The Main Purpose of the Book of Ruth
The main purpose of the book of Ruth is to give information about the direct ancestors of David, the one in whose line was to come the Messiah. Christ is to be the ultimate Ruler of the kingdom of Israel spiritually. Christ spoke of His kingdom as the kingdom of heaven, to differentiate it from the worldly kingdoms. Thus, the book of Ruth gives a reassuring linkage in the inspired accounts to the kingdom Christ came to establish.
At the same time, the book of Ruth gives a most beautiful picture of the blessings of the ideal home. There are two institutions that have come down to us from before the fall of man—the Sabbath and the home. The home was established by God Himself on the sixth day of the first week of time, and the Sabbath on the seventh day of the same week.
The relationship of a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law can be a troubling topic to many. But not so with Ruth and her mother-in-law, Naomi. After a sojourn of ten years in the land of Moab, Naomi, whose husband and two sons had died, found out that a more prosperous conditions exited in the land of Judah, so she decided to go back to her land.
Ruth, prompted by love and respect to her mother-in-law for her kind treatment and faith, broke all her family ties in Moab and decided to go to Judah. She said to Naomi, “Thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God” (Ruth 1:16). Thus, she purposed to go to a strange land, connect herself to the Israelites, and worship the God of heaven. This devotion to her mother-in-law resulted, in her becoming one of the ancestors of David, the great king of Israel; Solomon, the wisest of the sons of men; and the Messiah, the Savior of the world, the son of David.
Also, the book of Ruth is full with great examples of faith, virtue, humility, industry, and loving-kindness demonstrated in the normal incidences of life. Thus, we have in the narrative of Ruth, not only a delightful book of Hebrew literature, but also an important comment on a portion of the genealogy of Christ (Matthew 1:4–6).
In His service,
BibleAsk Team
