Have you ever found yourself in an unfamiliar situation with a difficult decision to make? Have you ever suffered a loss that changed your life, or moved to a new place where you didn’t know anyone, nothing was familiar and you wondered if you would ever belong? The book of Ruth in the Bible tells the story of a woman who found herself in this very situation, but through her obedience and faithfulness finds rescue and redemption. Ruth was a Moabite woman who had married Mahlon, an Ephrathite man from the tribe of Judah. When her father-in-law, brother-in-law and husband all died, Ruth was faced with an impossible choice: stay with her mother-in-law, Naomi, whom she loved, and follow her back to Bethlehem, or return to her own people in Moab. This was a difficult choice because in those days, women relied upon having a husband and sons to provide for them. Ruth loved Naomi and didn’t want to leave her alone without a husband or sons to take care of her, yet if she returned home to Moab, she could marry again and have children of her own. Even though Naomi tried to talk her out of it, Ruth was determined to stay with Naomi and return with her to Bethlehem, Naomi’s hometown. Ruth and Naomi’s return to Bethlehem was a humble and difficult one. With no husbands or sons to provide for them, Ruth had to go through the barley fields after the harvesters had finished for the day and scrounge for leftovers for herself and Naomi. This is when she caught the attention of a man named Boaz, a relative of Naomi’s late husband, and owner of the barley field where Ruth had come to glean scraps of grain. Boaz was a kind and generous man, and after he invited Ruth to eat with him and his servants, he instructed his servants to protect Ruth, and allow her to work with them. He even instructed them to pull up and leave full stocks of grain for her to gather easily. When she returned to Naomi that evening with nearly 30 lbs of grain, Naomi was amazed at the generosity Boaz had shown them. Now, according to the law God had given the Israelites, a kinsman-redeemer was a male relative who had the responsibility to act on behalf of a family member who was in trouble, danger, or need. This kinsman redeemer could deliver or rescue a property or person. Because Boaz was a relative of Naomi’s, Naomi recognized that Boaz could be a kinsman-redeemer for her and Ruth. If Boaz was willing to marry Ruth, they would be rescued from their life of poverty. Naomi instructed Ruth to offer herself to Boaz for marriage. Though this was a daunting and humbling act for Ruth, Boaz regarded it as kindness, because she could have chased after a younger man for a husband, but he was honored that she would want him. Boaz and Ruth married and had a son, named him Obed. Obed then became the father of Jesse, who was the father of David, and through this line, the Messiah came. Read all about Ruth in the Book bearing her name in the Bible.
