The Book of Ruth: Love as a Verb

The Book of Ruth is LOVE. Love as a verb. Love as sacrifice. Love as honor. Love as faith in motion.

From beginning to end, the story is drenched in loyalty, redemption, and divine setup. It’s only four chapters, but it carries the weight of a saga. Let’s walk through it.

Ruth 1: Love as Steadfastness

Naomi loses everything, her husband and both sons, and decides to return to Bethlehem. She tells her daughters-in-law to go back to their own families. One does (Orpah was outtt ✌🏾). But Ruth? Ruth says the words that feel like heart song:

“Where you go, I will go, and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.”

Cuz That right there is covenant-level love. A literal ride or die! Ruth chooses commitment over comfort. She walks away from what would have been familiar and familial (to go back to her homeland) to stay with Naomi, not knowing what the future holds. That’s faith. That’s love rooted in loyalty.

Ruth 2: Love as Protection and Provision

Enter Boaz. The man shows up like a gentle fortress. He sees Ruth harvesting in his fields and tells the men not to touch or harm her. He makes sure she’s protected, tells her to drink when she’s thirsty, and even shares a meal with her. He’d heard about her love and sacrifice for Naomi, and prays this over her:

“May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.”

That’s Psalm 91 energy. Those last words are the same prayer his great-grandson David would write later (also my fave Psalm). Generational blessings in motion.

Boaz even sends Ruth home with food for Naomi. Love as hospitality. Love as honor.

Ruth 3: Love as Strategy and Integrity

Naomi sees what’s happening and puts Ruth on game: “Girl, get FAHN and go lay at that man’s feet. He might be the one.” Anddd he’s one of their “guardian redeemers” aka a man in the family duty bound to keep the name going.

Ruth obeys. Boaz wakes up, sees her at his feet. He knows the vibes. He’s touched that she chose him over younger men. But there’s a man who technically has first claim on the family land, and Ruth. Boaz promises to do things the right way and says he’ll talk to the man first. Before Ruth leaves, he sends her home with more barley. Because again, love shows up. And Boaz said you not bout to go back to Naomi empty-handed. Cuz mans has home training and we love to see it!

Ruth 4: Love as Legacy

Boaz gathers the elders and tells them Naomi’s selling land. The man with the first claim says he wants it. Boaz is like, “Cool, but if you take the land, you also gotta marry Ruth.” Buddy backs out real quick. Doesn’t want it messing with his business dealings.

So Boaz steps in and says he’ll have the land, and Ruth. They do a sandals dap as a sign of the agreement. And just like that, Ruth becomes Boaz’s wife.

1. They have a son named Obed. Obed becomes the grandfather of David. David is ancestor of Jesus.

You see the layers? Ruth’s love for Naomi opened a path. Naomi’s love guided Ruth. Boaz’s love protected them both. And their legacy brought forth royalty, and eventually, the lineage of Jesus.

Ruth was a foreigner. A widow. An outsider. But her faith and loyalty made her an ancestor of the Savior (a flex!). That’s divine positioning.

Because God can use any one of us for His glory. The outsiders. The shunned. The lost. The heartbroken. The othered.

Ruth is a masterclass in how God honors those who show up in love. It is the epitome of steadfastness and the rewards that can be reaped. It’s stunning.

Shoutout to Jesus’ great great great great grandmother Ruth and her hubby Boaz. A divine pair, who reveled in the duty to love and built the most profound legacy and lineage from it.

We thank God.

On the the book of Samuel. In the meantime, whatchu think about the book of Ruth?