by Toni Doswell

Created on: December 17, 2007

Pungent with love, loyalty, and redemption, the
Book of Ruth highlights the role of Boaz as
a type of Christ, the Redeemer. The book is
named after a Moabite, Ruth, who found herself
eventually in the lineage of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The book starts out speaking of a dire famine
in Bethlehem. So severe is it, that Elimelech
and his family, Naomi, Mahlon and Chilion, move

to Moab, a country where there is food. The family
finds relief there and stays there throughout the
years of famine. Both sons, Mahlong and Chilion,
find wives among the Moabites. Their names are
Orpah and Ruth. Both women are exposed to the
God of Elimelech and Naomi's family.

Adversity comes to the family. Elimelech dies,
as well as both sons. Naomi, Ruth, and Orpah,
now, three widows are left. Naomi, now old and
perhaps very sad, decides to return to her home
of Bethlehem, which now has food. She intreats
both of her daughter-in-laws to stay in Moab,
where they might perhaps meet other men to marry.
She kisses both of them in a sad farewell. Ruth
loves her mother-in-law, Naomi, and clings to
her. Orpah returns back to her people. The
famous wedding words, "Intreat me 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: Where thou diest, will I die, and there
will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more
also, if ought but death part thee and me." -
(Ruth 1:16-7)

The two women return back to Bethlehem. It is the
time of the harvest. Ruth goes out to glean in the
fields. Gleaning was a practice whereby the poor
could go out into the fields and harvest the remains
of what what left after the harvesters completed their
jobs. Farmers and land owners were encouraged to
always leave a little for the poor of their community.

In His providence, God allowed Ruth to work in the
fields of Boaz, who was a relative of the aged Naomi.
Boaz noticed the stranger, Ruth, in his fields gleaning,
and invited her to continue with his maidens. He asked
his harvesters to drop some grain in her path. It was
his way of rewarding the woman who had come a long way
from her home to dwell among strangers.

As the barley harvest neared an end, Naomi got an idea.
It was customary that the next of kin could marry a
relative who was a widow. Boaz was in that position.
Naomi spoke to Ruth about the idea, and sent her to
discuss the probability of marriage with Boaz. Boaz
was startled one evening, when he discovered Ruth at
his feet as he was resting after harvesting.She told
him her purpose, and he assured her he would be happy
to see about the matter. Ruth returned home, and she
and Naomi waited to here how things would go.

First Boaz had to see if the next of kin, who was
another man, wanted to marry Ruth. The next of kin
said he was not in a position to do that because it
would mar his inheritance, thus giving Boaz clearance
to proceed on. They sealed their agreement with the
elders of the town witnessing the agreement.

This is truly a Bible story that has a very happy
ending. Ruth, the Moabitess, and Boaz married.
God gave conception to Ruth and she bore Obed, who
was the great-grandfather of King David. The story
ends in triumph, love, and the rewarding of loyalty.
As Christ is the Redeemer of mankind, so Boaz redeemed
all that was Elimelech's, Mahlon's and Chilion's and
Naomi's- in my opinion, a happily ever after story.

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