My Bethany Bible

Thursday's Devotional from Pastor Ron Vandermey: "Meaning of the Name Obed" Ruth 4:17... "Also the neighbor women gave him a name, saying, 'There is a son born to Naomi.' And they called his name Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David." This is the only time that a child is named in the Old Testament by people who are not directly related to the child. Those women are exactly what the LORD envisions for those who would make up the body of Christ in the churches. The women support Naomi in her grief, and rejoice with Naomi in her joy. They never walk away from her, but are there to encourage her. Again, we see that great word hesed fleshed out for us as we see God's lovingkindness on display through these Barnabas-type townspeople (Barnabas was called in the New Testament "The Son of Consolation.") When the women say: There is a son born to Naomi, they are reminding her that Ruth has vicariously born the child that would restore the family name of Mahlon, who is the deceased child of Naomi. Naomi had told Ruth that there were no other children in her womb, and now God has granted a miraculous and providential supply for Naomi's lack. God always finds a way. He can do that for you as well. Just call upon Him with your burdens. The women name the child "Obed," which simply means servant. The Apostle Paul called himself the servant of the Lord, as did many of the Old Testament patriarchs. Obed is in that line as a servant of the LORD, and one who would be a direct ancestor of the Lord Jesus Christ in His humanity. We find the sequence of Obed, Jesse, and David also in I Chronicles 2:12-15, Matthew 1:5-6, and Luke 3:31-32. The writer of Ruth wants to make sure that we know that Ruth and Boaz are the great-grandparents of David.

Friday's Devotional from Pastor Ron Vandermey: The Lord Gave Conception to Ruth Ruth 4:13... "So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife; and when he went in to her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bore a son." The marriage of Boaz and Ruth takes place in the verse, and the consummation of that marriage brings the birth of a son. The significant element in this verse is the superintendence of the Lord: the LORD gave her conception. Note that we have the covenant name of God represented by the tetragrammaton YHWH, which is correctly translated LORD. In the English Bible, the word LORD capitalized is always an indication of the Name that was revealed to Moses in Exodus 3:14 as the Covenant Keeping God. If it is Lord, the Hebrew word Adonai is being translated. It means literally Lord or Master, and does not have the significance that we find in YHWH. The fact that it is the LORD who gives the conception is found elsewhere in Scripture, notably in Genesis 30:22 with Rachel, and Genesis 29:31 with Leah. In the next book after Ruth, we read in I Samuel 1:19 that the LORD remembered Hannah, meaning that she too had a child for which she had prayed. The LORD granted her petition, and allowed her to conceive Samuel.

Thursday's Devotional from Pastor Ron Vandermey: "Meaning of the Name Obed" Ruth 4:17... "Also the neighbor women gave him a name, saying, 'There is a son born to Naomi.' And they called his name Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David." This is the only time that a child is named in the Old Testament by people who are not directly related to the child. Those women are exactly what the LORD envisions for those who would make up the body of Christ in the churches. The women support Naomi in her grief, and rejoice with Naomi in her joy. They never walk away from her, but are there to encourage her. Again, we see that great word hesed fleshed out for us as we see God's lovingkindness on display through these Barnabas-type townspeople (Barnabas was called in the New Testament "The Son of Consolation.") When the women say: There is a son born to Naomi, they are reminding her that Ruth has vicariously born the child that would restore the family name of Mahlon, who is the deceased child of Naomi. Naomi had told Ruth that there were no other children in her womb, and now God has granted a miraculous and providential supply for Naomi's lack. God always finds a way. He can do that for you as well. Just call upon Him with your burdens. The women name the child "Obed," which simply means servant. The Apostle Paul called himself the servant of the Lord, as did many of the Old Testament patriarchs. Obed is in that line as a servant of the LORD, and one who would be a direct ancestor of the Lord Jesus Christ in His humanity. We find the sequence of Obed, Jesse, and David also in I Chronicles 2:12-15, Matthew 1:5-6, and Luke 3:31-32. The writer of Ruth wants to make sure that we know that Ruth and Boaz are the great-grandparents of David.

