Text by Roxanne Flores
Read:
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Ruth 4:11-17 (NASB)
11 And all the people who were in the court, and the elders, said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built the house of Israel; and may you achieve wealth in Ephrathah and become famous in Bethlehem. 12 Moreover, may your house be like the house of Perez whom Tamar bore to Judah, through the descendants whom the Lord will give you by this young woman.”
13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife, and he had relations with her. And the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. 14 Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed is the Lord who has not left you without a redeemer today, and may his name become famous in Israel. 15 May he also be to you one who restores life and sustains your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.”
16 Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her lap, and became his nurse. 17 And the neighbor women gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi!” So they named him Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.
Reflect:
The book of Ruth is one of the only two books in the Bible named after women (the other one is Esther). Ruth’s story was THAT significant to actually be established in the Bible’s narrative, so it might be a good idea to get to know her and her story better.
Most of us are probably quite familiar with Ruth—the daughter-in-law of Naomi who later became the wife of Boaz. She gave birth to a son named Obed, who was the father of Jesse, who was the father of King David.
All of these seem to paint such a glorified, picturesque idea of Ruth—so much like the Proverbs 31 woman whom we all love. But before all the glorious breakthroughs we read about her in the last chapter of her book, Ruth was first a widow–a widow who had no sons and daughters. Ruth was also an immigrant–a Moabite at that (Moab was one of Israel’s most ancient enemies). If we will look at these things in the context of those ancient times, this is a tragedy and it couldn’t be any worse for Ruth. From where she came from, she was such a far outcry from the woman of noble character described in Proverbs 31.
The story of Ruth is such a beautiful one because it shows how God has long been at work in redeeming those people deemed unworthy in the society. In the book of Ruth, we evidently see God’s hand and providence. In redeeming Ruth, the Lord has redeemed a WIDOW, an IMMIGRANT, and a WOMAN.
By the end of her story, Ruth was considered to be a blessed, excellent woman–to a point wherein women would even say that she was “a daughter-in-law even better than seven sons”. We have to understand that coming from such a time, in such a society, that praise means so much.
Praise be to God, who is such a faithful redeemer then, and until now.
Respond:
Dear friend, have you ever felt unworthy?
Dear woman, especially the mothers whom we celebrate this month, have you ever felt shamed because of your identity?
Remember that God is your redeemer. He’s the only one who truly knows your worth, and He has paid a huge ransom for you.
Remember Ruth and her redemption. May it also be unto you.
Roxanne Flores is a licensed professional teacher and a storyteller who tries sometimes. Hands and feet currently in the Philippines, but her head and her heart are already out there exploring the nations. She’s always hungry—both for food and for God’s Word, so if you don’t find her working on her table, she’ll probably be in the kitchen, rummaging the fridge for some leftover food or a midnight snack.
AUTHOR: ROXANNE FLORES