Ruth is amazing: Love the foreigner

Ruth is an amazing character in the Bible. She is an strong woman. She is loyal and she is full of love for her mother in law, Naomi. Many people are amazed that we have this story about a woman, because we think Bible times were only about men and that women had no power. That is partly true. I explain how Ruth got into the risky position of being a foreign widow in ancient Israel. Naomi didn't want to ruin Ruth's chances to find a new husband in her home country. But Ruth insisted to stay with her, but in the most famous verse Ruth insists that she will stay with Naomi. And then she will try to become Boaz's wife. I also explain that while this story is beautiful by itself, it had a very important message. The people of Israel discriminated against the people of Moab, the country where Ruth was from. She was very bold to stay in Israel where she would not be accepted. It was through the kindness of Boaz that she got to stay. And then she would become the great grandmother of King David, the most important king of Israel, and then many generations later the ancestor of Jesus. It is a good lesson for loving the foreigner and to trust in God.


Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to abandon you, to turn back from following after you. Wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. 17 Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord do this to me and more so if even death separates me from you.” 18 When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped speaking to her about it.