Welcome to the first part of our series, "The Redeemer."

Text: Ruth 1:1-6

In the days when the judges ruled in Israel, a severe famine came upon the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah left his home and went to live in the country of Moab, taking his wife and two sons with him. ²The man’s name was Elimelech, and his wife was Naomi. Their two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in the land of Judah. And when they reached Moab, they settled there.

Then Elimelech died, and Naomi was left with her two sons. ⁴The two sons married Moabite women. One married a woman named Orpah, and the other a woman named Ruth. But about ten years later, ⁵both Mahlon and Kilion died. This left Naomi alone, without her two sons or her husband.

Then Naomi heard in Moab that the Lord had blessed his people in Judah by giving them good crops again. So Naomi and her daughters-in-law got ready to leave Moab to return to her homeland.

God uses the FAITHFULNESS of ordinary people to REDEEM people in extraordinary ways.

Overall Commentary: 🌎

One of the most significant issues we have when reading the Old Testament is ethnocentrism. The definition of ethnocentrism is:

Evaluation of other cultures according to preconceptions originating in the standards and customs of one's own culture.

It isn't easy to understand why the story of Ruth is so special because we live in such a different time. During Ruth's time, Naomi was in a desperate situation and had lost everything. She needed to be rescued. God did that and started a journey that would end with the birth of Jesus.

God uses ordinary means to do extraordinary things.

This is never more true than in the book of Ruth. Ruth has been called a master storyteller. It tells a big story in just a few words. The story's bottom line is that God can do more than we could ever imagine if we trust Him.

10 Interesting Facts About Ruth

1. It’s One of Only Two Books Named After a Woman

Ruth and Esther are the only books in the Bible named after women. Ruth, however, is unique in that she is a Gentile, not an Israelite.

2. Ruth Was a Moabite—An Outsider

Ruth was from Moab, a nation often at odds with Israel. According to Deuteronomy 23:3, Moabites were excluded from the assembly of the Lord for ten generations—yet Ruth becomes the great-grandmother of King David.

3. Set During the Time of the Judges

The story occurs during the chaotic period of the Judges (Ruth 1:1), a time marked by lawlessness and moral decline—yet Ruth’s story is one of faithfulness and hope in the middle of darkness.

4. The Theme of "Chesed" (Loving-Kindness)

The Hebrew word chesed, meaning loyal love or kindness, is a central theme in Ruth. It’s seen in Ruth’s devotion to Naomi, Boaz’s care for Ruth, and ultimately in God’s covenantal kindness.

5. Boaz is a Type of Christ

Boaz, the kinsman-redeemer, is a biblical "type" or foreshadowing of Jesus. Just as Boaz redeems Ruth and brings her into a covenant relationship, Christ redeems sinners and brings them into God’s family.

6. It’s a Story of Providence, Not Miracles

Unlike many other Old Testament books, Ruth contains no miracles, no angelic appearances, and no divine voices—just God’s quiet, providential hand guiding events.

7. Ruth Makes a Powerful Confession of Faith

In Ruth 1:16-17, Ruth famously declares: “Your people will be my people and your God my God.” This is a radical conversion moment—a Gentile pledging herself to Yahweh.

8. Four Short Chapters, Rich Theology

The book is only 85 verses long across four chapters, yet it contains rich theological truths about redemption, God’s sovereignty, faithfulness, and inclusion of outsiders into God’s plan.

9. It’s a Key Link in the Line of the Messiah

The book ends with a genealogy (Ruth 4:18–22) that connects Ruth and Boaz to King David. Matthew 1:5 includes Ruth in Jesus’ genealogy, making her one of five women mentioned in the line of Christ.

10. God Is Always Present, Though Rarely Mentioned

God is mentioned only a few times by name in the book, but His presence is everywhere—in the timing, the provision, and the ultimate redemption. It’s a book about God at work behind the scenes.

Commentary

Verse 1. The world is in chaos.

The Bible says this happened at the end of the Book of Judges, which is the darkest season in Israel's history. During that time, people did whatever they pleased, and it was chaos. It's possibly because of this that there was a famine. The world is so upside down that Elimilech (whose name means God is King) is leaving Bethlehem (whose name means House of Bread) to go to a people who are often considered an enemy. Things do not make sense.

It is often speculated why Elimilech left his land to go to Moab. Yes, there was a famine, but leaving their ancestral homeland was a very big deal. It is unfair to assume it was for terrible reasons. It is likely that, during this time, the connection to the land was not as strong, and it was easier to seek out help elsewhere.

Going to Moab would have meant going around the Dead Sea and southeast, a trip roughly 50 miles away.

Verse 2. The family is in chaos.

This family is in chaos, but hopeful. Judging by the meaning of their names, it is no doubt that the author is working to help us understand the situation:

Elimelech- Our God is King
Naomi- Sweetness
Mahlon- Frailty
Kilion- Stubborn

A lot is happening here, but they are trying to make the best of it in a new land.

Verse 3-5. The dream dies.

Their dreams fall apart. We are not told why all the men in Naomi's life die, but we know they do. It could have been for many reasons. The bottom line is that she is in trouble. During that time, it was not unheard of for women to sometimes be landowners, but it was not the norm. Under normal circumstances, the men worked outside the home, and the women worked inside the home. With all the men in her life dead, she has now descended to the lowest of the social hierarchy. She has also gained two daughters-in-law. They are also having to deal with the loss of their husbands.

Orpah's name means "stubborn."
Ruth's name sounds like the word "friendship" in Hebrew.

Verse 6. It's time to go home.

Naomi somehow hears that God has revisited their land, possibly because of a caravan of traders. Her reaction is not to die in her suffering. She is heading home.

Bottom Line.

The whole story could have easily been named Naomi's journey. This is her origin story. She has lost everything, and now she has a decision to make. She decides to go home. Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we respond.

Three ways to respond to suffering:

1- ENDURE - this tends to make us bitter.

2- ESCAPE - this tends to make us brittle.

3- ENLIST - this tends to make us better.

How will you respond when times get touch.

God's Promise:

(1 Peter 5:10) In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a FIRM FOUNDATION.