The Best for Last

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Hebrew Word of the Day hafta’ah(surprise) Hear Translation » January 30, 2012 "So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son." — Ruth 4:13 You’ve heard it said in a variety of contexts about saving your best for last. Sometimes it’s said when a basketball player hits a clutch shot at the buzzer to win the game. Or an actor gives a standing-ovation performance in the final show before closing. Or a student aces the final exam. In each case, they saved their best effort for the last possible moment – and it helped win the championship, earn accolades, or pass the course! In a way, I think that God saved his best blessing for last in the story of Ruth. As we come to the final chapter in this short book, Ruth and Naomi’s situation has changed dramatically from one of hardship and a bleak future to one of restoration and healing, and a bright future. Look at all the blessings God bestowed upon these two faithful widows — He provided them the means to feed themselves. He provided them with a protector in Boaz. He provided Ruth with a husband and legal standing within the community. He restored Naomi’s name and erased her feelings of bitterness. But his best blessing, God saved for last – “the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she [Ruth] gave birth to a son.” The women of Bethlehem praised God for this son who “would renew your life and sustain you in your old age” (Ruth 4:15). This child was assurance for both Naomi and Ruth that they would never again be without someone to care for them. This son, as the Bible said, would sustain them in their old age. If that wasn’t enough, however, God has one more blessing to bestow upon Ruth. Through this son, she would be eternally grafted into the family line that produced King David. Her son, Obed, would one day have a son named Jesse, who one day would have a son named David. And from this family line would one day come the Messiah. Because of Ruth’s faithfulness, her devotion, and obedience, God was able to use her life for a far greater purpose than she could ever have imagined. Each choice that Ruth made with humility, love, and compassion for others, led her into a life and legacy that she could not have foreseen. As we live faithfully before God, I believe that He, too, will use our obedience for His purposes and imbue our lives with significance far beyond what we could ever imagine. And that’s saving the best for now! With prayers for shalom, peace, Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein President