Dear Azy, Rumi, and Ari,
Today I’m going to tell you a story about loyalty, being faithful to God, bravery, kindness, and love.
Naomi was an Israelite who moved with her husband and her two sons to Moab when Israel experienced a famine. Then her two sons got married. Unfortunately, her husband died and her sons died as well ten years later. She decided to come back to Bethlehem, in Israel, since there was no one to take care of her in Moab and Israel’s famine was over. She told her daughters-in-laws to stay so they could get married and have a good life. But Ruth, one of her daughter-in-law said don’t ask me to love you and then turn back. Wherever you go, I will go. Wherever you live, I will live. Your people are my people and your God will be my God.
Once they got back to Israel, Ruth got to work for they had no money and no one to take care of them. It was harvest time and there was a rule in Israel where any grain dropped by those harvesting were left for the poor. Well, it just happened that the field Ruth went to pick up grain, or gleam, was the property of Boaz, who happened to be part of Naomi’s family. When Boaz asked who’s this woman and found out it was Naomi’s daughter-in-law, he called her and said the best spots to harvest and if she was thirsty, to help herself to the water from the well. When Ruth thanked him and said what have I done to deserve such kindness, he replied, I know the love and loyalty you’ve shown your mother-in-law. How you left the land of your mother and father to come here to a land of complete strangers. May the Lord bless you for what you have done. Ruth replied you have comforted me with the words yo have spoken even though I’m not one of your workers.
Later, Boaz called to her again and gave her food, roasted grain to eat, where she had plenty left over. Then he told his workers to throw some whole heads of barley for Ruth on purpose.
That afternoon, Ruth came home with the roasted grain for Naomi to eat, along with all the grain. Naomi said where did you get all this grain? May God bless them! Ruth told her this was Naomi’s family and he was sharing his kindness to you as family and said to stay working with his harvesters for the rest of the harvest. Naomi said good, do as he says and may God bless him for his kindness.
After the harvest, Naomi told Ruth, it’s time we find a permeant home for you. It is law that the newest relative be our family redeemer. Boaz is one of our closest relatives. Wear your nice clothes and when he is at the threshing floor tonight sifting through the wheat, after he has drank and falls asleep, I want you go and lie at his feet and uncover it to see if he would marry you. Ruth said I will do exactly as you say.
So later that night, Boaz feel asleep and is surprised to see a woman lying next to his feet when he wakes up and asked who is it. It is your servant Ruth, spread the corner of your covering over me, for you are my family redeemer. Boaz said may God bless you as you could of married back home, but now show even more family loyalty by making sure Naomi’s family line lives on. There is one other family member who’s a closer relative to Naomi. But I will talk to him tomorrow morning and if he does not marry you, I will marry you myself. Go ahead and sleep now and do not worry.
Next day, Ruth went home and told her all that happened. He also gave Ruth six scoops of barley so she doesn’t go home to her mother-in-law’s empty handed.
Then Boaz goes to the town gates in the morning to find the next closest relative and got some witnesses and said you have a chance to redeem the family of Naomi’s land since her husband has passed away. He said okay, I will redeem it. Boaz said okay, but one more thing, to redeem it you must marry Ruth. That way she can have children who will carry on her husband’s name and keep the land in the family. Then he said I will not redeem it then as I don’t want that to conflict with my own estate and family line. You redeem them. So Boaz said I will buy Naomi’s property in front of all these witnesses today. And the witnesses said may God bless this union and give you descendants that are like your ancestor Perez and Judah.
Then Boaz took Ruth to his home and became his wife and she gave birth to a son. And Naomi took care of their baby for it would carry on her family line. The women in town said blessed are you to have redeemer for your family. You have a daugther-in-law that cares for you and loves you more than seven sons! May this child be famous in Israel. Little did they know this son, Obed, would be the grandfather of king David whom we talked about in previous stories and the line of the eventual king that would never be dethroned and rule until the end of time, Jesus.
There are so many lessons here. First, Ruth loved Naomi. Because of that, she was loyal to her. She could of stayed in Moab and have a better chance to remarry and have a family. But she also had faith in the God of Israel and have given her heart to him. So God blessed the descendant of his only son to come from a Moabite woman, showing it doesn’t matter who you are. What God cares about is your heart.
