Ruth is the Book of Ruth is one of only two books in the Bible to bear the name of women (the other one is Esther). While it’s not huge, the book is packed with several principles that are profoundly relevant to our lives in the present.

For a start, I suggest you take a seat and take a look at this stunning book. It’s a quick read that can be completed in approximately 15 minutes, and this will give you an excellent overview of the discussion.

Book of Ruth Quick Overview

Here, I will briefly describe the events from this Book of Ruth. In the first chapter, an individual by the name of Naomi relocated from Judah to Moab due to a severe food shortage that had afflicted her family. She and her husband relocated to Moab with their two sons, and they later married while in Moab.

Tragically, Naomi lost her husband and two sons. Devastated and empty, Naomi made the decision to return home to Bethlehem within Judah. Her daughter-in-law Ruth was with her as she had lost her husband. Remember that Ruth was one of the Moabite women and was making her way to Judah as an outsider. This was huge for their society. However, Ruth was devoted to Naomi as her daughter-in-law and wanted to follow God. God that was the God of Israel.

When in Judah, God worked out an incredible scheme for an individual called Boaz to accept Ruth to be his bride, give her a child, and provide for her and Naomi. This plan was remarkable because Boaz was eligible as a “kinsman redemptioner” to accept her as his wife.

What is a “kinsman redemptioner,” you might think? It was an ancient custom that was based on Deuteronomy 25:5-6, which stipulated that the kin of a deceased person must marry the widow of the man who died to ensure his family lineage through the woman.

In accordance with God’s amazing power, it transpired it was the case that Boaz was a relative of Ruth’s husband, who had passed away, so Boaz was qualified to marry her and continue his family tree. Thus, even in the chaos of Ruth and Naomi’s terrible suffering, God still had a plan for taking care of their needs. It’s pretty cool.

Application from Ruth To Our Lives Today

When we look back at the epic Ruth story, Ruth, five crucial applications jump to my face. These are:

1.) God is concerned about everyone regardless of nationality, race, or status.

Ruth was not a Jew, and her name was Moabite. Even though there were many who did not like the Moabite, God loved her just the same. God doesn’t discriminate, and He is a lover of all people exactly the same.

2) Both women and men are equally valuable in the eyes of God.

God loves women and men all equally. We all are one in God’s view. The majority of the fake religions developed over the years tend to glorify men while ignoring females. Christianity is the only religion that honors both women and men on the same scale. It is the same in His sight.

3.) There is nothing as an unimportant individual in the eyes of God.

The people did not see Ruth as a significant individual on the surface. Ruth was from Moab, a nation that resulted from an intimate encounter between Lot and one of his children (see the following passage: Genesis 19:30-36). She was a widow in need, and she was in a foreign country, far from her home family.

However, God recognized her as a significant person, and His plans for her life led to her being part of the family of Jesus (as the maternal grandmother of David, the King of Israel). David). God’s plan is usually to use people who are believed as underdogs, unimportant, or even unimportant from man’s perspective. His strength is perfect by our weaknesses ( 2 Corinthians 12:9).

4.) God uses “little” things to achieve grand plans.

What a wonderful plan God created for a number of “little” things that made up important pieces of God’s grand plan. God wanted Ruth to be part of the genealogy of Jesus. Therefore, He pulled together events like the famine, Naomi’s journey to Moab and returning to Bethlehem, Boaz’s bloodline, and many more to ensure that Ruth was an element of his plan. And God is doing the same thing in our lives right now!

5.) God has a Redeemer to save us from the destruction of our own insanity.

God provides a Savior in our lives as well, his name being Jesus. Boaz was an example of a kind (prophetic representation) symbol of Christ and His redemptive work in our lives now. We all indeed suffer from desperation because of our insanity. We are empty, exactly as Naomi was devastated and empty when she lost everything and was forced to return to Judah. Our sins have left us spiritually empty and desolate.

