Ruth, a Biblical character, was a Moabite who lived during the time of the judges. She was married to the son of an Israelite family which made her Naomi’s daughter-in-law. However, at some point, her father-in-law, husband, and brother-in-law (her spouse’s only brother) died leaving Naomi, Oprah, and her as widows. After this incident, she and her sister-in-law had an opportunity to either go with her mother-in-law or remain in their nation. Oprah decided to stay at home, but Ruth was convinced to go with Naomi wherever she went despite persuasions. Ruth passed through several challenges in her life as Israelites looked down upon her because they believed that she was barren as she had no children. However, her life transforms later as God redeems her when she marries Boaz, and together they give birth to a son known as Obed, who became the descendants of Jesus Christ. Therefore, Ruth’s character in the Bible depicts a spiritual life with good characters that Christians can learn from her behavior to help them live a better life.
Ruth’s Character
Ruth was a steadfast woman and was strong in the decisions that she made in her life. Ruth and Oprah, Naomi’s daughters-in-law, were brought up in the same place and married in the same area as well (De Villiers & Le Roux, 2016). After their husbands pass away, Oprah parts ways with Ruth and Naomi, but Ruth is a virtuous woman and had a great desire always to do good and remain firm in her decisions. She was prepared to do the right things at all times irrespective of the situations at hand, and she makes up her mind to follow her mother in law wherever she went. “Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go: and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God” (Ruth 1:16). Later on, she follows her mother-in-law to the last minute until she finds love, and becomes successful in her life. Therefore, Ruth was an unwavering woman in her decisions and never looked back during adverse times even when things got tough for her and Naomi in a foreign land.
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Ruth was a compassionate woman and was kind in the way that she treated Naomi, her mother-in-law. After the death of their husbands, Ruth and Oprah had the chance to go with Naomi, but Oprah decided to stay with her people in Moab. However, Ruth went with Naomi in a journey where she comforted and treated her with kindness at all times. She sacrificed her life and her family to be with her mother-in-law, to support her during her journey, and when she settled in a new land (Younger, 2002). Ruth worked hard to ensure that she provided for Naomi, and ensure that the little she earned she shared it with her. Therefore, Ruth’s character is that of compassion, selflessness, and kindness as she treats Naomi well and even sacrifices her life to be with her and comfort her after she lost her sons and husband.
Ruth was a faithful and loyal woman, devoted to following her mother-in-law at all times. She traveled with her back to Judah and to the city of Bethlehem where they later resided. People were amazed by Ruth’s loyalty, and her stories spread throughout the city and reached to Boaz. “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” (Ruth 2:11). He prays that the Lord will reward and repay her for her good deeds and protect her in her life. Therefore, Ruth’s faithfulness goes unnoticed in her life by those around her as rumors spread about her decision to follow her mother-in-law through a rough and unknown journey.
Ruth was a hardworking woman who did her best to survive and fend for herself and mother-in-law. Israel’s custom provided that if a man died, his brother was responsible for providing for the widow they left behind. However, Ruth’s brother-in-law had also passed away, and at the same time, Naomi was also a widow. Therefore, this left them both to work hard to earn a living and to take care of themselves. However, due to Naomi’s age, Ruth was always left to work extra hard to ensure she offered a better life both of them; hence she went out daily to glean fields. Boaz’s worker reports to him about her hard work, and it is here that Boaz personally invited Ruth to remain in his fields (Younger, 2002). Furthermore, he asked her to stay close with other women, and he had warned young men not to touch her. Boaz told Ruth to drink freely of the water that men had drawn whenever she was thirsty (Ruth 2:8–9). In this case, Ruth is a hardworking woman whose efforts go unrecognized as Boaz awards him with the freedom to stay in his fields and to enjoy everything there.
Ruth was a humble and appreciative woman who conquered all the temptations that she faced without giving up. When she receives Boaz’s invitation to stay in his fields, she appreciated the chance and asked him why she would do for her such a favor. Boaz reveals that her faithfulness to her mother-in-law fascinated him (Younger, 2002). Furthermore, her character prompts Boaz to continue being courteous to her as he instructs his reapers to leave more grain behind so that she could glean (Ruth 2:14–16). He also provides her with meals at his house. Therefore, Ruth’s humility and determination in life get her through challenges that she faces in life, and in the end, took her to achieve greatness as God showed His miraculous ways of redemption through her.
