“Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, ‘You are witnesses today that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon. Moreover, I have acquired Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, to be my wife in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance, so that the name of the deceased will not be cut off from his brothers or from the court of his birth place; you are witnesses today.”” Ruth 4:9-10

The book of Ruth is a beautiful love story, but it is also rich in application for us. Ruth, the prominent figure in the account, is really a type of the church. We see this in three main scenes: Ruth in the harvest field, at the threshing floor, and in the house of Boaz.

“First we see the Ruth who gleans in the harvest field, the alien, poor and destitute; having no part or lot in Israel, or in the covenant of promise, yet seeking refuge under the wing of Jehovah, God of Israel, and begging kindness at the hand of the gracious, wealthy Boaz. The name, Boaz, means “In him is strength”; and surely Boaz, the strong, the wealthy, the noble, the gracious, is here a type of Christ, as he looks on the Gentile Ruth with generous favour and with tender love toward her.

Second, we see the Ruth who, having no hope in anyone other than Boaz, goes to the threshing floor, risking everything, believing in his kindness, staking her all on his honour and grace and his power to redeem; coming to him poor and friendless, yet loving him because he had first loved her; lying at his feet, praying the shelter of his name, asking the protection of his arm, seeking the provision which only his love could give; and finding in him more than hope had dared to expect.

Third, we see the Ruth who, having been graciously received by redeemer-Boaz, becomes united to him as his wife, shares with him his life, his home, and all his wealth and joys.” (1)

We were once the alien, as Ruth was, excluded from the promises of God. We sought refuge and redemption in Christ, as she did at the threshing floor. Ultimately, we became family in the household of God, as Ruth did in the home of Boaz.

Ruth is indeed a beautiful love story, but it is also the story and type of our redemption and inclusion in the household of God. How thankful we are for what has been done for us.

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