Most Likely to be a Grandparent to the Son of God: Ruth

Monday Morning Commentary

Yesterday, Pastor Craig continued our ‘Most Likely To’ series with the story of Ruth who was most likely to become the Grandparent of the son of God. Ruth was a Moabite woman who married an Israelite man. When her husband died and her mother-in-law Naomi begged her to go back to her previous family. Ruth would not do it. Ruth insisted on staying. She made a famous promise to Naomi, “Where you go I will go and where you stay I will stay. Your people shall be my people, and your God shall be my God.” 

Once Naomi heard this promise she no longer argued with Ruth and allowed her to go back to Israel with her. Naomi was grieved and poor when she returned to Israel. Ruth was not a woman to be looked upon favorably. Ruth had three strikes against her. 

Ruth’s 3 strikes: 

1.Ruth was a Moabite woman. Moabites were seen as cursed in Israelite culture because their people group was a result of Lot sleeping with his daughters. 

2. Ruth was a widow. In that time, widows were seen as used goods because they had been previously married. 

3. Ruth was poor. Poverty in that time was seen as a sign of God’s judgment on an individual, usually for being sinful. 

Ruth was in desperate need of favor. She bravely went to Naomi and asked if she could go out into the fields and gather fallen grain behind someone with whom she could find favor. Naomi granted her request and Ruth “just so happened” to go into the field of their relative Boaz. 

In Israelite culture at the time, it was good for a widow to find a relative, because the relative could take on the family responsibility of marrying her. When Boaz saw Ruth he asked one of his servants, “Whose young woman is this?” The servant replied, “She is the young Moabite woman who returned with Naomi from the territory of Moab.” 

At that point, Boaz had to make a decision of how he would interpret those facts. Would he cast her aside as a poor foreigner who was a Moabite? Would he see her how the culture saw her? No, Boaz saw her as family. Boaz redefined her identity as worthy of protection and provision. 

Boaz had the right to be her redeemer. Boaz was rich and had the resolve to take her in as his wife and provide for her. As a result of Ruth’s faith in God and Boaz’s willingness to accept her, they gave birth to Obed who was the grandfather of Jesus. Ruth’s faith and Boaz’s provision made way for Christ to enter into the world. 

Boaz is an Old Testament example of Christ. Christ has the right to redeem us because he became our brother by coming to this world in flesh. He has the resources to redeem us because he is sinless. Lastly, his resolve to redeem us was proven on Calvary where he died for us. 

If you have ever doubted God’s ability to love you due to the “strikes” you feel like are against you, Ruth is a sign to you that Christ longs to be your redeemer. Christ sees you as worthy and accepts you as you are. When you put your faith in God and God provides salvation, Christ’s presence is made known in the world.