Ruth was an honest woman, with an open mind, and had a teachable spirit. Ruth arrived home telling Naomi where she had gleaned and it is here that her mother-in-law reveals that Boaz was their close relative: hence qualified to be Ruth’s kinsman-redeemer. In Israel, it was essential to continue the family’s name, and this offered Ruth with the right to fill the role (De Villiers & Le Roux, 2016). Naomi advised her to keep working at Boaz’s barley and wheat fields and encouraged her to request him to be her kinsman-redeemer (Younger, 2002). Ruth heeded her mother-in-law’s advice and did as Naomi had asked her (Ruth 3:2–5). She followed all the instructions she received, and Boaz responded favorably. However, Boaz had to inquire about the issue from Ruth’s closest male relative who was supposed to be the first in line to liberate Ruth and her family’s possessions. Therefore, Ruth’s openness to ideas made her achieve redemption through her marriage to Boaz.
Lessons from Ruth’s Character
One lesson that Christians can learn from Ruth is that they should not let the past hold them back. Ruth was a woman who lived in her home nation f Moab, and the Israelites looked down upon her (De Villiers & Le Roux, 2016). After she lost her husband, she went to live with her mother-in-law despite that she did not have a child and people considered her as barren. Ruth passed through immense pain, and as she started to go to Israel, she must have been scared. However, what she went through did not give up in life and did not let her past determine her fate. She believed that she could still have a better experience and the confidence she had in herself kept her going. Christians should learn not to give up in life despite the challenges that they pass through in life (Rust, 2016). They should not let the decisions and views of people determine their lives. Therefore, Christians can live like Ruth in that they should always be confident in what they do, still pushing ahead to overcome the challenges that they face in life.
Another lesson that Christians can have from Ruth is to have faith in life. Ruth was a firm believer and had faith that she had a purpose ahead of her and that she was destined for a better future. She believed in God and His promises, and who He was and that God would provide for her and her mother-in-law. According to Hebrews 11: 1, faith is “ the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen .” During some instances, Christians may lose hope in life and think that their lives are not what they intended it. They should always believe in God’s divine grace and that He will make way for them even during times where there seems to be no way. Therefore, Christians should learn from Ruth to always have faith in God even during times where they may not see what God is doing.
From Ruth, Christians can learn to value great character even when nobody is watching them. Ruth was a woman of great character, and she behaved better even though she did not know that her story would be written for millions to read her story in ages to come. She did all her best to respect and honor her mother-in-law, who was bitter of the situations she was going through in life (Rust, 2016). Ruth worked hard in the fields to ensure that she provided food for herself and her mother-in-law, Naomi. She was a woman of integrity, who showed great character, and this made her receive favor from God, Christians should emulate Ruth’s behavior and be nice at all times even during situations where they believe that nobody is seeing them. They never know who their story will inspire in life. Therefore, Christians should be of great character like Ruth and should always strive to live with honor, respect, and dignity during all times despite the challenges that they encounter in life.
Christians should have a belief in the possibility of redemption despite the odds they encounter in their lives. Ruth’s story is one that shows the challenges that she went through in life and even believed that she had no reason to receive favor from God (Eskenazi & Frymer-Kensky, 2011). Despite this, she believed and had faith that would provide and this is what made her receive miracles from Him. God did not see through Ruth’s state of poverty and her hurting outcast when He decided to redeem her. God provided Boaz to Ruth’s life to love her, and he changed her life to become a better one. Christians should believe in the possibility of redemption in their lives no matter their situation or what they have undergone or where they come from in the past (Rust, 2016). They should always believe that God has good plans for them and trust in His power to overlook their situations. Therefore, Christians should not look much into their conditions or what they go through but should believe that God can redeem them at any time.
Ruth left a legacy in her life and Christians should strive to do the same in their lives. One of the most inspiring parts in Ruth’s story is that God used her to leave a legacy behind when He brought her and Boaz together. Later on, the couple conceived a child who became the lineage of Jesus Christ as Ruth, a Moabite, became part of this generation (Eskenazi & Frymer-Kensky, 2011). Christians should commit their lives to God and heed to His calling at all times because they never know what is in store for them. They should be ready to accept God to use them for different purposes in life. Christians should be aware that there is no limit to what God can do in their lives as He can use them to leave behind a legacy to their families and those around them.
