Ruth: Finding Redemption in the Fields

Total Time: ~2.5 to 3 hours
Focus: Discovering the profound themes of loyal love (hesed), divine providence, and redemption through the story of Ruth, a Moabite woman who becomes an ancestor of Christ.

🧱 Session 1 — A Journey into Emptiness & Loyalty (45–60 mins)

Theme: In the face of devastating loss, a bond of loyal love is forged that defies logic and sets the stage for redemption.

📖 Reading

Ruth Chapter 1 — A family is broken by famine and death, leading to Naomi’s return to Bethlehem in bitterness, accompanied only by her loyal daughter-in-law, Ruth.

📖 Key Passages

• Ruth 1:16–17:
  “And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried…”

• Ruth 1:20–21:
  “And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me home again empty…”

🔍 Word Study Suggestions

• Kindness — Hebrew (OT): חֶסֶד (hesed)
  A core theme. More than kindness; it’s covenant faithfulness, loyal love, mercy that goes beyond obligation.

• Naomi — Hebrew (OT): נָעֳמִי (No’omi)
  Means “pleasantness.”

• Mara — Hebrew (OT): מָרָא (Mara)
  Means “bitter.” Naomi’s self-chosen name in her grief.

📚 Historical & Cultural Context

• The Time of the Judges:
  The book opens by stating it was “in the days when the judges ruled.” This was a dark, chaotic, and violent period in Israel’s history, characterized by the phrase, “every man did that which was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25). The story of Ruth is a beautiful jewel of faithfulness shining in a dark time.

• Moabites:
  Moabites were descendants of Lot and were often enemies of Israel. For an Israelite to marry a Moabitess was controversial, and for a Moabitess to show such loyalty to the God of Israel was radical.

🗣️ Discussion Questions

1. Naomi tells her daughters-in-law to return to their own gods, yet Ruth clings to her and to Naomi’s God. What do you think motivated Ruth’s incredible declaration of loyalty?

2. Naomi feels completely empty and blames God for her bitterness. Have you ever felt this way? Is it okay to be this honest with God?

3. Ruth’s decision to leave her home and follow Naomi was a huge risk. What does her choice teach us about the nature of true faith and love?

🧱 Session 2 — The Field of Providence & Grace (60 mins)

Theme: What appears to be chance is revealed to be the unseen hand of God’s providence, leading Ruth to a place of safety and grace.

📖 Reading

Ruth Chapter 2 — Ruth goes to glean in the fields to provide for Naomi and “happens” to arrive in the field of Boaz, a relative of Naomi’s late husband.

📖 Key Passages

• Ruth 2:3:
  “And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech.”

• Ruth 2:12:
  “The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.”

• Ruth 2:20:
  “And 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… The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen.”

🔍 Word Study Suggestions

• Kinsman — Hebrew (OT): גָּאַל (go’el)
  A “kinsman-redeemer.” A male relative with the duty to redeem/buy back the property and family line of a deceased relative.

• Hap / Chance — Hebrew (OT): מִקְרֶה (miqreh)
  A chance happening, a coincidence. The author uses this word to highlight the beautiful reality of God’s sovereignty working through seemingly random events.

📚 Historical & Cultural Context

• The Law of Gleaning:
  The Law of Moses commanded landowners not to harvest the edges of their fields or gather every last stalk, but to leave some behind for the poor and the foreigner to gather (Leviticus 19:9–10). This was God’s welfare system.

• Boaz’s Character:
  Boaz is shown to be a man of immense integrity. He greets his workers with a blessing, ensures Ruth’s safety, provides for her generously (far beyond what the law required), and recognizes her hesed (loyal love) toward Naomi.

🗣️ Discussion Questions

1. The Bible says Ruth’s “hap was to light on” Boaz’s field. How does this story show the difference between what we see as “luck” or “chance” and what the Bible calls “providence”?

2. Boaz praises Ruth for taking refuge “under the wings” of the God of Israel. What does this imagery suggest about God’s character?

3. Naomi’s hope begins to return in this chapter. What was the turning point for her? How can seeing small acts of God’s grace change our perspective?

🧱 Session 3 — The Threshing Floor of Redemption (60–75 mins)

Theme: A bold and risky plan leads to a public and legal act of redemption, restoring a family line and turning emptiness into fullness.

📖 Reading

Ruth Chapters 3 & 4 — Following Naomi’s plan, Ruth approaches Boaz at the threshing floor, asking him to act as her kinsman-redeemer. Boaz agrees and legally secures the right to redeem her and Naomi’s land.

📖 Key Passages

• Ruth 3:9:
  “And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman.”

• Ruth 4:9–10:
  “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… Moreover Ruth the Moabitess… have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance…”

• Ruth 4:17:
  “And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.”

📚 Historical & Cultural Context

• The Threshing Floor:
  This was a large, open area where grain was processed. It was a place of work, but also vulnerability. Ruth’s approach to Boaz at night was incredibly bold and an act of complete trust in his character.

• “Spread thy skirt”:
  This was a symbolic request for protection and marriage. It was Ruth asking Boaz to fulfill his role as kinsman-redeemer.

• The City Gate:
  The gate of the city was the public square, the courthouse, and the center of all legal and commercial transactions. Boaz’s public and honorable handling of the matter here solidifies his righteousness.

🧠 Reflection & Application

• Ruth and Boaz both act with incredible integrity and faith. How do their actions work together with God’s providence to bring about redemption?

• The story ends by tracing the lineage from Boaz and Ruth down to King David. Why is this so significant? (Hint: See Matthew 1:1, 5–6 to trace it even further).

• The central theme of the book is the Kinsman-Redeemer. Boaz, a worthy man, “buys back” Ruth and Naomi from their desperate situation. How is this a beautiful picture of what Jesus Christ, our ultimate Redeemer, has done for us?

✝️ Final Encouragement: The Gospel in Miniature

The Book of Ruth is more than a charming historical story. It is a portrait of the Gospel. It shows us a picture of God’s hesed—His relentless, loyal love—that pursues us even when we are outsiders, empty and bitter. It shows us the character of our true Kinsman-Redeemer, Jesus, who saw us in our hopeless state, paid the price to buy us back, and brought us into His family forever.

Just as Boaz turned Naomi’s bitterness into joy, Christ takes our emptiness and fills it with the fullness of His grace.