A Summary Of The Book Of Ruth

Essay, Research Paper

A Summary of the Book of Ruth

By Sharon C. Martinez

The book of Ruth is found in the Old Testament of the Bible, it is one of the five scrolls. It takes place in a time of Jewish history when the judges ruled over Israel from 1370 to 1010 BC. The story tells of Naomi wife of Elimelech of the tribe of Judah. Elimelech moved his family from the Promised Land to Moab during a severe famine. Naomi stayed in land of Moab for 10 years, during this time she lost her husband and two sons. Naomi returned to her hometown of Bethlehem impoverished. Her Moabite daughter in law Ruth insist on following Naomi proclaiming your .people will be my people, your home my home, your God will be my God.. Out of concern for her mother in law, Ruth begins to glean in the fields. She happens to be gleaning in the field of a wealthy kinsman named Boaz. At this point Ruth is unaware that Boaz can redeem her. Boaz has heard of Ruth.s kindness towards Naomi and treats her well ordering his servants to leave a little grain behind and to not rebuke her but to treat her well. By the end of the harvest Naomi knows Boaz is a near redeemer kinsman and advises Ruth to seek out Boaz by night on the threshing floor. Ruth entreats Boaz to accept responsibility of the next of kin and to redeem the fortunes of the family. Boaz agrees, but does not dishonor Ruth on the threshing floor for he knows there is a kinsman nearer then he. After dutifully asserting that the nearer kinsman will not take responsibility, Boaz lawfully takes Ruth for his wife. She bears a son, who is given to Naomi. The child.s name is Obed. He is to become the Grandfather of King David.

Ruth was a woman of courage, faith, and loyalty. She proves this by following her mother- in- law into a land hostile to the Moabite people. Ruth is faithful to her mother in law even though she could bear no more sons. Ruth proves her loyalty by not gleaning in any other field and going to the threshing floor of Boaz as Naomi asked her to. Scripture tells us in Deut. 23:3 that no Moabite could enter the temple of the Lord down to tenth generation. We also read in scripture that the Israelites were forbidden to take a wife from the Moabites presumably because the Moabite people came from the incestuous relationship between Lot and his daughters. The Moabite culture was similar to that of the Hebrew and they also shared the same language. The country was not that far in modern time.s apprioxamenttly 50 miles from Bethlehem. According to the (Catholic Encyclopedia Volume X), the highlands are the great bulk of these territories. They form a table-land about 3000 feet above the Mediterranean, or 4300 feet above the dead sea, rising slowly from north to south, having steep western slopes, and separated eastward from the desert by low, rolling hills. The geology of this almost trees less plateau is the same as that of the range of western Palestine, but its climate is decidedly colder. In the spring, its limestone hills are covered with grass and wildflowers, and parts of the plateau are now sown with corn. In Old Testament times, Moab was an excellent pastureland (IV kings iii, 4) and its population was much more considerable than at present day. At the time that Naomi went into the land there was a period of friendly intercourse between Moab and Israel.

The Moabites were polytheists. They worshipped Chamos as their national god; they also worshipped Asthar and Baal. Their religion is not fully known but it is a common belief that they sacrificed humans and did many impure rituals in there worship of foreign gods. No wonder the Lord commanded his people to steer clear of these pagans and there practices.

The Biblical account starts of telling us that the Judges ruled over Israel and that the land was experiencing a severe famine. Elimelech in a weakened spiritual condition took his family to stay in the land of Moab. I have to question this decision because the Bible does not tell us of any others migrating out of Israel which leads me to believe that the famine was not so severe that he could have survived it. Why did he not choose to suffer with his people in the Promised Land. Elimelech was the father of two sons named Mahlon and Kilion, which meant sickness and consumption. Were these names prophetic of the coming time to the family or simply were they named that way due to the lack Elimelech and Naomi were experiencing in the land of Bethlehem at the time of birth. Elimelech died in the land of the Moabites I wonder if his bones were buried in his hometown or did they lay him to rest in a foreign country and not the Promised Land. After his death, his sons married Moabite women; one named Oprah and the other one named Ruth, transgressing the commandments of God. Soon after they also died.

Ten years later Naomi impoverished, broken, and barren, hears that the Lord is providing for his people. She longs for the familiar surroundings of home. Naomi packed her belongings and headed for her homeland, her daughters- in- law journeyed with her all the way she is talking to them of the Jewish customs. Custom by custom they moving further from Moab. Oprah begins to wonder if she can live life accordingly and Naomi begins to wonder if her Moabite daughters in law could handle the strict convents by which the Jewish people lived. Naomi bid her two daughters- in- laws to go home, but they urged her t