Ruth

The Story of Ruth is a wonderful example of how God redeems a people and it is truly a love story, and a picture of Christ, our kinsman Redeemer.


I encourage all of you to go read the book of Ruth, it's only 4 chapters.


A back round of who Ruth was, she was a Moabite. They were a wicked people that worshiped false gods. They also were the result of an incestuous act between Lot and his daughters.


Gen 19:34 And it came to pass on the morrow, that the firstborn said unto the younger, Behold, I lay yesternight with my father: let us make him drink wine this night also; and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father. Gen 19:35 And they made their father drink wine that night also: and the younger arose, and lay with him; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose. Gen 19:36 Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father. Gen 19:37 And the firstborn bare a son, and called his name Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day.


As you read the story this woman, though she came from an evil people, was a beautiful "Proverbs 31" woman. Read what she says to her mother-in-law after Ruth's husband dies and Naomi tries to have her leave and find a new husband from her own people.

Rth 1:16 But Ruth said, "Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. 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. Rth 1:17 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."

As you read the story you will see she was hard working, (Pro 31:13 She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands. & Pro 31:19 She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle.) Gathering grain in the field, she was quiet and wise ( Pro 31:26 She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.) Boaz notices her. When you read the rest of the story, you will see the picture of Boaz as her kinsman redeemer, and how she is restored, AND she has a child by the name of Obed, who was the father of Jesse, who was the father of David, from whose line Jesus came.

I see this as a beautiful picture of how God the Father arranged it so that in Jesus' line there were people that were not Jewish, but he saw fit to include different people, giving a picture of being the Redeemer of all peoples.

Ruth was an obedient, loving, honorable, woman, who feared the true and living God. She was a woman after God's own heart.