"I Am Only A Foreigner"

This is Part 5 of a 9-Part Series on Immigration

The Book of Ruth is an immigration story from the very beginning, and exemplifies how Old Testament laws were originally put into practice in order to protect and provide for the people whom we can so easily forget.

The story begins with a severe famine in Israel. As mentioned in previous posts, it was common during a famine to flee to Egypt, but in this story, Elimelech, his wife, Naomi, and their two sons, Mahlon and Kilion fled to the east to a country called Moab. While living as immigrants in Moab, the sons marry Moabite women, Ruth and Orpah. Unfortunately, over time, all 3 men died, leaving Naomi, Ruth, and Orpah as widows.

By the time all 3 men had died, the famine in Israel had ended, and, as outlined in previous posts, God had commanded the Israelites to treat foreigners and widows very generously, so these laws (as well as some other laws involving property and inheritance) had the potential to greatly benefit all 3 women, particularly Naomi. Despite the risks involved, the women (an Israelite and 2 Moabites) decided to immigrate to Naomi's hometown of Bethlehem to take advantage of these laws.

When it comes to immigration policy, there are 2 things that are worth pointing out at this particular point in the story. The first is that, many times people are concerned that if our immigration laws are too lenient or generous, we will have people coming to the United States simply to take advantage of them - but it was because of the compassion and generosity of Israel's laws that the women chose to move back to Israel. It is even said of Ruth, after she has migrated to Israel: "May the Lord, under whose wings you have come to take refuge, reward you fully for what you have done." - Ruth 2:12

The second is that this story is a good illustration of some of the situations we encounter today in terms of immigration laws and how family relationships, especially marriage and children, can easily "complicate" things. Mahlon and Kilion were probably not planning to stay permanently in Moab, but they met Moabite women while living there and decided to marry. If they had wanted to return to Israel, would their wives automatically be welcomed as fellow citizens? If Ruth and Orpah had never married Israelite men, they never would have had any reason to immigrate to Israel. ... If someone marries a U.S. citizen, are they automatically a U.S. citizen as well? ... Is a child who is born in the United States to immigrants considered a U.S. citizen? ... These are complicated questions, and "family" frequently knows no borders.

Moving on in our story, on the way to Bethlehem, Naomi has a change of heart. Recognizing that there is very little chance of her daughters-in-law being able to remarry in a way that would benefit her, she suggests that they return to Moab to live with their parents while they are still young enough to remarry and start over again in Moab. Naomi knew she was putting herself at great risk by suggesting this; she was older and more vulnerable, and her prospects for remarriage were slim to none, but she put the well-being of her daughters-in-law ahead of her own. Her daughter-in-law, Orpah, tearfully headed back to Moab, but Ruth refused to abandon her.

" ... Don't ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.." - Ruth 1:16

As you might recall from Post 3 ("Remember That You Were Once Foreigners") according to the Old Testament laws, landowners were supposed to leave a portion of their crops unharvested so that widows, orphans, and foreigners could freely gather from them. So once Ruth and Naomi arrive in Bethlehem, Ruth offers to provide for both of them by gathering grain left behind by the harvesters. She finds herself gathering grain in the field of a wealthy man named Boaz, who happens to be a relative of her late husband and father-in-law. Boaz notices Ruth right away, and asks around to see who she is.

Cue the sappy music because this is the point at which most Christians turn this into a modern day love story, but, in my opinion, that couldn't be further from the truth. There is a tendency to assume he notices her because she is an attractive, young woman, but personally, I think it is more likely that it is because she is a foreigner. Scripture indicates Boaz had a lot of young women working for him and he addresses her as "daughter" (rightly so because he was old enough to be her father!), and nowhere in the entire Book of Ruth is there any mention of her outward beauty, but there are roughly 5-7 references to the fact that she was a foreigner, so my thought is that she probably looked a bit "conspicuous". But regardless of the reason, Boaz is clearly impressed by her character, integrity, and faith, and he responds the way God intended for His People to respond - with protection and provision.

"Boaz went over and said to Ruth, 'Listen, my daughter. Stay right here with us when you gather grain, don't go to any other fields. Stay right behind the young women working in my field. See which part of the field they are harvesting, and then follow them. I have warned the young men not to treat you roughly. And when you are thirsty, help yourself to the water they have drawn from the well." - Ruth 2:8-9

"At mealtime Boaz called to her, 'Come over here, and help yourself to some food. You can dip your bread in the sour wine.' So she sat with his harvesters, and Boaz gave her some roasted grain to eat. She ate all she wanted and still had some left over." - Ruth 2:14

"When Ruth went back to work again, Boaz ordered his young men, 'Let her gather grain right among the sheaves without stopping her. And pull out some heads of barley from the bundles and drop them on purpose for her. Let her pick them up, and don't give her a hard time.' So Ruth gathered barley there all day, and when she beat out the grain that evening, it filled an entire basket." - Ruth 2:15-17

"Then Ruth said, 'What's more, Boaz even told me to come back and stay with his harvesters until the entire harvest is completed.' 'Good!' Naomi exclaimed. 'Do as he said, my daughter. Stay with his young women right through the whole harvest. You might be harassed in other fields, but you'll be safe with him.'" - Ruth 2:21-22

Ruth works hard through both the barley and the wheat harvest protecting and providing for her mother-in-law and Boaz continues to treat her with dignity and respect, protecting and providing for her while expecting nothing in return.

We have a tendency to read scripture with a current "lens" and take our own biases - whatever they may be - and insert them into the stories we read. As a result, Christians frequently make this out to be a romantic relationship, but there is nothing in Scripture to indicate that it is anything more than a very respectful, appropriate, and platonic relationship. There isn't a single reference to any character's outward appearance in the Book of Ruth - positively or negatively. In contrast, there are somewhere between 15-20 references to Ruth's character, integrity, and faith, roughly 19 direct or indirect references to her compromised status as a widow and/or foreigner, and roughly 8 references to her age. And there are roughly 26 direct or indirect references to Boaz' character, integrity, and faith, and roughly 18 references to his status as someone who was in a social and economic position to provide protection and provision for her.

This is a "love" story for sure, but it isn't a story of flirting and courting; it's a story of protection and provision, of selflessness and devotion. It's a story of unconditional love for God and unconditional love for other people.

" ... 'What have I done to deserve such kindness?' she asked. 'I am only a foreigner.'" - Ruth 2:10

© I Lift My Voice, 2025

Click Here to Read Part 6 in This 9-Part Series on Immigration