Ruth

Old Testament Character Sketch Bible Study Template

I. Observation

Step One:

            For this character sketch Bible study I will be studying: Ruth.

Step Two:

1. Chapter 1 – Ruth remains loyal to Naomi
2. Chapter 2 – Ruth gleans in Boaz’s field
3. Chapter 3 – Ruth follows Naomi’s plan
4. Chapter 4 – Ruth and Boaz are married

Step Three:

1. Ruth was married to one of Naomi’s sons.
2. Ruth’s first husband died, and she had no children with him during their marriage.
3. Ruth insisted on staying with Naomi even though Naomi had no more sons for her to marry.
4. Ruth left everything that she had ever known to go to an unknown land and had no certainty of how her life would turn out.
5. Despite her circumstances and the uncertainty concerning her future Ruth continued to trust God and put her faith in him and Naomi.
6. Ruth not only gave up the life and culture that she had grown up in, but she did everything she could to help and serve Naomi including going to the fields to pick up scraps of grain all day.
7. Ruth worked tirelessly and never complained and never gave up or quit following the harvesters to pick up scraps of grain.
8. Ruth followed Naomi’s instructions and plan and never questioned or doubted Naomi or God.
9. Ruth showed tremendous courage and faith when she obeyed Naomi’s wishes and did not give into any doubts or fears that she may have felt.
10. Because of her faith and obedience Ruth was blessed and blessed others.

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Step Four:

            Observations related to “Who?”

            Who was Ruth?

1. Ruth was a Moabite woman who was married to one of Naomi’s sons.
2. Her first husband died and instead of returning to her own family and life she stayed with Naomi even though Naomi had no more sons and had already lost her husband. She left her people, culture, and Gods and instead adapted and accepted Naomi’s people, life, and God as her own.
3. “Historically Ruth is the ‘lynchpin of the covenant’ and provides an essential key to the transition from the judges to the kings of Israel” (Hindson & Towns, 2015).
4. Ruth started out with nothing but God, Naomi, and her faith, and through her faith and obedience to God she became the mother of Obed and the great grandmother of King David.
5. “Ruth plays an important role in the history of the Old Testament and is an ancestress in the line of Jesus of Nazareth” (Hindson & Towns, 2015).
6. A faithful and obedient woman who trusted and had faith in God despite any uncertainty of her future.
7. Ruth has a servant’s heart, never complaining while working hard to help Naomi and provide for her needs.

Observations related to “What?”

1. What purpose and characteristic does this story portray? Ruth, Boaz, and Naomi remained strong in character and true and faithful to God even when the people and society around them was falling into sinful behavior and practices.
2. What did Ruth risk when she went to Boaz and laid down near his feet? Ruth risked her honor and virtue when she chose to g to the threshing and lay down at Boaz’s feet.
3. What characteristics does this story portray? The story of Ruth reveals characteristics that we should all strive to achieve and is a depiction of loyalty and love.
4. What is the Biblical concept of the book or Ruth? Ruth and Boaz’s love story illustrates the concept of love, faith, and redemption.
5. What was Ruth doing when she went to Boaz and laid down at his feet? Ruth proposed to Boaz when she went to him and uncovered Boaz’s feet and laid down. Ruth went to Boaz seeking his protection and his redemption as her relative.
6. What made Boaz the right man for Ruth to go to for help and marriage? Boaz was the man that both Naomi and Ruth had chosen to be her guardian-redeemer and future husband. Boaz was older and was rich with vast lands and kind, yet he was honored and appreciative that Ruth had chosen him, “The Lord bless you, my daughter,” he replied. ‘This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier. You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor’” (Ruth 3:10, NIV).
7. What did Boaz do in the morning following Ruth laying at his feet? Boaz claimed that he would approach the closer relative and if he refused to redeem Ruth Boaz would do so himself. He also gave her six measures of barley so that she would not return home empty handed.
8. What was Naomi’s response when Ruth returned home? Naomi’s response to Ruth’s recounting of the events that had taken place was her saying that the matter would be settled that day. “Then Naomi said, ‘Wait, my daughter until you find out what happens. For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today.’” (Ruth 3:18, NIV).
9. What actions did Boaz have to take to gain the right to be Ruth’s guardian-redeemer? Boaz had to go to the town gate and sat down and waited for the man that was more closely related and therefore had the right to chose whether to redeem the land and Ruth. He gathered ten elders as witnesses and approached the man asking him what he wanted to do. However, when Boaz explained that in order to redeem and gain the land he would have to redeem Ruth by taking her as his wife the man refused. The man removed his sandal and told Boaz to buy the land himself. Boaz then went on to proclaim that he had bought the land and acquired Ruth as his wife.
10. What happened after they got married? Ruth became pregnant and gave birth to a son who they named Obed.
11. What did the women say regarding Ruth and Boaz getting married and having a son? “The women said to Naomi: ‘Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth’” (Ruth 4:14-15, NIV).

