Family Ties
It was God Himself who ordained the traditional family as the unit
through which He would continue the propagation of the human race… those who
cling dearly to family ties will find them to be a great blessing!
The mobility of our
society and many other factors have contributed to an overall weakening of
family ties. The Book of Ruth, however, is a reminder that such family ties are
more than mere social customs that can come or go, because it was God Himself
who ordained the traditional family as the unit through which He would continue
the propagation of the human race.
You might recall
that, in the Pentateuch, a number of actual laws were recorded that were
designed specifically to strengthen and preserve family ties. Some of the laws
provided for the return of family lands after being mortgaged or sold in times
of dire poverty (e.g., Lev. 25:25-28). Another law stipulated that if a man
died without children, his brother was expected to marry the widow and beget
descendants in the name of the deceased man (cf. Deut 25:5-6; such a marriage was
called a "levirate" marriage, from the Latin word levir, meaning
"husband's brother"). Many of these customs were based on assumptions
of primogeniture, that idea that the oldest son should be the main agent for
preserving and strengthening family prestige and property over the generations.
The Book of Ruth
shows how such laws, even if considered obsolete for our times, did indeed
provide some basis of security for widows, for both Ruth and Naomi are rewarded
with a happy ending for their faithfulness. In every age, those who defend and
recognize the family as an obvious part of God's plan continue the noble
tradition recorded in the Book of Ruth, for those who cling dearly to family
ties will find them to be a great blessing!