Recently I had been studying the book of Ruth again. I have studied it a couple times before, and it is a story I have been very familiar with since I was a child; however, I felt led to study it with fresh eyes and see what the Holy Spirit wanted to teach me in this season of my life. I did exactly that, and I have been truly BLESSED. I won't share absolutely everything I learnt, as 1) this post would become way too long, and 2) some lessons are personal to me and my relationship with God, so I don't want to make it public. This post will highlight six things God has been showing me through Ruth.
Context
The book of Ruth is set during the time of judges, which was a period of disorder. The book of Ruth opens with a famine and ends with the birth of Obed, who was the grandfather of King David.
The story follows a Moabite woman named Ruth and follows her life after the death of her husband. It is a short book, with only four chapters.
Chapter 1
1) Your character is what will bring people to God
When Ruth's husband passed away, she chose to leave her life behind and follow her mother-in-law Naomi. Naomi tried to convince Ruth to go back to her normal life and find a new husband. During this time, women received their security and protection through marriage. Naomi had no other sons and knew that she could not provide Ruth with the security women needed in that time period. Despite Naomi's plea, Ruth dedicated her entire life to Naomi and her lifestyle. She even chose to worship Naomi's God (the God of Israel), and let go of the god she was used to serving (Ruth 1:16-17). It is clear from our introduction to Naomi that she was a very loving and kind mother-in-law to both Ruth and Orpah (her other son's wife). There is something about Naomi that Ruth was clearly drawn to that made her determined to live the same lifestyle.
Sometimes the best form of evangelism is simply living. People are drawn to people. We don't always experience the love of God through miraculous circumstances, but through other people and our relationships with them. There was something about Naomi and her lifestyle that made Ruth want to let go of her current lifestyle and seek Naomi's. Even though Ruth knew that Naomi couldn't provide the life that a husband could, she still chose it. In doing so, she received favour from God.
2) Our circumstances are not our identity
Naomi is experiencing trauma and grief in unimaginable ways. She has lost her entire family and lifestyle as she knows it. The first thing we learn in Ruth 1 is that there is a famine in the land. Following this, we learn that she lost her husband and both of her sons. Not only does this put her in emotional turmoil, but financial too. All of her security and provision has gone, and she is left with two daughters she cannot provide for. Despite her love for Ruth and Orpah, she tries to convince them to go back to their old life, as she cannot take care of them. She must have been heartbroken. In fact, we learn that she is so hurt that she changes her name (Ruth 1:20-21). Naomi tells people to no longer call her Naomi, which means "pleasant/gentle" in Hebrew, but call her Mara, which means "bitter". She was so depressed that she attached it to her very identity. She believed that God had caused this and therefore her circumstances defined her. We later go onto to see that God blesses Naomi abundantly in the next few chapters. This goes to show that our circumstances are NOT our identity. It can be so easy to feel as though our hardships are who we are and that we've been cursed with misfortune for the rest of our lives. When we go through difficulties, our emotions cloud our vision and we can struggle to see God working things out for our good. Naomi was so hurt that she forgot the character of God and placed her understanding of her circumstances above her understanding of God's character. Let this be your reminder that what you are going through does not need to be your identity. God has a plan!
Chapter 2
3) It all starts with obedience
God has REALLY been teaching me about obedience recently, and I could see it all throughout the book of Ruth, but especially chapter 2. In chapter 1, Ruth clearly felt in her spirit that she was supposed to be with Naomi. Even despite Naomi's pleas and resistance, she followed her anyway. In chapter 2 we see Ruth going to the fields to gather fallen grain for her and Naomi. Context is so important when studying the Bible as it will connect the puzzle pieces together. Remember, Ruth no longer has a husband to provide for her, so she now has to be the one to do it. Women who were unmarried were disrespected and viewed as inferior during this period. To enter a working field full of men as a single woman, collecting the fallen grain to take home would have been humiliating. She would have been extremely vulnerable just being a woman in that field, but she was also vulnerable as she was a foreigner. Ruth was not from Judah (where Naomi was originally from), and so she looked different. She wasn't just any foreigner either, but an enemy to the Israelites. The Israelites HATED Moabites. Despite these things, she followed the voice of God and went anyway. It was because of her obedience that she found herself in the exact portion of the field belonging to Boaz. God placed her where her blessing was.
