Ruth
Setting the Scene: Ruth in the Dark Days of the Judges
If you flip open Ruth, the very first verse tells us:
“In the days when the Judges ruled, there was a famine in the land...”
This was a chaotic, troubling era for Israel. If you joined us in recent weeks, you know we’ve been talking about Judges—those warriors and leaders like Gideon and Samson who rose up in grim times to rescue God’s people. The problem was, every generation would forget to pass on their faith. Amazing victories would fade with time because parents didn’t instill faith in their children. In just two or three generations, faith often disappeared.
Let’s pause on this. As parents, grandparents, or mentors, our greatest legacy is not just what we do for God now, but how faithfully we pass this on to those after us. When faith isn’t intentionally transferred, it becomes fragile—a truth that rings out in the downward spiral we see in Judges.
The Ordinary Miracle: Ruth and Naomi’s Story
Against this chaotic backdrop, Ruth zooms in—not on mighty warriors, but on one broken family. It’s almost like those Star Wars spin-offs that focus on supporting characters—you realize these “side stories” are where the real, lasting impact happens. Ruth’s story is one of ordinary people, in ordinary situations—no miracles, no armies, just one family facing tragedy.
When famine strikes Bethlehem, Elimelech, Naomi, and their two sons move to Moab seeking survival. There, tragedy hits: Elimelech dies, then both sons, leaving Naomi and her two Moabite daughters-in-law, Ruth and Orpah, in desperate poverty. Naomi decides to return home to Bethlehem—broken, empty, hoping simply to survive her final days.
She begs the young widows: “Go back to your people and your gods. Start new lives. Don’t throw them away on an old, cursed woman like me.” Orpah reluctantly goes. But Ruth? She clings to Naomi and says the famous words:
“Where you go, I will go... Your people will be my people, and your God my God.”
Why would Ruth do this? Because Naomi, even in her grief and bitterness, offered sacrificial love. She released Ruth and Orpah from any obligations, urging them to find hope apart from her. Sometimes, it is this very form of selfless, counterintuitive love that stirs the hearts of others. Ruth saw something in Naomi—a reflection of a God whose sacrificial character she wanted for herself.
Small Choices, Big Ripples: The Gleaning and Boaz
Back in Bethlehem, Naomi and Ruth have nothing. Ruth ventures out to “glean”—an ancient welfare system God set up for the poor, instructing farmers to leave margins of their harvest for the needy. It “just so happens” she finds herself in the field of Boaz—Naomi’s close relative, a “kinsman redeemer,” or someone with the right to redeem their family’s lost land and restore their fortunes.
Boaz is moved by Ruth’s loyalty and sacrifices. He says, “I’ve heard about everything you’ve done for your mother-in-law… May the Lord repay you.” Love inspires love: Naomi’s sacrificial love moves Ruth, whose devotion moves Boaz, who, in turn, responds with generosity.
The Kinsman Redeemer and Restoration
Boaz’s role as a kinsman redeemer is key. In the Old Testament law, the redeemer was empowered—and obligated—by family ties to restore what had been lost due to death, debt, or disaster. Naomi realizes God may still be at work: “Boaz could redeem us.” Through a bold, countercultural move (Ruth essentially proposes!), Boaz willingly redeems Naomi’s family, marries Ruth, and their family is restored.
But the story doesn’t end there. Ruth and Boaz become parents to Obed, grandfather to Jesse, great-grandfather to King David, and—ultimately—in the line of Jesus Christ. What began as a quiet choice in an ordinary field rippled out, changing the entire story of redemption.
Key Lessons from Ruth for Today
So why does Ruth’s story matter so much? Here are three reasons I see as vital for all of us—especially as we think about Father’s Day, legacy, and living faithfully in a broken world.
1. God Is Always at Work—Even When You Don’t See Him
Ruth is unique because God never “shows up” in lightning or miracles. He works quietly, behind the scenes, in daily life, pain, suffering, and hope. Ordinary faithfulness, perseverance, and love, even when we’re angry or weary, are places for God to work out his plans.
2. There’s No Such Thing as Ordinary Faithfulness
We often think world-changing impact comes from big headlines or heroic acts. But the everyday kindness, courage, and sacrifices of faith are where God moves history. Our “ordinary” faithfulness—parenting our kids, loving our neighbor, sticking by struggling friends—has eternal impact when surrendered to God.
3. Radical, Sacrificial Love Changes Generations
Naomi’s sacrificial love inspires Ruth’s. Ruth’s loyalty and courage inspire Boaz. Their union gives birth to King David’s line and to Jesus, the ultimate Redeemer. When we, as parents or spiritual mentors, model self-giving love, it transforms our homes, our communities, and even the future.
The Call: Passing On a Legacy of Sacrificial Love
On this Father’s Day, I want to challenge all of us—dads, moms, spiritual parents, mentors:
Let’s be families—homes, churches, communities—where ordinary, sacrificial love is our legacy. Let your love, especially in hardship, reflect the love of the Great Redeemer, Jesus, who gave everything to rescue us. As we give ourselves away for the next generation, for friends, for the broken, we become part of a story that truly changes the world.
Let’s pray for strength to love like Jesus, and watch as God does extraordinary things with our “ordinary” lives.
If you haven't read Ruth lately, let me encourage you—set aside twenty minutes this week. Watch how God moves in unseen ways, inspiring sacrificial love that echoes all the way to Christ. This is the real action—the quietly heroic, world-changing power of ordinary faithfulness.
