Ruth 1: “Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.”

The Rev. David Boisclair, pastor of Faith and Bethesda Lutheran Churches in Pine Lawn, MO, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Ruth 1.

The events told in the book of Ruth are simple and beautiful, but they are made even more striking because of the chaotic and dangerous times in which they take place. In the opening chapter, we are introduced to Naomi who had lost her husband and two sons in a short time, which left her stranded in Moab, a foreign land, accompanied by her two Moabite daughters-in-law. What follows is just the beginning of a story of bravery and faithfulness to God.

The books of Ruth and Esther from the Old Testament are the only two books in the Bible named for women, and on Thy Strong Word, we delve deep into both. The book of Ruth is a story of a young Moabite widow’s faithfulness to mother-in-law and her God. In a time of famine and violence, God leads Ruth to meet and marry Boaz whose union brings about a child, Obed, who would become the grandfather of King David.