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Observations related to “Where?”

1. Where was Ruth born? Ruth was born in Moab.
2. Where did Ruth go to with Naomi? Ruth followed and accompanied Naomi back to her homeland Bethlehem.
3. Where did Ruth go to glean behind the harvesters? Ruth went to the field that belonged to Boaz.
4. Where did Ruth go to lay down at Boaz’s feet? Ruth went to the threshing floor to lay down at Boaz’s feet.
5. Where did Boaz go to handle and approach the man that was of closer relation to Naomi’s family and had the right to chose to become her guardian-redeemer? Boaz went to the town gate.

Observations related to “When?”

1. When did this story and events occur? The dates that these events are somewhere between 1020-1050 B.C.
2. When did Naomi decide to return to her homeland Bethlehem? Naomi decided to return to Bethlehem after the death of her husband and then sons.

Observations related to “Why?”

1. Why did Ruth follow Naomi to an unknown land? Ruth was determined to accompany her mother-in-law even after Naomi urged her to return to their mother’s house. “But Ruth replied, ‘Don’t urge me to leave you or turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and here I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me’” (Ruth 1:16-17, NIV).
2. Why did Ruth stay with Naomi? Ruth loved Naomi and despite the fact that her husband was dead still viewed Naomi as her family and mother.
3. Why did Ruth listen and obey Naomi’s plan? Ruth put her trust and faith in God and was loyal and faithful to Naomi.
4. Why did Boaz marry Ruth? Boaz was older then Ruth and had vast lands and was rich. He did not need to marry Ruth, yet he did so out of love and obedience to God. Boaz was a kind moral man who treated Ruth fairly and with kindness. Boaz trusted God and obeyed God command and did not question God’s plan for his life.

Step Five:

1. Naomi and her husband Elimelek along with their two sons Mahlon and Kilion went to live in the country of Moab as there was a famine in the land. This was in the days that judges ruled, and people lived to please themselves and ignored God and his commands.
2. The Moabites were descendants of Lot and engaged in battles against Israel throughout the Bible and history.
3. Elimelek passed away and Naomi was let with her two sons.
4. Naomi’s sons Mahlon and Kilion both married Moabite women one name Orpah the other named Ruth.
5. After they had stayed and lived in Moab for ten years both of Naomi’s sons died and Naomi was left with no family besides her daughters-in-law.
6. Naomi heard that the Lord came to his people’s aid and provided them with food she and her daughters-in-law left to return to Naomi’s homeland Bethlehem in Judah.
7. During the journey Naomi told both her daughters-in-law to return to their mother’s home. Orpah did as Naomi urged her to and returned to her family. Ruth however, refused to turn back or leave Naomi so they continued their journey to Bethlehem in Judah.
8. Ruth and Naomi reached Bethlehem as the barley harvest was just beginning.
9. Ruth started to go to glean behind the harvesters in Boaz’s field.
10. When Boaz noticed Ruth, he approached her and encouraged her to stay and glean in his fields and to not go to other fields. He also encouraged her to drink from the water jars when she was thirsty and ordered his men not to lay a hand on her.
11. Boaz shared his food with Ruth at mealtime and declared that she could gather among the sheaves and was not to be stopped or punished.
12. Ruth brought what she had gathered and her leftovers home to Naomi.
13. Ruth stayed and gleaned in Boaz’s field until the barley and wheat harvests were finished and she continued to live with her mother-in-law.
14. Ruth went to Boaz on the night that he was winnowing the barley on the threshing floor and uncovered his feet and laid down.
15. Boaz told Ruth to spend the night and, in the morning, sent Ruth home with barley for Naomi.
16. Boaz went to the town gate and gained the right to become Ruth’s guardian-redeemer and husband.
17. Ruth and Boaz got married and Boaz made love to Ruth. The Lord enabled Ruth to conceive and she gave birth to a son that they named Obed.
18. This all happened and occurred in the time of judges where people had turned their back on God and was more concerned with what they wanted.
19. Obed became the father of a son and named him Jesse. Jesse also had a son and named him David.

