A Picture of Love and Redemption

             The book of Ruth is most often described as a love story.  Ruth 1: 16b is often read at weddings.  However, I see it as not only a story of love but a picture of kindness, devotion, and redemption.

            When Naomi found herself alone in a strange land, her only alternative was to return to Israel.  Her husband and sons were dead, and a woman alone had little hope, especially in a strange land.  Ruth changed all that.

            Ruth had no blood ties to Naomi.  She was only the daughter-in-law, and we know that often mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law can be a lethal combination.  Ruth’s best option was to stay in her homeland where she would have a good chance of finding a husband.  She also had her family for support.  Naomi had nothing to offer her except bitterness.  So, why did Ruth choose to follow this bitter old woman to a strange land with an uncertain future?

            At the time that Naomi decided to return to Bethlehem, Ruth had been a part of her family for at least ten years (Ruth 1: 4).  Their relationship had endured the loss of Naomi’s husband, Ruth’s husband, and Naomi’s other son.  Their sorrow had strengthened their family ties and increased their love and devotion for each other.  There was no one else to lean on, and Ruth most likely felt a responsibility for Naomi’s care.

            We also see Naomi’s love and kindness for Ruth.  She knew that it made more sense for Ruth to remain in her own land, so she discouraged her from leaving.  It must have been a great comfort when Ruth stubbornly refused to stay.

            After the arrival in Bethlehem, we see the kindness of Boaz when he made provision for Ruth to glean from his fields.  He did so because he was aware of her kindness to Naomi, and he wanted to repay her efforts (Ruth 2: 11 – 16).

            Then, comes the story of redemption.  Under Jewish customs, the next of kin had the primary responsibility of purchasing a decedent’s land, but with that purchase came a marriage to the widow.  When the next of kin refused to purchase the land, Boaz, as next in line, did so.  He also married Ruth, who later gave birth to a son who would become the grandfather of King David.

            Ruth left home and family for an uncertain future with a bitter mother-in-law, but her kindness did not go unnoticed.  Boaz was first drawn to her because he knew the kind of woman that she was, one of love and devotion.  As a result, he “redeemed” her life and thrust her into a unique place in history.  She is only one of three gentile women named in Matthew’s account of Jesus’ ancestry (Matthew 1).

            Ruth’s story is a beautiful preview of our redemption story.  Unlike Ruth, we have no kindness or devotion to attract God’s attention.  We have only our sinful nature.  Yet, God still loved us enough to redeem us despite our sins.  We are bought with a price, the precious blood of the only one who was qualified to redeem us.  Jesus is our kinsman redeemer!

Ruth

Romans 5: 6 - 11

I Corinthians 6: 19 - 20