Ruth...A story of Adoption, Mercy, and Grace

The Book of Ruth...What a beautiful love story this book is.  It highlights our need for Redemption and God's concern and care for us.  He desires to meet our needs and to save us from this world with its laws and injustice.  It truly shows that God's ways are higher than our own.

Concerning Love...Ruth's love for Naomi is demonstrated when she chose to leave "her people and her gods" (Ruth 1: 15).  Naomi loved her daughters-in-law enough to let them go, but Ruth chose to surrender all she knew to take care of Noami..."Where you go; I will go;  where you lodge; I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God." (verse 16)

Concerning Adoption...Naomi return to Bethlehem, to her kinsmen, with  Ruth and considered Ruth to be family, not a servant or slave.  She was regarded by Naomi as family.  Ruth owned land by virtue of her marriage to Naomi's son, and was therefore treated as a daughter.  God adopts us as His children when we accept Jesus as our Savior.  We become His children and heirs in His kingdom.

Concerning Redemption...In Boaz we see the compassion and care of God.  When Ruth went to Boaz and asked him to redeem them, saving them from the bondage of widowhood and poverty, he demonstrated a desire to save them from that end.  We see a desire to protect Ruth from those who would see  her as less than he saw her...  not as family, but as a foreigner or servant.  We see that Boaz recognized that Naomi and Ruth needed a redeemer, and that he could meet that need.  Boaz shows us the nature of God...His desires for us.

Concerning Grace...When Boaz met with the closest next of kin, who had first right to offer redemption, and ten elders to discuss the redemption of Naomi and Ruth (which was done in accordance with the law) the next of kin refused to do it because Ruth was a Moabite and he would not take her as his wife and damage his own inheritance.  He based his decision on Jewish law.  Boaz then offered redemption and married Ruth....following his heart instead of the law.  This is a good example of Grace.  We cannot earn God's grace, nor can we receive it by following a bunch of laws, which we fail to do over and over.  It is only by His goodness do we receive the gift of grace.

Jesus came to show us God's love, inviting us to become children of God by receiving Him, making His God our God, and by asking Him to redeem us.  Ruth and Naomi recognized that they needed a redeemer and they knew who to turn to.  As Christians, we have already recognized and received the redemption that Jesus offers.  We need to help others recognized their need for a redeemer and introduce them to Jesus.