We hope this quick overview and outline of Ruth will lead you into a deeper understanding of God’s Word.
The little book of Ruth is a book about redemption. J. Vernon McGee calls it the “Romance of Redemption.” It takes place during the period of the Judges, possibly during the middle of the period of the Judges. The book is the story of one woman, separated from the blessings of Israel, who finds herself in the lineage of David and of Christ. Ruth was a Moabitess who married an Israelite who died. She chooses to go with her mother to Israel, Bethlehem, and there she and her mother-in-law are redeemed by an aged man, Boaz, from whom she receives a son. Ruth, coming out of the period of the Judges, gives us a most delightful account of the goodness of God.
Date: Around 1170 B.C. This was around the end of Gideon’s reign.
Divisions: The book of Ruth is divided as follows:
- The Decision to follow (chapter 1)
- The Provision of food (chapter 2)
- The Encounter with Boaz (chapter 3)
- The Redemption 4 (chapter 4)
Key Word:
Redeem, Redeemer, or a form of these words is found some 23 times – 2:20; 3:9, 12, 13; 4:1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 14
Key Passage: 4:14 Another great passage 1:16-17
Key Lesson: There is a Redeemer.