However, Jesus will be willing to save us. He would like to free us from the consequences of our sin. All we need to do in order to be saved is call God by trust and pray to Him for His mercy ( Romans 10:13). I hope that you’re one of His chosen. If not, my wish is that you contact Him now and pray to Him to deliver you once and for all in the aftermath of your mistakes!

Chris Russell has spent the past 25 years actively involved in ministry through pastoring, church planting, writing, Christian radio, and special speaking around the country and in seven different countries. 

He is passionate about communicating the truths of God’s Word in a creative, highly-relevant way.

Who wrote the Book of Ruth?

It is unclear who created The Book of Ruth, though some believe that Samuel, the prophet Samuel, wrote it. It was composed by those living in Israel in the years following the time of Judges (1375-1050 BC).

Ruth was born to the Moab race. Her husband’s family came from Bethlehem to Moab because of a drought and intermarried with local inhabitants. Through the novel’s first chapters, Ruth’s mother-in-law, Naomi, ventures to return to her husband’s home, Judah.

Ruth is King David’s great-grandmother and in her lineage of descent to Jesus Jesus Himself. Her story of deep respect, integrity, and loyalty are still echoed today with great pride.

Background and context of Ruth

The Book of Ruth takes place during a time of darkness in Israel’s history. As per the Life Application Study Bible, the people of Israel were living through an era of “pleasing themselves rather than God.” It was also the time following an enormous famine in Judah that led Naomi’s family to seek the refuge of Moab.

The story starts with the story of the travels of the family Elimelech, along with his wife Naomi and their two sons, to the Land of Moab to find food. As time passes, the two sons get Moabite wives, something which is customary practice in the Jewish faith was not accepted. As per the Life Application Study Bible, “Marrying to a Canaanite (and those who reside within the boundaries of the promised land) is against laws which were set out within Deuteronomy 7:1-4. 

Moabites weren’t allowed to worship in the tabernacle due to not allowing the Israelites to traverse their land during their exodus from Egypt. 

Ironically, Ruth was one of the Moabites who God employed to illustrate a genuine moral personality.” (Life application study Bible).

Naomi’s two children Naomi die, and so do Elimelech and Elimelech, leaving Naomi and her daughters-in-law widows. The widow of the first son, Orpah, returns to her father’s home, while Ruth believes it is her moral obligation to keep her vow when married to Naomi’s family.

Ruth and Naomi return to Judah to live petty lives, often gleaning from the fields that owners who have set aside their land for the less fortunate. Unseen works are revealed when Ruth can be seen gleaning in the fields of Boaz, who was impressed by their faith and integrity of Ruth after listening to her tale.

Through determination and a plan, Naomi Ruth finds herself a possible bride to Boaz. Boaz must follow the rules of the customary procedure to seek Ruth’s marriage proposal from the first person in line to become a Kinsman-redeemer “The closest living blood relation to a man was bound by specific obligations and responsibilities to perform, subject to certain circumstances, for the purpose of which he was given the title Kinsman-redeemer, which can be translated into the Old Testament ‘Redeemer,’ or sometimes, ‘Avenger’ blood” (Bible Hub). The first person in line passes his torch on to Boaz and allows Boaz to wed Ruth. Together, they have a son named Obed, who is the King’s father. David.

Checkout:

• 7 Life Lesson To Learn From Sin In The Bible
• is there anything too hard for God? Explanation of Jeremiah 32:27
• How do you have strong faith and Stand Firm

The main theme and the purpose of Ruth

The primary themes and goals of Ruth’s work and life are honesty and kindness, and faith in God. God will reward faith.

Ruth was a woman of great integrity. Even though she was a Moabite, she was blessed with the protection of God when she was married into Elimelech’s family. She devoted her life to God as the One True God, and she didn’t abandon God when she lost her husband. She went beyond “until we die” by choosing to remain with Naomi. When Naomi advised her to return to her father’s home, she displayed immense compassion and courage by saying, “Where you go, I’ll go. And wherever you remain, I will remain. My people are your people, and God will be your God is my God.” ( Ruth 1:16).

