Naomi, her husband, and their two sons moved from Bethlehem to the land of Moab because of a famine. Naomi’s husband died, and each of her sons married a Moabite woman. After the deaths of both of her sons, Naomi encouraged her daughters-in-law to return to live with their families so they could be cared for. One daughter-in-law, Ruth, chose to stay with Naomi, and the two returned to Bethlehem. Following the instruction of Naomi, Ruth asked Boaz, a near kinsman, to marry her. Boaz married Ruth and they had a son named Obed, who would become the grandfather of King David.
Ruth travels with Naomi back to Bethlehem after the deaths of their husbands
Invite a student to read aloud the following scenario:
A young woman is attending school but struggles to get good grades. As a result she worries about her future and being able to succeed in life and provide for herself.
In what ways might this situation test a person’s faith and trust in the Lord?
Invite students to look for truths as they study Ruth 1–2 that can help them to have faith and trust in the Lord.
Invite a few students to take turns reading aloud from Ruth 1:1–5. Ask the class to follow along, looking for what happened to Naomi’s family.
Point out that in ancient Israel a widow’s sons were typically responsible for providing her with protection, food, and care. If a widow had no living sons or male relatives, she had to provide for herself. This could be very difficult for women who did not have the resources to provide for themselves.
Invite a student to read Ruth 1:6–9 aloud. Ask the class to follow along, looking for what Naomi decided to do and what she told her daughters-in-law to do.
Why did Naomi decide to return to Bethlehem?
What did Naomi instruct her daughters-in-law to do?
Invite a student to read Ruth 1:10 aloud. Ask the class to follow along, looking for what Orpah and Ruth said they would do.
What did Orpah and Ruth say they would do?
Point out the phrase “thy people” in verse 10. Explain that although Orpah and Ruth were Moabites, it appears that they had forsaken the worship of idols and instead worshipped the Lord with their husbands and Naomi (see Ruth 1:15).
Summarize Ruth 1:11–13 by explaining that out of concern for Orpah and Ruth’s future prospects of marriage and security, Naomi discouraged them from going to Bethlehem with her.
Invite a student to read Ruth 1:14–18 aloud. Ask the class to follow along, looking for what Orpah and Ruth each decided to do. Ask students to report what they find.
How do Ruth’s words show that she trusted in the Lord?
After students respond, write the following incomplete statement on the board: If we choose to trust in the Lord, then …
Invite students to look for what happened as a result of Ruth’s decision to trust in the Lord as they continue to study the book of Ruth.
Summarize Ruth 1:19–22 by explaining that Naomi and Ruth traveled to Bethlehem. Since they were extremely poor, they desperately needed to find a way to support themselves.
Explain that the law of Moses instructed those who owned fields not to harvest the crops in the edges of their fields or gather crops that were dropped by the reapers so that the poor could glean, or gather, these crops (see Leviticus 23:22).
Invite a student to read Ruth 2:1–3 aloud. Ask the class to follow along, looking for who owned the field that Ruth gleaned from. Invite students to report what they find.
Invite a student to read Ruth 2:4–10. Ask the class to follow along, looking for how Boaz showed kindness to Ruth.
How did Boaz show kindness to Ruth?
Invite a student to read Ruth 2:11–12 aloud. Ask the class to follow along, looking for why Boaz was kind to Ruth. Invite students to share what they find.
How would you use Boaz’s words recorded in verse 12 to complete the statement on the board? (After students respond, complete the statement on the board so it conveys the following truth: If we choose to trust in the Lord, then He will reward us for our faith.)
Invite a student to read again the scenario discussed at the beginning of class. Ask students to discuss the following questions in groups of two or three.
How is this scenario like the story of Ruth?
How might this young woman show she trusts God, and how might she be rewarded?
How has the Lord rewarded you because you chose to trust Him?
To help students understand how this principle further applied to Ruth’s life, summarize Ruth 2:13–23 by explaining that Boaz showed additional kindness and care to Ruth by providing her with more food for herself and Naomi. Ruth returned to Naomi, and they rejoiced together.
