Ruth: God’s Story of Redemption

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God’s Story of Salvation: Ruth

Introduction: Our purpose in this series has primarily been to prepare us to teach those who are seeking to understand scripture and become acquainted with the Bible. However, Ruth presents a unique problem for us: how can we give a summary without taking the time to tell the whole story? Further, the message of Ruth is greater than the story itself. This is not to be understood as a feel-good love story. Therefore, it would be impossible to give a clear explanation of the book ’s message without telling the story. But doing that would take considerable time and go outside the purpose of a brief summary of Old and New Testament books.

Therefore, I would suggest this Quick Summary: The book takes place in the period of the Judges, one of the darkest periods of Israel’s history. God’s judgment on the wickedness of the nation brings a famine in the land. The story is about one family (Elimelech, Naomi, and their two sons) who lose their trust in God and seek prosperity under the gods of the country of Moab. Their two sons marry Moabite women, but after ten years in the land, Elimelech and the two sons are dead, and no children have been born to the Moabite wives. This leaves three widows in a time when a woman would have little hope with a husband or family.

In shame and poverty Naomi returned to Israel with one daughter-in-law, Ruth, who decided to give up her homeland and their gods to serve the God of Israel. God, in his care and love, sent what the book calls a “redeemer,” a man named Boaz, who not only buys Naomi out of debt, but marries Ruth to give Naomi and her descendants through Ruth an inheritance in the land.

Then the beautiful part, Ruth became the great grandmother of King David, and through her Jesus is born as the Redeemer of the whole world. Like the family of Elimelech, we all left God to find life on our own, but the end result is always death – separation from God without a hope of an inheritance with God. But in God’s love, he sent a Redeemer, not only to buy us out of bondage and give us life, but to make us his bride so that forever and ever we will enjoy true life in the house of God. 

That being said, while most Christians generally know the story of Ruth, seeing and understanding the message is not well-known. We will devote our time to that message.