Wednesday's Devotional from Pastor Ron Vandermey: "Naomi the Nurse: A Child in Old Age" Ruth 4:16... "Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her bosom, and became a nurse to him." The expression of England's Queen Mary at the 1952 funeral of her son George VI said volumes about the sorrow of losing a child before your own death. It is a sorrow that knows no bounds, and it is a sorrow from which Queen Mary (wife of King George V) would never recover. I believe Naomi has that same "sorrowful stare" as she returns to Bethlehem God lifts her from that sorrow in His lovingkindness, and brings her the redemption that she desperately needs. The picture that we have in verse 16, "and became a nurse to him," pictures the fact that the "kinsman redeemer" brings not only redemption of your land, but also redemption of your soul. Naomi now has that child that she said she could not produce from her womb. The expression is a Hebrew idiom for the natural affection that a godly grandmother would have for her God-given grandson. The nursing would not be physical, but certainly emotional and spiritual. Emotional for her as her own restoration and redemption is completed, and spiritual for both her and Obed as she teaches him about God's lovingkindness and watchcare over every aspect of life. Do you have that knowledge? It is revolutionary.

Tuesday's Devotional from Pastor Ron Vandermey: "Ruth is Better than Seven Sons" Ruth 4:15... " 'And may he be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has borne him.' Verse 15 continues the song, the prophecy, and the benediction on the life of Naomi given by the women of Bethlehem. They are filling us in on some important notes that we must remember as the story of Ruth draws to a close. The compassion of the LORD for the downtrodden is the theme of verse 15 as the women predict that Obed will be a restorer of life and a nourisher of Naomi's old age. Remember that Naomi returned bitter and empty, not realizing that God was about to bless her through the daughter-in-law whom she herself marginalized as to her significance. The same God who knows when the sparrow falls certainly knows also when we are down and discouraged. Children were not an inconvenience or an unwanted expense or an "eighteen-year sentence" in the days of Naomi. It was an unbearable tragedy that she alludes to in the first chapter as she warns her daughter-in-law that she has no more children in her womb. Life was over for Naomi, and thus the words "restorer of life" take on such tremendous significance. For any of you who are "children of old age," this verse has an extra meaning. I was often told that my parent had prayed for me for 20 years, and I was born a few days after their 20th anniversary in western New York. [Interestingly, my mother watched another 40+ woman expecting a child on her new television show at the same time and she was also from western New York just a few miles away from where I was born. Lucille Ball Arnaz saw that child as a way to "restore life" to her marriage, which sadly was dissolved eight years later.] As my mother grew weaker and was hospitalized in her early 80's, the doctor told me that there was a cord between us that was keeping her alive. When I asked why she you only wanted me, she replied "You give me hope." Obed gives Naomi hope, and also proves that God's hesed lovingkindness is real. When the women say that Ruth is better than seven sons, they are speaking of the completion of Naomi's family. Seven is the number of perfection. Ruth exceeds that perfection in the way that she ministers to Naomi. This is truly the benediction of blessing.

Monday's Devotional from Pastor Ron Vandermey: "May His Name Be Famous in Israel" Ruth 4:14... "Then the women said to Naomi, 'Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a close relative; and may his name be famous in Israel!' " During Princeton Seminary's glory days, Robert Dick Wilson was the great and stalwart professor defending the accuracy of the Old Testament against critics. He also rarely attended the chapel services for more than a few minutes. One of his more famous graduates, Donald Grey Barnhouse, was disappointed when Dr. Wilson walked out during his appointed time at the chapel. He saw his favorite professor later on and was asked why he walked out. Wilson explained that he only came to see former students speak to find out if they had a "big God" or a "small God." In other words, he wanted to find out if they truly believed the power of God and preached accordingly. Wilson told the young Barnhouse that he indeed had a "big God." When Naomi arrived in Bethlehem, she ordered the other women of the town to call her Mara--Bitter. If Naomi had met Dr. Robert Dick Wilson on her way into the town square, he would have said that Naomi suffered from having a "small God." Here in verse 14 of the fourth chapter, we find that Naomi has gone to theology school, and the same women that she had chided for calling her Naomi (thought of sweetness), now remind her of her new estate. They see as does Naomi that she indeed has a "Big God" who directs in precise detail every element of Naomi's life. Naomi, believing she was suffering because of her sin of not trusting God and leaving God's Promised Land, now is reminded that God did not leave her without a "close relative." Christ, born within perhaps 1200 yards and approximately 1200 years of the spot in which she lived, became that ultimate "close relative" not only of Naomi but of all who would believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. As Boaz became the Kinsman-Redeemer of Ruth and Naomi, so the Lord Jesus redeems us as our blood relative with his precious blood. The last segment of this verse says "may his name be famous in Israel." This is a reference to the family rather than individually to Obed (not yet born) or Boaz. The fame would indeed come to Obed in the sense that he is the grandfather of Israel's greatest king (David). Some years ago, I introduced myself to Dr. Timothy Tow, leader of the Chinese Church in the International Council of Christian Churches for more than 50 years, and he said he knew my name well, as the Vandermey name is famous in his land. That had no reflection on me personally but on the "name" (applying mainly to my father and oldest brother). Obed was not famous, but the Kingly and Messianic line was indeed famous.

