It’s Mine!!!

A series on meeting God – Ruth
(Click on the link below to read the verses.)
Ruth 1 

[We all have a story about how we met God. Some are more miraculous than others, but none more amazing than the mere fact that the Living God, our Creator, reached out to bring us into relationship with him. In this series, we will be looking at how people in the Bible met God, and what that means to you today.]

  

“It’s mine!!!” Children have no qualms about laying claim to a toy that’s theirs, or that they want. Often, it’s not even a matter of whether they want to play with the toy, they just don’t want another child to play with it.

 

Imagine though how you’d feel if the original owner of your home returned after many years and told you that they wanted their property back. You’d think they were crazy! After all, it’s your home, not theirs. They sold it! The name on the deed’s your name. They have no right to what you own. You might respond, “It’s mine!!!”

 

In a way, Ruth the Moabite was like that. She said, “It’s mine!!!”, but about something significantly more important. Her story started when Elimelek took his wife Naomi and two sons to live in Moab to flee a famine in Canaan.

 

While there, Elimelek died. As a result, Naomi was left with her two sons both of whom married Moabite women. One of them was Ruth. After living there for about ten years, tragically, both of Naomi’s sons died.

 

Sometime later, Naomi learned that the Lord had provided good crops again in Bethlehem, so she decided to return. She told both of her daughters-in-law that they should also return to their families. But Ruth refused by telling Naomi, “It’s mine”.

 

^16b “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.             NIV   

 

Instead of returning to the stability of her own family, Ruth went with Naomi to Bethlehem where they had nothing. They were two women alone without husbands. Making it worse was the fact that Ruth was a Moabite who as a nation, had a contentious history with Israel. Their circumstance was dire.

 

However, the Lord had made provisions for the poor. According to Mosaic law, the Israelites were stewards of the land, not owners. Therefore, besides redeeming the land, Mosaic law provided the means to redeem a relative that was in need or danger. The role of kinsman-redeemer was established to fulfill these outcomes.

 

^23a “The land must never be sold on a permanent basis, for the land belongs to me (the Lord). ²⁴ “With every purchase of land you must grant the seller the right to buy it back (or redeem it). ²⁵ If one of your fellow Israelites falls into poverty and is forced to sell some family land, then a close relative should buy it back for him.              NLT            Leviticus 25

 

Ruth began to glean the fields of barley for food. The field belonged to Boaz who was a close relative of Naomi. Realizing Naomi’s situation, Boaz acted as her kinsman-redeemer by purchasing her dead husband’s property. He also acted as Ruth’s kinsman-redeemer by marrying her.

 

The story about Ruth the Moabite is a story about her amazing willpower, loyalty and faith in God. It’s also a story about the redemption, sovereignty and faithfulness of God.

 

Ruth was the great grandmother of David. Which means that she was also a direct ancestor of Jesus… the ultimate kinsman-redeemer.

 

⁷ He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.              NLT   Ephesians 1

 

Copyright 2025 Joseph B Williams

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