This excerpt is from RUTH: Rediscovering the Kindness of God! Order your copy today!
During my first years as a new believer, the book of Ruth quickly became a cherished love story. And although the story of Ruth and Boaz is often celebrated as a tender romance, a central theme of the book is kindness (hesed in Hebrew). Not just surface-level or momentary kindness; rather, this Hebrew word often involves deep, covenantal loyalty.
The Hebrew word hesed encompasses such a depth of meaning, that no single English word can fully capture it. In the Old Testament, the word has been translated as steadfast love, kindness, lovingkindness, faithfulness, loyalty, mercy, and other comparable terms. Perhaps the best summary is found in Exodus 34:5–7, where God proclaims His personal name (Yahweh; shown as LORD in our English Bibles) to Moses along with a description of Who He is.
The Meaning of Hesed in the Book of Ruth
“The LORD descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.” . . .”
Notice that God uses the Hebrew word hesed, translated “steadfast love,” not once, but twice!
Why God’s Steadfast Love Matters in Difficult Times
Given this tender theme of hesed in the book of Ruth, it seems fitting that God would intentionally sandwich this story in between the volatile period of the Judges, when God appointed local judges to rule over the twelve tribes of the future nation of Israel, and the events outlined in the book of First Samuel, where the nation of Israel received her first king.
The Period of the Judges began soon after the Israelites entered and partially established themselves in the Promised Land under the leadership of Joshua. Sadly, it did not take long after the death of Joshua for the next generation to become complacent in their God-given mission to drive out the inhabitants with their wicked idolatry from the land. Judges 2:10 tells us that “there arose another generation . . . who did not know the LORD or the work that he had done for Israel.” In just one generation, God’s people had all but abandoned their loving King, only crying out to Him in their distress after incurring His anger because of their idolatry.
Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz: Examples of Biblical Kindness
It is against this violent, lawless backdrop where we encounter the tender story of Ruth. While the tribes of Israel are spiraling further into spiritual degeneracy, the book of Ruth encourages us by revealing the faithful devotion of three people who, against all odds, choose to cling to the LORD.
As you and I watch our world spiral into chaos and confusion with few patches of peace in between, may we, like Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz, remain faithful to a God whose loving kindness never changes and whose Word will never fail.
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. 
