Ruth
The Loyal Moabitess
The Moabite widow whose loyalty to Naomi led to redemption by Boaz and a place in the line of Christ.
The book of Ruth is four chapters of Old Testament romance and redemption. Ruth, a Moabitess widow, refused to return to her people: 'whither thou goest, I will go… thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God' (Ruth 1:16 KJV). She gleaned in the field of Boaz, who married her as kinsman-redeemer, and their son Obed was the grandfather of David.
Her Story
Naomi, widowed and bereft of both sons in Moab, urged her two Moabite daughters-in-law to return home. Orpah turned back; Ruth would not. They came to Bethlehem at barley harvest. Ruth gleaned 'and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz' (2:3 KJV). Boaz showed her kindness; Naomi recognised him as a kinsman-redeemer. At Naomi's counsel Ruth approached him at the threshing floor, and Boaz redeemed both the family land and Ruth. Their son Obed begat Jesse, who begat David, who begat the line of Christ (Matthew 1:5).
What Scripture Teaches
- 1A Moabitess — outside the covenant by birth (Ruth 1:4)
- 2Made covenant with Naomi and Naomi's God (1:16-17)
- 3Gleaned in the field of Boaz by 'providence' (2:3)
- 4Boaz redeemed land and bride as kinsman-redeemer (4:9-10)
- 5Mother of Obed, grandmother of Jesse, great-grandmother of David
- 6Named in the genealogy of Christ (Matthew 1:5)
Key KJV Scriptures
"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:"
"The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust."
"So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in unto her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bare a son."
"And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;"
Why It Matters
Ruth is the gospel in miniature — an outsider brought in by covenant love and redemption. Boaz is a type of Christ, the kinsman-redeemer who pays the price to make a stranger His bride.
Application for Today
Cling like Ruth — to God's people, to God's word, and to the Redeemer who has wings under which to trust. Your past is not your boundary; redemption rewrites genealogies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Ruth in the genealogy of Jesus?
She is one of five women named in Matthew 1 — all witnesses to grace. Though Moabites were generally excluded from the assembly (Deuteronomy 23:3), Ruth's faith brought her into the messianic line.
What is a kinsman-redeemer?
Leviticus 25 and Deuteronomy 25 describe the goel — a near kinsman who could redeem land, marry a widow to raise up seed, or avenge a death. Boaz fulfilled the role; Christ fulfils it perfectly for His people.
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