0579. Striking Personages

Striking Personages

The striking personalities, which are brought out in this marvelous story of Ruth, are the following:

1. Elimelech–"My God is King." Elimelech was the husband of Naomi. His name suggests that he was under the patronage of God as King. It seems that the life of Elimelech belies his name. If God was his King, why should he have left for the land of Moab? If God was his King, why should he die in want in a foreign land?

Even so, do we who bear the name, Christian, often belie our name. If all things are ours, in Christ Jesus, why do we not possess our possessions? Why live as servants, if we are sons; why live as peasants if we are Kingdom heirs?

2. Noami–"My lovely one." Naomi was wife of Elimelech and mother of two sons, Mahlon and Chilion. Naomi held a holy position in Israel. She was an inheritor of the kingly line. She was greatly beloved. In Israel she would have been honored, in Moab she lost her husband and her sons, and desired to be called, Mara "bitter," instead of Naomi "My lovely one."

3. Mahlon–"Sick." Here we have the son of Elimelech and Naomi. It is passing strange that the son of "My God is King" and of "My lovely one," should be named "Sick." Yet so it is. When children of God wander from their standing in Christ Jesus and sojourn in the world’s country they are sure to fall heir to children such as Mahlon–"sick." Sick of heart and sick of body, must all of those become who leave the plains of full redemption for the low lands of carnal appetite.

4. Chilion–"Pining." In the name of Chilion the second son of Elimelech and Naomi, comes the wasting away of the soul that is afar from God.

In Egypt the children of Israel could do no more than hang their harps upon the willow trees, as they wept their sad estate–pining in weakness and pining for home and God.

The prodigal son in the far country was saying, "How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger." The prodigal was "pining." Weakened in body, spent in a foreign land and longing for home.

5. Orpah–"Hind" or "Fawn." Orpah is Naomi’s daughter-in-law. She married one of the sons of Elimelech and Naomi. Orpah was beautiful, but alert. She was of seeming worth, and had some love for Naomi; "she kissed her mother-in-law." But, she could not stand the test of full allegiance and like the kind she was, she fled away and was gone.

6. Ruth–"Beauty." Ruth, the second of the daughters-in-law, followed Naomi all the way. She stands for that beauty which is the result of grace. She is beautiful because she is the Lord’s very own. To those who are the destined Bride of our Lord, the Heavenly Bridegroom speaks and says:

‘Thou art all fair, My love,

There is no spot in thee.

Thou hast ravished my heart,

My sister, My spouse."

And it is thus that the queen should be beautiful.

"So shall the King greatly desire thy beauty

For He is thy Lord,

And, worship thou Him."

7. Boaz–"In Him is strength." Boaz was the "kinsman redeemer." He is the one who weds the Moabitess, Ruth. He it is, who takes her from her penury and want, and enriches her with all things.

Boaz is the type of our Lord. He is the only One Who cared to redeem us, and the only One Who could. He makes his tryst with us, and we are brought to Christ as a Gentile Bride. He is our strength and also is become our salvation.

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR