Prayer: Our hope is in you and you alone O, Lord our Savior and redeemer. You have redeemed us by your blood and by your death on a cruel cross. We will never be able to repay you for your goodness to us. We will never understand your pain and agony as you accepted the cup willingly for our sin and unrighteousness. Praise your matchless name. Thank you for your gift of eternal life. In the strong name of Jesus, we pray, Amen.
Main Scripture: Read the Book of Ruth chapters 1-4.
Ruth replied, "…Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.” (Ruth 1:16-17).
Associated Scriptures:
Boaz replied, "I've been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband — how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge” (Ruth 2:11-13).
Her mother-in-law asked her, "Where did you glean today? Where did you work? Blessed be the man who took notice of you!" Then Ruth told her mother-in-law about the one at whose place she had been working. "The name of the man I worked with today is Boaz," she said. "The Lord bless him!" Naomi said to her daughter-in-law. "He has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead." She added, "That man is our close relative; he is one of our kinsman-redeemers" (Ruth 2:17-20).
When Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he went over to lie down at the far end of the grain pile. Ruth approached quietly, uncovered his feet and lay down. In the middle of the night something startled the man, and he turned and discovered a woman lying at his feet. "Who are you?" he asked. "I am your servant Ruth," she said. "Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a kinsman-redeemer." "The Lord bless you, my daughter," he replied. …Although it is true that I am near of kin, there is a kinsman-redeemer nearer than I. … if he wants to redeem, good; let him redeem. But if he is not willing, as surely as the Lord lives I will do it…" (Ruth 3:7-13).
…"Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelech, Kilion and Mahlon. I have also acquired Ruth the Moabitess, Mahlon's widow, as my wife, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear…" So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife.(Ruth 4:9-13).
Correlative Quotes:
Ruth had endured three entreaties of her mother-in-law to return home to Moab (vv. 11-12,15). But she chose life with Naomi over her family, her national identity, and her religious idolatry. In One of the most beautiful expressions of commitment in all the world's literature she laced her future to that of Naomi. She confessed allegiance to the people of Israel (your people) and to the God of Israel (your God). …And Ruth did it without the encouragement of a promise. In fact she made her decision despite Naomi's strenuous encouragement to do otherwise.[1] – John Walvoord
Naomi was trying to cover up; Orpah had given up, but Ruth was prepared to stand up! She refused to listen to her mother-in-law's pleas or follow her sister-in-law's bad example. Why? Because she had come to trust in the God of Israel (2:12). She had experienced trials and disappointments, but instead of blaming God, she had trusted Him and was not ashamed to confess her faith.[2] – Warren W. Wiersbe
Ruth followed, as she thought, to loneliness, homelessness, perpetual widowhood; against the desire of those she left, without the wish of those to whom she was going; ready to work, to beg, to die if need be, for the one who stood to her as representing God.[3]
Study:
The women mentioned in the Old Testament are equally important to the men even though the men and their contributions receive more “press.” Faith is certainly not limited to men nor is God’s love and grace.
Without Eve, there would have been no procreation. Without Sarah, there would have been no line to Jesus since Hagar is the mother of the Arabs. Leah, Bilhah, Zilpah, and Rebekah were obedient to God and gave birth to the twelve tribes of Israel. Then there was Rahab, who protected in the Israeli spies in Jericho. These are just a few of the examples of women with great faith in the Old Testament. Women whose faith moved forward the plans of God.
Ruth is an excellent example of true faith in God and how He works through us to establish His plan for humanity. Her life is a picture of the obedient servant. She was willing to sacrifice everything for those she loved; Naomi, her mother-in-law, her God, and her redeemer Boaz. It is through Ruth’s servanthood that we see the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
Jesus became flesh and lived among us (John 1:1, 1:14). He was the essence of love and sacrifice for us. He is the living God (John 1:18).
Summary Statement:
The Book of Ruth is an Old Testament account of love and faith. The love of her mother-in-law was the underlying reason why Ruth decided to leave her people, her land, and her gods to go with Naomi to Israel. Additionally, in going to Israel, Ruth was leaving her gods while acceding that the God of Israel was the One True God. Finally, her faith and love drove her to Boaz the example of the Kinsmen Redeemer a foretaste of the redemptive action of Jesus.
[1] John Walvoord, Bible Knowledge Commentary/Old Testament Copyright © 1983, 2000 Cook Communications Ministries; Bible Knowledge Commentary All rights reserved.
[2] The Bible Exposition Commentary: Old Testament © 2001-2004 by Warren W. Wiersbe. All rights reserved.)
[3] The Biblical Illustrator Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2006 Ages Software, Inc. and Biblesoft, Inc.