Sometimes I overthink (like many of us do), and talk myself out of doing something that God is going to use to bless me. If I'm honest, in Ruth's position I probably would have spent so much time overthinking that I'd be too scared to go to the field and probably end up choosing starvation for a day rather than being humiliated by men in the fields. Some people might have chosen their comfort and pride over faith. This chapter taught me the value of obedience to the voice of God. Had she not gone to the field, she might not have met Boaz at all, who not only blessed her but was KEY to the Kingdom of God as we know it. That brings me swiftly to the next lesson.
4) Our decisions impact our lineage
This lesson truly blew me away. I think its the first time I have ever looked at the book of Ruth and vividly saw Jesus. The Old Testament completely foreshadows Christ, and so when I am studying it, I try to see how it shows Him. When I have previously studied Ruth, I made the link metaphorically. I was able to see how certain characteristics can be seen in Jesus. However, this is the first time where I've seen the direct link to his life.
Ruth's decision to go to that field led her to Boaz, who she later marries and has a child with called Obed. What is interesting about this, is that Obed is the grandfather of King David. King David is a descendant of Jesus himself! If Ruth had never met Boaz in that field, I wouldn't be sat here today writing this very post. Ruth's obedience didn't just impact her, but future generations to come. Can you imagine if she hadn't obeyed? This truly did blow my mind! God showed me how sometimes our obedience will bless me and also my lineage. But equally, he showed me the bigger picture. There are decisions he wants us to make BECAUSE of our lineage. It might not impact us at all, but there is someone in the distant future who needed us to make that choice.
Chapter 3
5) Show up as your best self
We live in a day and age where the pursuit for marriage is far more complex than it used to be. The dating pool is FILTHY. However, one thing I noticed from the book of Ruth is that even back in this time period where women were pursued and sought after by men, they were still intentional about how they carried themselves and wanted to be perceived. In chapter 3, Naomi instructs Ruth with three things: Put on perfume, get dressed in your best clothes, and go down to the threshing floor (Ruth 3:3). Here we see that Naomi not only encourages Ruth to look her best, but she strategically tells her where to go, so that she will be seen. Although as women we shouldn't feel the need to make all the moves, we should be intentional with showing up as our best selves, and being in the right place at the right time. There's nothing wrong with getting dressed up for a man. Now hear me out ladies, I'm not saying you should dress for male validation (absolutely not); what I am saying is that you should put in effort and make yourself available to the right men. The likeliness of your husband finding you and confessing his love whilst you're bed rotting is very slim. Don't let people make you feel bad for looking put together - God can use ANYTHING to bless you, including your appearance.
Chapter 4
6) God honours those who follow Order
In the final chapter of Ruth, Boaz sits down with Naomi, Ruth and a group of men to discuss the redemption of Naomi's property. This essentially was a meeting deciding who would carry on Elimelech's (Naomi's husband) name and property, as well as who would remarry Ruth. We know at this point that Boaz loves Ruth, however he does not allow his feelings for her to cause him to step out of protocol and order. According to culture and heritage, Boaz was not entitled to the property, or Ruth's hand in marriage. He chose to honour this and ask the rightful person if they wanted to be the redeemer. Not only did he do this, but he did it in front of 10 elders as witness, At first, the person wanted to redeem the property, but when they heard that taking it also included marrying Ruth, they changed their mind (Ruth 4:6). Boaz was offered the right of redemption and he accepted. They were then able to marry and went onto have a son. This shows that God truly honours those who are noble and follow order despite their feelings. Boaz risked losing Ruth forever to another man by choosing to do the right thing, and ended up getting to marry her anyway. Who says nice guys finish last?
So, those are six things I learnt from studying the book of Ruth. Which lesson resonated with you the most? Let me know in the comments below.
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