II. Interpretation

Step Six:

1. Having Faith and trusting in God are two characteristics and tools required to have a lasting relationship with God. Having faith and trusting God and situations where the outcome is unknown is extremely difficult, yet Ruth went with Naomi to Bethlehem even though she had no idea what would happen when they got there or what her future would be. Ruth trusted God and had faith in his plan for her life and she obeyed it without question. Having faith when our future is unclear, and we don’t know what will happen next is extremely difficult to do yet that is exactly what Ruth did. She had no idea how her future would turn out or if she would ever be married again yet she had faith and trust God and his plan for her life.
2. Devotion and commitment are two tools that is needed to have a healthy relationship with God and the people around us. Ruth was devoted to Naomi and committed to her even after her husband died. Ruth did not stop helping or loving Naomi instead she devoted her life to providing Naomi with love and necessities such as food. Ruth devoted her life to God and it showed in her actions. She committed and devoted her life to God and followed his plan for her life despite uncertainty and difficult situations that came up along the way. We need to devote and commit our lives to God and his plan for us just a Ruth did. The Bible is full of stories of individuals that committed and devoted their lives to God. It didn’t mean that they were perfect and never sinned, however, it does mean that they lived their life committed and devoted to God. For instance, Jacob devoted his life to God and despite that he had tricked his brother into signing away his birthright Jacob accomplished great things in the name of God. He committed and devoted his life to God and God’s plan for him and for the future of the world. Relationships cannot flourish or prosper without the commitment and devotion that God requires of us not just concerning our relationship with him but concerning relationships in general.
3. Loving God and loving one another is a necessity in life and our relationships with God and the people around us. God call us to love each other as he loved the church. Ruth loved Naomi and it showed in her actions and loyalty. Ruth loved God and it showed in our complete faith and trust in God and his plan for her. Ruth grew to love Boaz and their story is a great love story. Love is more important then any other emotion and characteristic because if we don’t have love we have nothing. Love is the basis of everything including our relationship with God, without love there can be no faith or hope. Love is what keeps us going Gods love for us, our love for God, and our love for the people around us. Ruth loved God, Naomi, and Boaz without expecting anything in return and it showed in everything she did and throughout every aspect of her life.
4. Respecting others and gaining others respect is not an easy thing to accomplish. Ruth respected God, Naomi, Boaz and it showed in her actions. Ruth respected Naomi enough to spend every day out in the fields collecting food for them. Ruth respected Naomi’s and her people’s beliefs and customs and accepted them as her own. Ruth was born in Moab and was a Moabite woman, but she had so much respect for God that she gave up and turned away from everything that she knew to follow God’s plan for her life. Everybody know the line “respect needs to be earned,” yet Ruth did not require respect or kindness to show and treat other with respect. I have trouble respecting people who has no respect for me, yet Ruth as a Moabite women probably faced a lot of negative opinions and a lack of respect. Despite people’s opinions on her Ruth continued to be respectful and kind, showing God’s love through her actions and through her words.
5. Determination and courage are essential and being able to fulfill the purpose God has for us. Ruth was determined to go with Naomi and had the courage to stand up and say that she was going. Ruth was determined and courageous enough to turn away from everything she knew to follow and accept God and his people as her own. Ruth did not let the lack of food and money break her down but instead had the courage an determination to go out and glean grain from the harvesters providing her and Naomi with food. Ruth did not have to go to Boaz yet she had the courage and determination to follow God’s plan and Naomi’s instructions. Ruth took a great risk and God rewarded her actions. Throughout the Bible the need for determination and courage is clear. David needed both of these qualities to take on Goliath and win. Ester needed courage and determination to stand up and speak out to save her people despite the risk to her life. We can all do with more determination and courage regarding God’s plan for our lives.

