Ruth

The book of Ruth has long been one of the most beloved short stories of the Church. Its literary features include parallelism, poetry, and vivid characterization; it may in fact be one of the greatest love stories of the ancient world. But beyond these credentials the book of Ruth is a story about covenant faithfulness. The book of Ruth—whose events most likely follow immediately after those recorded in the book of Judges (1.1)—is the account of a non-Israelite woman who showed more devotion and faithfulness to the LORD and His people than even many of the Judges who preceded her. It may be that Ruth was mightier than Samson. In the end, Ruth’s loyalty to her covenant-keeping God was rewarded with both protection and provision from Boaz, and she became a life-giver in the line of Jesus Christ (cf. Mt 1.5).

The opening scene of Ruth details several crises that set the stage for the drama of the story:

1. A threat common to those living in Canaan: “there was a famine in the land” (1.1). To survive, Elimelech took his wife Naomi and his family to Moab, on the eastern side of the Dead Sea
2. While in a foreign land, the three women of Elimelech’s clan lost their husbands (vv. 2-5). Thus, “Naomi was left without her two children and without her husband” (v. 5)
3. Voyaging back to Canaan, these women had no male security (vv. 6-9). Read against the backdrop of the Levite’s concubine in Gibeah (cf. Jdg 19), one recognizes the degree of Naomi’s concern (also portrayed in Boaz’s comment in 2.9, and Naomi’s comment in 2.22). Yet, while Orpah departed for her own county and the idolatry of Moab (vv. 4, 13, 15), Ruth remained steadfast in commitment to Naomi—and to the God of Israel—saying: “Do not persuade me to leave you or go back and not follow you. For wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you live, I will live; your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD do this to me, and even more, if anything but death separates you and me” (vv. 16-17). The reader should understand this to be Ruth’s confession of faith, the sign of true conversion to the LORD; during a time of crisis, when Ruth had the opportunity—even encouragement—to return to her pagan ways, she committed her life to God and His people!

The end of ch 1 provides the important detail that, as “the LORD had paid attention to His people’s need by providing them food” (v. 6), Naomi and Ruth “arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest” (v. 22). The text wastes no time in presenting Boaz as God’s instrument of provision for Ruth and her mother-in-law (2.1-4.10) :

1. While Ruth was gleaning in Boaz’s field, Boaz took a keen interest in her well-being (2.1-10)
2. When Boaz heard of Ruth’s commitment to Naomi, even forsaking her own land and family (v. 11), he prayed in her hearing: “May the LORD reward you for what you have done, and may you receive a full reward from the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge” (v. 12)
3. Boaz provided her sustenance, and instructed his young men to care for her (vv. 14-23)
4. When Boaz heard of Ruth’s desire that he redeem her, he pledged, “I will do for you whatever you say, since all the people in my town know that you are a woman of noble character…but there is a redeemer closer than I am” (3.11-12). Boaz’s desire to care for Ruth is apparent in his commitment to follow legal procedure for her redemption (4.1-10).

The conclusion of the drama reveals God’s faithfulness to those who are committed to Him—even when the crises of life would make it convenient to pursue pagan ways. Upon witnessing the redemption of Elimelech’s remaining family and property, including Ruth, the elders of Bethlehem prayed in his hearing: “May the LORD make the woman who is entering your house like Rachel and Leah, who together built the house of Israel” (4.11). The text straightway announces the fulfillment of their prayer, “Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he was intimate with her, the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son” (4.13). Further, even the women of Bethlehem rejoiced in God, “Praise the LORD, who has not left you without a family redeemer today” (4.14). 

While the plot of the story already has a magnificent conclusion, the author pointed up the far-reaching implications of Boaz and Ruth’s union; their son Obed “was the father of Jesse, the father of David” (4.17). His words are informative for seeing Scripture as a storyline of redemptive history; the events of the book of Ruth set the stage for the drama of the whole Bible. From the line of David came Jesus Christ—the One who redeemed all nations of men. Paul detailed this at the outset of his epistle to the Romans; he wrote:

“Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle and singled out for God’s good news—which He promised long ago through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures—concerning His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who was a descendant of David according to the flesh and was established as the powerful Son of God by the resurrection from the dead according to the Spirit of holiness” (Rom 1.1-4).

*For a complete list of references, please see scripturestoryline.com