Ruth--A Book of Blessings

Copyright 1996 Gloria Fisher. All rights reserved.

Few people realize that the Old Testament book of Ruth is loaded with blessings. It demonstrates for us how to live in a continuous flow of blessings and how to bless our family members and neighbors as naturally as saying hello.

The book of Ruth relates the true story of two strong women, Naomi and Ruth, who loved each other very much, and who also blessed each other not only with their words, but with their very lives.

Naomi was married to a man named Elimelech, and they lived in Bethlehem in Judah. During the time of the judges, there came a famine in Judah, so Elimelech moved his wife and his two sons to the land of Moab in order to provide food for them. While living in Moab, Elimelech died. And after his death Elimelech's two sons, Mahlon and Kilion, married Moabite women.

Mahlon married Ruth and Kilion married a woman named Orpah. After about ten years, both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left husbandless and childless but she now had two daughters-in-law. In the middle of her sadness and despair, Naomi made a tough decision. She decided to pack up and leave her home of more than ten years and return to Bethlehem where she had relatives and friends.

But before she left Naomi decided to release her daughters-in-law from further obligation to her so they could return to their homes and find new husbands. In a tearful departure she sent them away with a blessing saying: "May the Lord grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband."

Orpah soon packed her things, kissed Naomi, and left. But Ruth chose not to leave. She clung to Naomi promising, "Where you go I will go, and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God my God. Where you die, I will die and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me."

Naomi was very touched by Ruth’s words, and when she was fully convinced that Ruth was not leaving her, she decided to let her stay. And the two women began their long trip back to Bethlehem alone, with no husbands and no children.

Word must have already reached the home town folks because by the time the two women arrived, the whole town was in a stir. And Naomi didn't even try to hide her feelings. There among close relatives and friends, she poured her heart out saying, "The Lord has afflicted me. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty."

Rather than the Lord having afflicted Naomi, it seems that the circumstances of life had taken a toll on her. God had in mind for her blessings that she could not have imagined. First, He truly blessed her by bringing her back to the arms and comfort of her people, where she was surrounded by those who cared for her, and also where Ruth could find a new husband.

It wasn’t a coincidence that their return to Bethlehem coincided with the barley harvest, and there was a man of some standing there named Boaz, who owned some land, and whose workers and maidservants were gathering in the crop. Very often God works "behind the scenes" to bring about His perfect will. And it seems that certainly happened in the situation with Boaz and Ruth.

For when Ruth went out to pick up the leftovers of the barley, she accidentally found herself in the field belonging to Boaz. When he arrived, he called out a blessing to his workers, saying "The Lord be with you." And the workers blessed him back immediately with "The Lord bless you."

And looking across the field, Boaz noticed Ruth and asked who she was. When he learned that she was the Moabite woman who came back with Naomi, he gave strict orders to his harvesters to allow Ruth to stay in his field so that she would be safe. He also told his male workers to leave her alone. Boaz was already blessing Ruth with safety and security.

Boaz evidently had already heard the stories of Ruth and of how she had left her people and her homeland and had moved to be with Naomi. And he was impressed with her loyalty. In speaking with Ruth, Boaz blessed her by saying, "May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly blessed by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge."

And that blessing produced fruit immediately. Boaz allowed Ruth to eat with his harvesters, plus he gave instructions to his workers to leave some grain on the ground for Ruth to gather so she wouldn't be embarrassed by having to go home empty-handed.

When Naomi saw all that Ruth had gathered that day, she declared a blessing saying, "Blessed is the man who took notice of you!" And when Ruth told her that the field in which she had worked belonged to Boaz, Naomi reiterated with "The Lord bless him!"

Being a wise woman and also desiring to provide for Ruth, Naomi devised a plan to put Boaz and Ruth together. She recommended that Ruth go down to the threshing floor one night where Boaz would be sleeping. The plan was that Ruth would uncover Boaz's feet and curl up next to them under the covers and then do whatever Boaz told her to do.

However, Boaz awoke startled in the middle of the night to find Ruth at his feet. When she explained why she was there, Boaz felt flattered and said, "The Lord bless you my daughter. This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after younger men, whether rich or poor."

After Ruth explained her situation, Boaz told her that there was a man who was a closer relative than himself, and that the other man would have to be given first chance to purchase Elimelech and his sons' property, which included Ruth. And Boaz also promised her that he would solve the problem that very day.

So Boaz kept his word to Ruth and immediately walked down to the city gate after arising the next morning. He gave the man who was the closer relative ample opportunity to purchase the property belonging to Elimelech and his sons, but the man turned him down saying, "I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself".

So Boaz removed his sandal, which was the legal formalization of the agreement in that day, and also announced to the elders and to all the people gathered there that he had purchased the property of Elimelech and his sons, which included Ruth, the Moabitess, as his wife.

And all the people at the gate blessed Boaz saying, "May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your house like Rachel and Leah, who together built the house of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. Through the offspring the Lord gives you by this woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah."

So Boaz took Ruth as his wife, and she gave birth to a son. And immediately Naomi's women friends, blessed the child by proclaiming, "May he become famous throughout Israel!" And they praised God for Naomi's grandson and said, "Naomi has a son!"

And the son was named Obed. And Obed did become famous throughout Israel, as the women proclaimed in their blessing. He became famous because he had a son named Jesse who had a son named David. And Naomi's great-great-grandson, David, became King David, the famous king of Israel.

No wonder King David was blessed. No wonder he was a man after God's own heart. He came from a people of blessing. His roots were blessed many generations back which surely produced untold numbers of blessings in his life.

The true story of Naomi and Ruth and Boaz tells a story of God's people who possessed a propensity to bless. Blessings seemed to flow from their mouths as naturally as breathing. And the blessings that were pronounced always produced fruit in the lives of the recipients. Immediate fruit. Fruit that could be seen. Fruit that blessed.

Blessing our family members and our friends should become a natural way of speaking, just as it was for Naomi and Boaz. If you aren't sure how to bless someone, pick up your Bible and read the fourteen blessings of Ruth. By using those blessings as patterns, replace your own personal thoughts and ideas for what is written.

Remember: A blessing must be the highest hope and the highest ideal that you can desire for someone. It should be said with enthusiasm and meant with all of your heart. Then stand back and watch the fruit of your blessings grow.

Let us learn a lesson from Naomi and from Ruth and Boaz, and even from Naomi's neighbors. Let us bless our children and our grandchildren--even our daughters-in-law and sons-in-law. You never know what might become of it. You just might have a King David somewhere in your future.

May the Lord bless you and prosper you this day and always!