Third, Ruth did not turn to the government for help in her time of distress. She looked instead to the private sector. Welfare in the Bible is invariably private in nature. As a result, the apparatus of charity is kept simple. Accountability is enhanced.
Flexibility is made possible.
Local conditions are maximized. And personal attention is made more likely. By keeping charity decentralized, deinstitutionalized, and private, everyone concerned is saved from the anguish of graft, corruption, and red tape. Fourth, Ruth obtained mercy. It was not an entitlement.