Give a summary of what the book of Ruth is about.

To expand on DQ#1 from week one – the Book of Ruth:

The Book of Ruth is a very short book and sometimes dismissed as a pretty story of Ruth’s devotion to Naomi and the love story between Ruth and Boaz. It is so much more! The book is prophetic of the coming of Christ, the grafting of the gentile Church to the olive tree and the re-birth of modern day Israel.

Due to a famine, Naomi and her family left their home in Bethlehem for Moab. The names of the sons, Mahlon (“unhealthy”) and Chilion (“puny”) seemed to be fitting as they died in Moab as did Naomi’s husband. Later Naomi heard that the famine was over in Bethlehem and decided to return. Her widowed daughter-in-law Ruth wanted to return to Bethlehem with her and Naomi tried to convince Ruth to stay in Moab. Ruth’s words to Naomi are often quoted:

16 But Ruth said

“ Entreat me not to leave you,

Or to turn back from following after you;

For wherever you go, I will go;

And wherever you lodge, I will lodge;

Your people shall be my people,

And your God, my God.

Once back in Bethlehem, Naomi and Ruth were destitute and Ruth gleaned in the fields of what turns out to be Naomi’s kinsman Boaz. Boaz noticed Ruth and asked an un-named servant who she was. When Boaz was told it was Ruth, his kinsman’s daughter-in-law he warned the men not to bother her and leave extra grain behind for her to find. Naomi realized the possibility of Boaz being the kinsman redeemer. So Naomi set events in motion that resulted in the marriage of Boaz and Ruth. So much in this short book:

o Names of all have special meaning

1. Naomi – beautiful, pleasing

2. Ruth – friend

3. Boaz – strength

o By the Law of Gleaning part of the harvest is left on the field for the poor to gather

o An Unnamed Servant is usually a manifestation of the Holy Spirit

o six measures of barley – six the number of days in Creation

o levirate marriage – the institution of the Go'el. Generally marriage with a brother’s widow was forbidden, however, it was an obligation when there was no son. If the levitate marriage resulted in a male being born, the son would inherit the estate of the deceased brother.

o Kinsman-Redeemer – Boaz was second in line but prevailed

Boaz and Ruth were in the line of Jesus. Boaz was the son of Salmon and Rahab who was said to be a prostitute. Boaz and Ruth had a son they named Obed who had a son named Jesse and in turn Jesse had a son named David, later known as King David. So a prostitute and a Gentile were in the line of Jesus, what redemption!

The Book of Ruth is prophetic of Jesus as the Kinsman-Redeemer and the Church as the Gentile Bride. As Boaz redeemed Ruth as his bride and Naomi her land, Jesus has redeemed the Church and He will redeem Israel.