is Lord). Judah used to call Elohim YHVH, but now that they have returned they call Him Lord – they forgot where YHVH said in Malachi 3: 16, “Then those who feared YHVH spoke to one another, and YHVH gave attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear YHVH and who esteem His name.” We, the returning Israelites are reminded of what Amos wrote in Amos 3: 3, saying: ‘Do two men walk together unless they have made an appointment?’ Meaning that they agree on Elohim’s appointed times. Yes, we need to realize that two cannot walk together unless they agree on Elohim’s Feast days, and if we are going to cling to Naomi (Judah), we need to call the Father YHVH, the name He gave Moses to call Him by. The only way that Judah will fully accept returning Israelites is, when we become totally Torah observant. In addition we need to start keeping Torah better than what they do as Yahshua our Messiah said in Matthew 5: 20, in this way: “For I say to you, that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

It is time for us to realize that we are Israel; it is time we start living like Israel, so much so that our Jewish Brothers will become jealous (as per Romans 11: 11 - quoted previously). It is for that reason that we read from verses 12 & 15 of Romans 11, ‘Now if their transgression be riches for the world and their failure be riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be! (15) For if their rejection be the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?’ In a nutshell: Yahshua came to reconcile us the lost house of Israel back to our Father YHVH, but also to our brother the house of Judah. Yes, they are not happy with us returning, because of our history, but our Father is very happy, as may be seen from the conclusion of the parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15: 31 & 32, as follows: “And he said to him, ‘My child, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours. (32) But we had to be merry and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.’” But, what is remarkable at this point of our discussion of the book of Ruth is that Naomi and Ruth arrived back in Bethlehem at the time of the annual Passover, as we read from verse 22, of Ruth 1 in this way: ‘So Naomi returned, and with her Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, who returned from the land of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley Harvest.’

Even more remarkable, at the beginning of chapter 2, we are introduced to Naomi’s husband’s kinsman, a man of great wealth, whose name was Boaz meaning ‘come here now’. This tells us in effect that we need not pray for the two houses of Israel, since our coming together is here now. Boaz invites the Ephraimites to come and glean Torah in his field. Here we have the kinsmen redeemer inviting Ephraim back at Passover time - the time that Yahshua redeemed us from our Torah-breaking past. What is remarkable at this point is that the kinsman redeemer appears at the time of the Passover, telling us that our kinsman Redeemer will redeem us at Passover in what is yet in the future at that time.

Having been told about Naomi’s kinsman redeemer through her late husband, Ruth ask Naomi if she may go to Boaz’s field and glean among the ears, as she might find favor in his sight. So Naomi tells her to go, since this is according to Torah - the first part of Leviticus 23: 22 her provision in Israel, in this way: ‘When you reap the harvest of your land, moreover, you shall not reap to the very corners of your field, nor gather the gleaning of your harvest; you are to leave them for the needy and the alien. I am YHVH your Elohim.’ Ruth therefore departed and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers, until she came to the portion of Boaz’s field. In verse 4 of Ruth 2 when Boaz returned from Bethlehem and said to the reapers, “May YHVH be with you,” he put the name of YHVH on the reapers, but also those who glean after them. That is when they become Israelites; two loaves before YHVH. Boaz welcomes them and blesses them with the Aaronic blessing, making them Israel, since the name of YHVH is reserved for Israel only, as YHVH told Moses in Exodus 3: 15, saying: “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, YHVH, the Elohim of your fathers, the Elohim of Abraham, the Elohim of Isaac, and the Elohim of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name to all generations.’” On his return from Bethlehem Boaz immediately noticed the young woman in his field; he enquired of his servant in charge of the reapers, saying (in verse 5 of Ruth 2): “Whose young woman is this?”

