Expressing Love
Ruth 1:1-13a, 15-18; 2:2-3, 11-12
The Book of Ruth is a beautiful love story of a young woman and her mother-in-law. They lived during the dark days of the judges when the people went through cycles of disobedience, divine punishment, cries for help, and God’s deliverance. Even in the midst of those dark days, there were people who were faithful and obedient to God. One family was Elimelech, his wife Naomi, and their two sons.
There was a famine in the land, so Elimelech moved his family to the land of Moab. Elimelech died, and Naomi and their two sons stayed in Moab. Eventually the sons married girls from Moab. The sons died, leaving Naomi and their wives, Orpah and Ruth, to fend for themselves. When Naomi decided to return to Israel, her daughters-in-law wanted to go with her. They started out, and Naomi thought it would be better if Orpah and Ruth returned to their families. She asked the Lord to bless them for their faithfulness to her and to her sons.
The young women told Naomi that they wanted to go with her. Naomi encouraged them to return to their families. After some persuasion, Orpah kissed Naomi and returned to her family. Ruth insisted on staying with Naomi. Naomi tried one last time to get Ruth to return to her family. In Ruth 1:16-17, Ruth declared her deep love and devotion to Naomi, her people, and her God. She said that death would be the only thing that would separate them. We would do well to declare our deep love and devotion to God, our spouse, and family until death parts us. Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to stay with her, so they continued their journey to Bethlehem.
They arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest. The two women were destitute, so Ruth went into the fields and gathered free grain that the reapers left behind. The field she chose belonged to Boaz, a relative of Elimelech.
When Boaz arrived at the field, he saw Ruth and inquired about her. When he found out who she was, he went to her and told her that he had heard of her love and devotion to Naomi. Boaz asked the Lord to bless and reward her for her faithfulness to her mother-in-law. God did bless and reward Ruth. King David is her grandson and she is in the lineage of Jesus Christ.
Ruth had given up her homeland, family, security, and the possibility of marrying again in order to care for Naomi. What are you willing to give up for God and family? Just as Ruth gave her love and devotion to her mother-in-law, we should give that same kind of love and devotion to our family and to our Lord.
Johnston– Lessons in the ETB series for the summer quarter are being written by Virginia Johnston, a member of First Baptist Church, North Charleston, where her husband Dan is pastor.