Naomi has buried her husband and both her sons. Now she is leaving Moab for Bethlehem, the town she left during a famine. Her daughters-in-law walk with her. All three women are widows, and Naomi can see little reason for the younger women to share her uncertain future (Ruth 1:1-7).
The Hebrew word ahava means love. Another word, hesed, often describes kindness expressed through loyalty to someone. The book of Ruth gives these words a setting we can recognize: a family in grief, with decisions to make about tomorrow. Following the women home helps us understand what such love asks of a person, and how God works through it.
The chapters
- Ahava and Hesed: Love in the Book of Ruth
- A Blessing Before the Goodbye
- What Comes Home from the Field
- The Woman Who Loves You
- Finding the Word in Your Bible
- From Bethlehem to Jesus
Scripture it opens
Ruth 1:1-7 Ruth 1:8 Ruth 1:16 Ruth 1:14-17 Ruth 1:20-21 Ruth 2:8-18 Ruth 2:12 Ruth 2:23 Ruth 3:9-10 Ruth 3:9-13 Ruth 4:1-10 Ruth 4:13-17 Ruth 4:15 Jeremiah 31:3 Psalm 23:6 Psalm 136:1 Exodus 34:6 Ruth 4:17-22 Matthew 1:1-5 Mark 10:45 Romans 5:8 Romans 8:34 1 John 4:19
