The Story of Ruth. . . what we can learn from it

Ruth with Boaz on the Threshing Floor

This post is about the lessons we can learn from the Story of Ruth.  The idea for this came from an excellent Sunday School lesson today.

Ruth was a woman from ancient times.  She married an Israelite who had come to her country of Moab to escape famine.  The family she married into had two sons.  Ruth and another woman from Moab each married the sons.  This was great until both sons and their father died. Then Ruth refused to leave and go back to her family and people.  Instead she went with her Mother in Law, Naomi, to Israel.  She said to Naomi, "Your god will be my god and your people will be my people."  This led to a journey to Israel and Ruth having to glean in the fields for grain in order for her and Naomi to eat.  She went to one field where a wealthy older or perhaps middle aged man named Boaz was working.  He owned the field.  He heard of Ruth and how kind she had been to Naomi so he made sure the reapers left extra grain on the ground for Ruth to pick up.  Then Naomi explained the customs to Ruth.  Because Boaz was related to her husband he could take Ruth to wife.  So Ruth was instructed to come to the threshing floor where they knock the grain kernels out of the wheat stalk.  It was night and she laid at Boaz's feet.  He put his blanket I guess over Ruth to indicate that he chose her.  It was amazing to him because clearly Ruth was beautiful and there were many other younger and wealthy men who would have been happy to marry her.  But Ruth chose him.   There was another man who was a closer relative so Boaz, because he was an honorable man, explained the situation to him.  That relative declined so Boaz an Ruth were married.  She was blessed with a son named Obed who went on to father a son named Jesse.  Jesse was the father of King David.  (the David who killed Goliath)  And David was the ancestor of Jesus Christ. 

Now, in Sunday School today I learned some amazing things.  Or maybe the Sunday School class helped me understand some amazing truths.   I will just tell you them:  Ruth was obviously a kind woman who loved her mother in law like her own mother.  Ruth obviously converted to the God of Israel.  Ruth also was not put off by Boaz being quite a bit older than her.  Ruth helps us see that God is no respecter of persons.  God loves His children and that means ALL of His children.  God does not discriminate based on age, wealth, race, worldly status, and etc.  Ruth knew this and was a good example to all of us in following God.