The Book of Ruth

In short

Ruth, a widow, seeks a man to marry in Israel.

It is a book of the Bible, but it tells a single story in four chapters.

Why it is important

Ruth is from Moab – an enemy nation to Israel – and yet she is great-grandmother of King David and an ancestor of Jesus Christ (see Matt 1).

Her story is a beautiful example of faith, and in a time when it seemed like no one had any care for the LORD. (It takes place “In the days when the judges ruled,” Ruth 1:1.)

Main characters

• Ruth
• Naomi, Ruth’s mother
• Boaz, Ruth’s husband by the end of the story (oh… spoiler alert)

What is in this story

Chapter 1: Ruth and Naomi decide to go to Israel

1. Naomi and her husband and two sons fled to Moab from Israel during a famine
2. The sons got married in Moab and then died there
3. Naomi’s husband died, too, so now all three women are widows, and Naomi is far from home
4. Naomi decides to go back to Israel (the famine is over)
5. Ruth pledges to go with her, even though that is NOT where she is from

Ruth says to Naomi, “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 will I be buried. May the LORD do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you” (Ruth 1:16-17).

Chapter 2: Ruth gleans* in the fields of Boaz, and he shows her much kindness

1. Boaz owns a field in or near Bethlehem, and Ruth gleans there
2. Boaz says to his workers, Hey, who is the new woman? And they tell him.
3. Boaz talks to Ruth.
4. He is genuinely concerned for her safety (this is REALLY important to him)
5. He invites her to eat with him
6. He even tells the workers, Leave a little extra grain for Ruth
7. And Ruth is just overwhelmed by Boaz’ kindness

Chapter 3: Ruth follows Naomi’s plan to win over Boaz

1. Naomi has a plan for Ruth to win over Boaz
2. Ruth sleeps at Boaz’ feet one night
3. When he wakes up, Ruth asks Boaz to redeem her
4. Boaz explains that there is another man who has the right to first refusal

Chapter 4: Boaz redeems Ruth

1. Boaz ensures proper procedure, calling ten elders to witness
2. He talks to the other “redeemer” and explains the situation
3. The other man refuses
4. Boaz and Ruth are married and have a son
5. And the women of the town praise the LORD for Naomi’s happy ending

Theology and doctrine

The kindness of Boaz is both in keeping with the Law (Lev 19:9-10) and rises far above the minimum as well.

The idea of a “redeemer” in this story is twofold.

1. To redeem Naomi’s property. Lev 25:23-28 describes property redeeming, but does not explicitly describe going from the closest kinsman to the next one in line if the first refuses.
2. To provide an heir for a widow who had no children (Deut 25:5-10). But again, the situation is a little different, as Ruth’s deceased husband has no living brothers. So when Boaz redeems Ruth, their son can be considered his, and so he is.

Footnote

* “Gleaning” is to gather fruit or grain that is left behind after harvesting. The harvesters gather up the bulk of the crop (generally rapidly) and may not stress over every last bit to be had. (Time is money.) But the poor and widows have no food AND no money. Taking the time to scavenge up any stray morsel is their only way to survive. In the Law of the Jews, not only is this NOT considered trespassing; the field owners are actually commanded to leave the field alone after the first pass, for the poor, “the sojourner, the fatherless and the widow.”