Friday's Devotional from Pastor Ron Vandermey: The Lord Gave Conception to Ruth Ruth 4:13... "So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife; and when he went in to her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bore a son." The marriage of Boaz and Ruth takes place in the verse, and the consummation of that marriage brings the birth of a son. The significant element in this verse is the superintendence of the Lord: the LORD gave her conception. Note that we have the covenant name of God represented by the tetragrammaton YHWH, which is correctly translated LORD. In the English Bible, the word LORD capitalized is always an indication of the Name that was revealed to Moses in Exodus 3:14 as the Covenant Keeping God. If it is Lord, the Hebrew word Adonai is being translated. It means literally Lord or Master, and does not have the significance that we find in YHWH. The fact that it is the LORD who gives the conception is found elsewhere in Scripture, notably in Genesis 30:22 with Rachel, and Genesis 29:31 with Leah. In the next book after Ruth, we read in I Samuel 1:19 that the LORD remembered Hannah, meaning that she too had a child for which she had prayed. The LORD granted her petition, and allowed her to conceive Samuel.

Thursday's Devotional from Pastor Ron Vandermey: Blessing by the People of Bethlehem Ruth 4:11-12... "And all the people who were at the gate, and the elders, said, 'We are witnesses. The Lord make the woman who is coming to your house like Rachel and Leah, the two who built the house of Israel; and may you prosper in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. May your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring which the Lord will give you from this young woman.' The scene projected for us in these verses reminds me of the end of a great opera or a Greek comedy (meaning that all is bleak at the start and joyful at the endtragedy to triumph). I can see the elders and the townspeople coming to the gate of the city singing the words that we have in verses 11-12. This is the blessing on the wedding of two role models of what it should be for one living under the Mosaic covenant. Everything has been done according to the Law, and all that has transpired up to this moment brings glory to God. The people are witnesses to this fact. Note that the people first bless Ruth that she should be like Rachel (buried a short distance from Ruth's location) and Leah (the mother of Judah). It is interesting that the words be famous in Bethlehem are added. David, the great-grandson of Ruth, would make this village extremely famous. Along with that, we sing around the world about Bethlehem each December because David’s descendant Jesus was also born in Bethlehem. It is truly a famous place. I have been there several times, and it is no longer a village, but a large city that boasts a large Arab Christian population thanks to missionaries like Joan Davenport (a member of Bethany Church). Verse 12 in true Hebrew poetic form continues the blessing by mentioning the house of Perez, the child that Tamar bore to Judah. Perez was the firstborn of twins born to Tamar, and he became the main ancestor of the Ephrathites and Bethlehemites (I Chronicles 2:3-51; 4:4). Tamar’s name is in the genealogy of Christ recorded in Matthew 1, and that again, as in the case of Rahab and Ruth, serves as an evidence of God’s grace and mercy to those who act by faith (despite their backgrounds).

