Bob Jones University, the IRS, the Supreme Court and the Book of Ruth

On October 12 the United States Supreme Court heard the case of Bob Jones University v. Internal Revenue Service. The IRS had denied tax exemption privileges to the school on account of racial discrimination. The school admits black students but prohibits interracial dating and marriage.

Bob Jones seems to admit that the rule is discriminatory, but contends that it is based on religious principles derived from the Bible. As such it cannot be reviewed by the civil authorities. The basis for such a claim is probably the Book of Ezra, Chapters 9 and 10. Ezra traces the troubles of the Jewish nation to the fact that there has been intermarriage between Jews and Palestinians. He orders all Jewish men to divorce their Palestinian wives, and lists the names of the leaders who obey his command.

Now comes the author of the Book of Ruth. Whether that author be divine or mortal, he tells a good story. If it were published today, it would be classified as historical romance – based on fact and embellished by the imagination of the author.

There was a famine in Israel. A man named Elimilech, his wife, Naomi, and their two sons migrated to Moab in search of food. The man died. His two sons married Moabite (non-Jewish) women. Then the sons died.

The famine ended in Israel, and Naomi decides to return there. She calls her daughter-in-law to say good-bye. Ruth declares she will leave Moab to stay with Naomi: “Whither thou goest, I will go. Thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.” For centuries Ruth has been honored for her loyalty to her mother-in-law.

In Israel Naomi sends Ruth out to glean behind the reapers in the field. She finds herself in the field of a rich man named Boaz, who happens to be a third or fourth cousin of Ruth’s dead father-in-law. Boaz notices her, invites her to share his food at the lunch hour, and instructs the reapers to leave some of the grain around for Ruth to collect. He advises her to stay in his field for she might be molested if she went elsewhere. She and Naomi fare well. Naomi understands the by-play.

The harvest ends and threshing the grain follows. After the day’s work there is to be a threshing party – eating and drinking – a custom which still persists in the corn-husking bee. Naomi tells Ruth to bathe herself, use some perfume, don her prettiest clothes and go to the party. She instructs her to give special attention to Boaz, and how to get his special attention after the affair. Ruth captivates him. Boaz succumbs and decides to wed Ruth. He comments how pleased he is that she devoted herself to him rather than to some younger fellow.

Mother in laws, take notice. Naomi encourages Ruth to remarry, and helps her catch the right man.

Boaz follows through with the formalities of Jewish law to secure the legal right for them to marry and presumably to live happily ever after. A son was born to them.

Now comes the punch line: They named him Obed, he was the father of Jesse, the father of David. In other words, a Moabitess (a non-Jewish Palestinian) was the great-grandmother of Israel’s most honored king. Ezra’s edict against racial intermarriage is invalidated.

I am not advocating racial intermarriage. I am only recounting a divinely inspired Biblical story.