Women of the Word: Ruth

Scripture References:
the book of Ruth, Matthew 1:5

Name Meaning:
There are those who disagree with what the name Ruth means. Two different interpretations have been accepted:

1. ‘reuth’ the word for “the act of seeing” or “something worth seeing”
2. ‘reu’ for the word friendship

Introduction:
There are only two books in the Bible named after women. One is Esther and the other is Ruth. Both books are viewed as highly esteemed books of value. There is much we can learn from these women of faith.

This study will be a basic introduction into who Ruth is and what we can learn from her life. It is my hope that God would be glorified in the process of learning from Ruth.

Lesson:
We are first introduced to Ruth when we see her traveling with her mother-in-law Naomi to Bethlehem. Famine had driven Naomi’s family to foreign Moab. Naomi’s husband dies there, his son’s take Moabite women as wives, and then they, too, die, leaving all three women as widows.

We meet Ruth and learn a lot about her character in the beginning of the book of Ruth. Naomi is urging her daughters-in-law to turn back to their homes. Orpah decides to turn back but Ruth pledges herlove and loyalty to Naomi, claiming Naomi’s people as her own and thus her God as well. Ruth’s friendship and love for her mother-in-law is so strong that she leaves her home for foreign lands. Such dedication is truly admirable.

A side note… Ruth’s heritage came from Moab. She was a Gentile from a land despised by the Jews. She came from a land that worshipped idols. We do not know when God touched her heart and she turned to Him, but we see her claiming Naomi’s people as her own and trusting God to provide for all of their needs. It is interesting to note that Jesus came for Jew and Gentile alike and in his line is the blood of a Gentile woman since Ruth was one of the ancestresses mentioned in the royal genealogy mentioned in Matthew.

Upon arriving in Bethlehem Ruth joins the ranks of gleaners in the fields. Naomi is unable to work and Ruth’s love and devotion again shine in her unselfishness as she seeks to provide for thier needs.

Levirate law provided for the needs of the poor:

Leviticus 19:9-10 Now when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very corner of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. Nor shall you glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather the fallen fruit of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the needy and for the stranger. I am the LORD your God.

Gleaning was a humble and hard task. The poor and needy people gleaned in the fields from sunrise to sunset. Then they had to beat the grain from the stalks and gather it up before heading home. This was an all day process for just enough to feed them. It was extremely tiring work and was also not the safest, for there were dishonest and crude, untrustworthy men working as well.

Ruth gleaned with these people. God brought her to the field of Boaz through. Her reputation preceeded her, and Boaz, being a kind and generous man who circulated through his fields, was impressed with her and invited her to glean only in his field. He instructed her to glean with the women and instructed the men to leave her alone and to drop extra sheaths for her to pick up.

Reputation can have a major impact on our lives. Ruth’s integrity and drive, her compassion and devotion spoke volumes about her character. Think about your own life, the reputation it has. Does it glorify God? How do others view you?

Naomi develops a plan to provide for them and seeks to make Ruth happy. Boaz is a kinsman of her deceased husband Elimelech. Naomi instructs Ruth in how to proceed next in claiming the benefits of kinsmen.

But before we get to that we must discuss the family unit. To maintain a family name and estate there must be an heir. The oldest son took over the family property and provided for the women. Levirate law required that if the heir were to die the next oldest brother or next nearest relative was to marry the widow. The first born son would become the heir of the deceased man. This man was called the ‘goel’ which means redeemer.

Boaz was a distant relative of Elimelech. Naomi knew this and instructed Ruth on how to approach him to ask him to be thier kinsman redeemer.

Ruth approaches Boaz at night, uncovers his feet, and lies there awaiting his response. This is not an attempt at seduction but a Middle Eastern custom that is symbolic. The meaning behind the act was to ask Boaz to take her as a wife, redeeming them.

Boaz knows of another closer kinsman and approaches him for Ruth. The man cannot redeem Ruth due to financial reasons. Thus Boaz, before witnesses, becomes the kinsman redeemer, taking Ruth as his wife. A son comes from the union, named Obed, which means “a servant who worships.” Obed then had Jesse, who was the father of David, and thus Ruth becomes a part of the royal line leading to Jesus.

There is so much to learn from Ruth’s life and character. We see true friendship in her actions. We see a woman who is strong and dedicated. We see integrity. We see a woman whose reputation has preceeded her. We see a woman whose faith in God sustained her and carried her and her loved ones through tough times. We see a woman who follwed the counsel of older women. Take lessons from Ruth’s life. She is truly a remarkable woman of God.