The servant in charge told Boaz that she is the young woman who returned with Naomi from the land of Moab, and that she requested, saying in Ruth 2: 7, ‘Please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves.’ She was in effect saying to Boaz, please let me keep your Sabbath, your Feast Days and serve your Elohim, but also, let me reap the barley harvest between Passover and Shavuot in your field and let me count the Omer with you, Brother Judah. She is showing a persistent desire to do Torah. This is a picture of returning Israelites who came to believe that they are gentiles; we need to be really persistent, but we also need to show a genuine desire to keep Torah since Judah will not accept half-heartedness. In verses 8 & 9 Boaz said to Ruth: ‘Listen carefully, my daughter. Do not go to glean in another field; furthermore, do not go on from this one, but stay here with my maids. (9) Let your eyes be on the field which they reap, and go after them. Indeed, I have commanded the servants not to touch you. When you are thirsty, go to the water jars and drink from what the servants draw.’ Because Boaz a Jew saw Ruth’s obedience he welcomed her; he tells her to join the gleaning in his field between Passover and Shavuot; to join in the blessings of counting the Omer with Judah.

Ruth is so pleased that Boaz invited her to remain in his field that she fell on her face, bowing to the ground and saying to him in verse 10: “Why have I found favor in your sight that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?” Boaz answered Ruth in verses 11 & 12, saying: “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. (12) May YHVH reward your work, and your wages be full from YHVH, the Elohim of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge.” Boaz tells Ruth to enter the blessings of Israel by joining in his field – reap from the tree of life (Torah). Like Abraham, she left her father, her mother and her country and came to a people she did not know and chose to become an Israelite, rest on Elohim’s Sabbath – chose Naomi’s people to be her people, and Naomi’s Elohim to be her Elohim. Boaz does not sent Ruth away to reap in other fields (other religions) and be a separate entity, but to reap knowledge in his field. The reward for the Ephraimites by YHVH is wings – tzitzit on the four corners of their garments. Then you truly become Israel because only (Malachi 4: 2) Israel comes under Elohim’s wings. Healing comes when you live under (YHVH)’s wings. Boaz receives Ruth with the Sacred Name and establishes her as part of his field. When you use the Sacred Name you will stick out like an Israelite, since neither Christianity nor Judaism is prepared to use the Sacred Name at this time.

Ruth tells Boaz that she does not want to be special, but that she only wants to be part of Israel. Boaz tells her to ‘come here now’ and be part of them – eat with Israel and since he has redeemed her she is now free from the way of life inherited from her forefathers, as Rav Kepha also wrote in first Peter 1: 18 & 19, saying: ‘knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, (19) but with the precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Messiah.’ We see from verse 14 of Ruth 2 that at mealtime Boaz said to Ruth, “Come here, that you may eat of the bread and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar.” So she sat beside the reapers; and he served her roasted grain, and she ate and was satisfied and had some left.’ Roasted here means pure refined but also first fruits. Even so, if you recall that all this happened around Passover; when Boaz gave Ruth roasted grain, it must have been the First Day of Unleavened Bread, because Elohim commanded the Israelites in Leviticus 23: 14 & 15 saying through Moses: “Until this same day, until you have brought in the offering of your Elohim, you shall eat neither bread nor roasted grain nor new growth. It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generation in all your dwelling places. (15) You shall also count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath (the First Day of Unleavened Bread – the first annual Sabbath after Passover), from the day when you brought in the sheaf of the wave offering; there shall be seven complete Sabbaths (or weeks).” Further confirmation comes from Joshua 5: 10 & 11 in this way: ‘While the sons of Israel camped at Gilgal, they observed the Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of the month on the desert plains of Jericho. (11) And on the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched (or roasted) grain.’ From that evening when the 16th of Nisan (Aviv) commences, the Israelites count fifty days toward the Feast of Shavuot (Pentecost).

