Ruth

     During the days of the judges, a man named Elimelech and his wife Naomi left their home in Israel and went into the country of Moab. There was a famine at that time, and they went in search of food. Their two sons went with them.

     While they were in that foreign land, Elimelech died. In time, the two sons married. Then the sons died. Naomi had lost her husband and both sons in a land farm from home. She was overwhelmed with grief.

     Naomi heard that the Lord had provided food for His people who were back in Israel. She decided to return to her homeland.

     When Naomi set out on her journey, her two daughters-in-law followed her. The younger widows loved their mother-in-law. Naomi pleaded with them to return to their own parents. She did not think they would be happy in Israel. Finally, one of the young women returned to her people, but the other one, Ruth, refused to leave Naomi.

     After the long trip, the women reached Bethlehem, Naomi’s old hometown. Naomi’s long-time friends were so excited to see her and to meet her daughter-in-law.

     It was the beginning of the barley harvest when the two women returned to Israel. Ruth was young and strong so she insisted on gleaning in the fields to provide food for herself and her mother-in-law.

     Imagine Ruth’s thrill when she learned the owner of the field, Boaz, was a relative of Naomi’s. According to the law, the man who was the next of kin to a widow’s deceased husband was supposed to marry the woman and carry on her inheritance in the dead man’s name.

     Boaz learned that the young woman who was gleaning in his field was his relative, by her marriage to Naomi’s son. He was impressed with Ruth, and he was kind to her. He knew, however, that there was another man who was closer kin to Ruth, and Boaz could not marry Ruth if the other man desired to fulfill that duty.

     Boaz talked with the other man relative about his interest in Ruth and her inheritance. The man told Boaz that to avoid impairing his own inheritance, he would be unable to marry Ruth. Therefore, Boaz was free to ask Ruth to marry him.

     What a happy time for Naomi! Ruth married Boaz, and they had a son for Naomi to love and attend. That infant is so significant in a study of the Old Testament. King David was among his descendants and many hundreds of years later, Jesus Christ was born in the same family.