Showing Kindness

KEY VERSE: “Naomi said unto her daughter in law, Blessed be he of the LORD, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her, the man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen.” —Ruth 2:20

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Ruth 2:1, 8-12; 4:13-17

WHEN RUTH CONVINCED Naomi to let her return with her to Judah, they traveled together to Bethlehem and arrived at the time of the barley harvest. The people of Bethlehem welcomed her back. But these were two widows in a new land for them, and the specific parcel of property owned by Naomi had not been farmed. However, Israel’s laws were generous. In the times of harvest, the corners of the fields were left untouched so that gleaners could come and harvest some of the grain. This was a provision for the poor.

Ruth unknowingly selected a field to glean that belonged to Boaz, a kinsman of Naomi. Boaz came to the field to supervise the work, saw Ruth, and asked about her. When told that she had come from Moab with Naomi, he gave her special privileges in gleaning. Ruth was grateful for his kindness, and asked, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me, a foreigner?”—Ruth 2:10, New International Version

Then Boaz told Ruth how he had been told all about her kindnesses to Naomi, and how she came to Judah with Naomi after her husband died. When Ruth returned home that evening, she told Naomi her experience. Naomi saw the blessing of the Lord in these circumstances, and Boaz, being a kinsman, was in a position to redeem the land that she owned in Judah. Ruth went every day to the field of Boaz until the harvest was ended.

The laws of Israel required that the brother or near kinsman of a dead man take his widow as a wife if they had no child, to raise up seed to his name. (Deut. 25:5-10) Also, the law stated that property owned could be redeemed by the nearest of kin. Naomi sought to have Boaz redeem the property left to her by her husband, Elimelech, since Boaz was a near kinsman. She also explained to Ruth what she must do to approach Boaz as nearest of kin, to take her as his wife.

Ruth followed all of Naomi’s instructions faithfully. But there was another kinsman that was closer to Elimelech than Boaz, so he was given the opportunity to redeem Naomi’s property first. However, when he found that the requirement included taking Ruth as a wife to raise seed to Naomi’s son, he was reluctant to proceed with the transaction, and forfeited his right to do so. “And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech’s and all that was Chilion’s and Mahlon’s of the hand of Naomi. Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off from among his brethren.”—Ruth 4: 9,10

“So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in unto her, the Lord gave her conception, and she bare a son.” And the women blessed the name of the Lord, as recorded in Ruth 4:13-16.

The child, named Obed, became the father of Jesse, who was the father of David. Ruth became a link in the genealogy of David, and of our Lord Jesus. The fact that she was a Gentile seemed to point to the fact that all of the Christ class would not be found in Israel. God would also “visit the Gentiles to take out of them a people for his name.”—Acts 15:14.

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