We see from verse 15 of Ruth 2: ‘When she rose to glean, Boaz commanded his servants, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not insult her.”’ Boaz sees that Ruth wants to obey Torah, and do what they do. He knows therefore that she is not in his field for carnal reasons, and he ensures that she is protected whilst working. In verse 16 he continues instructing his servants saying: “And also you shall purposely pull out for her some grain from the bundles and leave it that she may glean, and do not rebuke her.” Boaz tells his servants to help Ruth (Ephraim) in her return to Torah obedience – to show her the way; tell her for instance that when a product is labeled Kosher Parev it can be used with meals containing meat, as opposed to those labeled Kosher Milchik, which cannot be used with meat. Returning Israel are required to keep Torah with a spiritual intent, to a level better than what the scribes and the Pharisees do, as Yahshua indicated in Matthew 5: 20, saying: ‘For I say to you, that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.’ If we keep Torah better than our Jewish Brothers do, we will ultimately have succeeded to make them jealous, as Rav Shaul indicated in Romans 11: 11, saying: ‘I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous.’ The point is, when Judah sees Ephraim counting the Omer with understanding, they will start respecting them and eventually accept them. In verses 17 & 18 of Ruth 2, we see that after Ruth gleaned about an ephah of barley, she took it with her and went to her mother-in-law and shared what she gleaned with her. Now Naomi is giving Ruth attention, when she sees her work, and eating the fruits of Boaz.

Ruth informed her mother-in-law that she worked in Boaz’s field, and Naomi is pleased telling Ruth that he is their closest relative. Ruth next informed Naomi that Boaz told her to stay close to his servants until the harvesting is complete. Naomi further advised Ruth to remain with Boaz until the end of the barley harvest, even until the end of the wheat harvest. In the next few verses we see Ephraim singing the praises of Judah. Naomi took notice of the change; Judah who rejected the two house doctrine, begin to use the name of YHVH and accept Ruth (the Ephraimites). Boaz pictures a type of Messiah and Ephraim – the first fruits unto YHVH receives a double portion in the Kingdom of Elohim. We read fittingly from Romans 11: 25 – 27, ‘For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery, lest you be wise in your own estimation, that a partial hardening has happened to (Jewish) Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles (those of the lost-ten-tribes who believe that they are Gentiles, plus some real Gentiles) has come in; (26) and thus all Israel (both houses) will be saved; just as it is written, “THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB. (27) AND THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, ‘WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS.”’

Fast tracking to Chapter 4, we find Boaz working out a proposal under the auspices of Torah to ensure the redemption of Naomi’s property. He finds a close relative to redeem a piece of land which belonged to Elimelech, and at the same time acquire Ruth the Moabitess (the Israelite who used to believe she was a Gentile), the widow of the deceased in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance. When the close relative informed Boaz that he cannot redeem the land for himself and then as per the Jewish custom concerning redemption and the exchange of land to confirm the matter; he removed his sandal and gave it to Boaz. This meant that the close relative refused to redeem his relative and gave the responsibility over to Boaz. Let’s summarize the events so far: Ruth is part of Ephraim who clung to Naomi who represents the house of Judah. Boaz a type of Messiah purchased the whole house of Israel (as per John 11: 49 – 52[4]). We need to recall that according to Jeremiah 3: 8 YHVH divorced the house of Israel and scattered them throughout the nations of the world. According to Deuteronomy 24, if a man divorces his wife, he cannot remarry her ever. We read about the way in which YHVH scattered Israel into all the nations in Hosea 1: 4, as follows: ‘And YHVH said to him, “Name him Jezreel (meaning YHVH will scatter the same way seed is propagated); for yet a little while, and I will punish the house of Jehu for the bloodshed of Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel.’ We read further from Hosea 5: 3 & 4, YHVH saying through Hosea: ‘I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hidden from Me; for now, O Ephraim, you have played the harlot, Israel has defiled itself. (4) Their deeds will not allow them to return to their Elohim, for a spirit of harlotry is within them, and they do not know YHVH.’

