NAOMI AND RUTH
Biblical Feminine Paradigms for the Formation of a Just and Compassionate Society
Keywords:
Feminine Face of God, Hesed, Indian Feminism, Kingdom of God, Political Emotions, Restorative Justice, Women FriendshipAbstract
There are some amazing biblical heroines who have accomplished the divine dream for a just and compassionate society through their seemingly irrelevant but vigorous and dynamic lives. This paper deals with Naomi and Ruth, from the biblical book of Ruth, whose remarkable story exists as paradigms for resolving the contemporary social issues like immigration, family life, widow-hood, racism, inter-religious relationships, and food. They accomplish the endeavour to be the life-paradigms in the formation of a just and compassionate society through their astute leadership, flawless friendship, covenant faithfulness and more over by their absolute trust in the Lord who rewards the faithful and it is the relevance of this biblical novella of the Hebrew Bible to the present day. The paper deals with the biblical concepts of ḥesed and ṣeḏāqāh, which reveal the mind of God for the formation of a just and compassionate society in the Hebrew Bible. The book of Ruth holds out the practice of ḥesed as the ideal lifestyle for Israel. Naomi shares the leadership role with her daughter-in-law Ruth, and became the catalyst for divine intervention. Their flawless friendship brought forth joy and contentment to the-could-be predicament of two widows.
References
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Similar expressions we see in Hosea 11:9, Micah 7:18–19; Joel 2:13 and Jonah 4:2.
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Many such examples are seen in the Bible: Job 38:28–29; Job 38: 8–9; Deuteronomy 32:18; Psalm 131:2, etc. In some texts the feminine character predominates: Isaiah 49:15; Isaiah 66:12a; Hosea 11:3–4, etc.
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Apart from the parables, entering into the kingdom is related with birth imagery (John 3:3–10; James 1:18); maternal image of God in the person of Jesus (Luke 13:34); Christian growth is with nursing (1 Peter 2:2–3).
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