Ruth and Naomi: A Bible Story About Loyalty, Love, and Trusting God’s Plan

How do you trust God when the world is falling apart? What should you cling to when life gets hard?

Have you ever been through a season of life that feels like the whole world is crashing in on you? One awful event follows another until it seems like you’re drowning in sadness and uncertainty. You’re not sure if you should sit in the grief until your heart stops hurting, or if you should white-knuckle it and just move on. 

Neither feels like the right option, but you know you have to do something. 

The story of Ruth and Naomi is a great example of living through a season of terrible circumstances. It is a story riddled with grief but written by the love of God. Let’s take a closer look at the story of these valiant women. 

Where Is Ruth and Naomi’s Story in the Bible?

The lives of Ruth and Naomi are chronicled in the Old Testament book titled “Ruth.” It is one of two books in the Bible named after a woman.

A brief Bible timeline:

• God creates Adam and Eve in the creation story
• Moses leads God’s people out of Egypt in the Exodus
• Joshua and God’s people reach the Promised Land
• Ruth and Naomi during the time of the judges
• David and Goliath during the time of the kings
• Solomon, the son of David, builds God’s temple

During Ruth and Naomi’s story, things were difficult for God’s people—it was a time marked by lots of sin but also a lot of grace. It was also a patriarchal time period and one that would have been difficult for two lone women like Ruth and Naomi to survive through. But God was faithful and—well, let’s just dive in.

A Summary of Ruth and Naomi’s Story

• Naomi, her husband Elimelech, and their two sons leave Bethlehem for Moab to find more food during a famine.
• Elimelech dies, leaving Naomi a widow. In that time, widows looked to their sons for support, which Naomi did. 
• Naomi’s sons marry Moabite women, Ruth and Orpah, but the sons die soon after, leaving their wives widows as well. Naomi chooses to leave Moab for Bethlehem, hoping that she will be welcomed and supported by her own people.
• Ruth and Orpah promise to go with Naomi, but Naomi insists that they stay in Moab and remarry. Orpah takes Naomi’s advice, but Ruth keeps her promise and makes a life with Naomi.
• In Bethlehem, Ruth begins gathering grain in Boaz’s field to provide food for herself and Naomi. Boaz, a close relation of Naomi’s late husband, notices Ruth working and hears of her loyalty to Naomi. He ensures Ruth is able to take home enough grain for both herself and her mother-in-law.
• Some time later, Naomi encourages Ruth to propose to Boaz. As a close relative of Elimelech’s, Boaz would have been considered a “redeemer,” a man who would take on the responsibility of ensuring a late relative’s family line wouldn’t die out.
• Ruth proposes the idea to Boaz, who informs her that there is another redeemer ahead of him in line to receive Elimelech’s inheritance and marry Ruth.
• Boaz talks to the other man, who relinquishes his right to Elimelech’s inheritance. This allows Boaz and Ruth to get married!
• Ruth and Boaz have a son named Obed, who becomes the grandfather of King David, cementing Ruth’s place in the familial line of Jesus. 

Key Bible Verse

But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to 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.” Ruth 1:16 NIV

A Deeper Dive Into the Story of Ruth and Naomi

Being a foreigner in Ruth and Naomi’s time was difficult. Being a widow was worse. But being both was basically a death sentence. Ruth’s choice to remain with Naomi and move to a place that probably would not accept or support her was not only brave but sacrificial. 

A Rocky Start

The first five verses of the Book of Ruth recount Naomi losing everything she loves. First, she is forced to leave her home in Bethlehem to save herself from starvation. Then, she loses her husband, Elimelech. A decade later, her two sons die as well. 

Verse six finds her widowed, in a land she does not know, with no blood relatives around to support her. She is old enough that she is unable to work, so she and her two widowed daughters-in-law, Ruth and Orpah, set out for Bethlehem in hopes of finding familial support and food. 

At this point, Naomi is frustrated and upset. Who wouldn’t be? She feels betrayed by God for the loss she’s experienced and bitter about the grim reality of life without a husband or son. 

