The Story of Ruth and Pentecost

This is the time of year when Jews and Christians celebrate the feast of Pentecost. The story of Ruth takes place at the time of Pentecost, when ancient Israel harvested the first fruits of their grain crops. Throughout history, Jewish communities have read the book of Ruth while celebrating this feast.

During the time of the Judges of Israel, there was a severe famine in the land of Israel. In order to survive, Naomi and her family moved from Bethlehem to the neighboring country of Moab. While in the land of Moab, Naomi’s two sons married women from the area. One of these women was Ruth. A short time later, in the story, Naomi’s husband and two sons died. Brokenhearted and destitute, Naomi determined to return to her land and people. She also told her daughters-in-law to return to their own families and build a new life, for there was no future in that day for a widowed woman with no children. Ruth, however, told Naomi, “Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God” (Ruth 1:16). So Ruth returned to Bethlehem with Naomi to live with her and care for her. 

In the Torah, landowners were instructed to leave part of their harvest for the homeless and destitute to gather for their sustenance. During the spring harvest, at the time of Pentecost, Naomi told Ruth to glean grain from the fields of a relative named Boaz. Boaz looked kindly toward Ruth’s love and faithfulness to care for Naomi, so he instructed his harvesters to leave extra grain for Ruth to gather. The story continues with Boaz acting in faithful love to bring Ruth into his household as his wife. Through the lovingkindness of God, Ruth, a foreigner who had no rights to be included in Israel, became part of God’s people. Furthermore, in her marriage with Boaz, she became part of the lineage of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. The book of Ruth is a beautiful story that illustrates God’s inclusive love.

God’s inclusive love was fully realized when He sent His Son to redeem the world—no one was excluded. Now every person, like Ruth, can personally experience their inclusion in God’s family. As God says, “I will call those who were not my people, ‘My people,’ and her who was not beloved, ‘beloved.’ And it shall be in that in the place where is was said to them, ‘you are not my people,’ there they shall be called children of the Living God” (see Rom. 9:25-26; 1 Pet. 2:10; Hos. 1:10; 2:23).

It was through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, inaugurated at the feast of Pentecost, that the disciples began fulfilling the all-inclusive command of the Lord Jesus, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). The Holy Spirit has empowered believers throughout history to proclaim Jesus as Savior and Lord. And like the story of Ruth, all are included in the gracious love of God in Jesus Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit.