Ruth

Ruth’s story begins with sadness. A family from Bethlehem, Elimelech, his wife Naomi, and their two sons, went to the country of Moab because of a famine.

A Family Far from Home

The two sons married Moabite women: Orpah and Ruth. The family lived in Moab for about 10 years.

But in those years hard troubles came: first Elimelech died. Then, one after the other, both sons died too.

Naomi was left alone, with no husband and no sons, in a foreign land, with her two daughters-in-law.

Going Home

Naomi heard that the famine had ended in Bethlehem and decided to go back. She told her daughters-in-law with love: “Go, return each to her mother’s house: the LORD deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me.”

She kissed them, and all three began to weep.

When they parted, Orpah chose to go back to her family in Moab, a wise and natural choice. But Ruth refused to leave Naomi.

Words That Changed History

Naomi insisted that Ruth go back too. Ruth did not give in. Then she spoke words that have become some of the best known in the whole Bible:

What Ruth Chose

Ruth chose to give up her family, her culture, and her gods from Moab. She chose an elderly widow with no resources who was going home with nothing.

She made this choice because she loved Naomi and because she believed in the God of Israel.

This was not a choice of the moment’s emotion; it was a choice that would change her whole life.

A Special Courage

Ruth knew that in Israel she would be a foreigner, a Moabite, from a people the Hebrews looked on with suspicion. She did not know what awaited her. But she chose to go anyway.

Ruth and Naomi arrived in Bethlehem at the start of the barley harvest. Ruth decided to go out and gather the leftover grain in the field behind the reapers, a practice allowed by the Law of Moses for the poor and for foreigners.

God’s Providence

The Bible says “her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz”. (Hap means chance.) But in the Bible nothing is really by chance.

Boaz was a rich, respected man of character. And he was a relative of Elimelech, Naomi’s dead husband.

Boaz’s Kindness

Boaz noticed Ruth and asked who she was. The servants told him she was Naomi’s daughter-in-law, the Moabite woman who had come back with her.

Boaz went right away and spoke gently to Ruth. He told her to stay in his field, to drink from the water his servants drew, and that he had ordered the young men not to bother her.

Ruth was amazed and asked: “Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?”

Boaz answered:

At mealtime, Boaz gave her plenty of food. In the evening, Ruth went back to Naomi with a lot of barley.

Naomi found out that Boaz was a relative of theirs. She remembered an important law in Israel: the goel, the kinsman-redeemer.

What Is a Goel?

The Law of Moses said that if a man of Israel died without an heir, his nearest relative could:

• Buy the family’s land to keep it in the family
• Marry the widow, so that the dead man’s family line would continue

This was an act of redemption and restoration, a beautiful picture of what God does for us.

Naomi Makes a Plan

Naomi told Ruth to go at night to the threshing floor where Boaz was working. She was to lie down at his feet and ask him to cover her with the corner of his cloak, a sign that she was asking for protection and marriage.

Boaz Answers Nobly

Boaz woke up and found Ruth. He understood what she was asking, and he said:

He promised to redeem her, but said there was another relative, a closer one, who had to be asked first.

In the morning Boaz went to the city gate, the place where all legal matters were settled in Israel. He called 10 elders as witnesses.

The Legal Process

He also brought the other, closer relative, who had the first right to redeem. He explained the situation: there was Elimelech’s land to buy, and there was Ruth, Naomi’s daughter-in-law.

At first the other relative said: “I will redeem it.”

But Boaz added: “What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess.”

The Other Relative Steps Aside

When he heard this, the other relative backed down: “I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance.” He took off his sandal and gave it to Boaz, a legal sign of giving up his right.

Boaz’s Declaration

Boaz declared before the elders and all the people:

All the people and the elders answered: “We are witnesses. The LORD make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah.”

Ruth and Boaz married. God gave them a son, whom they named Obed.

Naomi’s Joy

The neighbor women brought the child to Naomi. They said to her:

Naomi took the child in her arms and became his nurse. The woman who had called herself bitter was now receiving a grandson, a sign of God’s restoration.

The Chain That Leads to Jesus

The Book of Ruth ends with a simple family list:

Boaz was the father of Obed. Obed was the father of Jesse. Jesse was the father of David.

And from David’s family was born Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world.

A woman from Moab, from a people considered enemies of Israel, entered the family through which the Messiah came.

Ruth, a Picture of Redemption

In the Book of Ruth, Boaz is a picture of Jesus:

• He redeemed those who had no hope
• He chose to bring outsiders into God’s family
• He paid the full price of redemption

Ruth is a picture of each one of us, coming from outside, welcomed by God’s grace.