Grief-stricken and hoping for a better life for her young daughters-in-law (and possibly trying to self-isolate to further feed into her hopelessness), Naomi insists that Ruth and Orpah stay in Moab, where they could remarry. Orpah takes her advice and stays in Moab.

Humble Loyalty

Ruth, however, insists that she should stay with Naomi, even though a married life in Moab would be the “safer” option. Ruth knows that if Naomi returns home alone, she will have no one to support her and will probably not survive for much longer. So, Ruth puts Naomi’s needs above her own and follows her to Bethlehem.

In order to provide food for herself and her mother-in-law, Ruth begins gleaning in a field. A person who gleans grain follows behind the harvesters to pick up what falls to the ground, or the less desirable stalks that the harvesters leave behind. The position was for the poor and desperate. It would have been nearly impossible for Ruth to gather enough food for both herself and Naomi.

Boaz, a close relative of Ruth’s father-in-law, owns the field from which Ruth gleans her grain. Boaz notices Ruth, learns her story, and respects her loyalty to Naomi.

Redeeming Love

Boaz makes his admiration for Ruth known when he allows her a seat at his table, giving her good food and wine, and offering her the leftovers to take home to Naomi. Boaz even goes so far as to suggest that, from now on, the harvesters drop some extra grain behind them so Ruth can gather more for herself and her mother-in-law.

Imagine how surprised Ruth and the other harvesters would have been when they heard Boaz’s suggestion! He gives Ruth an opportunity that would properly provide for her and Naomi, for no reason other than Ruth’s faithfulness.

Naomi is filled with joy because of Boaz’s kindness and, later, suggests that Ruth marry him. This marriage would help Ruth rebuild her life and give her a brighter future. Naomi calls Boaz “one of our guardian-redeemers” (Ruth 2:20). Under Jewish law, Boaz could claim Elimelech’s property and continue Elimelech’s family line if he chose to marry Ruth.

Ruth goes to Boaz and proposes this plan. If Boaz, as a redeemer, marries Ruth, and God blesses them with a baby, Elimelech and Naomi’s family line would survive. Boaz is open to the idea, but tells Ruth there is another man, a different redeemer, ahead of him in line. Legally, he would be the first choice for Ruth’s husband. But Boaz isn’t ready to give up hope yet. 

The Path Opens for Boaz and Ruth

Boaz approaches the family redeemer, giving him the first right to marry Ruth and claim Elimelech’s land. 

At first, the man seems interested, but he quickly realizes the responsibility would complicate his own estate. In front of witnesses, he steps aside, clearing the way for Boaz. With the matter settled, Boaz seizes the chance to marry Ruth and redeem Elimelech and Naomi’s family line.

Ruth and Boaz have a son and name him Obed. The story goes on to tell us that Obed becomes the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David, making this whole family ancestors in Jesus’ family line.

So, not only does Naomi have a new grandson, she also has the hope and security of knowing that her husband’s family line did not end with the deaths of her husband and sons. Ruth’s loyalty changed Naomi’s future and, quite literally, saved her life. 

Why Is the Book of Ruth in the Bible?

The story of Ruth and Naomi shows God’s providence in hardship, His power to use overlooked people, and a glimpse of redemption through a faithful redeemer.

Outside of the personal grief and crises of Ruth and Naomi, the story takes place in a time of desperation in all of Israel. 

There was so much sin, hate, and pain during the time of the judges that it could have been easy for anyone to fall into despair. But the story of these two faithful women is proof that grace and bravery are still present in the world, despite the darkness. 

This story is also one of countless examples of God using unassuming people—the people the world would cast off—to bring about His perfect plans. The world would have never picked Ruth, a widow from Moab, to be the great-grandmother of King David.

Finally, the path that Ruth and Naomi took is such a beautiful example of the gospel of Christ. Broken people, dealing with dark circumstances, find themselves in the presence of a Redeemer who sees their pain and makes them whole. There is no greater story.

What Can We Learn From Ruth and Naomi?

1. God sees your faithfulness.

The Father sees when you choose to live faithfully. When Ruth devoted her life to Naomi, she would have had no way of knowing she would one day be blessed with a husband and son. Instead, she was probably expecting a life of struggle and poverty. But she chose to live faithfully, and her faith was noticed by both God and Boaz. And you can experience something similar.

