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Visit our new blog. It lists all the new things that we are doing and what new material has been added to our site. We even list new missionaries who sign up with us for technical support so you can pray for them. FCM BLOG

Ruth–A Faithful Woman

The Life of Ruth
In Moab – Ruth was a gentile (non-Jew) from the country of Moab, one of the neighboring countries of Israel. She married a Jewish man named Chilion who had migrated with his family to Moab in order to escape a famine in Bethlehem. Not long after marriage, Chilion died, leaving Ruth a widow. She was left destitute with her mother-in-law Naomi and her sister-in-law Orpah.
Naomi decided to move back to Judah because the famine was over and her husband and sons had died. Naomi suggested that Ruth and Orpah return to their fathers’ homes and remarry. Orpah did so, but Ruth refused. Instead, she determined to stay with Naomi. Note her words (Ruth 1:16-17):
Wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, And there will I be buried. The LORD do so to me, and more also, If anything but death parts you and me.
Naomi finally agreed, and they set out for Bethlehem in Judah.

In Bethlehem –  When Naomi and Ruth arrived in Bethlehem, Ruth decided to go into the fields to glean after the barley harvesters. Gleaning in the fields is the way that poor people were able to support themselves. The Law encouraged farmers to leave small portions of the fields unharvested so poor people could have something to eat (Lev 19:9- 10, 23:22; Deut 24:19). This is what Ruth was doing.
The text says that Ruth “happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech” (2:3). There she found plenty of grain to glean, and the workers in the field treated her well. Boaz, the owner of the farm, eventually noticed Ruth and found out that she had returned from Moab with Naomi. Boaz allowed Ruth to glean in his fields and instructed his workers to make special provision for her.
Naomi found out that Ruth had been gleaning in Boaz’s fields and that Boaz seemed to take interest in her. She hatched a plan to unite Boaz, a family relative of her dead husband, and Ruth. She told Ruth to meet Boaz after work one night and suggest that he marry her. This is clearly what Ruth meant when she asked Boaz to “take your maidservant under your wing” (3:9). Boaz responded positively and soon took steps to marry Ruth. The union resulted in the birth of a son, who was the grandfather of King David.

Ruth’s Character
Loyalty – Loyalty is devotion, faithfulness, and/or commitment. One of the key words in the book of Ruth is the Hebrew noun hesed (found in 1:8, 2:20, and 3:10), which means something like “compassionate loyalty,” in other words, loyalty motivated by love and kindness. Boaz remarked to Ruth, “Blessed are you of the LORD, my daughter! For you have shown more kindness (hesed) at the end than at the beginning, in that you did not go after young men, whether poor or rich.” Instead of brooding over the loss of her own husband, she devoted herself to meeting the needs of her mother-in-law, to filling the void in Naomi’s life, to helping her the best she could. That meant leaving her home, her family, and her friends, moving to another land as a despised foreigner and living in poverty and hardship. Love and concern for her mother-in-law were her only apparent motives. *1 Ruth’s example of devotion to Naomi should inspire us to serve others.
Application:  Be a loyal friend, especially when he/she is in need.

Righteousness – Ruth converted from paganism to faith in God. The OT clearly teaches that a Gentile who embraced the God of Israel by faith could enter into the blessings of the Jews. Boaz said to her, “May the Lord reward your work, and your wages be full from the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge” (2:12). Her profession of faith plus her acts of devotion and kindness to Naomi give clear evidence that she was truly among the faithful. Although Elimelech’s family was out of the place of God’s blessing, they did accomplish something worthwhile. Through their testimony, this young Moabite named Ruth turned from worshiping Chemosh, the god of the Moabites, with all the abominable practices associated with his worship, and put her trust in the one true and living God. Ruth’s righteousness stands in stark contrast to most Israelites who were living according to their own impulses and inclinations instead of in obedience to the Law.
Application:  A righteous spiritual condition results in righteous behavior. Don’t let the wickedness of others rub off on you. Strive to be holy.

Humility – Ruth’s humility is evident throughout her life. She bowed low before Boaz in genuine gratitude and said, “Why have I found favor in your sight that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?” (Ruth 2:10). Her humility was evident again when she said, “You have comforted me and indeed have spoken kindly to your maidservant, though I am not like one of your maidservants” (Ruth 2:13). Such genuine humility, a meek and quiet spirit, is one of the most valuable assets a woman can have. Peter says it is of great value in God’s sight (1 Pet 3:4). It is a good trait for Christian women to ask God to help them develop.
Application:  Girls especially should seek to emulate the character of Ruth. Note that Boaz did not say anything about her beauty, yet he was attracted to her. Guys–be more interested in a girl’s inner beauty than her outward appearance. Rotten character ruins a beautiful girl.

Industriousness – When Naomi and Ruth arrived in Bethlehem, one of the first things that Ruth did was to seek a means of acquiring food. She didn’t whine and moan about their poverty; she went to work. Gleaning was difficult labor, and it required many hours of toil to collect enough food for a meal. But Ruth was willing to work to support both herself and Naomi. It’s likely that one of the things that made Ruth so appealing to Boaz was her willingness to work.
Application:  Don’t be afraid of work. The Bible teaches that we are to work to make a living. Don’t be lazy. Girls: guys like girls who can work–cook, bake, sew, make crafts, keep the house in good order, decorate, etc. E.g., Cindy Estell.

