Ruth: What I Learned
The entirety of Ruth is read on Day 97 of the chronological reading plan. An outline for Ruth is also available.
Ruth is the first book that I did an inductive Bible study on when I started walking with the Lord in my late twenties, so I have great affection for it. It was the first time I really learned about digging into a book of the Bible and finding what could be gleaned (great word, since it’s part of the story of Ruth) from it.
The story of Ruth takes place at the time of the judges in Israel. Famine moved Abram and Sarai to Egypt before they had Isaac. Famine moved the entire nation of Israel to Egypt. In the book of Ruth, famine moved Elimilech’s family from Bethlehem in Judah to Moab. The Moabites were descendants of Lot. When Israel traveled through the wilderness to the Promised Land, they were not allowed to harass Moab or provoke them to war because God had promised their land to them (Deuteronomy 2:9). The king of Moab did, however, ask the diviner Balaam to curse them (Numbers 22). And the sons of Israel did join them in worship of their gods, which resulted in a plague of God in which killed 24,000 (Numbers 25). Moab became enemies of Israel during the time of the judges (Judges 3). The story of Ruth took place in these same “days when the judges governed” (Ruth 1:1a).
Elimilech dies in Moab. His two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, marry Moabite women, Ruth and Orpah, before they die childless. When she hears that there is food in land of Israel again, Elimilech’s widow, Naomi, decides to return to Bethlehem and she gives her daughters-in-law permission to stay with their families.
Ruth is a model of commitment: “Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may the LORD do to me, and worse, if anything but death parts you and me” (Ruth 1:16-17).
The book of Ruth also demonstrates the Mosaic Law in action:
Ruth gleans from the field of Boaz at harvest time (Leviticus 19:10).
Ruth is a stranger that lives among the people of Israel, but she is welcome to live as they do, following God and His Laws (Exodus 12:49).
Boaz redeems the property of Elimilech (Leviticus 25:24).
Boaz also redeems Ruth (Deuteronomy 25:5-6; Ruth 4:5).
Ruth is faithful to her mother-in-law and faithful to provide for her mother-in-law. Her integrity is noticed. Boaz tells her, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband has been fully reported to me, and how you left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and came to a people that you did not previously know. May the LORD reward your work, and your wages be full from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge” (Ruth 2:11-12).
Ruth also trusts the advice of her mother-in-law and does what she tells her: “My daughter, shall I not seek security for you, that it may be well with you? Now is not Boaz our kinsman, with whose maids you were? Behold, he winnows barley at the threshing floor tonight. Wash yourself therefore, and anoint yourself and put on your best clothes, and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. It shall be when he lies down, that you shall notice the place where he lies, and you shall go and uncover his feet and lie down; then he will tell you what you shall do” (Ruth 3:1b-4). Ruth answers, “All that you say I will do” (Ruth 3:5).
This strange action results in this exchange: “‘I am Ruth your maid. So spread your covering over your maid, for you are a close relative.’ Then [Boaz] said, ‘May you be blessed of the LORD, my daughter. You have shown your last kindness to be better than the first by not going after young men, whether poor or rich. Now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you whatever you ask, for all my people in the city know that you are a woman of excellence. Now it is true I am a close relative; however, there is a relative closer than I. Remain this night, and when morning comes, if he will redeem you, good; let him redeem you. But if he does not wish to redeem you, then I will redeem you, as the LORD lives. Lie down until morning’” (Ruth 3:9b-13).
Boaz does redeem Ruth. He marries her and she gives birth to Obed, the grandfather of King David. There’s even more to this amazing lineage: Rahab, the harlot of Jericho, who protected the spies of Israel is the mother of Boaz (Joshua 2, Joshua 6:25, Matthew 1:5)
There is much to revere in this story, including the integrity of Ruth and the integrity of Boaz. It also speaks to us of our own Redeemer, under whose wings we seek refuge. Ruth is redeemed and provided for. Naomi is redeemed and provided for. Finally, it demonstrates that all can be part of the family of God. He welcomes the stranger and allows her to be in the family lineage our Savior.
May we too be men and women of excellence, faithfully submitting to our Redeemer and trusting His provision.