RUTH’S DARING RELOCATION
“Do not urge me to leave you or to turn back from following you! Where you go, I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God.” (Ruth 1:16-17). These are the words that Ruth says to her mother-in-law, Naomi, when she refuses to let her return to the land of Judah all by herself. However, when you read the Book of Ruth in English, you miss the whole point!
A WHOLE NEW MEANING
In the original Hebrew the word “urge” spoken by Ruth is "tifgei." This comes from a root (פגע) that does not merely mean to insist, but something much more physical. It is to aggressively press up against someone, even afflicting them. Rejecting Naomi’s offer to stay in Moab, Ruth demonstrates her true willingness to join the Jewish people. Ruth’s decision to become Jewish had far-reaching implications: her son would go on to become the grandfather of none other than King David! Many centuries after Ruth’s fateful decision, a miraculous child was born in the same village to the same family. That child was Jesus.
A DECISION THAT AFFECTED A NATION
Ruth teaches us that sometimes small decisions can have influential consequences. Ruth did not know that following Naomi into the Land of Israel would make her the progenitor of the greatest King of Israel. But she followed her heart.
We invite you to follow your heart and enroll in our Biblical Hebrew course. Begin a journey which will have far-reaching implications, providing you with long-lasting deep understanding of the Holy Scriptures.
