Objective

In this study, we’ll see that Ruth provides a wonderful picture of our redemption through Christ.

Key Verse

Ruth 2:12: May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.

Introduction

Ruth is a love story, but it’s so much more than that. It’s a story of faith, loyalty, and redemption that speaks directly to our hearts today. Though Ruth is one of the shortest books in the Bible—only four chapters—it teaches us profound truths about God’s character and His plan for our salvation.

You might wonder why God included this small book in His Word. The story takes place during the dark period of the judges, when “everyone did as they saw fit” and Israel repeatedly turned away from God. Yet in the middle of this spiritual darkness, God gives us this beautiful account of ordinary people living extraordinary lives of faith. Ruth shows us that God is always at work, even in the hardest times, accomplishing His purposes through faithful people who trust Him.

This book matters deeply for us today because it demonstrates God’s faithfulness in everyday life, shows us how God’s law was meant to protect and provide for the vulnerable, presents powerful examples of godly character in action, teaches us about the beautiful doctrine of redemption, and traces the family line that would lead to King David and ultimately to Jesus Christ. As we study Ruth together, we’ll discover how this ancient story speaks powerfully to our modern lives.

In this lesson, we will:

• Review the complete story of Ruth and see God’s hand at work
• Learn from Ruth’s example of godly character
• Understand the profound message of redemption through the kinsman-redeemer

The Story of Ruth

The book of Ruth opens with a crisis. A severe famine struck Israel during the time of the judges, and a man named Elimelech made a desperate decision. He took his wife Naomi and their two sons from Bethlehem—which ironically means “house of bread”—to the foreign land of Moab to find food. This move seemed practical, but it meant leaving the Promised Land and living among people who worshipped false gods.

Chapter 1: Choosing Faith Over Comfort

While in Moab, tragedy struck the family repeatedly. First, Elimelech died, leaving Naomi a widow in a foreign land. Her two sons married Moabite women—Orpah and Ruth. Then, about ten years later, both sons died as well. Naomi was left with nothing but her two daughters-in-law, no property, no income, and no male relatives to protect her. In that culture, this meant complete destitution.

When Naomi heard that the Lord had provided food again in Israel, she decided to return home. She urged both daughters-in-law to stay in Moab where they could remarry and have security. Orpah tearfully kissed Naomi goodbye and returned to her people and her gods. But Ruth clung to Naomi and spoke some of the most beautiful words of commitment in all of Scripture:

Ruth 1:16-17: But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.”

Think about what Ruth was giving up. She was choosing to leave everything familiar—her family, her homeland, her culture, and her religion. She was choosing to go to a place where she would always be a foreigner, a Moabite among Israelites who often looked down on her people. She was choosing poverty and uncertainty over the security she could have had in Moab. But most importantly, she was choosing to follow the true God of Israel.

(Notebook Moment: What do you think gave Ruth the courage to make such a radical decision? Have you ever had to choose between earthly security and following God?)

Chapter 2: God’s Provision Through Ordinary Faithfulness

Ruth and Naomi arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest—perfect timing that was no coincidence. They were destitute, but God’s law made provision for the poor. Landowners were required to leave the edges of their fields unharvested and not pick up grain that fell during harvesting so that the poor, widows, and foreigners could gather food.

Ruth volunteered to go gleaning, and the Bible tells us that “as it happened” she found herself working in a field belonging to Boaz, a relative of Naomi’s late husband. But we know nothing truly happens by chance when God is directing our steps. Boaz was not only wealthy but also a man of remarkable character. When he arrived at his fields, his first words were a blessing to his workers: “The Lord be with you!”

Boaz noticed Ruth and asked about her. When he learned she was the Moabite who had returned with Naomi, he showed her exceptional kindness. He told her to stay in his fields, provided protection, shared water with her, and even instructed his workers to deliberately drop extra grain for her to gather. When Ruth asked why he was being so kind to a foreigner, Boaz revealed that he had heard about her loyalty to Naomi:

Ruth 2:11-12: Boaz replied, “I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband—how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.”

Ruth worked hard all day and returned to Naomi with an impressive amount of grain—about 30 pounds of barley, enough to feed them for many days. When Naomi learned whose field Ruth had worked in, she blessed Boaz and revealed something crucial: he was one of their kinsman-redeemers, a close relative who had the right to redeem their family property and marry Ruth to continue the family line.

Chapter 3: Seeking Redemption

As the harvest season continued, Naomi developed a plan. She recognized that Boaz cared for Ruth but hadn’t taken any action toward marriage. Following the customs of that time, Naomi instructed Ruth to approach Boaz at the threshing floor after the harvest celebration, when he would be sleeping there to guard his grain.

Ruth obeyed completely, saying simply:

Ruth 3:5: “I will do whatever you say,” Ruth answered.