Self-Control – The courtship of Boaz and Ruth suggest no impropriety or immorality of any sort. They apparently engaged in no romantic physical contact prior to marriage. Such purity of behavior is becoming increasingly rare in our society. Today most couples think that premarital sex is perfectly acceptable, especially if they are planning to get married anyway. Only a small minority graduate high school with their moral purity still intact. Premarital purity is best for us and for our marriages. Our society is paying the price for promiscuity by unprecedented marital turmoil and innumerable broken homes with all the emotional trauma that immorality brings.
Application:  Remain pure. Save sex and sexual behavior until marriage.

Other Lessons from the Life of Ruth

• God is sovereign. Naomi recognized that it is the hand of God that had dictated the circumstances of her life (1:20-21). Although the text states that Ruth “happened” to pick the fields of Boaz to glean in, the underlying thought is that God was responsible for this seemingly random choice. There are no accidents or chance, meaningless happenings in a universe under God’s constant supervision. God is continually working all things for the good of those who love him (Rom 8:28). Trust that God is behind the scenes in your life, working out his plan for you.
• God is gracious.  Ruth was a pagan Moabitess, not a Jewess. But God extended his grace toward her and chose her to be the grandmother of David, and thus in the ancestral line of the Messiah. Thank God that he saves sinners, even the most wicked ones. Don’t write off anyone as beyond the grace of God.
• God provides for his people. Even in an age of apostasy, God maintained his loyal love (hesed) for His own. God displays His mercy by providing for Naomi and Ruth, for Israel, and for the entire world. Trust God to provide for you.
• No matter how dark the days may be, God always preserves a righteous remnant. There may have been very few genuine, godly believers like Ruth and Boaz, but there were some. Determine that you will follow their examples. Seek to shine as a light in a dark place.
• God is able to make good out of bad situations. Naomi and Ruth seemed to be headed for disaster, but God changed their circumstances. Trust that God can change the circumstances of your life for the better.
• Our actions can impact future generations. The godly lives of Ruth and Boaz not only were a blessing to Naomi, they were a blessing to all subsequent generations. The child born to Ruth and Boaz would become the grandfather of King David (Ruth 4:18-22). Little do we realize how much our decisions and actions may impact those who come after us.*2 Determine today that you will be a source of blessing and a good example for those who come after you.
• The failure of others should not hinder your own walk with God. Naomi was not a very good example for Ruth to follow. Until the end of the story, she seems like a bitter old woman who was angry with God. She even counseled both Ruth and Orpah to return to their false gods (1:15). But Naomi’s failures did not keep Ruth from faith or obedience. Ruth turned out to be a godly woman even though she had very few good examples to follow. You can never blame others for your spiritual failures, and you should never allow the failure of others to prevent or hinder your own spiritual growth.
• Recognize and appreciate God’s plan for your life. Naomi responded to the death of her husband and sons with bitterness and anger. She even changed her name to reflect her grief at what God had allowed in her life. She did not understand God’s purposes until later. Perhaps God is bringing a time of sorrow and hardship into your life. God has a purpose for everything he does. Respond to such challenges with faith and patience, not bitterness and anger.

What about Boaz?
The Lord was an important part of Boaz’s daily life. He thought often about the Lord, spoke freely of the Lord, and allowed the Lord to be a part of his everyday business dealings. Listen to him greet his reapers in the field: “May the Lord be with you,” he said. And they responded, “May the Lord bless you” (Ruth 2:4). To Ruth he declared, “May you be blessed of the Lord, my daughter” (Ruth 3:10). And again, “I will redeem you, as the Lord lives” (Ruth 3:13). All the people who attended his wedding acknowledged his dependence upon God for his future posterity: “May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built the house of Israel” (Ruth 4:11). The first prerequisite for a successful marriage is that the man be a man of God.
Boaz was not a brother to Ruth’s deceased husband, and thus was not legally obligated to take Ruth as his wife. Nevertheless, he did so, going the extra mile in almost every instance to care for Naomi and for Ruth. Boaz was a kind man, thoughtful, considerate, and gentle. Some men have the mistaken notion that kindness and gentleness are effeminate traits and they go out of their way to avoid them. One could not be more wrong. They are Christ-like traits, and Jesus was no sissy. Surveys show that kindness and gentleness rank near the top of the characteristics women are looking for in a husband. They would be good traits for Christian men to develop with God’s help.

Conclusion: God’s love in Ruth’s life overcame all obstacles—poverty, racial prejudice, age disparity, physical temptations, and even mother-in-law differences. God’s love can also solve the problems in our lives. As we come to understand and enjoy his unconditional love for us, and allow that love to flow through us, we think less and less about ourselves and more and more about others. Ruth is a wonderful example of how God rewards faith, loyalty and service.

Discussion:

• What are some elements of Ruth’s life that display God’s sovereign control of the situation?  The famine in Bethlehem, Elimilech’s family moving to Moab, fact that Ruth met and married Chilion, Ruth gleaning in Boaz’s field, the fact that Boaz was available and willing to marry Ruth, the birth of their child.
• What are some characteristics of Ruth that we should try to imitate?  Loyalty, kindness, righteousness, humility, industriousness, self-control
• How can Boaz serve as an example for women who are looking for a husband?  Find a guy who is godly, financially stable, available, interested, kind, thoughtful and generous.
• Think of your family background. How did the love and loyalty of your household (or lack of it) affect you?