Second, Naomi lost her husband and two sons and had no one to take care of her. Even though these tragedies made her bitter, she never lost her faith in God. It’s easy for us to take tragic circumstances and blame God for what’s happening. But we must remember that evil that happens in this world is not caused by God, but by man. God gives us free will so we have the freedom to choose what to do in our lives. But he gives us his commandments to follow not to punish us or make us do things, but so we can live our best life filled with peace, abundance, and joy because he’s showing us how to turn to him and have a relationship with him. Our God is truly great and one that deserves all the glory.
Third, Naomi was caring and unselfish. Even though she had no one, she gave her daugther-in-law the choice to stay so they could remarry. Once they got home and saw what Boaz was doing for Ruth, she gave Ruth the plan that led to their union. And by being unselfish, God blessed her with a grandson that continued her family line.
Fourth, God wants us to take care of the poor. That’s why he had the law to let the poor pick up the grains left from the harvest. This made the harvesters not hoard all the grain for themselves and take care of God’s people through the blessings of the bountiful harvest God gave them. So when you see someone in need, remember you have more than they have. What you own doesn’t belong to you. It belongs to God. You are just a steward of what God gives you to take care of and enjoy while you live this temporal life here on Earth. Your reward will be in heaven. Our goal is to work using talents God has given us, live his plan for our lives, grow whatever work we do that serves his people, and tithe a portion to those in need. And then devote our time to ministry. This makes sure we put him first above all the other priorities.
Fifth, Ruth took initiative. When they got back to Naomi’s hometown, Bethlehem, she knew they didn’t have any money so she didn’t wait and went to the field to pick grains. Also, she was humble. Picking grain behind the harvester was what many considered a menial, degrading job. But she had a need so she didn’t care what others thought. Sometimes God will humble us to see if we will put our needs in front of our pride. So we have to remain humble and always care more about what God thinks of us than man.
Sixth, Boaz was extremely generous and a man of God. You can see it in all he does. When he sees Ruth on his fields, he commends her for her faith in following her mother-in-law. He gives her water, feeds her, and throws full heads of barley for her to pick up from his harvesters. When Ruth lies at his feet, not only does he accept but makes sure to put in a way the family redeemer would say no so he could exercise his rights to marry her. And in the middle of this, he gives six scoops of barley to Ruth to take to Naomi so she doesn’t return empty handed. Our God is generous and he shows his generosity through his people. And because they’re willing to share, or are good stewards, God blesses them with more. It’s because of Boaz’s generosity that we’re able to know about him and his story.
Seventh, Ruth was obedient. When Ruth told her what to do for Boaz to become their family redeemer, she did exactly as he instructed. The Bible says honor thy mother and father. It’s important to listen to the wisdom of your parents. They lived a lot longer than you. They’ve had a chance to experience things that you haven’t and read the bible. God has made them his ambassadors to guide you until you’re an adult and build your own personal relationship with him through your childhood and then rest of your life. So be obedient to God and your parents.
Eight, build a good reputation. Naomi said Boaz wouldn’t stop until he got them a family redeemer. Like Boaz, through your actions, people will know if you’re dependable. So if you tell people you’re going to do something, make sure you honor your word and do it. Then you will build a good reputation with others. Remember God kept and keeps all his promises. Our goal, as his children, is to do the same. While we may have to negotiate when we can’t do something we said we would do, it’s our goal to be like our spiritual father as much as possible.
Ninth, and most important, God’s divine timing and plan is shown throughout this story. It’s no coincidence that Ruth happened to pick from Boaz’s field to gleam of all the fields in Bethlehem. It’s no coincidence that Boaz happened to be one of the closest relative of Naomi. Throughout the story, Ruth and Naomi’s faith and loyalty to God were tested. And they were rewarded by having two of the greatest kings of Israel come through their family line, one that may have been destroyed if Ruth didn’t marry a family redeemer. The truth is, just like Ruth and Naomi, we won’t know the full purpose of our lives and the full impact it’s had until we look at it later from the perspective of eternity. But, like Naomi and Ruth, by being faithful, loving, kind, brave, unselfish, and obedient, we live the best plan, God’s plan, for us in this life.
That’s it for now. And I want you to love God like Ruth loved Naomi. Saying wherever you go, I’ll go. Wherever you live, I live. Your people are my people. For you are my God, my savior, my hope, my love, my redeemer, my protector, my defender. You are all to me. Thank you for loving me and always being there for me.
This is how daddy and mommy are with God too! 🙂
I love you all soooo much!
Love,
Daddy
5/31/25
