The book of Ruth, tells of the experiences of a gentile lady named Ruth, during the time when the Judges ruled in Israel. The book opens in describing a serious famine in Canaan, so one Israelite family deciding to emigrate to Moab to escape the famine. The husbands name was Elimelek, his wife’s name was Naomi and their two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. But after ten years things went tragically wrong with the husband and the two sons dying leaving Naomi and her two daughters-in-law Orpah and Ruth .
Naomi decided to return to her native land of Canaan, leaving behind her two daughter-in-law’s. Orpah decided to stay but Ruth having become part of the family stuck faithfully to Ruth and travelled back to Canaan with her.
Naomi returned home a sad woman yet continued to faithfully follow her God. For Ruth, Naomi wisely sent her to work in the fields of a man named Boaz. In the fullness of time Boaz married Ruth, and following through the future generations of time became part of the lineage of Jesus.
We see a beautiful picture of Jesus coming into a fallen world and creating a way back to God for all mankind, both Jew and Gentile. Ruth was a Gentile and married into a Jewish family, in turn became part of the lineage of Jesus. By the death of Jesus we as Gentiles have a way back into Gods family.
