🌾 The Story of Ruth — Loyalty and Redemption

 

Part One: A Family in Trouble

During the time of the Judges, the land was full of hardship.
A man named Elimelech lived in Bethlehem with his wife, Naomi, and their two sons.
A famine came, and they went to the fields of Moab to survive.

There, tragedy struck.
Elimelech died. His sons married Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth. But soon, the sons died too. Naomi was left alone — bitter, grieving, and hopeless.

“Call me Mara,” she said to the people — meaning ‘bitter’ — for the Lord had made her life very hard.

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Part Two: A Choice of the Heart

Naomi decided to return to Bethlehem. She urged her daughters-in-law to go back to their own families.
Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye. But Ruth stayed.

“Do not urge me to leave you,” she said.
“Where you go, I will go.
Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.
Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried.
The Lord do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts you and me.”

Ruth’s loyalty was fierce — not just to Naomi, but to God Himself.
Her choice set in motion a chain of events that would change history.

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Part Three: Gleaning in the Fields

Ruth and Naomi arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.
Ruth went to work in the fields, gleaning the leftover grain — a law God had given to care for the poor.

She happened to glean in the field of Boaz, a kind and wealthy man from Naomi’s family line.
Boaz noticed her diligence and loyalty.

“Who is this young woman?” he asked his servants.

When he learned her story, he said:

“The Lord bless you, Ruth. You have come under the wings of the God of Israel. Stay in my fields and let no one harm you.”

Boaz provided protection, food, and favor.
Ruth worked faithfully, and God’s blessing was evident in everything she touched.

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Part Four: Redemption at the Threshing Floor

Naomi had a plan to secure Ruth’s future.

“Boaz is a kinsman-redeemer,” she said. “He can marry you and preserve our family line.”

Ruth obeyed Naomi’s advice. She went to the threshing floor at night, laying at Boaz’s feet in humility and trust.
When he awoke, she said:

“Spread your garment over me, for you are my redeemer.”

Boaz was moved by her loyalty and faith.
He promised,

“I will do all that is required to redeem you, if the closer relative refuses.”

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Part Five: Marriage and a Line of Hope

Boaz approached the nearer kinsman, who gave up his right to redeem Ruth.
Boaz married Ruth, and the Lord blessed them with a son, Obed.

Naomi held the baby and exclaimed,

“The Lord has given me a son! He will be a comfort in my old age.”

Obed grew to be the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David — the future king of Israel.

Through Ruth’s loyalty and faith, God’s plan of redemption moved forward — a quiet, patient, and beautiful thread weaving His people together.

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Epilogue: Faithful in Small Things

The story of Ruth teaches us:

• Loyalty matters more than convenience.

• Faith in God can turn bitter circumstances into blessings.

• God’s plan is often revealed through ordinary lives — in fields, homes, and hearts willing to trust Him.

Ruth, a foreigner in a foreign land, became a part of Israel’s greatest lineage.
Her life reminds us that God redeems the faithful, no matter their past, background, or hardships.