by mklyn | 3-5-2025
Women’s History Month is a celebration of women’s contributions to history, culture, and society, and has been observed annually in the month of March in the United States since 1987. In honor of Women’s History Month, I am celebrating Ruth, a historic figure in the Old Testament. Ruth was a Moabitess who married Mahlon, the son of Naomi. Due to a famine in Israel, Naomi, her husband, and two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, travelled to Moab, and after settling there, Mahlon married Ruth. Some years later, Naomi’s husband and sons died. Now widowed and destitute, Naomi and Ruth had nowhere to go and no way to provide for themselves. Naomi decided to return to her homeland, Bethlehem, Judah, but implored Ruth to remain in Moab and rebuild her life. Ruth rejected Naomi’s counsel and was determined to go with her to Bethlehem. The pair reached Bethlehem at the beginning of Barley season, and Ruth immediately joined the women who worked the fields so that she would have provisions for herself and her mother-in-Law, Naomi. A rich landowner named Boaz, a relative of Naomi, learned of the commitment that Ruth had made to Naomi and was also impressed by Ruth’s integrity and work ethic, so much so, that he directed his workers to drop extra portions of wheat in her path because he knew that Ruth was working in the fields to feed herself and Naomi. If Ruth had not been laboring in the fields to procure the necessary sustenance for herself and Naomi’s survival, she would not have been noticed by Boaz, who possessed the capability to alter her circumstances. The story ends with Boaz marrying Ruth, and they had a son named Obed, who was the father of Jesse, who was the father of King David. Ruth’s faithfulness led to purpose and ultimately secured her place in history as being one of only five women included in the genealogy of Jesus: Tamar (Daughter-in-Law of Jacob’s son Judah), Rahab (The prostitute who hid the spies), Bathsheba (King David’s wife), Mary (Jesus’ mother) and Ruth (The wife of Boaz). Like Ruth, we can position ourselves to take advantage of the opportunities that God places along our path and obtain what He has already promised us. Jeremiah 29:11 (New International Version) says this: “ For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”