March 26

March 26

Ruth

Scripture Text: Ruth 1:1–4:22

Series: Read the Bible in a Year

Ruth’s is a story of love, sacrifice, and loyalty—in short, the story of a friend. It begins with a Judean named Elimelech, an Ephrathite from Bethlehem who takes his family to Moab, presumably for better prospects during a famine. 

Elimelech dies in Moab, leaving his wife, Naomi. Their sons take Moabites as wives, one of whom is Ruth. While Moabites are Gentiles, they are not Canaanites so there were no marriage prohibitions for Jews. After about a decade, Naomi’s sons die. Now there is no one to provide for Naomi and her daughters-in-law. Because the famine was over in Bethlehem, Naomi will return to her home, urging her daughters-in-law to return to their families, as Naomi cannot support them. Indeed, she seems hopeless, believing, between the famine and the deaths of her husband and sons, that the hand of the Lord was against her. She wants better for her daughters-in-law and tries to send them home. After weeping, which shows their care for one another, one daughter-in-law goes home but Ruth will not leave Naomi. At this point, Ruth says, “Where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God” (Ruth 1:16).

The two women return to Bethlehem, arriving at the beginning of the barley harvest. Ruth goes to work, gleaning in the fields of Boaz, a relative of the late Elimelech, who notices her. It is unclear if he takes notice only because he is a good overseer of his business. When he discovers she is the woman who had been loyal to his sister-in-law and looked after her, he brings her under his protection, raising her status even above the men in the fields. In fact, these men are now expected to be her protectors against any unwanted advances or prejudicial actions. But it is Boaz around whom Ruth’s story now unfolds. He is more than her protector; he is to be her redeemer, a duty which includes buying back (redeeming) a relative who had become indentured or enslaved. 

Boaz purchases from Naomi the land that had belonged to his relative, Elimelech, and with it came Ruth. Boaz marries Ruth and they have a son, named Obed, who would be the father of Jesse, the father of King David. This, of course, makes Ruth and Boaz ancestors of Christ Jesus. The fidelity of Ruth to Naomi, and Boaz to Ruth, sets the backdrop of our faithful Redeemer. 

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