by John O’Malley
“And Ruth the Moabitess said, He said unto me also, Thou shalt keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my harvest” (Ruth 2:21).
“Ruth the Moabitess.” It has been nineteen verses since we last read that phrase. It certainly should not be ignored; its placement in sacred Scripture is important. In the midst of Naomi’s and Ruth’s worship and wondering, the Holy Spirit made sure we would remember it was the grace of Boaz that brought her to this place, and it would be His grace that would bring her from Moab to motherhood.
Ruth never assumed nor declared her own worthiness of Boaz’s kindness. Ruth knew she was unworthy of Boaz’s goodness and grace; yet she never became presumptuous or proud. When she first arrived at Boaz’s fields, she began with a prayerful request for permission to glean to the servant set over the reapers. When Boaz spoke to her, she fell on the ground and spoke to him from a heart of submission. When she returned to the fields to serve in her newfound relationship, dedication and devotion marked her movements. Ruth's decision to stay and separate the grain from the stalks indicated her faithful stewardship for Boaz.
Although her name "Ruth the Moabitess" would always linger, her newfound position in the faith of the Eternal Boaz and the fields of the earthly Boaz would shine brighter. Ruth was one who once belonged to a country afar off, yet she had been brought near. The lifestyle, language, and loves of Moab had all been buried in the past. Yes, the Moabitess moniker would remain because of birth; but her faith in the one true God of Israel would make her Ruth, the homemaker in the line of Christ.
Ruth's story is the story of every sinner who comes in repentance and faith to Christ. The titles of "Ruth the Moabitess" and "sinner saved by grace" are synonymous. It was leaving Moab and cleaving to the one true God that transformed her life and took her from being a foreigner to being family.
What has happened in your life? Can you point to a moment in time where you came to Him as a sinner and He saved you by His grace? Sin has abandoned, orphaned, widowed, and bankrupted many a person. However, any who have ever come to Him in faith have never been refused nor rejected. Redeemed, forgiven, and saved are wonderful descriptive titles that belong to every sinner saved by grace.
Does the title “sinner saved by grace” belong to you? If it does not, turn to Him in faith today and accept Him as your Redeemer. If the aforementioned title does belong to you, when did you last worshipfully praise Him for the transformation He brought to your life?