That night, Ruth quietly approached Boaz and lay at his feet, symbolically placing herself under his protection and requesting that he fulfill the role of kinsman-redeemer. When Boaz woke and discovered her there, he was deeply moved by her request. He blessed her for not going after younger men but seeking redemption through the proper channels according to God’s law.

However, Boaz revealed there was one relative closer than he who had the first right of redemption. Boaz promised to settle the matter immediately. He sent Ruth home with six measures of barley—a sign to Naomi that he would not rest until the matter was resolved.

(Notebook Moment: How does Ruth’s complete obedience to Naomi reflect her trust in God’s ways? When has obedience to God’s Word required you to take a step of faith?)

Chapter 4: Redemption Accomplished

The next morning, Boaz went to the city gate where legal matters were settled. He gathered ten elders as witnesses and presented the case to the nearer relative. At first, the man was interested in buying back Elimelech’s land. But when Boaz explained that marrying Ruth was part of the redemption package—and that any son born would carry on Elimelech’s name, not his own—the man declined. He removed his sandal, the legal symbol of transferring his right of redemption to Boaz.

Boaz publicly declared before all the witnesses:

Ruth 4:9-10: Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, “Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelech, Kilion and Mahlon. I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from his hometown. Today you are witnesses!”

The story concludes with great joy. Ruth and Boaz married and had a son named Obed. The women of Bethlehem celebrated with Naomi, saying that Ruth was better to her than seven sons. And in a beautiful reversal, Naomi, who had returned to Bethlehem empty and bitter, now held her grandson in her arms, surrounded by a community celebrating God’s restoration.

The book ends with a genealogy that reveals the greater purpose of this story:

Ruth 4:17: The women living there said, “Naomi has a son!” And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

The Example of Godliness

Ruth stands as one of the most remarkable examples of godly character in all of Scripture. Her life demonstrates qualities that God values and that we should pursue in our own walk with Him.

First, Ruth showed unwavering devotion to her family. When it would have been easier and safer to return to her own people, she chose to stay with Naomi. Her commitment went beyond mere duty—it was love in action. She bound herself to Naomi with an oath before the Lord, making her commitment unbreakable.

Second, Ruth was diligent in her work. The text tells us she worked in the fields from morning until evening, with only brief rests. She didn’t complain about the hard work of gleaning, bending over all day in the hot sun to gather individual stalks of grain. When Boaz offered her the privilege of gleaning in his fields throughout the harvest, she faithfully continued day after day. Her hard work provided for both herself and Naomi.

Ruth 2:7: She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the harvesters.’ She came into the field and has remained here from morning till now, except for a short rest in the shelter.

Third, Ruth trusted completely in the Lord. Though she was raised in Moab among idol worshippers, she embraced the God of Israel as her own. She placed herself under His protection, finding refuge “under His wings” as Boaz beautifully described it. Her trust in God gave her courage to face an uncertain future in a foreign land.

Fourth, Ruth was careful and wise in her relationships. When Naomi instructed her about approaching Boaz, Ruth didn’t act independently or impulsively. She followed Naomi’s guidance exactly, showing respect for her elder’s wisdom. When she met Boaz at the threshing floor, she conducted herself with perfect propriety, doing nothing that could damage her reputation or his. Boaz himself commended her for her noble character, noting that everyone in town knew she was a woman of virtue.

Ruth’s character reflects the virtuous woman described in Proverbs 31—hardworking, trustworthy, kind, and wise. She shows us that godly character is demonstrated not in grand gestures but in daily faithfulness, in choosing what is right even when it’s difficult, and in trusting God’s plan even when we can’t see the outcome.

The Message of Redemption

The book of Ruth gives us one of the clearest pictures of redemption in the Old Testament. Through the story of Boaz as the kinsman-redeemer, God painted a beautiful portrait of what Jesus Christ would do for us.

In ancient Israel, God’s law provided protection for the vulnerable through the institution of the kinsman-redeemer, called “goel” in Hebrew. This role had two main functions that we see in Ruth’s story. First, when someone had to sell their land because of poverty, their nearest relative had the responsibility to buy it back to keep it in the family:

Leviticus 25:25: If one of your fellow Israelites becomes poor and sells some of their property, their nearest relative is to come and redeem what they have sold.

Second, when a man died without children, his brother or nearest relative was to marry the widow to provide an heir who would carry on the dead man’s name and inherit his property:

Deuteronomy 25:5-6: If brothers are living together and one of them dies without a son, his widow must not marry outside the family. Her husband’s brother shall take her and marry her and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to her. The first son she bears shall carry on the name of the dead brother so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel.

Naomi and Ruth faced both problems. They had lost their family property and had no male heir to continue the family line. They were helpless to solve either problem on their own. They needed a redeemer.

