The story of Ruth transpired in the second half of the 12th century BC (BCE), during the time of Gideon’s judgeship. Ruth was the great grandmother of David, who began his rule in Hebron in 1010 BC (BCE).
Yet, Ruth was a foreigner from Moab who married one of the sons of Naomi. Both women became widowed after their husbands died while they were in the land of Moab. It was at this point that Naomi chose to return to Bethlehem, Judah. And Ruth chose to go with her mother-in-law rather than return back to her own people.
Ruth said to Naomi in Ruth 1:16-17: “Don’t press me to leave you and stop following you; for wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God will be my God. Where you die, I will die; and there I will be buried. May the LORD bring terrible curses on me, and worse ones as well, if anything but death separates you and me.”
These were the beautiful words of a woman of unique soul and character. No longer could she be considered a “foreigner” but rather a “daughter” of Israel. At the prompting of her mother-in-law Naomi, Ruth gleaned grain in the field of a prominent and wealthy relative named Boaz, to whom she was eventually to be married to. To them were born Obed. Jesse was born to Obed. And David was born to Jesse. It was David who would become King of Israel and establish the Davidic lineage.
In the Book of Ruth, we are reminded that God has never left Himself without witness. In the darkest days, the light has never been totally extinguished.
Ultimately, observing the historic movement and the process of God, it is seen that these two in their union constituted a highway for God, through perils, for the accomplishment of His purpose. The Book teaches two permanent values:
The secret of saintship: God is the sufficiency of trusting souls; and
The value of saintship: Trusting souls are the instruments of God.
Who is a saint? A saint is a person separated to the Will of God.
Ruth and Boaz lived the lives of saintship in circumstances of the utmost difficulty, finding their sufficiency for such life in God.
They were saints in spite of difficulties peculiar to them, and truly reflected just how full of beauty they were. Ruth was a woman capable of love, characterized by modesty, of fine gentleness, of splendid courage; a woman in all the grace and beauty of womanhood. Boaz was a man of integrity, of courtesy, of tender passion, and of courage; a man in all the strength and glory of manhood.
It was through this unique union of a foreigner-turned-Israelite and a noble Judean that God’s plan was being effected to this great end. Ruth left her former life behind and adamantly chose to join the nation of Israel. Boaz looked beyond Ruth’s ethnicity and past, and he saw the beautiful soul and character within her. And it was together that they brought forth the Davidic lineage of kings, ultimately bringing forth the eagerly anticipated Messiah.
This is what happens when our actions are grounded in saintship: God’s perfect Will is accomplished.
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