Billy Davidson
Aaron Day
Steve Devine
Adam Thompson
Spring, 1997
The Book of Ruth
The book of Ruth begins with a man named Elimelech departing from Bethlehem with his wife and two sons. His wife's name was Naomi, and their sons were named Mahlon and Chilion. They left Bethlehem because of a famine, and settled in the land of Moab. Sometime after they arrived, Elimelech died, leaving Naomi to care for the two sons. They took wives named Orpah and Ruth.
Ten years afterword, both Mahlon and Chilion died, leaving the three women alone. Naomi told her two daughters-in-law to go back to their families so they could marry again. Orpah left, but Ruth was determined to stay with Naomi. Together they traveled back to Bethlehem.
It was the time of the barley harvest, so Ruth went to glean. The field she chose belonged to a prominent citizen named Boaz. Boaz had heard of Ruth and her devotion to her mother-in-law, and asked her to stay on his field and not glean on anyone else's. He also invited her to share dinner with him. After she had gone home for the day, Ruth told Naomi what had happened. Naomi told her that Boaz was a relative of theirs and that she should continue to glean on his field. So Ruth continued to glean there until the harvest was over.
Naomi told Ruth to go to Boaz's home, wait until he goes to sleep, and lay down at his feet. Boaz woke up in the middle of the night and saw Ruth lying at his feet. He told her that he was her close relative, but there was another person who was closer. He also told her that if that relative did not claim her, Boaz would. After that Boaz sent her home with six measures of barley.
The next day Boaz gathered the city elders and Ruth's closest relative whom he had told her about. Boaz asked if he wanted to claim Ruth and her land. Ruth's closer relative wanted the land but did not claim it, because he would have to raise a family with Ruth and did not want to depreciate his own estate. So Boaz, the next-closest relative, claimed and married Ruth. They had a son named Obed who became the grandfather of David.