Ruth
Time period: During the Judges
Recall that this is a story of redemption cycles, not necessarily just about sin and wickedness
There is a famine in the land so some Israelites go to Moab....
Moab
Maybe Israel is during to idols?
Remember that Egypt is where everyone goes during famine since the Nile always floods. But Israel was not to go to Egypt so the next option for resources would be Moab.
So when it comes to Naomi we have to kind of take 2 ideas - either she is being rebellious in going to Moab or she's following Yahweh, not going to Egypt, and looking for provision anywhere that makes sense.
Naomi
Naomi loses her husband and 2 sons after moving to Moab - so she's left with her 2 daughters in law. Orpa and Ruth.
Naomi tries to look after Orpa and Ruth because she knows there is no real place in Israel for Moabites - they are explicitly listed as a people group banned from the land "to the 10th generation".
Naomi eventually changes her name to mara.
Mara
Can mean _bitter_, but remember that _mara_ can also mean rebellious. In the OT a _mara_ son is stoned to death. So maybe Naomi is having a moment of reflection regarding her family's choice to move to Moab in the first place and she is seeking forgiveness from God?
Orpa
Orpa takes Naomi's offer and returns
Ruth
Ruth knows the Israel law and still shows loyalty to Naomi (and to Yahweh?) by following Naomi back to Israel
Boaz
Ruth
Boaz is taken with Ruth basically immediately in the story and protects her in all kinds of ways.
He knows Ruth is a Moabite woman but treats her like a righteous individual anyways because he knows how she has treated and been loyal to Naomi.
Fields
Boaz tells Ruth to glean the good stuff basically
Fields are not dozens or hundreds of acres - Boaz's field might be a couple acres tops.
Ruth is given _threshed grain_, not the un-threshed raw wheat. So Naomi catches immediately that someone is caring well for Ruth
Kinsmen redeemer
Back to Leviticus 27, a chapter dedicated to redemption, we see Israel's code given by Yahweh to lead righteous people to welcome in even the outsider if they act in accordance with Yahweh's character. Naomi makes a plan with Ruth to ask Boaz to redeem them.
Ruth "uncovers Boaz's feet" after a night of work. There are euphemisms here, but not overly sexualized.
Hebrew way of thinking we see Ruth uncover Boaz's circumcision then lays at his feet, so when he is woken up he looks through the sign of the covenant upon an alien in his land - she is reminding him of God's favor on Israel and call to bless all nations.
City Gates
Boaz meets with elders at the city gates to handle the kinsmen redemption "ritual" since there is a closer kinsmen. Boaz cleverly gets the nearest guardian redeemer to give up his right to redemption and Boaz agrees to marry Ruth and redeem Naomi's family line.
Eventually David and thus Jesus follow from this family line.
Summary
This is not just a love story between Ruth and Boaz... we see a type for Jesus redeeming the outsider - this is a love story about Yahweh and creation.