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III. Correlation

Step Seven:

1. Ruth trusted and put her faith in God and his plan or her life. The Bible is full of stories and scriptures on individuals trusting and having faith in him. Numerous scripture of the Bible covers the importance of trusting and having faith in God. Daniel needed to have faith and trust in God to protect and guide him when he was thrown into the lion’s den. Because of his faith and trust in God, God shut the mouths of the lions, so they could not harm him. “The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God” (Daniel 6:23, NIV). David did the same thing when going up against Goliath. He trusted and had faith that God would protect him and keep him safe. “The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of the Philistine” (1 Samuel 17:37, NIV). David trusted God and had faith in him which gave him the courage to face Goliath with nothing but a sling and stones and defeated him in the name of God. Ruth’s life is filled with the actions and outcomes of a woman who trusts and has faith in God to take care of her and be by her side.
2. Ruth showed courage and bravery when she went to Boaz and removed the cloth rom his feet and laid down. As faith and trust in God is necessary so is courage and bravery. Moses who had escaped from Egypt and who was afraid and reluctant to return did as God commanded him and through his courage and bravery performed miracles in the name of God. Ester showed great courage and bravery when she went before the king risking her very life to save her people. Then Ester sent this reply to Mordecai, ‘Go gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish’” (Ester 4:15-16, NIV). Ester showed great courage and bravery and through her actions her people the Jew were saved
3. Ruth who had a servant’s heart and worked hard to provide her mother-in-law Naomi with food was humble and kind. Ruth did not do things for recognition but instead acted on what she knew was right. Ruth was not boastful or arrogant and was humble in her interactions with others. In Colossians the Bible says, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (Colossians 3:12, NIV). In 1 Peter the Bible states, “In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, ‘God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5, NIV). The Bible is full of examples of way pride and arrogance are destructive and make matter worse. The humble individual though is blessed and favored in God’s eyes, like Ruth, Moses, Ester, and Paul.

Step Eight:

1. The book of Ruth and Ruth’s relationship with Boaz is a good example of redemption. By marrying Ruth Boaz was redeeming her just as Jesus redeemed us when he died for us. Jesus is our guardian-redeemer and died and shed his blood redeeming us through his willingness to pay the price for our redemption. Boaz did not have to shed his blood and die to redeem Ruth, but he did marry her and accept her as his wife despite her being a Moabite woman.
2. Ruth to most people would seem unimportant she was born in Moab and was a Moabite woman and was a poor widower. Ruth moved and was living in a foreign and unknown land and yet God saw her as important and He had a plan for her life that resulted and played a part in the lineage of Jesus. Ruth shows us that to God no one is unimportant or insignificant. What we have or where we come from doesn’t matter to God no one is inconsequential. Throughout the Bible God has used people who may have seemed ordinary and insignificant to most people yet to God they played an essential role in His plan. Ruth was a Moabite woman and it’s safe to assume that many of the people around her did not approve of her and overlooked her importance, yet God saw beyond that to who Ruth really was and what she could accomplish through him.
3. Ruth was a Moabite woman whose husband had died yet God did not discriminate against Ruth because of her birth and circumstance. Today everywhere you look people claim that they are being judged on their race, nationality, or status. God doesn’t care about any of that all he cares about is the person and what’s in their heart’s. Ruth was Moabite not a Jew, and she came from a land filled with sin and darkness, yet God did not judge her on where she came from or how much money and influence she had. In fact, God used Ruth’s race and nationality in fact he used what most people viewed as disgraceful and underneath them to show that he doesn’t care. God is not concerned with outward appearances or environmental factors the only thing that he cares about is a person heart and whether they believe, trust, have faith, and have given their life and future to Him.

