Ruth 1-4
8/66 | Author: Unknown | Old Testament | Genre: Historical | 1150-1100 BC (estimated)
Chapter 1:
Famine broke out in the land of the judges. A woman by the name of Naomi lost her husband and sons, which left her with two daughter-in-laws. Hearing that God provided elsewhere, Naomi prepared to travel to a more familiar region. Naomi told her daughters to return to their mothers since they had each lost the men of their lives. Only one daughter remained, Ruth.
"For wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you live, I will live; your people will will be my people, and your God will be my God" (Ruth 1:16, CSB).
Chapter 2:
Naomi knew of a relative on her husband's side, Boaz, who was a successful farmer. Ruth went to Boaz's field and retrieved any scraps of grain that may have been overlooked. Boaz recognized Ruth as the woman loyal to Naomi and allowed her to pick from his field safely and freely.
Ruth returned to Naomi with plenty of food. She told Naomi about Boaz, and Naomi was excited about this news since Boaz was their "family redeemer." Family redeemers were men of a family who were responsible for salvaging the family line should any woman experience the loss of their husband or son(s).
Chapter 3:
Naomi instructed Ruth to get more of Boaz's attention, and Ruth was obedient. Boaz was impressed by her integrity but let her know there was a redeemer closer to Naomi's husband than he was. If he wouldn't redeem her, Boaz would himself.
Chapter 4:
The redeemer was interested in Naomi's husband's land but not in marrying Ruth, the grieving, foreign widow. He told Boaz to redeem Noami's ancestral land along with Ruth. To signify the agreement, the redeemer removed his sandal and gave it to Boaz. The witnesses of this deal shared their hopes of Ruth being a modern-day Rachel and Leah, who were responsible for the line of Israel.
Boaz and Ruth had a son, Obed, who would eventually have a son, Jesse, the father of David.
Naomi suddenly became a childless widow in a land without anyone to turn to. She could have sat in her sorrows, but for the sake of survival, she did what made the most sense: follow God. She removed herself from a familiar place she had once happily settled with her family and traveled back to her hometown, even if it meant having to return with tragic news and a difficult start at a new life. Rather than return to her mother and their religious customs, Ruth was willing to move to a land where she only knew her mother-in-law. She called Naomi's God to be her God, meaning that she was not accustomed to who God was but saw how He impacted Naomi.
God led Ruth to Boaz's field. He instilled a spirit of diligence in Ruth, setting her and Naomi apart from their circumstances. It was a custom of goodwill for farmers to leave behind a percentage of their harvest for the less fortunate in their area. Not only did God provide food for Naomi and Ruth through Boaz, but in this field, Boaz ensured that Ruth would remain safe under the company of his workers. Old Testament law defined family redeemers as men who avenged a loss or traumatic event and sought to secure the family line. It must be said that Boaz was a man of wealth and notable nobility because he adhered to the law at the time. He also was obedient and faithful to God.
Not only did Naomi and Ruth regain provision, but they also gained a sense of family through marriage and the birth of a son—the same son who would have generations of his own that would eventually lead to the birth of Jesus. What began as death and sorrow ended in life and happiness. All these things were fulfilled because two women believed in God's goodness. And all along, God was working to connect each tiny piece in what one would have written off as a story full of loss and hopelessness.
Gratitude List:
Being nearly done with Christmas shopping
Visiting a family member's church
Receiving early and very thoughtful Christmas gifts
Good baby updates
Getting over seasonal allergies (allergies + the third trimester = misery)
Crockpot meals on cold nights
Fellow new parents sending their tips + tricks
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References:
Guzik, D. (1996). Bible Commentary from Pastor David Guzik. Enduring Word. https://enduringword.com/
Myers, R., & Williams, A. B. (2020). She Reads Truth Bible. Holman Bible Publishers.