(Notebook Moment: How does the helplessness of Ruth and Naomi mirror our spiritual condition before Christ? What problems do we face that we cannot solve on our own?)

Boaz fulfilled both aspects of the kinsman-redeemer role perfectly. He bought back the family property, paying the full price to redeem what had been lost. He married Ruth, providing security, protection, and love. Through their son Obed, the family line continued, and Elimelech’s name was preserved in Israel.

What Do We See of Christ?

The parallels between Boaz and Jesus Christ are profound and intentional. God gave us this story to help us understand what Jesus would accomplish as our Redeemer. Let’s explore three essential requirements for the kinsman-redeemer and see how perfectly Jesus fulfills each one.

➤ The Redeemer Must Be a Blood Relative

The kinsman-redeemer had to be a family member—someone who shared the same bloodline. A stranger couldn’t redeem; only a relative had that right. This is why Jesus had to become human:

John 1:14: The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Hebrews 2:16-17: For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants. For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.

Jesus took on human flesh, becoming our brother so that He could be our Redeemer. He entered our family, experienced our struggles, faced our temptations, yet remained without sin. Just as Boaz was related to Ruth through marriage and adoption into the family of Israel, Jesus relates to us by taking on our humanity.

➤ The Redeemer Must Have the Ability to Redeem

Not every relative could serve as kinsman-redeemer. He had to have the resources to pay the redemption price. The nearer kinsman in Ruth’s story was unwilling to redeem because it would endanger his own inheritance—he didn’t have enough wealth to redeem Ruth and still provide for his own family.

Boaz, however, was a man of great wealth and standing. The Bible calls him a “man of standing” or “mighty man of valor.” He had abundant resources to pay any price required. Similarly, Jesus alone has the resources to pay for our redemption:

1 Corinthians 6:20: You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

1 Peter 1:18-19: For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

The price of our redemption was infinitely high—it required a perfect, sinless life. Only Jesus could pay this price. His blood is precious beyond measure, worth more than all the world’s wealth, because He is the sinless Son of God.

➤ The Redeemer Must Be Willing to Redeem

Even if someone was a relative with adequate resources, the law couldn’t force them to redeem. It had to be a voluntary act of love. The nearer kinsman in Ruth’s story had the right to redeem but chose not to. Boaz, however, was eager to redeem Ruth. He acted immediately, not even waiting until the next day to settle the matter.

Jesus came willingly to redeem us:

Matthew 20:28: Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

John 10:17-18: The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.

1 John 3:16: This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.

Jesus wasn’t forced to save us. He chose to leave heaven’s glory, chose to become human, chose to go to the cross, all because of His great love for us.

Ruth in the Line of Christ

The book of Ruth ends with a genealogy that might seem anticlimactic after such a beautiful story, but it’s actually the climax of the entire narrative. Ruth, a Moabite woman—a foreigner from a nation often hostile to Israel—became the great-grandmother of King David:

Matthew 1:5: Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse.

Ruth is one of only five women mentioned in Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus. Each of these women had something unusual about her story—Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary. God included them to show us that His grace extends to all people, that He uses imperfect people and difficult circumstances to accomplish His perfect will, and that the Messiah came to save people from every nation, not just Israel.

Conclusion

The book of Ruth teaches us that God’s mercy truly extends to all people. Ruth was doubly disadvantaged in Israelite society—she was a woman in a male-dominated culture and a foreigner from a despised nation. Yet she found grace in God’s eyes because she sought refuge under His wings. Her story reminds us that God shows no favoritism:

Romans 2:11: For God does not show favoritism.

Acts 10:34-35: Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.”

God’s plan has always been to bring redemption to all people. When He called Abraham, He promised that through his offspring all nations would be blessed. Ruth’s story shows us this promise beginning to unfold as God brings a Moabite woman into the very lineage of the Messiah.

Galatians 3:28: There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Ruth also reminds us that God works through both women and men to accomplish His purposes. In a culture where women were often overlooked, God made Ruth a hero of the faith and included her in the royal line of David and Jesus. Her story encourages us that God values and uses everyone who trusts in Him, regardless of their gender, nationality, or social status.

Perhaps most beautifully, Ruth shows us that redemption is God’s great work of love. We were like Ruth—spiritually destitute, without hope, unable to save ourselves. We needed a Kinsman-Redeemer who was willing and able to pay the price for our salvation. Jesus Christ became our relative by taking on human flesh, paid the ultimate price with His own blood, and did it all willingly because of His great love for us.

The story that began with famine and death in Moab ends with harvest and new life in Bethlehem—the very town where, generations later, our Redeemer would be born. What seemed like a simple love story between Ruth and Boaz was actually God writing the greater love story of redemption that would bless all nations through Jesus Christ.

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