IV. Application

Step Nine:

A. The question of duty

Ruth despite her husband passing on continued to care for and love her mother-in-law. Ruth never gave up or stopped doing her duty as a daughter and continued to help and care for Naomi. Ruth worked long hours to provide food for her mother and herself she fulfilled her duty to her mother-in-law, her late husband, and most importantly God. Ruth didn’t have to continue caring for and supporting Naomi, but she did because she was loyal and moral in her outlook.

Most people would have left and gotten back to their life, yet Ruth did not. This sense of duty and loyalty should be applied every aspect of our lives like it was for Ruth. We so easily allow circumstances or situations affect our behavior and our sense of duty. Today not many people would stay and help support the mother-in-law of their dead spouse yet that is exactly what Ruth did. Duty is an important aspect of being an adult and child, we need to get back our sense of duty and treat it as Ruth did concerning her life. If we apply Ruth’s sense of duty to our lives I have no doubt that there would be positive outcomes regarding this issue.

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B. The question of character

            Ruth was a trustworthy and trusting, faithful, honest, moral, kind, caring, responsible, loving, obedient, loyal, and courageous in character. Ruth demonstrated the importance of how important our actions, behavior, and character is on not just our life but those around us. I have a big family and one of my brother’s character was very destructive in nature and affected and hurt not just his life but the rest of the families as well. A person’s character is one of the most essential and important factors in a person’s life. When someone is sinful and destructive in nature and character they ruin and hurt those around them and influences others behavior. A person’s character and actions act as an example of role model to others so when one’s character is good and kind like Ruth’s good things are the result in the individuals and surrounding people’s lives. My dad used to say that a person’s character says more then a thousand words and that sometimes all a person is their beliefs and morality. The more we develop and grow in spirit and faith the better a person’s character becomes.

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C. The question of cause

            Ruth wasn’t motivated by greed or ambition and she wasn’t motivated for self-serving reasons. Ruth was a caring and loving woman of God who was motivated by her faith and trust in God. Ruth was also motivated by her mother-in-law Naomi and due to their relationship gave up her sinful past and accepted God as her one true God. Ruth’s motivation was God’s will and her obedience. In Jeremiah the Bible says, “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’” (Jeremiah 29:11, NIV). Ruth was motivated and inspired by God and by obeying him fulfilled the plan that he had for her and played her role in God’s overall plan.

D. The question of discernment

Ruth’s choices and decisions shows good discernment. Ruth trusted and followed God and surrounded herself with Godly influences. Her choices and decisions for instance the decision to stay with Naomi and go to Bethlehem is an example of good discernment. Ruth showed good discernment when she limited herself to working in Boaz’s fields only and showed excellent discernment when she went to Boaz and uncovered and laid at his feet. Ruth married Boaz and God showed favor to her and allowed her to conceive a baby boy name Obed. Ruth’s story is full of discernment and the development of a young woman in her walk with God. Ruth was not born in a good environment and did not have good influences, yet she turned away from sin and accepted God as her Lord and Savior. Ruth showed excellent discernment and following and obeying God on his plan for her life and future.

I have decent discernment but part of having good discernment is praying and reading my Bible. I need to listen and obey God like Ruth did and not allow environmental influences and situations to affect my viewpoints and behavior. Ruth surrounded herself with good people and I need to do the same. I’m not social by nature and tend to have trouble socializing with people however, its not the amount of people I have in my life but the quality and nature of the people. To have good discernment I need to surround myself with good, God-fearing people and stay away from sin and people who do not care and act against God in their behavior. Ruth distanced herself from Moab and the sinful people and customs and went to a place where God-fearing people lived.

References:

Liberty University Custom: Hindson, E., & Towns, E. L. Illustrated Bible survey: An introduction. Nashville, TN: Lifeway Christian Resources, 2015. Retrieved from: https://www.mywsb.com/reader

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