Ruth: An Extraordinary Woman of Loyalty and Love

Ruth is the fourth of the Twelve Extraordinary Women in our study through the book by John MacArthur.

One of my all-time favorite stories. If you haven’t read it in a while, or ever, I encourage you to go read the book of Ruth in your Bible. It’s only 4 short chapters, or you can read it here: Ruth


Last Spring I led a 10 week study by Kelly Minter entitled: Ruth: loss, love & legacy (the word, loyalty would have fit into the subtitle quite nicely!)


The book of Ruth starts with the story of Naomi and her husband Elimelech and their two sons fleeing the famine in Israel, and heading to the godless, pagan country called Moab. When there, Elimelech died, the two sons married Moabite women (which was forbidden by God for Israelites) and the sons both died. So Naomi and her two daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth were left without a man to lean on. A fearsome thing for women in their culture.


A sorrowful Naomi heard the famine in Israel had passed (after 10 years away) and decided to return to Israel. The two young women were accompanying her on the journey, when she paused and told them to go home to their families because basically there was nothing she could give them. The custom of the time was that if a husband died, a brother would marry the wife to keep the family name and line going. Naomi knew that even if she did marry at an old age and bear a son, Orpah and Ruth would not wait that long for a husband.

ο»Ώ

After urging them through tears all around, Orpah decided to return to her family, but Ruth insisted on staying with her Mother-in-law . . . nothing barring!

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. Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.” Ruth 1:16-18


And so along they trekked to a land where they knew not what awaited them. 


This is faith, friends. Do you find yourself there? Taking steps, but not sure where you are headed or what to find once you get there? {Me too!}


There was a stirring in the town as they arrived at Bethlehem at the start of barley harvest. The women were excited to see Naomi again (can you visualize it?)


Ruth asked permission of Naomi to go gather the leftover grain from the side of the fields, and after the nod from Naomi, Ruth just happened to land in the field of Boaz who was not only a relative of Elimelech, but also a kinsman-redeemer. A man given charge of guarding the family honor. He was overseer of the family property, seeing that it stayed in the family and the family line would continue.


And Boaz just happened to take notice of Ruth and grant her special graces of protection (telling the men not to touch her), provision (telling the men to drop some barley from the sheaves they gathered off to the side for her), and favor (telling her to drink from the water the men had drawn instead of drawing it herself).


Boaz was moved by her diligence, hard work, and of her loyalty to her mother-in-law. Ruth 2:14 shows he welcomed her, a destitute foreigner, to his table to eat.


Boaz just happens to be the grandson of Rahab the harlot, from our story last week. Likely this made him more empathetic, and open to welcoming Ruth, the foreigner.


When Naomi saw what was happening, she saw the hand and provision of God.


At the end of the harvest, she also decided it was time to take action since Boaz wasn’t making the first move, and she could see clearly that this was “a match made in Heaven” so she devised a plan. She told Ruth to get prettied up, and perfume herself, then go to the threshing floor late, lay at Boaz’s feet, and pull the hem of his robe over her.


This was a marriage proposal.


An unconventional one. 


Read it here from Ruth 3:6-13

6 So she went down to the threshing floor and did just as her mother-in-law had commanded her.7 And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain. Then she came softly and uncovered his feet and lay down. 8 At midnight the man was startled and turned over, and behold, a woman lay at his feet! 9 He said, “Who are you?” And she answered, “I am Ruth, your servant. Spread your wings[a] over your servant, for you are a redeemer.”10 And he 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. 11 And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you ask, for all my fellow townsmen know that you are a worthy woman. 12 And now it is true that I am a redeemer. Yet there is a redeemer nearer than I.13 Remain tonight, and in the morning, if he will redeem you, good; let him do it. But if he is not willing to redeem you, then, as the Lord lives, I will redeem you. Lie down until the morning.”

Boaz approached the other man in a public gathering place, in a seemingly strategic way, and the outcome was . . . Boaz and Ruth got married and lived happily ever after. Like Rahab, Ruth is mentioned in the lineage of our Savior. Matthew 1:5-6

ο»Ώ

Our classroom observations from the story:

  • If the men had not died . . . Ruth would have likely remained in Moab
  • Naomi must have had a vibrant, living faith for Ruth to know and trust God with such conviction
  • Faith truly does make one extraordinary!
  • Though Naomi suffered much loss on earth, she has multiplied treasures both on earth and in eternity-and so it is promised to us. Mark 10:29-30
  • Boaz is like Jesus, who lavishly loves and provides for His Bride
  • Ruth was humble in honoring Naomi as one in authority over her in asking permission to glean in Boaz’s field. And in our culture, we have largely lost the intrinsic value of the protection of authority as well as our honoring of authority. And God takes this very seriously. Romans 13:1-2


don't miss a thing
☞   SIGN UP TO receive THE LATEST news and updates  β˜œ
Thank you for subscribing!
By Kathy Schwanke 30 Jan, 2024
Our Human Story
By Kathy Schwanke 24 Dec, 2023
To conceive means "to seize; to take hold of"
By Kathy Schwanke 27 Sep, 2023
When the lights go out, we hear better and we grow closer.
Share by: