The story of Ruth, while short is a powerful narrative that demonstrates God’s love and faithfulness. Boaz’s redemption of Ruth, in many ways, parallels God’s redemption of mankind. It is a story that God can take someone who does not fit the expected mold and turn them into something great.
The protagonist of our story, Ruth, was a Moabite not of God’s chosen people Israel. She came from a background of gods other than Yahweh. She had married into the family of Naomi one of the other main characters of the book of Ruth. We learn that after moving to the land of Moab, Naomi’s husband Elimelech died leaving Naomi a widow. At the time, Ruth is still married to Naomi’s son Mahlon. The Bible indicates that they were in the land around ten years when both of Naomi’s sons Mahlon and Chilion also died leaving Ruth, Naomi and Orpah who was Chilion’s wife all widows.
Ruth, Naomi and Orpah all travel towards Judah to return to Naomi’s home. While they are in between Moab and Judah the Bible tells us that in Ruth 1:8 Naomi commands her daughters-in-law to return to
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He is listed in Ruth 4:17 as being the father of Jesse who was the father of David. What is interesting about Boaz and Ruth is that Boaz’s mother according to Matthew 1:5 is Rahab, who is mentioned in Joshua 2. Rahab aided Joshua and his spies in the city of Jericho without her aid their mission would have failed. Because of this God spared Rahab and her family. While it seems like a small little footnote in the book of Joshua, Rahab is a significant Biblical character because of her lineage. She and Ruth are both included in Jesus’ bloodline and are both of non-Jewish decent. Both are examples of God’s power to use a person that others might overlook and do great things through them. Rahab was taken from a life of prostitution and Ruth an outsider from a foreign land and both were used as part of the lineage of Jesus who would be the redeemer of the