Ruth was the widow of Mahlon, the son of Naomi and Elimelech. Elimelech, an Israelite, brought his wife and 2 sons to Moab to escape a famine in Judah. They settled down and the young men took Moabite wives. Sadly, Elimelech died. Then the 2 young men died also, leaving their mother and widows childless and without support. Indigent, and hearing that the famine had left Israel, Naomi decided to return to her homeland. She told her daughters-in-law to go back to their families and their gods and find new husbands among the Moabites but Ruth refused to leave her side saying, "Where you go, I shall go, and where you stay, I shall stay. Your people will be my people, and your God my God...nothing but death will part me from you" (Ruth 1:16-18).
Ruth and Naomi reached the family holding in Bethlehem at the time of the barley harvest. According to the Law God had given to the Israelites, the poor were allowed to follow the harvesters and glean the fields of any crops missed by the workers. Therefore, Ruth went out gleaning, hoping to gather enough barley to feed herself and the old woman throughout the winter. Quite by chance, she entered the field of Boaz, a near kinsman of her husband's family. Seeing what a hard worker she was, and hearing of her kindness to Naomi, the fatherly gentleman called Ruth "daughter" and instructed her to stay with his workers throughout the harvest lest anyone harass her. (The Moabites and the Israelites were traditional enemies.)
When Ruth returned home, Naomi was gladdened to hear of Boaz's kindness and exclaimed, "Perhaps he will fulfill the roll of our kinsmen-redeemer!" (In Israel, the kinsmen-redeemer was a close relative who helped his relations when they were down on their luck. If they were forced to sell their land, he would buy it back. If his relations were sold into slavery, he rescued them. And if a man of his family died without heirs, he took his widow into his home and raised up a son to inherit the dead man's name and property. The kinsman-redeemer was a fore type of Jesus Christ who became a human in order to rescue his brothers and sisters.)
Ruth continued gleaning the fields throughout the barley and wheat harvests. One evening Naomi instructed her to go to the threshing-floor where Boaz was winnowing his barley. After he lay down to sleep, Ruth was to lay quietly at his feet. When he noticed her, she was to say, "Spread the skirt of your cloak over me, for you are my next-of-kin." (This was to indicate her and Naomi's need of assistance.)
Ruth did exactly as Naomi said and, when Boaz heard her, he replied, "The Lord bless you for your loyalty to my family. You could have found a husband among the young men but instead you have come to this old kinsman so that Mahlon's name will be kept alive and Naomi will have a grandson to gladden her old age." So then Boaz married Ruth and she bore a son, Obed, the grandfather of King David. At this all the women of Bethlehem declared that Ruth had proven herself to be of more value than 7 sons.
Ruth 1-4; Mt 1:5
All scripture quotes are from the REB Bible unless otherwise indicated.
Comments© 1998 by Suzetta Tucker
To cite this page:
Tucker, Suzetta. "Jesse Tree Advent Calendar - December 13
- Ruth." ChristStory Christian Bestiary. 1998. http://ww2.netnitco.net/users/legend01/13ruth.htm
().