Her story, told honestly
Ruth
Ruth is the Moabite widow whose loyalty to her mother-in-law and to the God of Israel became one of Scripture's great love stories. A foreigner redeemed, she is the great-grandmother of King David.
“And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:”Ruth 1:16
“And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;”Matthew 1:5
Her story
Her story. In a time of famine, an Israelite family went to Moab, where the sons married Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth. Then the father and both sons died, leaving three widows. When Naomi resolved to return to Bethlehem, she urged her daughters-in-law to stay in Moab. Orpah kissed her and turned back, but Ruth clung to her, saying, "Whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God" (Ruth 1:16). She came to Bethlehem a foreigner and a widow, and went to glean in the fields to feed herself and Naomi. The field belonged to Boaz, a kinsman of her late husband, who showed her kindness and protection, having heard how she had left her homeland for Naomi's God. At Naomi's counsel, Ruth appealed to Boaz as a near kinsman with the right of redemption. Boaz honored her, dealt rightly with a nearer kinsman who declined the duty, and took Ruth as his wife (Ruth 4). She bore a son, Obed, and the women blessed Naomi, saying her daughter-in-law "which loveth thee . . . is better to thee than seven sons" (Ruth 4:15). Obed became the father of Jesse, the father of David.
What her life shows
What her life shows. Ruth's life shows covenant loyalty, the steadfast love that keeps its word even when it costs everything. She had no obligation to follow Naomi; she chose to, binding herself to a grieving old woman, an unfamiliar land, and a God not born to her. Her declaration on the road to Bethlehem is one of Scripture's purest expressions of loyal love. Her life shows the dignity of humble faithfulness, gleaning in the fields, honoring her mother-in-law, and trusting God rather than grasping for herself. It also shows how God's providence works quietly through ordinary kindness and duty; there are no miracles in Ruth, only faithful people doing right, and through them God weaves redemption. Ruth was a Moabite, an outsider by birth from a people often at odds with Israel, yet she was welcomed into the covenant community because she took refuge under "the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust" (Ruth 2:12). Her life shows that faith, not bloodline, makes one a true child of the promise.
Where it points to Christ
Where it points to Christ. Boaz is a kinsman-redeemer, one who by right of family could redeem the estate and raise up the name of the dead. His role beautifully pictures Christ, our near Kinsman who took on our flesh so He could redeem us, and who paid what we could not to make us His own. Ruth, the destitute foreign widow with nothing to offer, is brought into the family of God by the redeemer's grace, as the gospel brings helpless sinners into God's family through Christ. And the story does not end with one family; Ruth bore Obed, the grandfather of David, so that the Moabite convert stands in the royal line. Matthew names her in the genealogy of Jesus: "Booz begat Obed of Ruth" (Matthew 1:5). The Redeemer of the world descends from a redeemed outsider, declaring that in Christ there is no Jew nor Greek, no stranger too far off to be brought near.
Questions people ask
Why is Ruth's loyalty so celebrated?
As a young widow she was free to return to her people and gods, yet she bound herself to Naomi and to the LORD, saying, "thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God" (Ruth 1:16). Her covenant faithfulness to a grieving mother-in-law and to Israel's God models steadfast, self-giving love.
What is a kinsman-redeemer?
Under Israel's law a near relative could redeem a family member's property and preserve the family line (Leviticus 25:25; Deuteronomy 25:5-6). Boaz filled this role for Ruth and Naomi. His redeeming love is a rich picture of Christ, our Kinsman-Redeemer, who took on our flesh to buy us back.
How is Ruth related to Jesus?
Ruth married Boaz and bore Obed, the father of Jesse, the father of King David (Ruth 4:17). Matthew 1:5 names her in the genealogy of Jesus, so this Moabite convert is a direct ancestor of the Messiah, showing God's grace reaching beyond Israel.