I am so excited that today we are kicking off our mini-series on women of faith! And who better to start with than Ruth? Ruth teaches us about being an outsider, hardship, but most importantly, about being bold and being bold in faith. I’ve got to tell you after studying the book of Ruth, it is easily one of my favorites and I have so much I want to share with you. If you haven’t read the book of Ruth, I highly encourage you to. It’s only four chapters but it tells such a beautiful story of boldness and redemption.
Ruth had a tough start at the beginning of the book. She was a Moabite woman that married an Isralite, which isn’t forbidden at the time but being a Moabite does make her an outsider. Then her father-in-law, brother-in-law, and husband die. All she had was her mother-in-law, Naomi, and sister-in-law, Orpah. After the death of her husband and children, Naomi decided to return home to Israel. She knew how difficult it would be for Ruth and Orpah to go back with her (being Moabite women who are widowed) so Naomi tells Ruth and Orpah to go back to their families as it was customary plus they were still young and she didn’t want them to waste their lives on her. But Ruth says no. More specifically she says,
"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." Ruth 1:16.
Ruth boldly stands up to her mother-in-law for a couple of reasons.
Her loyalty to Naomi
Her commitment to serving the Lord
Her entire future was ahead of her
Can you imagine that relationship between Ruth and Naomi? There is such love and loyalty between the two of them.
Ruth was dealt hardship after hardship, but Ruth was bold. She was relentless. She didn’t give up. It’s not always easy to be a bold woman in society, you often get labeled “bossy” or “high-strung” or “too much”. But Ruth doesn’t give up and I've always been inspired by her boldness. She doesn’t let hardship get to her, instead she grows from it. Ruth goes from poor and widowed to finding great favor with the Lord. Ruth meets Boaz who is of close relation to Naomi and boldly asks him to redeem her family in which he agrees and marries her. Boaz's covenant with Ruth is a picture of God's covenant with us through Jesus. Jesus is our kinsman redeemer. God will not leave you without a redeemer! (Ruth 4:14)
The book of Ruth shows that God will not refuse anyone who chooses him. It didn’t matter that Ruth was a Moabite, what mattered is that she chose to serve the Lord, BOLDLY. Ruth is a remarkable metaphor for the redemption of Jesus Christ!
Friend, the Lord has so much good for you, just wait and see! Be bold and don’t give up.
-Samantha
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