The story of Ruth is an interesting one, but without context it seems out of place with the rest of Scripture.  It is important to be aware of her place in salvation history as the great-grandmother of King David, which also places her in the family tree of Jesus.  She does two things:  she shows the significance of women in salvation history, as well as the inclusion of converts into the history of Israel.  For most Jews at this time, their heritage and their faith are intertwined in a single people of Israel, but not for Ruth.  She is a Moabite who marries a Jew and converts to the faith, which shows early in salvation history God’s plan to include the Gentiles as part of the ultimate plan to save His people.

              Ruth married one of the sons of Elimelech and Naomi while they were in Moab, Ruth’s ancestral home.   After a decade, Naomi’s husband and both of her sons died, which left Naomi a widow with her two daughters-in-law, Ruth and Orpah.  During a famine, Naomi heard that food could be found in Judah and decided to head there.  She freed her daughters-in-law from any obligation they would have to take care of her telling them to return to their families.  Orpah left for home, but Ruth refused to leave Naomi stating, “where you go, I will go” (Ruth 1:16).  It is striking that Ruth refused to leave her mother-in-law and go back home to her family.  What decision would we make in the situation?  There truly is not a right or wrong answer, but Ruth’s love for Naomi caused her to stay with her.  Naomi was an elderly widow who would have been traveling on her own.  Life for a widow woman during this time period would have been very harsh, and Naomi even stated she was too old to remarry.  Ruth decided to stay to take care of her and trusted that God would take care of them.  Ruth showed profound trust in the Lord on this journey. 

              Upon arriving in the land of Judah, Ruth meets a man by the name of Boaz.  Initially, she receives a job working in his field, but eventually she marries Boaz.  Through this marriage, Ruth not only joins to her husband, but takes his Jewish faith as well.  Ruth is a woman who lives out the virtues God calls of his people in fidelity, goodness, and simplicity.  She seeks to live out the law of God even before she fully embraces the faith.  Her marriage is not just a symbol of love for her husband, Boaz.  It is also a sign of her faith journey she has been on her entire life leading her to the one true God. 

              The lesson we can take from the Book of Ruth is God’s calling of all people to Himself.  Ruth has a hard journey in life.  She loses her first husband, experiences a famine, travels to a foreign country, and finally embraces a new faith that is not her own.  Each step of the way, she remains faithful and virtuous.  Faithfulness to her first husband, mother-in-law, and, ultimately, Boaz leads her to faithfulness in the Lord.  A Lord who, through Abraham, has chosen Israel as His chosen people and still intends to save all of humanity with Ruth as the first fruits of that plan.  No one is a foreigner in God’s eyes.  Ruth is a lesson for all of us: those who genuinely seek the Lord in our lives will find Him.  Let us seek the Lord with all our heart no matter what is happening in the midst of our lives and, ultimately, we will find the One who desires to save each of us.