Invite a student to read Ruth 2:20, looking for what Naomi called Boaz. After students report what they find, explain that under the customs and cultural laws of the Israelites, if a husband died childless, it was the duty of the husband’s brother or nearest male relative to marry the widow and raise up children to the dead man’s name (see Deuteronomy 25:5–10; see also Bible Dictionary, “Levirate marriage”). The term “next kinsman” comes from the Hebrew word go-el, which means “redeemer” and refers to men whose duty it was to marry the widow of their relative.
Tell students that as explained by Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “the word redeem means to pay off an obligation or a debt. Redeem can also mean to rescue or set free as by paying a ransom” (D. Todd Christofferson, “Redemption,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2013, 109).
Explain that one of the prominent themes of the account of Ruth is that of redemption, which relates to all of us. Invite students to look for how the redemption of Ruth and Naomi through Boaz in the remaining chapters of Ruth is a type, or symbol, of our redemption through Christ.
Invite a student to read Ruth 3:1–2 aloud. Ask the class to follow along, looking for what Naomi wanted for Ruth. (To help students find what Naomi was proposing, suggest that they look at verse 1, footnote a, to discover that the word rest implies marriage.)
What did Naomi want for Ruth?
Summarize Ruth 3:3–8 by explaining that Naomi told Ruth what to do in order to propose marriage to Boaz, which was culturally acceptable under these circumstances, and that Ruth obeyed her instructions. Invite a student to read Ruth 3:9–11 aloud. Ask the class to follow along, looking for how Boaz reacted to Ruth’s request for marriage. (After they read verse 9, you might want to explain that the phrase “spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid” means that Ruth was asking him to take her under his protection and provide for her and was Ruth’s way of proposing marriage to Boaz.)
How did Boaz react to Ruth’s proposal?
What admirable characteristic did Boaz and the people notice in Ruth?
What principle can we learn from Ruth’s example of living virtuously? (After students respond, write the following principle on the board: If we live virtuously, then we can have faith that the Lord will bless us.)
Write the word virtuous on the board.
Invite a student to read aloud the following statement by Sister Elaine S. Dalton, who served as the Young Women General President. Ask the class to follow along, looking for how Sister Dalton defined and described virtue.
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Elaine S. Dalton
“Virtue ‘is a pattern of thought and behavior based on high moral standards’ [Preach My Gospel: A Guide to Missionary Service (2004), 118]. It encompasses chastity and moral purity. Virtue begins in the heart and in the mind. It is nurtured in the home. It is the accumulation of thousands of small decisions and actions. Virtue is a word we don’t hear often in today’s society, but the Latin root word virtus means strength. Virtuous women and men possess a quiet dignity and inner strength” (“A Return to Virtue,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2008, 79).
What does it mean to live virtuously?
What are some “small decisions” you can make that can help you be virtuous?
Encourage students to focus on one or two “small decisions” they need to make to be more virtuous and then have them write in their journals what they will do to act on these decisions.
Summarize Ruth 3:12–18 by explaining that Boaz promised to marry Ruth if he could obtain permission to do so from a kinsman who was more closely related to Ruth’s deceased husband.
Summarize Ruth 4:1–8 by explaining that Boaz met with the nearest kinsman and received permission to marry Ruth.
Invite a student to read Ruth 4:9–10 aloud. Ask the class to follow along, looking for what Boaz did for Ruth and Naomi. Ask students to report what they find.
How is what Boaz did for Ruth and Naomi like what our Redeemer, Jesus Christ, does for us? (Explain that as an impoverished and childless widow with no source of support, Ruth received mercy and was redeemed by her kinsman Boaz, who came from Bethlehem [see Ruth 2:4]. Similarly, because we suffer physical and spiritual death, we cannot save ourselves and must rely on our Redeemer, Jesus Christ, who came from Bethlehem [see Luke 2:15–16] and has “purchased [us] with his own blood” [Acts 20:28].)