There was only one way for Israel to return to YHVH, and YHVH our Elohim knew from before the foundation of the earth, that the only way in which He could remarry the house of Israel, was to die for her. When Yahshua died on the impalement stake His final words as recorded in John 19: 30, was “It is finished!” This is transliterated in Hebrew as ‘Kalah’ which can also mean ‘My Bride’ – meaning now that I died I will be able to remarry My bride. The point is: when we from the lost ten tribes are immersed into Yahshua’s name for the forgiveness of our past lawlessness and given the Set-apart Spirit (as per Acts 2: 38 & 39[5]), we are immersed into His death as witnessed in Romans 6: 3 – 7, in this way: ‘Or do you not know that all of us who have been immersed into Messiah Yahshua have been immersed into His death? (4) Therefore we have been buried with Him through immersion into death, in order that as Messiah was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. (5) For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection, (6) knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin; (7) for he who has died is freed from sin.’ Now because we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, Yahshua is now free to remarry Israel whom He divorced but also the house of Judah, since He atoned for both houses. We read therefore from Romans 7: 1 – 4, ‘Or do you not know, brethren (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives? (2) For the married woman is bound by law (of divorce and remarriage) to her husband while he is living; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law concerning the husband. (3) So then if, while her husband is living, she is joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress, though she is joined to another man. (4) Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Messiah, that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, that we might bear fruit for Elohim.’

After Naomi’s closest relative said to Boaz that he should buy Elimelech’s property and he removed his sandal, Boaz said to the elders and all the people in verses 9 & 10 of Ruth 4, “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. (10) 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 may not be cut off from his brothers or from the court of his birth place; you are witnesses today.” Yahshua carried our sickness and died, and Israel and Judah was healed. Boaz redeemed Ruth from the lost ten tribes and she could return to the commonwealth of Israel with the house of Judah. We read accordingly from Zechariah 8: 23, as follows: “Thus says YHVH of hosts, ‘In those days ten men from all the nations will grasp the garment of a Jew saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that Elohim is with you.”’” Similar to the way that Boaz chose Ruth to be his wife, did Yahshua choose us as He said to His disciples (and also to us His modern day disciples) in John 15: 14 – 16, “You are My friends, if you do what I command you. (15) No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. (16) You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He may give to you.”

In verse 11 & 12 of Ruth 4, the people and the elders said: “We are witnesses. May YHVH 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. (12) Moreover, may your house be like the house of Perez whom Tamar bore to Judah, through the offspring which YHVH shall give you by this young woman.” The fact that both the names of Rachel and Leah is mentioned here shows that in the end both houses will be brought together. In addition, the fact that Ephrathah is mentioned shows that the offspring that YHVH will give this young woman will be a direct ancestor of Yahshua, as also mentioned in Micah 5: 2, in this way: “But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity.” The name of Tamar’s son Perez the son of Judah is mentioned here, meaning breach or division. However like Boaz, Yahshua came to restore (YHVH)’s name. Boaz is a direct descendant of Perez as shown in the rest of chapter 4. When Boaz took Ruth for his wife, she gave birth to Obed, the father of Jesse, the father of David, all of whom are mentioned in the genealogy of Yahshua in Matthew 1: 1 – 17.

At this point the women said to Naomi, Ruth’s mother-in-law (in verses 14 & 15 of Ruth 4): “Blessed is YHVH who has not left you without a redeemer today, and may his name become famous in Israel. (15) 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.” We see that Naomi took the child and became his nurse, meaning that she cared for him, and the neighborhood women said in verse 17: “A son has been born to Naomi!” So they (the neighborhood women) named him Obed. The name Obed comes from the rootעבד (abad), meaning to work or serve. The noun עבד (ebed) means slave or servant, the noun עבד (abad) means work. Obed means Servant or Slave. Obed is a direct ancestor of Miriam, Yahshua’s mother. We read from Isaiah 42: 1, YHVH telling us about Yahshua through Isaiah, saying: “Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations.” Continuing In Isaiah 43: 10 & 11, we read: “You are My witnesses,” declares YHVH, “And My servant whom I have chosen, in order that you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no Elohim formed, and there will be none after Me. (11) I, even I, am YHVH; and there is no savior besides Me.”

