It's a rags to riches romance, and yet it's far more than that. Ruth, a foreigner, has faced her share of tragedy and hardship. Her husband's family had moved to Moab from Israel because of a famine. Her father-in-law, her brother-in-law and her husband all die, leaving Naomi, Orpah and Ruth.
Naomi returns to Israel, and Ruth comes too. She pledges to take care of Naomi, so that her people will be Ruth's people, and her God will be Ruth's God. In the aftermath of famine, the two widows have it hard - there are no state benefits, no old age pension. Ruth goes off to glean in the fields in order to eke out a living.
It's there that she meets her redeemer, the one who can rescue her family situation by the payment of a price. Boaz has compassion on her plight and steps in to redeem her, giving her family, wealth, status, and a child - and a rich inheritance and heritage, which ultimately leads to King David, and King Jesus.
"Spread your wings over your servant, for you are a redeemer." (Ruth 3:9)
Boaz the redeemer points us to Christ the redeemer, the one who rescues us from our poverty and slavery, and gives us freedom and the blessings of being in relationship with him. 'In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace...' (Ephesians 1:7)
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