Wednesday's Devotional from Pastor Ron Vandermey: "Witnesses to the Redemption Ruth 4:9-10... "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, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brethren and from his position at the gate. You are witnesses this day.' To know the names of your ancestors was and still is extremely important in Jewish households. Gentiles often do not. I never met my grandmother (who died in 1936), and am not sure of her birthdate. Last April, I spent several hours going over the records with a wonderfully helpful worker at the oldest city cemetery in America in Rochester, New York. I was there as a little boy to visit the grave of my grandmother, but the only Minnie Reed there died in 1948. (I did visit the graves of Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony while there, and the staff got in touch with other cemeteries). The Hebrew Law stresses a knowledge of ancestors, and we see that in the book of Ruth. Through the process of perpetuating the name of the deceased, as in the case of Ruth, Elimelech is not forgotten when he dies with no descendants. Ruth and Boaz's first son is actually an heir of Elimelech's deceased son who had been married to Ruth. This is made clear in chapter 4. When we become children of God through the death of our own Kinsman Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ, we are never forgotten. Though in this world our lives may seem to account for nothing, God knows every step we take, sees every joy we experience, and even stores our tears in a bottle. The God of all Gods, Creator of the World, and Ruler of the Universe never leaves one of His children behind! May we not spend years seeking fame and fortune, but rather, let us humbly bow before our Lord and God and say, "Thy will be done." Let us leave the foolish things of this world and look toward our heavenly kingdom where we will live with Christ forever! As God perpetuates the name of His Son in us, may He find us faithful even unto death. Let us seek the help of the Lord Jesus Christ, who hears our prayers, strengthens our hearts, and lives even until the very last breath we breathe on this earth.

Tuesday's Devotional from Pastor Ron Vandermey: The Passing of the Sandal Ruth 4:7-8... "Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging, to confirm anything: one man took off his sandal and gave it to the other, and this was a confirmation in Israel. Therefore the close relative said to Boaz, 'Buy it for yourself.' So he took off his sandal." With the words "Now this was the custom in former times in Israel," the author of the book of Ruth is in verse 7 seen as one writing at a much later period. My guess would be that the book of Ruth was written by David or a scribe assigned to that task. An oral tradition could have been passed down from Boaz and Ruth to Obed, then Jesse, and eventually David. Of course, the writer is under the same inspiration, and no one doubts the canonicity of the book of Ruth. In the Old Testament, feet and shoes symbolized power, possession, and domination (Joshua 10:24, Psalm 8:6, 60:8, 108:9). When Moses removed his shoes (Exodus 3:5; cf. Joshua 5:15), he acknowledged the LORD and His authority; when David walked barefoot, he showed his powerlessness and humiliation (II Samuel 15:30; cf. Isaiah 20:2-4; Ezekiel 24:17, 23). Feet and shoes also played symbolic roles in ancient property transactions. According to the Nuzi texts, ancient tablets found near the Tigris River that talk about legal and business practices, for example, to validate a transfer of real estate, the old owner would lift up his foot from the property and place the new owner’s foot on it. In the Old Testament, to set foot on the land was associated with ownership of it (Deuteronomy 1:36, 11:24; Joshua 1:3, 14:9). Therefore, the sandal transfer in Ruth 4:7 may be a symbolic offshoot of such ancient customs. If so, the practice had come a long way: originally associated with transfers of land ownership, the custom had become a symbol in Israel for other transactions as well.

Monday's Devotional from Pastor Ron Vandermey: Redeem It for Yourself! Ruth 4:5-6... "Then Boaz said, 'On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also buy it from Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance.' "And the close relative said, 'I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I ruin my own inheritance. You redeem my right of redemption for yourself, for I cannot redeem it.' " In other words, Boaz is telling his relative that on the day you redeem the property of Elimelech, you will also gain Ruth, the Moabitess, as your wife. Land was one issue, but the next of kin was not willing to take a new wife in the process, stating that it would cause him to ruin his own inheritance. His refusal then allows the rights of redemption to pass on to the next kinsman, Boaz. Boaz is looking at the spirit of the Law rather than simply the letter of the Law that is recorded in Deuteronomy 25:25-26. In those verses only the property is in view. Boaz sees the importance of having an heir to claim that property in the future as the real intent of the passage. Not having such laws in our country, we cannot always appreciate the ways in which God protected the Israelites. The land of Israel was a gift from God to the Jewish nation. A person's land could only be passed on to his oldest son, or closest relative if there was no surviving son. In this way, the land of Israel remained in the original tribes to which it was assigned in the days of Joshua. For Christians, we see an even greater significance to this subject of inheritance. Our inheritance through Christ is incorruptible. Nothing can separate us from God, our Father, and nothing can destroy our inheritance. It is sealed forever by God Almighty, Himself! 1 Peter 1 tells us that, as believers, each of us has an inheritance reserved specifically for us in heaven which is kept by the power of God. This is the inheritance we receive on the day that we, by faith, fall before Christ seeking His salvation and His eternal grace.