1. Highlighting the Story: Chapter One
   1. “In the days of the Judges” – We must not miss this introduction. The last words of the previous page were, “everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” These are not good days.
   2. “A famine in the land” – God had clearly warned Israel that if they turn to sin, he would shut up the heavens – “the sky above you will be bronze, and earth beneath you iron” (Deut. 28:23). God’s curse is on the nation.
   3. Elimelech took his family to Moab, a nation who served their gods, was an enemy of Israel, and was outside the protection of Yahweh. Elimelech has given up hope in God. He has turned to the gods of another nation to provide for him.
   4. The names given are significant: Bethlehem, “house of bread,” and yet there is no bread. Elimelech, “my God is King,” and yet he has rejected God. Naomi “pleasant,” but she will later call herself “bitter.”
   5. Verses 3-5 reports the tragedy in a few simple words. Naomi’s husband and two sons die. Nothing could be worse for a woman. She is left with two Moabite daughters-in-law. How will they survive? 
   6. As Naomi sends her daughters back to their people, she recognizes that hand of the Lord against her (vs. 13, 20-21). 
      1. Verse 15: Orpah goes back to her gods and her people.
      2. Ruth will have none of it. She rejects her gods and country for Israel and the true God: “your God my God.” 
   7. When Ruth and Naomi arrive in Bethlehem they find that God indeed has visited his people. It was the beginning of the barley harvest. 
2. Highlighting the Story: Chapter Two
   1. 2:1 We are introduced to Boaz who is a relative of Elimelech, though most likely a distant relative. He is obviously in a quite different economic position that Elimelech. But more than that, he is referred to as a “worthy” man; other versions, “prominent,” “wealthy,” or “noble.”
   2. 2:4 The character of Boaz highlighted even more when we see him come to his reapers and greet them with, “The Lord be with you!” Indeed, these are the days of the Judges! Further, even the reapers respond with, “The Lord bless you.”
   3. 2:3 As Ruth begins to glean, we are told that she “happened to come” to the field of Boaz. This is typically a scriptural way of noting God’s providential intentions of bringing Ruth and Boaz together. 
   4. 2:12 When Boaz displays extraordinary kindness toward Ruth, especially since she was a foreigner, Boaz gives the explanation that he recognizes that she has given up her gods and people to provide for Naomi and come under the care and protection of Yahweh. 
   5. 2:20 When Ruth comes home with an ephah (22 litters) of barley, Naomi is amazed at the blessing Ruth has received. Upon learning that Boaz is the person through whom the Lord had given the blessing, she refers to him as “one of our redeemers (a member of the clan/family who would be responsible for providing economic well-being to a needy clan member. 
   6. Notice also Naomi’s words (20), “whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead.” Naomi is considering herself “dead” and the Lord is now bringing her to life.
   7. Concluding lessons of the chapter:
      1. We see God at work in reversing the tragedy of Naomi. We clearly see God at work in her life – which is what we ought to see in our own lives. Naomi comes back to the protection of Yahweh, and the Lord responds. God can reverse tragedy.
      2. We see how God uses people like Boaz to be a conduit of his blessings. We also need to see ourselves as those who can be a conduit of God’s blessings.
3. Highlighting the Story: Chapter Three
   1. Naomi now seeks to look after Ruth’s future. Since Boaz is a relative, a “redeemer,” she urges Ruth to show herself available to Boaz (possibly she had kept her widow’s garments on) and request that Boaz do the duty of a close relative by purchasing Naomi’s land and marrying Ruth to raise of children for the dead husband.
   2. The symbolism of Ruth uncovering the feet of Boaz and then asking him to, “Spread your wings over your servant, for you are a redeemer,” is quite beautiful and moving. We see this same picture used in Ezekiel when God took Israel to be his bride: When I passed by you again and saw you, behold, you were at the age for love, and I spread the corner of my garment over you and covered your nakedness; I made my vow to you and entered into a covenant with you, declares the Lord God, and you became mine. (Ezekiel 16:8 ESV)
   3. Therefore, uncovering the feet of Boaz offers him a choice. Either cover his own feet back up leaving Ruth in the cold, or also cover Ruth to indicate that he is bringing her under his protection.
   4. 3:10 Of course, Boaz is thrilled, but it is more than just obtaining Ruth. He recognizes the kindness Ruth has shown since by coming to him instead of some other younger man, she has made her first concern to provide for her mother-in-law, Naomi. 
   5. Therefore, she sleeps at his feet till morning, but at his urging leaves early so that it is not known that a woman came to the threshing floor. Hosea 9:1 indicates that it was common for prostitutes to come to the threshing floor at night.
4. Highlighting the Story: Chapter Four
   1. As much as Boaz desired to be Ruth’s redeemer, there was a closer relative who needed to be consulted. The man is first presented with simply buying the land, but when he learned that Ruth comes along with the deal, he waves his right because he does not want to ruin his own inheritance (apparently realizing that he would not get the benefit of the land he would purchase because it would be counted as Ruth’s inheritance.
   2. There has now been a full reversal of the circumstances of Naomi and Ruth, from dead to alive, from “servant” to full wife with an inheritance in Israel. God has become the ultimate Redeemer. 
   3. 4:11-14 Notice the blessings:
      1. The people give a blessing that the Lord would bless her like Tamar and that the Lord would give her offspring.
      2. Then in verse 13, the Lord gives her conception. Consider! Ruth had been married to Mahlon for 10 years and had no children. Chilion had also been married for about 10 years, and had no children. This reflects the curse from the Garden and from placing themselves under the gods of Moab instead of the Lord.
      3. Most importantly, notice the blessing on Naomi: “He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age.” Not only has there been a physical redeemer in Boaz, but the people recognize God has the one who is the true redeemer and the one who has truly spread his wings over his people. 
   4. 4:17-22 Now the greatest message: Most Bible students look at the genealogy and see the obvious connection to David and think, “Oh that’s nice.” But when a book like Ruth ends in a genealogy, we are to see some greater messages.
      1. First, notice that Boaz, the redeemer has now produced the greatest Redeemer. We are in the condition of Naomi, having left the life-giving protection of God. We were dead, but now through our Redeemer, Jesus, we have been brought to life and come to the one who has “thrown his garment over us.”
      2. Second, the story is further prophetic in that a Moabite has received full inheritance in God’s kingdom. She is not second-class, but a full citizen with all the blessings included in God’s promises for his people. Therefore, we see the future blessings on all Gentiles through Jesus, our Redeemer. 
      3. Third, to emphasize even further, Moab is the enemy, considered unclean and without hope. However, in the NT, we see people who were unclean like lepers, Samaritans, prostitutes, and with a flow of blood coming to Jesus and being cleansed and healed.
      4. Finally Bethlehem (house of bread), which was without bread, has been restored. Micah 5:2 prophesies of the Messiah/King who would come from Bethlehem and provide spiritual bread and restoration to God’s people.

Conclusion: Ruth is a beautiful picture of God providing hope for the world and for each individual. Never think your life is hopeless or that you cannot be restored from the foolishness of sin that all of lived in. God can and will restore.

Berry Kercheville