MOTHERS

BY Joyce Voysey

In the Reading Room yesterday, I found an article about the Book of Ruth called “Mothers in Israel.”  It is in the May 1930 Christian Science Journal, and was written by Margaret L Marshall. [Ed. See jsh-online via this link: http://journal.christianscience.com/issues/1930/5/48-2/mothers-in-israel] It is an excellent commentary.  

I must say I have not been very inspired by reading the book.  It seems to me that commentators put more meaning into it than is evident from the words!  (Perhaps you will be disgusted with me.  No doubt I have lessons to learn from this record, and am not thinking spiritually enough.) 

The woman/women angle is important.  Verse eleven of Chapter four gives them good press, even saying that Rachel and Leah “did build the house of Israel.”  And does it perhaps prophesy that Ruth would influence the history of Israel, as they had?  I do love Ruth’s statement, “…wither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God” (Ruth 1:16).

Ed:  What an amazing the treasure trove of articles we can draw upon from our periodicals, and how grateful we are that someone like Joyce Voysey is researching them for us!

My favourite paragraph from Margaret L Marshall’s fine article is:

“Gleaning may be defined as gathering assiduously with constant diligence. Human nature is apt to look upon the evidence of abundance with a tinge of envy, instead of recognizing the patient striving that is usually an important factor in bringing about the destruction of the evil belief of lack, whatever form this belief may seem to take.”

Also see another article, this time in The Christian Science Journal March 1924, also called “Mothers in Israel”, but by a different author, viz. Sarah Beatrice Slote.  Click here to read the whole article: http://journal.christianscience.com/issues/1924/3/41-12/mothers-in-israel

I especially like this:

“In Israel, children early understood the power of God, and early developed spiritually. First impressions are important. Consciousness in youth is quickly receptive...”

And later:

“Ruth, although not a Hebrew, became one through acceptance of the God of Israel, while under the spiritual influence of Naomi. The peace and good-will, the love and obedience which she reflected in Bethlehem, came to blossom in the life of David, her descendant, Israel's greatest king, and to fulfillment in the life of Christ Jesus, Israel's promised Messiah, also born in Bethlehem. The women of Bethlehem, in their song to Naomi, said of Ruth, ‘Thy daughter in law, which loveth thee ... is better to thee than seven sons.’”