Ruth’s true character of honesty and compassion accompanied the woman throughout her journey to Bethlehem Bethlehem, where she with Naomi, was able to move. The landowner of wealth, Boaz, heard her tale, and it affected his heart. In their first meeting in person, Boaz said, “may you be abundantly blessed by God, the Lord who is the God of Israel whose wings you’ve taken the refuge of” ( Ruth 2:12). Boaz was impressed and applauded her compassion and searched for a way to assist her.

The faithfulness of God and the faith-based faithfulness are the primary themes in The Book of Ruth. Although she was a Moabite, Ruth came to be a worshiper and a worshiper of the Lord and was extremely loved in His arms. God established things so that her favor will follow her, and she believes and follows regardless of the result. Ruth obeys the advice of Naomi in her pursuit of Boaz as a potential spouse. Boaz is also loved for his obedience not to marry Ruth completely but rather to observe the customs of the Kinsman-Redeemer. Boaz chose the right way to find out who was the next in line to become Kinsman-Redeemer. Boaz was a believer in God with the future of Ruth and his own. After consulting with the first in line, Boaz and Ruth were allowed to wed. The Lord honored their obedience and blessed them with the gift of a son.

The reason for Ruth is also proof that God can utilize anyone to accomplish His goals and glory. Ruth was a foreigner and could not have been believed to be the one to be used by the Lord to help fulfill God’s plan for the Israelites. However, the Lord changed her heart and was pleased to have her directly in line with Jesus.

What lessons can we take From Ruth Today?

Ruth had a character with outstanding character, even when the people surrounding her were struggling or discouraged by what she believed was right. Ruth is proof that kindness can never be wasted, even a tiny amount. Ruth graciously cares for her mother-in-law, who is aging, and gives her comfortable life at her home with her father in exchange for what initially appeared to be a life of service and inadequate living conditions. God blessed her because she found to seek refuge with Him ( Ruth 2:12), believing that He would be there for her.

It is also apparent from the text of Ruth that God is always at work in the background for our benefit. Romans 8:28 is the most obvious example of this, for everything that was intended to harm and anger of suffering and loss wasn’t the sole decision. God was working things out from the beginning. It was not an accident that Ruth was able to learn about Boaz’s field and the fact that her story was taken back to him to strengthen his view of the young lady on his mind. God was at work within Boaz’s heart. Kinsman Redeemer was the first to ensure that there was no spark of desire to purchase the land and widow from Elimelech’s family. The Lord made sure that no obstacle could hinder the union to be between Ruth and Boaz, although there were obstacles to overcome.

You can be assured that, even though we don’t be able to see our vision, God is working in the circumstances and in our hearts to accomplish His purposes, and those plans involve us. He values the integrity of His people and obeys His schedule to ensure perfect timing. We can learn from Ruth and see that even the same events God has blessed in the past can be a blessing in today’s time.

Our Top Verses of Favorite Verse from Ruth

Ruth 1:16, “But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to go away or leave you. Wherever you go, I will go, and I will be there where I remain. The people you surround yourself with will become my own, and you will have your God is my God.”

Ruth 2:2, “May the LORD pay you back for what you’ve done. You will be blessed by the LORD God, whom you worship as the God of Israel and under whose wings you’ve sought refuge.”

Ruth 3:110, “‘The LORD bless you, my sweet daughter,’ she responded. This kindness is more than the kindness you displayed earlier: You’ve never chased after younger men, no matter how wealthy or not. Now, my child won’t be scared. I’ll be there for you everything you want. The people in my town are aware that you’re a lady of a noble nature. ‘”

Ruth 3. 18 “Then Naomi said, “Wait, dear daughter, till you know what will happen. Because the man won’t be content until the issue is resolved today.”

Ruth 4. 13-15 “So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. After he professed his love to her and she fell in love with him, the LORD permitted her to conceive the baby and gave birth to one son. The women told Naomi, “Praise for the LORD who today has not abandoned you without a protector-redeemer. He is destined to be famous in Israel! He’ll give you a new lease on life and help you through later years. For your daughter-in-law, who is your love and who is more valuable to you than seven sons gave him birth.'”