It is important for us to see that Yahshua, Israel’s redeemer was Jewish, but more importantly that Samuel who wrote the book of Ruth prophesied how He will come to bring us the remnant of the lost-ten-tribes back to both brother Judah and to YHVH and His Torah, as Rav Shaul also wrote in Ephesians 2: 13 – 19, as follows: ‘But now in Messiah Yahshua you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Messiah. (14) For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, (15) by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, (16) and might reconcile them both in one body to Elohim through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. (17) AND HE CAME AND PREACHED PEACE TO YOU WHO WERE FAR AWAY, AND PEACE TO THOSE WHO WERE NEAR; (18) for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. (19) So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of Elohim’s household.’

Whereas in Hosea 1 YHVH told Hosea to call his three children Jezreel (meaning He will scatter Israel into the nations), Lo-ruhamah (meaning He will have no compassion on Israel) and Lo-ammi (meaning He will not regard Israel as His people any longer), He says in Hosea 1: 10 & 11: ‘“Yet the number of the sons of Israel will be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered; and it will come about that, in the place where it is said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ it will be said to them, “You are the sons of the living Elohim.” (11) And the sons of Judah and the sons of Israel will be gathered together, and they will appoint for themselves one leader, and they will go up from the land, for great will be the day of Jezreel.’ The phrases ‘who were far away’ and ‘who were near’ in Ephesians 2 refer to Israel and Judah respectively, as also used by Daniel in Daniel 9: 7, saying: “Righteousness belongs to Thee, O YHVH, but to us open shame, as it is this day – to the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and all Israel, those who are nearby and those who are far away in all the countries to which Thou hast driven them, because of their unfaithful deeds which they have committed against Thee.” However, we see as prophesied by Isaiah in chapter 10: 22, saying: ‘For though your people, O Israel, may be like the sand of the sea, only a remnant within them will return; a destruction is determined, overflowing with righteousness.’

Most of the prophets in the Tanach prophesied about the reunification of the two houses of Israel under King David. But very few people from both houses are aware that the book of Ruth was in fact a prophesy by Samuel of this event soon to occur near the end of the age, in time of Yahshua a Jew but also the house of Israel’s kinsman redeemer’s[6] return, to establish the Kingdom of Elohim, when He will rule from David’s throne. Let’s bless the Name of YHVH for showing us in advance how He redeemed us and reconciled us to Brother Judah, but more significantly to our Father YHVH. Halleluyah!

[1] Isaiah 65: 17 – 20: “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing, and her people for gladness. I will also rejoice in Jerusalem, and be glad in My people; and there will no longer be heard in her the voice of weeping and the sound of crying. No longer will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his days; for the youth will die at the age of one hundred and the one who does not reach the age of one hundred shall be thought accursed.”

[2] Romans 11: 5, ‘In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to Elohim’s gracious choice.’

[3] Romans 11: 11, ‘I say then, they did not stumble so as to fall, did they? May it never be! But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make them jealous.’

[4] John 11: 49 – 52: ‘But a certain one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all, nor do you take into account that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation should not perish.” Now this he did not say on his own initiative; but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Yahshua was going to die for the nation, and not for the nation (of Judah) only, but that He might also gather together into one the children of Elohim (Israel) who are scattered abroad.’

[5] Acts 2: 38 – 39: ‘And Kepha said to them, “Repent, and let each of you be immersed in the name of Yahshua Messiah for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Set-apart Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children, and for all who are far off (meaning the house of Israel only), as many as YHVH our Elohim shall call to Himself (we immerse mainly those called by YHVH from the lost sheep of the house of Israel – as Yahshua confirmed in John 6: 44).’

[6] Yahshua said in Matthew 15: 24, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”