Friday's Devotional from Pastor Ron Vandermey: "I Will Redeem It" Ruth 4:1-4... "Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there; and behold, the close relative of whom Boaz had spoken came by. So Boaz said, 'Come aside, friend, sit down here.' So he came aside and sat down. And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, 'Sit down here.' So they sat down. Then he said to the close relative, 'Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, sold the piece of land which belonged to our brother Elimelech. And I thought to inform you, saying, "Buy it back in the presence of the inhabitants and the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if you will not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know; for there is no one but you to redeem it, and I am next after you. ' And he said, 'I will redeem it.' " In this chapter, Boaz is found waiting at the city gate for his relative. The closest relative was the one who had the first right to act as the kinsman redeemer. When his relative arrived, Boaz sat down with him and discussed the situation of Ruth and Naomi. Wisely, Boaz began with a discussion of the physical property of Elimelech, who at his death had no living heirs. That physical property would then be sold to the nearest relative. His kinsman agreed to redeem the land of Elimelech. Boaz was suddenly taken by surprise, but as we will see he has a plan. The nearest relative said: "I will redeem it." He was apparently not aware of all that is meant by that term redeem. "To redeem" during the period of the judges had three meanings: to free from bondage (Leviticus 25:47-48); to free from poverty (Leviticus 25:25); and to free from death in the case of a widow who needed an heir to carry on the family line and provide for her (Deuteronomy 25:5-6). As we shall see in chapter 4, Boaz redeems Ruth and Naomi in all three ways. Boaz portrayed the freedom that we have in Christ from slavery to sin, poverty of spirit, and the ultimate consequences of death.

Thursday's Devotional from Pastor Ron Vandermey: "A Time to Wait" Ruth 3:14-18... "So she lay at his feet until morning, and she arose before one could recognize another. Then he said, 'Do not let it be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.' Also he said, 'Bring the shawl that is on you and hold it.' And when she held it, he measured six ephahs of barley, and laid it on her. Then she went into the city. "When she came to her mother-in-law, she said, 'Is that you, my daughter?' Then she told her all that the man had done for her. And she said, 'These six ephahs of barley he gave me; for he said to me, "Do not go empty-handed to your mother-in-law." ' Then she said, 'Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will turn out; for the man will not rest until he has concluded the matter this day.' " We have said previously that Ruth is a picture of the Bride of Christ, and Boaz is a picture of the Kinsman-Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ. Ruth is a Gentile woman, dead in trespasses and sins and at enmity with God. She is a poor widow, despised by the Israelites, with nothing to commend her. But she has come to know and to trust the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, through the teaching and training of her Jewish mother-on-law. We too were lost in sin and entirely separated from God, but we were brought near to Him through the blood of Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh. Boaz had expressed his love for Ruth, through the many gifts and abundant kindnesses that he showed her, and she in like manner simply sat at his feet until dawn as an expression of her love for him, which was acknowledged when he covered her over with his robe, as an honorable expression of his good intentions towards her. Although it was evident to Naomi that the actions of Boaz towards Ruth were noble, and that he would certainly fulfill his intentions towards her and make her his bride, nevertheless Ruth had to wait for the matter to be settled - and she was not to be present when the marriage arrangements were beginning to be finalized. Ruth longed for Boaz to come to her, but we hear the wise advice of her mother-in-law in verse 18: "Sit still my daughter, until you know how the matter will turn out; for the man will not rest until he has concluded the matter this day." Ruth had to learn patience as she waited for Boaz to attend to the important business affairs regarding their marriage union, and Ruth had to trust him to return at the appropriate time, when all the arrangements had been completed - to claim her as his bride. We too wait for our coming Bridegroom to claim us and take us to His mansion on high.

