In Ruth 4:13-22 we see the conclusion of the story and the restoration of Hope. Boaz marties Ruth in order to redeem her and redeem the family. Then Ruth and Boaz have a child. This child becomes the hope not of Ruth, but of Naomi. We see all the women gathering together saying hope has come again to Naomi. Naomi again rejoices. She sees in living form how God has provided a way for her to continue to have a place. God has not forgotten her. When we are facing difficult times, when we feel that there is no hope, when we struggle to see God’s hand in anything, he’s…

In the first part of Ruth chapter 4, we see a man on a mission. Boaz has been challenged. Ruth had come to him and it asked him to take up his position as kinsman redeemer for her and her family. Now, Boaz has some work to do. He wastes no time and he goes and finds the people that he needs to make this happen. As we read the first 12 verses of this chapter, we see that Boaz recognizes the correct way to go about meeting this need. He finds the right people, he gets everyone together, he states the problem, and he offers solutions. When we see…

In Ruth chapter 3, hope turns to action. Now that Naomi has seen a glimmer of hope it starts to fan into flame in her heart. She has a plan. She takes Ruth and she gives Ruth a very specific plan of action telling her exactly what she needs to do and exactly how to do it. Ruth, trusting her mother-in-law, possibly even seeing a hint of the woman she used to know when she first married her son, has no hesitation at all. Ruth goes, she find Boaz exactly as Naomi said she would, she does exactly what Naomi tells her to do, and Boaz responds in kindness. As…

In Ruth chapter 2, versus 8 through 13, our story continues. Ruth has found a field in which to glean grain from. She is working steadily and people start to notice her. Interestingly, in a way that only God could work out, Ruth has found her way to the field of the very person who could redeem her. Boaz takes notice of her and he starts asking his people about her. Boaz then comes up to her and tells her to stay in his field and to work with his people. When we find ourselves in difficult and hopeless situations, like Ruth, we continue to do what we know to…

Today we’re looking at the Book of Ruth chapter two. We will be looking specifically at verses one through seven. Ruth and Naomi returned to Israel. It mentions as it starts this chapter, that Naomi knows that there’s a kinsman redeemer nearby. However, I find it interesting that she didn’t mention this to Ruth. She didn’t even explain what a kinsman redeemer was. Yet, she lets Ruth go out and to glean in the fields without giving her any kind of direction or any kind of specifics that would help her along the way. Ruth is not to be dissuaded; she wants to help out. She came with Naomi to…

Continuing in Ruth, we read chapter 1 starting in verse 14. Naomi is hopeless, but she has a daughter-in-law Ruth who refuses to be pushed away. Hopeless people tend to push everyone else away. Ruth refused to go. She clung to Naomi, and she explained in very specific terms all the things that she was willing to do to be able to stay with Naomi. When we encounter hopeless people, the thing they need more than anything else is someone to cling to them. They need someone who refuses to be pushed away no matter what. Even after Ruth demonstrates such an amazing loyalty, once they get back to Israel,…

Naomi felt hopeless. As we start reading through Ruth, we see an amazing story of hopelessness that is given hope. Ruth 1:1-14, sets the stage and gives the background story. Naomi had everything, Naomi had a husband and she had two sons. This gave her status and it gave her position in this Society she lived in. Unfortunately there was a famine. As a result, her husband made a decision that the family could not sustain themselves there, so they moved. When they moved to the country of Moab, there Naomi’s Hope began to run it out. Her husband died. Her sons took wives that were not Israelites. And then,…