Chapter By Chapter: Ruth
In the days of the judges, when famine strikes Bethlehem, Naomi and her family flee to Moab. There, her sons marry Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth, but tragedy follows: her husband and sons die. When the famine ends, Naomi returns home bitter and empty. Orpah stays behind, but Ruth makes a bold vow: she will follow Naomi, adopt her people, and serve her God.
In the ancient world, a widow without sons had no future. Naomi has nothing to offer—but Ruth pledges loyalty anyway. Her words echo covenantal language, marking her not just as a faithful daughter-in-law, but as a model of faith. While Naomi believes God has turned against her, His quiet providence is already unfolding. Ruth’s devotion will echo through history, leading to David, and to Jesus.
16: But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.”
Back in Bethlehem, Ruth goes out to glean behind the harvesters. She happens upon the field of Boaz, a relative of Naomi’s late husband. Boaz, having heard of Ruth’s loyalty, offers protection, provides extra grain, and invites her to his table. Ruth is overwhelmed by his kindness. When she reports what happened, Naomi realizes Boaz is one of their redeemers—a relative with the right to restore their family line.
God’s behind-the-scenes work continues: Ruth chooses a field “by chance,” but it belongs to Boaz. He honors her devotion, disregards her status as a Moabite outsider, and blesses her—unaware that he himself will become God’s answer to that prayer. His kindness marks a turning point: the first good thing to happen to these widows since their loss. Redemption is beginning to bloom.
12: “The Lord repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!”
After the harvest, Naomi sends Ruth to Boaz at night, instructing her to lie at his feet—a symbolic gesture of humility and a request for marriage. Ruth obeys, and when Boaz wakes, she asks him to redeem her family. Honored by her boldness and loyalty, Boaz blesses her. He explains that a nearer relative has the first right to redeem her, but promises to act if the man will not. He sends her home with grain before dawn, guarding both her reputation and her future.
Ruth’s quiet proposal mirrors Boaz’s earlier blessing—seeking refuge under his wings (2:12; 3:9). Though the scene carries potential for scandal, both act with integrity. Boaz recognizes Ruth’s kindness not just to Naomi but to him, and responds with generosity, protection, and decisive intent. What began as survival becomes covenant loyalty in action, drawing the story toward redemption.
10: And he [Boaz] said, “May you be blessed by the Lord, my daughter. You have made this last kindness greater than the first in that you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich.”
At the town gate, Boaz publicly offers Naomi’s closest relative the chance to redeem her land—but the man declines when told he must also marry Ruth. Boaz steps in, honoring both legal and covenantal obligations as well as his promise to Ruth. He marries Ruth, and she bears a son: Obed. The women of Bethlehem bless Naomi, recognizing that through Ruth and Boaz, God has restored her joy. Obed becomes the grandfather of King David.
Boaz fulfills his word with integrity and transparency, embodying the spirit of a redeemer. Ruth’s child is more than a personal joy—he represents the restoration of Naomi’s family and the unfolding of God’s plan. From famine to fullness, from death to life, Naomi is no longer empty. And through this Moabite woman’s faith, God grafts Ruth into Israel’s story—leading to David, and eventually to Jesus, the true Redeemer of all nations.
14: Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel!”