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Now it came to pass, in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem, Judah, went to dwell in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. Then Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she was left, and her two sons. Now they took wives of the women of Moab: the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth. And they dwelt there about ten years. Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died; so the woman survived her two sons and her husband.

Then she arose with her daughters-in-law that she might return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the Lord had visited His people by giving them bread.

And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each to her mother’s house. The Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. The Lord grant that you may find rest, each in the house of her husband.”

Then they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.

And she said, “Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.”

But Ruth said:

“Entreat me not to leave you,
Or to turn back from following after you;
For wherever you go, I will go;
And wherever you lodge, I will lodge;
Your people shall be my people,
And your God, my God.
Where you die, I will die,
And there will I be buried.
The Lord do so to me, and more also,
If anything but death parts you and me.”

When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she stopped speaking to her.

—From Ruth 1:1–18, 2:1–13, 4:13–22 (NKJV)

Meditation

Ruth’s story is a familiar one, often retold as a story of faithfulness, friendship, love. But it’s so much more.

Ruth and Naomi’s life was a reversal of Joseph’s. As we recall from Day 8, in Joseph’s story, his brothers went to the foreign land of Egypt during a famine because they heard that the Egyptians had storehouses of food, and they received an abundance! Naomi, however, began in a foreign land, and when a famine struck, she lost her husband and both her sons. 

She determined to return to her husband’s homeland, Bethlehem, which interestingly means House of Bread in Hebrew. She lamented, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the Lord has brought me home again empty” (Ruth 1:20).

While Joseph became rich, renowned, and was second in power only to Pharaoh, Naomi and Ruth were powerless, poor. When they reached Naomi’s homeland, they survived by gleaning. 

What was gleaning? Jewish law required harvesters to leave any dropped grain in the field rather than rake it up and add it to their bundles. The desperately poor could scour the fields for any fallen grain. And it was the only means of survival for Ruth and Naomi.

Had Ruth been a Hebrew girl, Naomi could be sure that young, lovely Ruth would remarry quickly, since the Hebrew law of Kinsman-Redeemer allowed for a childless widow to be redeemed by a close male relative. And if Ruth remarried, Naomi would be sure of a home. But, also by Israel’s law, the “child of the Jewish family … cannot marry a Moabitess girl” (Deut. 7:3). 

Boaz chose to overrule the law against marrying a Moabitess. What’s more, he was not first in line to marry Ruth, according to the law. The story continues with Boaz seeking out the nearest relative and offering him Ruth and her inheritance. That man refused, and Ruth and Boaz became great-grandparents to Israel’s greatest king.

Ruth’s story is one of love and fidelity, but it is also a powerful parallel to us and Christ. We are foreigners. We are the poor, vulnerable, and hungry stranger.

Consider how the first to receive the message of the Messiah, Christ, did not receive Him, but we, despite being foreigners, are invited into Christ’s family. 

Do you recall our first reading? Christ, the second Adam, has chosen us, his church, as His Eve. If we lie at his feet, Christ will be our Kinsman-Redeemer!

Inspiration

Music

Reflect as you enjoy Poor, Wayfaring Stranger that we are all on a journey toward home.

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day reminds us the “God is not dead nor doth He sleep!”

Visit our Joy of Advent YouTube playlist for featured videos, our Ultimate Christmas playlist for all our favorite carols, or our sing-along carols to enjoy karaoke style.

Reflection

Potentially the most unusual moment in the story of Ruth occurs when she sneaks by night to Boaz’s bed and uncovers his feet. Some commentators believe the language is a euphemism, but experts in ancient cultures learned that land owners during harvest often slept in their fields, clothed, their feet covered with their robes. The act of uncovering Boaz’s feet is one of submission, and it provides a striking visual parallel to Mary Magdalene washing Jesus’s feet with her tears. Whether connected or not, Ruth’s act underscores her unworthiness—she is at Boaz’s mercy, as we are at Christ’s. Reflect today on your need for Grace. You and I are, in every sense, poor wayfaring strangers.

Prayer

Lord, because you have made me, I owe you the whole of my love; because you have redeemed me, I owe you the whole of myself; because you have promised so much, I owe you my whole being. Moreover, I owe you as much more love than myself as you are greater than I, for whom you gave yourself and to whom you promised yourself. I pray you, Lord, make me taste by love what I taste by knowledge; let me know by love what I know by understanding. I owe you more than my whole self, but I have no more, and by myself I cannot render the whole of it to you. Draw me to you, Lord, in the fullness of your love. I am wholly yours by creation; make me all yours, too, in love. Amen.

St. Anselm of Canterbury (1033–1109)

Family Celebration 

In your child’s favorite Children’s Bible, read the story of Ruth.

Say: Imagine going to a different country—the language is different, the customs are different, even the food is not what you’re used to eating. Now imagine going there and being very poor, and almost entirely alone. Ruth could have stayed in her own country. She could have returned to her parents’ house like Orpah did, but she loved Naomi so much that she didn’t want her to be alone. Jesus will be with us like Ruth was with Naomi. The sheaves of grain remind us that He will always provide everything we need.

Especially for Toddlers and PreK

Resources

• Discover the tragic, touching and beautiful history behind the song (originally a poem), I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day. In our world where hate often seems stronger than good, let us remember this story.

• Enjoy a printable coloring page of Ruth gathering grain.

• Would you like to make Jesse Tree ornaments to accompany your readings? Find tutorials and ideas from simple to advanced at our Jesse Tree Ornaments Pinterest board.

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