Loss, Loyalty, and Love

To put it simply, the book of Ruth is a great story: a tale of tragic losses, heartrending speeches, wonderful characters, and beautiful redemption. But Ruth is also Holy Scripture and speaks to us about God, about his ways, and about what it means to live by faith.

Loss can sometimes lead to a crisis of faith, because such experiences tempt us to believe dreadful things about God. But even as we doubt, God remains faithful. For we see in Ruth 1 how Naomi is tempted to believe that God has abandoned her, yet He continues to show her love through the person of Ruth.

The romance of Ruth and Boaz is among the most famous in the Bible. Yet when they first met, they were not romantic interests but two people from entirely different worlds: a wealthy, respected landowner meets a poor, immigrant widow. Through their unlikely relationship, we glimpse our own relationship with God.

On the threshing floor that night, Boaz asks Ruth, “Who are you?” Is she a woman who should be ashamed or a woman of honor? It is a weighty question with much at stake, and it is asked not only of Ruth, but of ourselves. Who is Ruth, and who are we?

“All things come to us, not by chance, but by God’s fatherly hand.” This doctrine, described as such in the Heidelberg Catechism, is a truth wonderfully reflected in the book of Ruth. As we conclude this study, we discover that behind the twists and turns of Ruth’s story lie the invisible hand of God.