Topical Bible: Love: Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz

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The account of Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz is a profound narrative of love, loyalty, and divine providence found in the Book of Ruth. This account, set during the time of the judges, illustrates various dimensions of love, including familial devotion, sacrificial commitment, and redemptive love, all of which align with God's overarching plan for His people.

Naomi's Love and Loss

Naomi, a woman from Bethlehem, experiences profound loss and hardship. After moving to Moab with her husband Elimelech and their two sons due to famine, Naomi faces the deaths of her husband and sons. Left with her Moabite daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth, Naomi decides to return to Bethlehem upon hearing that the Lord had provided food for His people (Ruth 1:6). Naomi's love is evident in her selfless concern for her daughters-in-law, urging them to remain in Moab where they might find new husbands and security (Ruth 1:8-9).

Ruth's Devotion and Commitment

Ruth, however, demonstrates extraordinary love and loyalty to Naomi. Despite Naomi's insistence that she stay in Moab, Ruth clings to her, uttering the famous words: "Do not urge me to leave you or to turn from following you. For where you go, I will go, and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God" (Ruth 1:16). Ruth's commitment is not only to Naomi but also to the God of Israel, showcasing a love that transcends cultural and familial boundaries.

Boaz's Redemptive Love

Upon returning to Bethlehem, Ruth and Naomi face the challenges of widowhood and poverty. Ruth's love for Naomi drives her to glean in the fields to provide for them both. It is here that Boaz, a relative of Elimelech, enters the narrative. Boaz's love is characterized by kindness, protection, and a sense of duty as a kinsman-redeemer. He ensures Ruth's safety and provides for her needs, instructing his workers to leave extra grain for her to gather (Ruth 2:8-9, 15-16).

Boaz's actions culminate in his willingness to redeem Ruth, marrying her to preserve the family line of Elimelech. This act of redemptive love is a reflection of God's covenantal love for His people, as Boaz willingly takes on the responsibility of a redeemer, ensuring Ruth and Naomi's security and future (Ruth 4:9-10).

Theological Implications

The love account of Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz is not merely a tale of personal devotion but is deeply embedded in the theological narrative of redemption. Ruth, a Moabite, becomes part of the lineage of David and ultimately the genealogy of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:5), illustrating God's inclusive love and His sovereign plan to bring salvation to all nations. The account exemplifies how human love, when aligned with divine purposes, can lead to blessings that extend far beyond individual lives, impacting the course of history and the unfolding of God's redemptive plan.

Nave's Topical Index

Ruth 1:1
Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.
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Ruth 2:1
And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz.
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Ruth 3:1
Then Naomi her mother in law said to her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you?
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Library

Ruth and Naomi.
... So Boaz married Ruth; but in her new position as the wife of a very wealthy and
influential man, this noble woman did not forget her love for Naomi, whom she ...
//christianbookshelf.org/anonymous/wee ones bible stories/ruth and naomi.htm

Ruth
... The love"stronger than country"of Ruth for Naomi, the gracious figure of Boaz as
he moves about the fields with a word of blessing for the reapers, the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mcfadyen/introduction to the old testament/ruth.htm

Ruth, the Gleaner
... fields, and each day as Boaz watched her he grew to love the gentle ... at last the harvest
days were over, he went to Naomi and asked that Ruth might become ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/steedman/the babe in the bulrushes/ruth the gleaner.htm

The Devotion of Ruth
... upon him who has not ceased to show his love to the living and to the dead." Naomi
also said ... her, "The man is a near relative of ours." Ruth the Moabitess ...
//christianbookshelf.org/sherman/the childrens bible/the devotion of ruth.htm

Ruth
... Boaz, the rich yeoman; Naomi, the broken-hearted and ruined; Ruth, the fair young
widow"all ... The story of Ruth is also the consecration of woman's love. ...
/.../kingsley/the water of life and other sermons/sermon x ruth.htm

A Gentle Heroine, a Gentile Convert
... The lovely idyl of Ruth is in sharp contrast with ... Men and women love and work and
weep and laugh, the gossips of Bethlehem talk over Naomi's return ('they ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/a gentle heroine a gentile.htm

Judges and Ruth.
... The Key-words are love and faith. Analysis. ... 2. Ruth married to Boaz, Chs.3-4. A.
A bold act, Ch.3. B. Redemption of Naomi's inheritance, 4:1-12. ...
/.../the way of salvation in the lutheran church/chapter vii judges and ruth.htm

Bands of Love; Or, Union to Christ. "I Drew them with Cords of a ...
... and Substitute of the elect in the new covenant of love. ... one." We can say of our
Lord as poor Naomi said of ... Lord, we are often led to cry with Ruth, "Why have ...
//christianbookshelf.org/spurgeon/till he come/bands of love or union.htm

Meditations of the Blessed State of a Regenerate Man in Heaven.
... the king is Christ"-the law is love"the honour ... longer be termed Marah, bitterness,
but Naomi, beautifulness; for ... go and say unto Christ, as Ruth unto Boaz ...
/.../bayly/the practice of piety/meditations of the blessed state.htm

Scriptural Poems; Being Several Portions of Scripture Digested ...
... whom Tamar unto Judah bore.) So he took Ruth, and as ... why, This son, say they, is
born to Naomi: They called ... said she, How canst thou pretend to love me, When ...
/.../scriptural poems being several portions.htm