The story of Ruth starts with that of Naomi.
Naomi was an Israelite woman who left her home in Bethlehem when there was a famine to seek greener pastures in Moab. However she lived through a personal drought in that foreign land because her husband Elimelech died together with her sons Mahlon and Chilion. Naomi was therefore left with her 2 daughter-in-laws Orpah and Ruth.
When Naomi heard that God had provided the Israelites with food, she sought to return to her home in Bethlehem and begged her daughters-in-law not to go with her since she could not provide them with other sons to marry.
Orpan chose to remain but Ruth decided to go with the mother-in-law and gave the famous speech:
Where you go, I will go.
Where you live, I will live.
Your people shall be my people
And your God my God. (Ruth 1:16)
When the two of them arrived in Bethlehem, Ruth went to work to get food by gleaning in the fields after the reapers and she so happened to land in the field of Boaz. Boaz was a relative of her deceased father-in-law and a rich man. (Ruth 2:1)
Landing on Boaz' field was the hand of God because when she returned home and Naomi asked her in whose field she had gleaned, Ruth told her Boaz and Naomi's informed her that he was a close relative of theirs.
In the due course of time Boaz married Naomi and thus landed in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew as Boax begot Obed by RUTH.
Ruth can therefore teach us the following lessons:
1. Change your garments
2. Position yourself strategically
When Naomi wanted to help her daughter-in-law Ruth get married to Boaz, she told her, "Wash yourself, anoint yourself, put on your best garment and go to the threshing floor. Wait until Boaz has finished eating and drinking and then take note of where he lies. Then go in, uncover his feet, lie down and he shall tell you what to do." (Ruth 3:3-4)
These seem like very forward instructions to give a single Christian woman even in today's standards, but taken in the context of that time and culture they were quite acceptable because close relatives had to perform a duty to those who had been left behind by the deceased. (Ruth 3:12-13)
Ruth did as she was told and positioned herself strategically at Boaz's feet and ended up being his wife and giving birth to Obed.
Therefore regardless of the type of problem you may be dealing with, find a way to position yourself strategically so that you can solve your problem.
Tamar
Rahab
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