“Ruth: A Woman of Love”
Read Matthew 1:1-17, Ruth 4:1-22
Most likely, Ruth was written by Samuel. Ruth is one of only two Old Testament books that received their name from the women, about which they are written – the other book being Esther.
The name, “Ruth” which means friendship, is not mentioned outside her book in the Old Testament, and only once in the New Testament, placing her in the genealogy of Christ.
While the Book of Ruth is about the love of a daughter-in-law for her mother-in-law, its main purpose is to illustrate God’s plan for the redemption of lost man.
The Curse of Moab –
Ruth was from Moab, a barren desert on the Eastern side of the Dead Sea. Lot fathered a child through his oldest daughter, whose name was Moab. In addition to that curse, God placed another curse on Moab because of their rejection of Him as the One, True
God and their worship of the false god of Chemosh, including child sacrifices.
In Isaiah 15-16, the prophet said the glory of Moab would come to an end, and few of the people would survive. Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Amos record the devastating judgment God brought upon Moab, and according to Deuteronomy 23, the curse extended to the 10th generation. Ruth was born near the end of the curse but still separated from those who could be redeemed. According to Isaiah 56, God said those who were separated from the covenant could be included if they turned away from their false gods and joined with the One True God.
The Conversion of Ruth –
Because of a famine in Israel, Elimelech, Naomi, and their two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, moved to Moab to survive. Within a few years, Elimelech died, Mahlon and Chilion married Moabite women, and both men died, leaving Naomi, a Jewish widow, with two Moabite widows, Orphah and Ruth. Hearing the famine in Israel had ended, Naomi decided to return to Bethlehem to live with her family and told her daughters-in-law to remain in Moab with their families. Naomi discerned that the hand of the Lord had gone against her, and if her daughters-in-law remained with her, then God would be against them as well. Orphah decided to return to her family and to her gods, but Ruth wanted to know more about the true and living God.
Naomi and Ruth made the 60-mile journey from Moab to the City of Bethlehem, which would require two full days. As only God could have arranged it, the two women entered Bethlehem on the first day of the barley harvest. Ruth was allowed to glean in a field that belonged to Boaz, a relative of Elimelech, her father-in-law.
- Naomi realized what God was doing and advised Ruth what she must do according to the custom of the day.
- Boaz realized what God was doing and assured Ruth he would do what was necessary to become her “kinsmen redeemer” and to take her as his wife.
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“But Ruth said: “Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God.” |