Last Updated on December 17, 2021 by Pastor Ikechukwu Chinedum
Today we will be dealing with 5 lessons to learn from the story of Ruth. This Moabite woman is one of the most significant women in the Bible. Her story started when an Israelite woman named Naomi with her husband Elimelek migrated to Moab because of the famine in the land of Isreal. They moved to Moab where seems to have an abundance of food which was greatly scarce in Isreal. This Isrealite couple moved to Moab with their two sons in search of food. When they came into the city of Moab, they did not just take food and leave, they eventually settle in the city.
Along the line, their two sons got married to two Moabites women, Ruth and Oprah. It wasn’t long when Elimelek died. Naomi continued to stay in Moab with her two sons and their wives. Unfortunately, her sons died too. After the death of her two sons, Naomi got the news that the land of Isreal is now greatly blessed with food, so she decided to move back to Isreal. Meanwhile, she told her daughter-in-law to return to their families in Moab while she return home. Oprah returned to her family but Ruth refused to go back.
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Many people might find it difficult to see sense in Ruth’s decision to follow her mother-in-law to a foreign land just because she loved her. To Ruth, it was more than daughter and mother-in-law’s love. When she got married to the Israelites, she find out about the God that the Hebrews serve and she devoted her life to serving that God. Ruth understands that staying back in Moab will make it very difficult for her to continue to serve Jehovah because the land of Moab doesn’t serve God. Naomi tried to talk Ruth into staying back in Moab but she insisted saying, your people will by my people and your God shall be my God. She returned to the land of Bethlehem in Isreal with Naomi and continued to live with her.
Remember, Bethlehem is the same city where Mary gave birth to Jesus. Amazingly, Christ Jesus came from the lineage of Ruth. Is that not amazing? Little wonder the name of Ruth can not be wiped out from the Bible story. Beyond this fact, there are more lessons to learn from her story.
5 Lessons To Learn From the Story of Ruth
Our Life and Attitude Preach Christ More Than Our Words
Naomi’s family was able to convince Ruth into serving Jehovah not because she got married to an Israelite that serves God. There must be something about Naomi and her family that interests Ruth greatly. There must be a certain type of character that people that serve God exhibit that others lack. This must be what Ruth saw for her to have refused to stay back in Moab.
This means, beyond our words, our character and attitude preach to the God we serve better. There are many believers whose life is nothing to write home about. They only bear the name Christian but their behavior and attitude depict something different from Christ. If Naomi and her family were hostile or showed a terrible character towards the Moabite women that married their sons, Ruth would not have decided to follow Naomi to wherever she goes provided she will keep serving her God.
Through you, people will want to know God better. Your character and behavior in your neighborhood speak volumes. People no longer have time to study the scripture, they study your character instead.
Great Reward in Being Good and Humble
One of the attributes of Christ is the act of humility. And Christ was good when he was on earth. The scripture says how God anointed Jesus Christ of Nazareth with Holy Ghost and power who went about doing good. Ruth was good to her mother-in-law even after the death of her husband. When she went with her to Bethlehem and met Boaz, he told her I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband—how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. May the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.”
There is no heart of kindness that will go unnoticed. So also a heart of wickedness and hostility will not go unnoticed. We must endeavor to be humble and good to people regardless of their age and status. We are Christians. Our life should show Christ to people even before we open our mouths to speak.
Always Do What Is Right Not What People Think Is Right
When Naomi was prepared to return to her homeland after the death of her husband and two sons, she beseeched her two daughters-in-law to stay in Moab with their families, but they both refused. However, when she insisted, Oprah returned home to her family leaving Ruth behind. Ruth decided to follow Naomi wherever she goes.
Naturally, people would expect that Ruth returns to her family because her husband was dead. There is no need to stay back with her mother-in-law. But she insisted on staying against what everyone thought was the right thing to do.
In our lives too, there are times we have to make our stand. Regardless of what people think, we just have to stand. The end will justify the means. Some instructions from God seem stupid to everyone. But the end of such instructions brings joy. We must learn to always do what is right.
Never Stop Serving God
Ruth understood that staying back in Moab will make it difficult to keep serving God. She decided to go wherever Naomi goes so she can continue serving God. The scripture says, Like 9:62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Never stop serving God. No man who lays his hands on the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of heaven. We must endeavor to take aside everything around us that will stop us from serving God.
The Plan Of God Will Be Established, You Just Need To Be In Right Standing
God plans to bring Ruth to Isreal so Christ can come from the bloodline of this foreign woman. All the tragedies that happened in Moab were carefully orchestrated to ensure that the plan of God come to pass. Ruth only had to be in the right standing to ensure that she was a partaker of the blessing.
We must learn to be in the right standing with God. The plan of God for our lives will eventually come to pass.
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