This excerpt is from RUTH: Rediscovering the Kindness of God! Order your copy today!
When I was a new Christian, I was encouraged to view the book of Ruth as a love story. To be sure, there are certainly some lovely interactions between Ruth and Boaz. But over the past year, as I’ve been studying the story with fresh eyes, I have come to see it a bit differently. For one, I noticed that there is no indication in the text that Ruth is looking, or longing, for a husband. This doesn’t mean that the idea never entered her mind or was not a desire of her heart (chances are good that it was, given that Ruth does not object to Naomi’s hope of Ruth finding “rest” in the home of a husband).
Understanding God’s Purpose for Ruth and Naomi
Perhaps Ruth was waiting for acceptance by the community, or permission from Naomi. Whatever the case, it seems that Ruth’s primary focus was on caring for her mother-in-law. At the beginning, Ruth’s willingness to leave her family and homeland was our first glimpse into Ruth’s sacrificial love for Naomi. While the book offers no hint that Ruth is seeking remarriage, it does offer some insight into what’s on Naomi’s mind.
“One day Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, ‘My daughter, I must find a home for you, where you will be well provided for. Now Boaz, with whose women you have worked, is a relative of ours. Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. Wash, put on perfume, and get dressed in your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don’t let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking.’” – Ruth 3:1-3
Naomi’s words “that it may be well with you” in Ruth 3:1 are not random. Throughout the book of Deuteronomy, various blessings of God’s covenant promises are introduced, all sharing the same expression, “that it may go well with you.”
Is Ruth Primarily a Love Story?
These kinds of passages remind us that while God’s name may not be front and center in the text, He is sovereignly working to carry out His will through human motives, choices, and actions. God’s blessings often flow through His people as we yield to His work within us, both individually and collectively as His Church.
As for Naomi, she recognizes that Ruth, being a foreigner, may have difficulty finding acceptance in the community—even more difficulty in experiencing a personal sense of belonging. Naomi’s hope for Ruth that it will go well for you echoes promises found in the Old Testament, whereby the Israelites looked forward to experiencing God’s blessing of a land flowing with milk and honey, long life, and an abundance of children. Naomi is eager for Ruth to experience these same blessings as a member of God’s covenant community.
How God Works Through Ordinary Choices
Some have suggested that Naomi was merely looking out for her own interests–namely, for an heir to continue her family line. While we cannot be certain this never entered Naomi’s mind, a careful examination of the text reveals that Naomi’s main concern and heart’s desire had not wavered: for her beloved daughter-in-law Ruth to experience the blessing of rest, marriage, and a future among God’s covenant community.
For an in-depth study on Ruth, purchase your copy of my Bible study, RUTH: Rediscovering the Kindness of God, available now!
Shadia is a passionate Bible teacher, multi-award-winning author, and speaker who has a heart for seeing lives transformed by the power of God’s Word. She holds a master’s in biblical and theological studies from Western Seminary and is the author of several books and Bible studies, including HAGAR, TAMAR, LEGION, RAHAB, Worthy of Love and her newest study RUTH: Rediscovering the Kindness of God
I believe you can experience deep and refreshing engagement with God’s Word, even if you’ve read it many times before. 