What can we learn about our own redemption by viewing the account of Ruth and Boaz as a type, or symbol, of our relationship with Christ? (Help students identify the following principle: If we will come to Jesus Christ, He will redeem us. Write this truth on the board.)
Invite students to record their answers to the following questions in their study journals:
Because Jesus Christ offers me redemption, how do I feel about Him and my Father in Heaven and Their love for me?
What can I do now to come closer to Jesus Christ so He can redeem me?
Summarize Ruth 4:13–22 by explaining that Ruth and Boaz were married and had a son named Obed. They are the direct ancestors of King David and of Jesus Christ. Consider sharing your testimony of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ, and of the principles identified in today’s lesson.
The levirate law of marriage stated that when a man married and then died before having a male child, his nearest male relative (usually his brother or another near kinsman) was to marry the widow (see Bible Dictionary, “Levirate marriage”). The first son of that union was considered to be the son and heir of the deceased husband so that the deceased man’s family line could continue. In order to provide an inheritance for the heir, this “kinsman [also] had the right to purchase (redeem) the land of [his] deceased relative” (Ellis T. Rasmussen, A Latter-day Saint Commentary on the Old Testament [1993], 227). By purchasing this land, providing for the widow’s needs, and ensuring the continuance of the family line, this kinsman essentially became a “redeemer or protector” to the widow (see Old Testament Student Manual: Genesis–2 Samuel [Church Educational System manual, 2003], 230). The levirate law is recorded in Deuteronomy 25:5–10. Genesis 38 includes an application of the levirate law that involves the three sons of Judah. Naomi also referred to this law (see Ruth 1:11).
The account of Ruth and Boaz includes an example of a time when the nearest kinsman could not (for unknown reasons) perform the levirate duty. Boaz, another near kinsman, was willing to take upon himself the responsibility of “redeeming” Ruth by marrying and providing for her. But for Boaz to do so, Ruth’s nearest kinsman would have to relinquish his rights to the property left by her deceased husband. According to the custom of that time, this was done when Ruth’s nearer kinsman removed his sandal and gave it to Boaz (see Ruth 4:8). After this symbolic but binding act, Boaz was free to marry Ruth and fulfill the promise he had made to her.
The account of Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz goes much deeper than a relative caring for his family. It is a type and shadow of Jesus Christ caring for all of Heavenly Father’s children. Just as a near kinsman in Ruth’s day was to redeem (or buy back) property and marry the widow of his relative, Jesus Christ is the Redeemer for all who come unto Him. He is our near kinsman who has bought back or redeemed us from sin through His Atonement.
One Latter-day Saint scholar explained the significance of the word redeem in Ruth 3:1–9:
“A kinsman had the right to purchase (redeem) the land of a deceased relative, marry his widow, and produce offspring—the first of whom would be the heir of the man who had died [see Bible Dictionary, “Levirate marriage”]. Thus a ‘redeemer’ could restore to a widow a degree of security and status she could not of herself attain and even provide for continuation of the seed. Understanding this deepens our appreciation for the prophets’ use of the word redeemer (Heb., go’el) to characterize our Savior (TG, “Jesus Christ, Redeemer”)” (Ellis T. Rasmussen, A Latter-day Saint Commentary on the Old Testament [1993], 227).
Ruth 4:1–10. Why did the kinsman refuse to marry Ruth?
“The writer [of the book of Ruth] has not even preserved the name of that kinsman who was willing to redeem the property but not to marry the widow and raise up a son to the name of the dead. The heir of the dead man would get the redeemed property, and thus it would not increase the redeemer’s estate; hence he said selfishly, ‘I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance’ (Ruth 4:6)” (Ellis T. Rasmussen, A Latter-day Saint Commentary on the Old Testament [1993], 228). Boaz, on the other hand, was willing to take the unselfish step of marrying Ruth and ensuring her safety and well-being as well as Naomi’s. In this and other ways, Boaz is a type of the Savior, who redeemed all of mankind without thought for His own benefit.