Ruth

This short story of Naomi and Ruth occurs during the times of the Judges. Naomi, with her husband and 2 sons move to Moab during a famine in Israel, and in the 10 years there her husband and 2 sons all die. Both sons were married, but died childless, and Ruth chooses to stay with Naomi and go with her back to Bethlehem, where she was from.

This story demonstrates the role of the “Goel”, or kinsman redeemer, who would assume familial responsibility to keep the property of the dead man within their family, and to also raise up children in his name. Boaz fulfills this role and not only redeems the property of Naomi’s dead husband, but marries Ruth, and she bears a son named Obed, who would become the grandfather of David, and an ancestor in the lineage of Jesus.

This whole story also presents Boaz as a type of Jesus, who takes a gentile bride out of mercy and love, Who had no obligation to do so.