Ruth's loyalty to Naomi and her place in the lineage of King David and Jesus.
Key themes: loyalty, redemption, kinsman-redeemer, lineage of Christ.
| Author | Possibly Samuel |
|---|---|
| Date Written | c. 1100–1000 BC |
| Original Audience | Israel |
Ruth is a short, beautifully written gem in the middle of the dark period of the Judges — a story of loyalty, love, and divine providence that shines like a star in a dark night. A Moabite widow named Ruth refuses to abandon her widowed Israelite mother-in-law Naomi with the famous words: 'Where you go I will go, where you die I will die, and your God will be my God' (1:16). Ruth 1:16-17 is one of the most quoted passages in Scripture, often read at weddings as a statement of covenant love. Ruth's journey from poverty to prosperity through the kinsman-redeemer Boaz is a picture of Christ — who as our kinsman-redeemer, bought us back at great personal cost. Ruth the Moabite becomes the great-grandmother of King David, demonstrating that the grace of God extends to all nations. She is also named in Matthew's genealogy of Jesus Christ.
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