Wednesday's Devotional from Pastor Ron Vandermey: "Ruth--We have a Problem" Ruth 3:12-13... "'Now it is true that I am a close relative; however, there is a relative closer than I. Stay this night, and in the morning it shall be that if he will perform the duty of a close relative for yougood; let him do it. But if he does not want to perform the duty for you, then I will perform the duty for you, as the Lord lives! Lie down until morning.' An American expression for an unexpected difficulty that can derail an entire plan is found in the words: "Houston, we have a problem." Those were the words sent from outer space by Jim Lovell, the commander of Apollo 13. The goal of the mission was to test the ability of the lunar module to land on the moon. That became forgotten as the survival of the crew in the space craft became the real focus. Houston had a problem, which they solved (with much prayer) allowing the crew to return safely (Jim Lovell is currently in reasonably good health at age 91). An elder in our church at that time worked for Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and on the church's sign board he fashioned in the shape of the space craft the words: "Through prayer God saved Apollo 13." Ruth and Boaz had fallen in love, but there was one problem that faces the couple as they contemplate marriage. There is a closer relative than Boaz. Jewish law specifically required the next of kin, if he is single, to take on the responsibility of marrying a widow. Boaz is next in line, and he vows before the Lord that he will seek a settlement of the matter as quickly as possible. He then encourages Ruth to rest contentedly until the morning. Here we must ask: If there was a kinsman nearer than Boaz, then why did not Ruth present herself to him? And why did not Naomi, who must have known there was a nearer kinsman than Boaz, steer Ruth in his direction? The answer will become clear as we reach the end of the story. For the moment, let us recognize in this the sovereignty of God. Boaz trusted God to work all things for good. Boaz would seek to fulfill all righteousness, which meant that there was a problem in that there was a closer relative. I am certain that much prayer took place by both Ruth and Boaz during this time.

Tuesday's Devotional from Pastor Ron Vandermey: "The Last Kindness better than the First" Ruth 3:10-11... "Then he said, 'Blessed are you of the Lord, my daughter! For you have shown more kindness at the end than at the beginning, in that you did not go after young men, whether poor or rich. And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you request, for all the people of my town know that you are a virtuous woman.'" The more we get into the story of Ruth and Boaz, the more it appears that his heart was set on her right from the very start. He seems greatly relieved that she has approached him in this way, although at first he was startled. The passage that occupies our attention today is an impromptu speech in which Boaz bears testimony to Ruth's virtue, courage, and character. The key word in the book of Ruth -- kindness (hesed) makes a strategic appearance in verse 10. In reflecting on Ruth's time in Bethlehem, he first is reminded of her kindness to her mother-in-law, Naomi. He then remembers her diligence and humility as she begins to glean in the fields. However, Boaz perceives the "last kindness" as better than the first. The last kindness is that Ruth asks that he spread his covering over her. The last kindness is not only the fact that Ruth requests that Boaz perform the rights of the kinsman-redeemer and marry her, but rather that Ruth desires Boaz rather than attempting to find a young man who would be full of life and vitality. It would appear from his statement that there is a significant age difference between them: "in that you did not go after young men, whether poor or rich" (v. 10). We cannot be certain about this, but most commentators make that deduction from these words. Remembering that Matthew 1 states that Boaz was the son of Rahab would certainly support this conclusion, as the scene in Bethlehem described in the book of Ruth reflects an area that has been firmly established with fields that have passed from one generation to another (rather than a recently conquered land). Lastly, we want to note that Boaz declared that Ruth is known in the town of Bethlehem as a "virtuous woman." My thoughts go right away to Proverbs 31 where the virtuous woman buys a field and shoulders admirably all the responsibilities that are given to her. She never fails in any task, and her children rise up to praise her. Ruth, the great-great grandmother of Solomon, could easily have been the prototype of what Solomon defines as the woman of virtue (although there is no evidence that Solomon had her specifically in mind). Nevertheless, Bethlehem testified of Ruth's virtue.