The Bible story of Ruth tells the story of being redeemed – God’s love redeems us – but what does looking at the story from the perspective of Ruth show us? By looking at this remarkable woman from the Bible, we can see how Ruth’s story teaches us about putting our faith into action.
If you haven’t read the Book of Ruth from the Bible, here’s a link to the text. And if you want an overview of the story check out the previous article.
5 Ways Ruth Puts Faith into Action
This article looks at 5 ways Ruth in the Bible puts her faith into action.
- Steadfast Love: Hesed
- Determination
- Strength
- Devotion
- Enterprise
Ruth showed her faith by the things she did. That’s a principle detailed in Hebrews 11, by the way. Let’s look at the character of this faithful woman from the book of Ruth in the Bible.
1. Steadfast Love
Before we dive into Ruth’s other characteristics, we need to talk about a concept called hesed. Hesed is the Hebrew word for covenantal love, or steadfast love. English doesn’t have an exact match for this kind of love, but it implies a love that endures. God has hesed towards us. And in the Bible, Ruth shows hesed towards God as well as Naomi.
I like how author Lois Tverberg puts it in her book Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus, “Based in a covenantal relationship, hesed is a steadfast, rock-solid faithfulness that endures to eternity.”
Hesed is a steadfast, rock-solid faithfulness that endures to eternity.
Lois Tverberg
Hesed is not going to change.
How does Ruth in the Bible show hesed?
When Ruth tells Naomi, “Your people are my people” and “Your God is my God”, she is not only showing hesed towards Naomi, her mother-in-law, but she is also choosing God and agreeing to the covenantal love that God offers.
Ruth gives up her own people and the gods she grew up with in Moab and commits to Naomi’s people and Naomi’s God – Jehovah the one God.
Ruth steps out and starts walking with God. In addition to God’s help, she fortunately also has the help of an older woman, Naomi, to guide her footsteps.
This is hesed – an agreement between Ruth and God. Ruth commits to God who in turn accepts her into his covenant with people.
You will be my people
It’s no coincidence that the words Ruth uses are these specific words. God says in numerous places in the Bible, “I will be your God and you will be my people.” I will leave that tidbit here for you to explore on your own.
Could it be that because of this covenantal relationship, a theme of the Book of Ruth, that this book is traditionally read on Pentecost (Shavout)? More things for you to study on your own!
Anyway, back to our list …
Ruth walks with Naomi and God
So the first way Ruth of the Bible shows that she is a woman of action is that she commits to traveling with Naomi back to her homeland to join God’s people.
2. Determination
Next, we see that Ruth from the Bible has a very determined attitude. Her journey starts with resolve. Naomi tries to convince her daughters-in-law to turn back and return to their own families so they can start over and find new husbands. Ruth’s sister-in-law Orpah turns back. But Ruth commits to going with Naomi.
In fact, the Bible pictures Ruth at this point as unwavering.
Ruth says, “May Yahweh do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts you and me.” When Naomi saw that Ruth “was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her” and they traveled together to Naomi’s hometown of Bethlehem.
Don’t urge me to leave you, and to return from following you, for where you go, I will go; and where you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May Yahweh do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts you and me.”
–Ruth 1: 16-17
3. Strength
Is this woman strong, or what? She relocates, harvests, carries stuff all over the place, works all day long in the field. When asked, the servant who was in charge of the reapers describes that Ruth “came, and has continued even from the morning until now, except that she rested a little in the house.”
Maybe physically fit is a better description than strong. Or maybe she just does what she has to do and it’s a part of her determination. Or maybe chalk it up to youthful energy. Maybe a little bit of each of these. Nevertheless, Ruth from the Bible seems pretty strong.
And whatever you call it, Ruth from the Bible gets a lot done. She is a woman of action.
4. Devotion
In many ways, devotion might be the same as hesed. I guess my point here is that Ruth is devoted to Naomi.
I mean, imagine, moving to a foreign country with your mother-in-law! Naomi must have been something special. Then when they arrive back in Bethlehem, Ruth knows that she will be the one responsible for helping Naomi survive. Food is the first priority – storing up food to live on.
And Ruth has to rely on Naomi for local customs and rules of the country. Ruth totally trusts and relies on Naomi’s direction probably because she trusts and relies on God. And people notice. In Ruth 2:11, Boaz answered her, “I have been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father, your mother, and the land of your birth, and have come to a people that you didn’t know before. 12 May Yahweh repay your work, and a full reward be given to you from Yahweh, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.”
We can see Ruth’s devotion to Naomi and to God by the actions she takes in this Book of the Bible.
5. Enterprise
Finally, I want to mention that Ruth is a resourceful, enterprising young woman who can inspire us to put our faith into action. Ruth’s circumstances lead to a very difficult and stressful situation – the death of a spouse at a young age – and she works hard to secure a new situation for herself. After she arrives in Bethlehem, her next steps were to stock the pantry for her and Naomi, and then that leads to a more permanent situation with a new future ahead of her. Just think – she goes out to get some barley and basically comes home with a husband who gives her children, which eventually leads to a great-grandchild named David!
So much fun to study Ruth in the Bible!
In conclusion, I think Ruth from the Bible is such fun to study, especially around Pentecost. We can learn how these 5 characteristics helped her act out her faith. She is definitely a woman of action!
For more study
Check out some of the places I found useful in this study of Ruth in the Bible: Walking with a woman of Action.
More References:
- “Ruth has agency and young women can be empowered: Resourcefulness, initiative, agency”: quote from JPOST.com
- Characteristics of Ruth
- “Fearless, loving, hardworking, loving, virtuous, decisive, obedient” from ThinkAboutSuchThings.com
- “Loyal, humble, kind, fears God, pure heart, faith” from OhHeySister.com
- “Bravery, obedience, love, faith, trust, and humility: a woman of noble character” from BusyBlessedWomen.com
- Biblical definition of hesed
- From GotQuestions.com
- “Many biblical words such as mercy, compassion, love, grace, and faithfulness relate to the Hebrew word hesed(חֶסֶד), but none of these completely summarize the concept. [It] is not merely an emotion or feeling but involves action on behalf of someone who is in need. Heseddescribes a sense of love and loyalty that inspires merciful and compassionate behavior toward another person.
“Hesed, found some 250 times in the Old Testament, expresses an essential part of God’s character. When God appeared to Moses to give the Law a second time, He described Himself as “abounding in” or “filled with” hesed, which is translated “love and faithfulness,” “unfailing love,” “faithful love,” “steadfast love,” and “loyal love,” depending on the Bible version (Exodus 34:6–7). The core idea of this term communicates loyalty or faithfulness within a relationship. Thus, hesed is closely related to God’s covenant with His people, Israel. As it relates to the concept of love, hesedexpresses God’s faithfulness to His people.”
- “Many biblical words such as mercy, compassion, love, grace, and faithfulness relate to the Hebrew word hesed(חֶסֶד), but none of these completely summarize the concept. [It] is not merely an emotion or feeling but involves action on behalf of someone who is in need. Heseddescribes a sense of love and loyalty that inspires merciful and compassionate behavior toward another person.
- From OurRabbiJesus.com
- “Based in a covenantal relationship, hesedis a steadfast, rock-solid faithfulness that endures to eternity.”
- Who were the Moabites?
- GotQuestions
- BibleStudyTools.com
- Moab to Bethlehem is about 50 miles, maybe, depending on where in Moab
- Biblicalarhttps://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-topics/hebrew-bible/the-story-of-ruth/
- Go to this link to a map you can use to see the area of Moab.