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The Old Testament “Quartet”
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In his video, Pastor Szmara mentions a “quartet” that appears numerous times throughout the Old Testament, in every layer (Law, Prophets, Psalms). They are sometimes known as the “Big Four.” Here are just a few examples:
Zech. 7:9-10
“This is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor.’”
Deuteronomy 14:28-29
“At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year’s produce and store it in your towns, so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.”
Psalm 146:9
“The Lord watches over the foreigner and sustains the fatherless and the widow.”
These groups were the segments of Israelite society that were at most risk of poverty, exploitation, and injustice. They were vulnerable and easy to take advantage of.
Widows and orphans were vulnerable in a patriarchal society because they lacked male protectors and providers in a world that revolved around adult men. There was no safety net for them like there is in most modern societies today. The poor lacked means to support themselves and were at risk of exploitation and exclusion.
The story of Ruth in the Old Testament is an excellent example both of the difficulties and values of the Bible with regard to the foreigner. Ruth is such a heroine for us that we are prone to miss the riskiness of her situation within ancient culture. As a woman, she was already on the margins of ancient society. Then with the loss of her father-in-law and husband, she had virtually no status whatsoever.
Naomi encourages her to stay in Moab. At least then she has the advantage of being with her own people. She at least would not face ostracism by being a foreigner. Perhaps she could find a man in Moab who would marry her.
Instead, she takes the risk of going with Naomi to Judah, to a people who are not naturally her people. In such a situation, she could easily become a target of abuse. But Yahweh’s family is unique, as Boaz demonstrates. In Israel, even immigrants must be loved and taken care of. That wouldn’t have happened in other places, but it did happen in Israel because that was a defining mark. The Israelites were a people who used to be strangers in a foreign land.
The story also drives home the point that caring for immigrants can cost you. A potential kinsman redeemer who was more closely related passed up on the possibility because sacrifice was involved. By contrast, Boaz shows his virtue by embracing the immigrant, going so far as to marry her. And of course Ruth is not only in the lineage of King David, but of Christ himself.