Character Study: Ruth: The Beautiful Gleaner

RUTH

How many stories have you heard of a woman begging to live the rest of her life with her mother-in-law?

Image credit: Debby McCann on Flickr.com

   the  



Ruth is a shortened version of ‘retut’, which means “lovely friend”. Ruth was a Moabitess, who married into a family of Israelites. She was subsequently widowed. The Book of Ruth is a short book in the Old Testament that tells the story of this “beautiful gleaner”. She is remembered for her loyalty to her mother-in-law, Naomi, and her conversion to Judaism. The earnestness of her plea and her sincerity was expressed almost in the form of a prayer.

Ruth in Boaz's Field (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

They were both destitute and Naomi tried to convince Ruth that she could offer her nothing but bitterness. Yet to Naomi she pleaded: “Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God, my God.” (Ruth 1: 16) Ruth’s steadfastness ultimately resulted in her marriage to her deceased husband’s wealthy kinsman Boaz, who was the father of Obed, who was the father of Jesse, who was the father of King David, the shepherd boy who became an anointed king of Israel.

Bible References:  RUTH – RUTH 1: 1 – 4: 22; MATT 1: 5

The Book of Ruth (Oprah’s Book Club)

Beautiful | Forward this Image

Bible Women: All Their Words and Why They Matter

Related articles

• Who was Abimelech in the Book of Judges?(altruistico.wordpress.com)

  ---

Book Suggestions : Classic Literature: Francois-Marie Arouet (1694 - 1778) aka Voltaire

Francois-Marie Arouet (1694 - 1778), who later took the name of Voltaire, was once hailed as “the wittiest writer in an age of great wits”, and Candide (or Optimism) was considered “his wittiest novel”. The topic he chose to exercise his wit upon in this novel was the problem of human suffering.


Candide (or Optimism) was written in 1758. At that time, Voltaire was 64 years old. Most consider this his most important work — representative of The Enlightenment (1650-1800). The personal suffering he had endured in his own lifetime, and his study of history convinced him that there is no such thing as Divine Providence directing all human affairs.

Brief Bio of Voltaire and Intro to Candide - HUBPages.com

* * *

Image credit: Mind power
© Photographer: Icefields | Agency: Dreamstime.com


Interesting Link:

Long-lost letters reveal the young Voltaire | The Cotton Boll Conspiracy :  More than a dozen letters penned by French Enlightenment figure Voltaire nearly 300 years ago have been uncovered recently and are now being studied by a British professor …

Francois Marie Arouet, Called Voltaire (1694-1778).
Tarker
Allposters.com

volty poster
by Morton91

Related articles

• Classical Liberalism: How Small Government Can Regain Its Voice(americanthinker.com)

  ---

• Towards the best of all possible worlds(spectator.co.uk)

  ---

• Science Fiction Beginnings - Daily Two Cents(dailytwocents.com)

  ---