Ruth: a Female Abraham

by: Verlyn Verbrugge

Ruth had already had a sad past. Now she faced a bleak future: life with a despondent and depressed mother-in-law and little chance of marriage. After all, who would want to marry a Moabite widow, especially when God had said, “No . . . Moabite shall be admitted to the assembly of the Lord” (Deut. 23:3)? And what would she do after Naomi died?

But deep within her soul Ruth felt the call of a gracious and loving God to leave her ancestral home and go to a strange country. If she obeyed that call, God would bless her and would bless many other people through her. Despite Naomi’s strenuous objections, Ruth persisted in obeying God’s will.

And Ruth’s decision was rewarded. By chapter 4 she is married to Boaz and has a son, who will someday inherit Naomi’s property and become the grandfather of King David and thus an ancestor of Jesus (see Matt. 1:5-6). And indeed, through faith in Jesus, people of all nations can receive eternal blessings, eternal life.