Ruth

Ruth Who was Ruth? She was a Moabite who left her gods and her land behind to become a worshiper of Jehovah in Israel. What did she do? Ruth showed great love for her mother-in-law, Naomi. Naomi, her husband, and their two children had moved to Moab because of a famine that was going on in Israel. Later, her children married Moabite women, Ruth and Orpa. Only, some time later, Naomi's husband and her two children died, leaving the three women widows. Naomi decided to return to Israel, as the drought was over. Ruth and Orpa also wanted to go with her. But Naomi asked them to return to their families. Orpa did that. (Ruth 1: 1-6, 15) On the other hand, Ruth loyally clung to her mother-in-law. She loved Naomi and wanted to worship her God, Jehovah. - Ruth 1:16, 17; 2:11. As a loyal and hard-working daughter-in-law, in a short time Ruth created a good reputation in the city of Noemi, Bethlehem. A wealthy landowner named Boaz was very impressed with Ruth and generously provided food for her and Noemi. (Ruth 2: 5-7, 20) Later, Ruth married Boaz and became an ancestor of both King David and Jesus Christ. - Matthew 1: 5, 6, 16. What can we learn from Ruth? Because of his love for Naomi and Jehovah, Ruth left her home and family behind. She was hardworking, zealous and loyal, even when she faced difficulties. ▸To learn more about Ruth, see the article “Wherever you go, I will go” and “A good woman”.