Ruth

The story of Ruth is about a kind and loyal woman. It shows how God's hidden guidance helps those who love Him (Romans 8:28). This story is part of the history leading to the Messiah (God’s chosen one). It begins with sadness but ends happily.

Ruth lived during the chaotic time of the judges. She was a foreigner from Moab who married into an Israelite family from Bethlehem while they were in Moab. All the men in this family died in Moab, leaving three widows—Ruth, her mother-in-law Naomi, and her sister-in-law Orpah. When Naomi decided to return to Bethlehem, Ruth chose to go with her. Ruth's expression of love, loyalty, and faith in the Lord, who was Naomi's God, is unmatched (Ruth 1:16–17).

As Naomi expected, life in Bethlehem was hard for her and her daughter-in-law. Ruth took the initiative to solve their food problem by gleaning in the grain fields. This task was hard and risky (Ruth 2:2). She acted with modesty, grace, and courtesy, but also with determination, focus, and endurance.

With Naomi's encouragement, Ruth asked Boaz, a wealthy landowner who supported her gleaning, to be the family redeemer (Ruth 3:1–9). This included marriage. By doing this, Ruth showed great family loyalty (Ruth 3:10). Ruth's generous and diligent care for Naomi is a major theme in this book. Boaz responded to Ruth's proposal by calling her a virtuous woman (Ruth 3:11). She showed what it means to be a virtuous and capable wife (see Proverbs 31:10–31, which uses the same Hebrew phrase and is placed immediately before Ruth in the Hebrew Bible).

Boaz resolved the legal matters and then married Ruth. The book concludes with the birth of a baby boy, Obed. This ending reveals an important purpose of the book of Ruth. Obed became King David's grandfather. The New Testament mentions Ruth as one of only five women in the genealogy of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:5). Ruth's everyday faithfulness had eternal significance as God fulfilled his purposes through her.

Passages for Further Study

Ruth 1:4–4:13; Matthew 1:5