Ruth’s life was not easy as she grew up in a wicked nation after losing her husband. She moved with Naomi, her mother-in-law, and lived a poor life (Eskenazi & Frymer-Kensky, 2011). She faced through challenges together with her mother-in-law and did not give up despite the challenges that she went through. As Christians read through Ruth’s story, they see God’s fingerprints and realize God’s work at all times in her story. Her long and challenging journey, which began with nothing ended up in her redemption. Christians learn that no matter the situations and circumstances they face in their lives; they should see God’s work in progress. They should believe that God is good, gracious, and loves them, and in case they get discouraged, they should learn from Ruth’s story. Therefore, in everything that Christians do in their lives, they should always see God’s hand and believe that He can redeem their lives miraculously just like He did to Ruth.
Christians learn from Ruth on the importance of keeping promises and being committed to agreements we make in life. Naomi gave Ruth and Oprah blessings to go back to their hometowns after their husbands died because she knew that she was not in a position to provide for them (Eskenazi & Frymer-Kensky, 2011). Their mother-in-law provided them with a choice to move forward with another marriage if it was God’s will. However, Ruth did not take the option as she decided to go with her mother in law anywhere she went and to stay where she stayed. Naomi and Ruth embarked on their journey and stayed with her to the last minute despite all odds and challenges. Christians should follow Ruth’s examples and should be committed to the decisions they make in life. They should be brave to their commitments and ignore their interests to achieve better results. Christians should do a soul-searching from now and then to ask themselves about the choices they make in life to be in a position they think will give them what they want. Therefore, Christians should be committed be committed to their decisions and promises they make in life, accept challenges that the face and do what it takes to become better people.
Ruth teaches Christians about the virtue of working hard in their lives to earn a living. After Ruth and Naomi arrived at their new home, she had to find a way to ensure that they had food at their table. “And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor” (Ruth 2:2). Despite that she was in a new town, she had the desire to work hard to ensure that she took care of herself and her mother-in-law. It is essential that Christians work hard to earn a living in their lives and to avoid begging for people’s help. The Bible states that lazy people should not eat; hence they should always go to work to earn a living respective of their situations. Christians should have proper work ethics and general principles in their lives as they go about their employment. Ruth dedication to her work did not go unnoticed in the field. "She’s been at it steady ever since, from early morning until now, without so much as a break” (Ruth 2:7). Therefore, Christians should endeavor to work hard in their daily lives, show dedication in their employment opportunities because their efforts will not go unnoticed.
Ruth’s spiritual qualities are essential in Christian’s lives as they strive to attain peace and harmony. Ruth had several desirable qualities that distinguish her from other women in the Bible. She overcame all the challenges that she faced in her life and emerged victorious despite all odds. Ruth faced several challenges in her life, but she remained steadfast and patient until the end. Christians should not give in to temptations and their body desires but should strive to be better people during all times. However, they should recognize that God is in control of all the situations, and will provide them with a solution. Therefore, Christians should realize that the challenges they encounter in their lives keep them strong and they should not use them as excuses not to achieve a greater spiritual connection with God.
Conclusion
Ruth’s story is inspirational to Christians today as they can take several lessons from her. God can change anyone’s life and bring them to a destination where he has planned for them. Christians should know that no matter their situation or circumstances, God can transform them, and use them to leave a legacy. Ruth was a poor woman, despised by Israelites because she did not have a child, and people believed that she was barren. After the death of her father-in-law, brother-in-law (Oprah’s husband), and her husband, Naomi, Oprah, and Ruth become widows. Ruth remains faithful and loyal to her mother-in-law and follows her to a new country where they start a new life. She does not give up despite the challenges that she goes through and she finally received favor and honor from God. Her story inspires Christians to have faith during all challenging situations that they go through as Ruth believed in good things and God blessed her with a husband, Boaz, and a son Obed. In conclusion, Ruth is an example of living a spiritual life with various virtues such as hard work, faithfulness, loyalty, having faith, and living a positive character. Christians should learn from her story to always live a better life trusting and believing in God’s miracles.
References
De Villiers, G., & Le Roux, J. (2016). The Book of Ruth in the time of the Judges and Ruth, the Moabitess. Verbum et Ecclesia , 37 (1), 1-6.
Eskenazi, T. C., & Frymer-Kensky, T. (2011). The JPS Bible Commentary: Ruth . U of Nebraska Press.
Rust, B. (2016). 5 Lessons Women Can Learn from Ruth. Retrieved from
https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/bible-study/5-lessons-women-can-learn-from-ruth.html
Younger Jr, K. L. (2002). The NIV Application Commentary: Judges, Ruth. Grand Rapids: Zondervan .
