We Buried Ruth today .... A Love story

Common Sense Commentary: Common sense shows up most often in simple, common places not Kingdoms, Palaces, Hollywood, Las Vegas, Politicians' Habitats or Power Centers but down home and on the farm among common people.

Sweetwater, Texas, my boyhood hometown, will never be quite as sweet ever again. We buried Ruth today. Ruth was the precious wife of my Mother's first cousin, Adrian Barton who was, himself, a favorite relative of our entire clan. Aunt Nettie, an angel too, and Uncle Steve raised three boys .... Adrian, the oldest held out the longest. I think it was his love for Ruth, who lingered eight years in a nursing home, that resurrected him every morning to go see about "Ruthie". He was 91 when we buried him about 18 months ago in the family plot at old Nolan Cemetery, south of Sweetwater. His "Ruthie" was 86 when we gently placed her next to her beloved Adrian today, in the hallowed ground where so many of our relatives are buried.

In Ruth's memorial service, this morning, I compared her and Adrian to Ruth and Boaz in the Bible and his mom, Aunt Nettie, to that first Ruth's mother-in-law, Naomi. That Bible, human love story is, to me, unequaled in all of history. The Bible Ruth was found by her mother-in-law, Naomi, on the southeastern shore of the Great Salt Sea (Dead Sea) in the land of Moab. Adrian found his Ruth in Salt Lake City on the southeastern shore of the Great salt Lake which state also has a Moab. The Bible Ruth was loved and taken by her mother-in-law, Naomi back to Bethlehem where God had Boaz, who was older than Ruth, but single and waiting on God's leadership in taking a wife.

Our Ruth was found by Adrian during WWII. They were married and he went to the Pacific war and Ruth went to another foreign land, Sweetwater, West Texas to meet her "Naomi", Aunt Nettie. When she arrived by train in Sweetwater, she was worn out from a long, tiresome journey from Utah. Her new mother-in-law, Nettie, and Uncle Steve met her and started back to their home on a farm. Aunt Nettie could see that Ruthie was tired and scared so she told Ruth to "lay your head in my lap and I'll sing to you." Well, that bonded them together for life. Ruth felt like she was in a foreign land in West Texas, but she became one of the finest, sweetest, most unassuming, humble Christians in our family. She's back with Adrian now, basking in the light and glory of our Lord's presence.

Since Ruth and Boaz are listed in the genealogies of both Mary and Joseph, we know that God's holy plan for the virgin birth of Jesus had to include them 'before the foundation of the world." An ironic, but revealing thing about our God is that He chose the Bible Ruth, who was not even a Jew but a moabitish girl who lived in a pagan land with false gods .... Moab, on the shores of the Salt Sea, to be the wife of Boaz who lived way up in Bethlehem, and to be the great grandmother of King David whose sons were King Solomon and Nathan.

I mention these two sons of King David because the virgin Mary's genealogy, listed in Luke 3, goes back to King David through his son Nathan which is the NATURAL BIOLOGICAL LINEAGE beginning with Jesus and running back through Heli, Mary's father, to Nathan and his father King David to Boaz and Ruth. Then it continues through Boaz back to Adam and ends with God. If we designate God as Number 1, Adam as number 2, then Jesus is Number 77 (perfection) in Mary's genealogy. In her genealogy, Mary's husband, Joseph, is said to be "the son of Heli" but "son of" is italicized which means it was added by the translators to give clarity but it gives confusion. Heli was Mary's father. Joseph's father was named Jacob but under Jewish law, the woman's property and rights passed through her husband. So it should be listed as, "Joseph was OF Heli". He was actually Heli's son-in-law.

Joseph's genealogy is the one recorded in Matt. 1. Unlike Mary's genealogy, which began with Jesus and worked all the way back to Adam and then God, Joseph's genealogy runs the opposite direction. It begins with Abraham, father of the Jews, and runs through King David and his son King Solomon rather than Nathan, right up to Jacob and his son Joseph. "And Jacob BEGAT Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called CHRIST." Mt.1:16. Abraham is number 1 and Jesus is Number 40 (number of testing) in Joseph's genealogy. In Joseph's genealogy, there are 39 "begats" and 1 virgin birth. They all say, "begat" (physical birth) except for Jesus. It does not say Joseph begat Jesus. Joseph's genealogy in Matt.1, beginning with Abraham and running through the kings to "Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus..." is the LEGAL, JEWISH, KINGLY LINEAGE. Joseph was not the biological father of Jesus but he was the Legal Jewish adoptive step father of Jesus and as such, both Joseph and Jesus were Legal Jewish Heirs to the throne of King David.

 Mary's genealogy gives Jesus the prophetic right and title of Saviour (Jesus) and CHRIST/MESSIAH as promised in God's Word..... "Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son , and thou shalt call his name JESUS (Saviour): for he shall save his people from their sins. Now this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the LORD by the prophet (Is.7:14) saying, BEHOLD, A VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL BRING FORTH A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL, which being interpreted is, GOD WITH US. Mt.12:18-23. Now THAT is the greatest love story of all time in all the universe.

Pass it on. RB