That’s not to say that following God will always lead to a Boaz freely giving his resources to you. But it does mean that God does not take your faithfulness lightly. He sees you and loves you and has blessings in store for you.

2. Don’t lose hope.

In the wake of earth-shattering moments of grief, pain, and loss, it can be so tempting to isolate and get caught in a cycle of destructive mindsets. Naomi was so close to choosing that path. But like Naomi, after a period of healthy grieving is over, you have to move. You have to hope. You have the capacity to hope because the goodness of God is bigger than anything in this world.

God makes us ready for hope by giving us stories like Ruth and Naomi’s, that remind us who He is. He does not discount our pain, but He does use it. 

There are also times when He uses other godly people to help us in our trials. That’s what He did for both Ruth and Naomi. God said when He created humanity in Genesis 2:18 that it is not good for people to be alone. He gave Ruth and Naomi each other to serve one another in their brokenness. 

3. What you choose to be loyal to matters.

Ruth chose to devote herself to something holy—a life of loving God and her vulnerable mother-in-law—and she reaped the reward for her brave choice. But that’s not everyone’s story. Sometimes we are loyal to the wrong things. 

You might choose to trust that friend with some important information (again), even though they don’t have your best interests in mind. You might decide to scroll on social media for another three hours, even though you’re always left empty and tired. There are so many things that we can dedicate our lives to that simply aren’t worth our time or attention. 

But if you are loyal to the things of God and living in service to Him and His people, you will reap the rewards of your faithfulness. Not only that, you’ll spend eternity with your Father who loves you. 

Why Is a Story About Two Widows Important Today?

Ruth and Naomi’s story shows that our circumstances are never so grim that God can’t redeem us. The fall affects all of us every day, and it is easy to get caught in a pattern of looking only at the dark stuff, especially in the age of 24/7 news cycles and social media. 

But even now, thousands of years later, with problems that feel big and impossible and ever-evolving, we can remember that, with Christ, there is always a reason to hope. 

The fact that God saw the most humble, overlooked, broken women and chose them to help bring Jesus, the Redeemer, into the world is proof that, no matter what, God has a good plan and a big purpose—even in the darkest times.

Common Questions About Ruth and Naomi’s Story

1. Why is Ruth’s Moabite heritage noteworthy?

Moabites were often looked down upon by the Israelites. Years before Ruth’s story, Moabites were known as a sinful people, involved in sexual immorality and worshipping false gods. Moab also didn’t offer the Israelites any support when they fled from Egypt—instead, they hired a man named Balaam to put a curse on Israel. 

God using a woman from Moab to help bring Jesus into the world is yet another testimony of His grace, love, and generosity.

2. What does it mean that Boaz was a “redeemer”?

In Israelite law, a male relative could “redeem” or buy back a deceased family member’s land or marry their widow to preserve their family line. So, when you hear people say, “I am redeemed!” in the context of Jesus’ sacrifice, they are referring to Jesus paying the ultimate price (death) to “redeem” humanity. 

3. Where is God in this story? He’s not mentioned much.

God is not as outwardly vocal in this book as He is in other stories, but His providence is evident. Ruth did not just happen to work in the field Boaz owned. Boaz does not just happen to be a redeemer. Obed does not just happen to be the grandfather of King David and the ancestor of Jesus. God’s had a plan since the very beginning, and this story is proof. 

Reflect or Discuss

1. What or who are you loyal to? Are they God-honoring things worthy of your devotion and sacrifice?
2. At this stage in your life, which character from Ruth and Naomi’s story do you relate to the most? Are you like Naomi, who just cannot seem to get to the end of a really dark season? Are you like Ruth, who deeply feels the burden of caring for other people? Or are you like Boaz, who has hope and resources in abundance, ready to share with people in need? 
3. In a time—personally, nationally, or globally—that feels like the whole world is crashing in on you, what are practical steps you can take to be more deeply rooted in hope? This could look like accepting help and companionship (like Naomi) or listening to the wisdom of a mentor (like Ruth). 

Explore more stories of famous biblical women.