Ruth was a young Moabite woman who married Naomi’s son, Mahlon. She is known for sticking to her mother-in-law and refusing to leave her, forsaking her people in the process. Ruth’s pledge to remain at the side of Naomi until death has been used as a vow in countless wedding ceremonies for centuries.
Ruth and Naomi met in Moab. Naomi had gone with her husband, Elimelech and two sons, Chilion and Mahlon to sojourn in the country of Moab as there had been famine in their homeland, Bethlehem. While in the land of Moab, Elimelech died leaving behind Naomi and their two sons. Both sons took wives from amongst the daughters of Moab with whom they sojourned. Mahlon married Ruth and Chilion married Orpah. Unfortunately for Naomi and these young wives, both Mahlon and Chilion also died. At this point, Naomi was a devastated old woman and decided to return to her land especially as she learned that God had visited her people and the famine was over. She asked her daughters-in-law to return to their people. It was the natural thing to do; she had no sons to give them to be their husbands. Therefore, they were free to return home and remarry. As difficult and as sad as it was to leave a woman they had come to relate with as a mother, Orpah kissed Naomi farewell and went her way. Ruth, however, refused to do same. The Bible says, “And Ruth said, 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: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.”
The pledge by Ruth to Naomi was so strong that Naomi had no option but to let Ruth follow her. They arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest. Ruth had followed her mother-in-law primarily to look after her, so she said to Naomi, upon their arrival, “let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace.”
She entered into the field of a man named Boaz. When the Bible first describes Boaz, it calls him a mighty man of wealth. He also happened to be of the family of Elimelech which meant he could marry Ruth and with her raise up seed for the lineage of Elimelech. However, this was unknown to Ruth at the time. She was just satisfied with having a field to glean ears of corn so she and Naomi could have food to eat. Boaz took an instant liking to Ruth and ordered his reapers to treat her with kindness. He also instructed her to remain with his workers and not go to another field. When she got home and told her mother-in-law about her meeting with Boaz, Naomi instantly made the connection. The Bible says, “And Naomi said unto her daughter in law, blessed be he of the Lord, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her, the man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen.”
After this, she called Ruth and said to her, “My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee that it may be well with thee?” And she sent Ruth at night to the threshing floor where Boaz would be working and gave her instructions on what to do when she got there. Ruth responded, “All that thou sayest unto me I will do.” And she did. Boaz was willing to perform the duty of a kinsman but pointed out that there was another kinsman closer than he was. However, that kinsman was not willing to perform the duty of kinsman, and so Boaz went ahead and married Ruth. A child was born to Ruth and Boaz named Obed and Obed became the grandfather of David whose lineage ushered in Jesus Christ, the Messiah of the world. Therefore, wherever the genealogy of Christ is mentioned, Ruth a Moabitess woman is also mentioned. It is important to note that as a Moabitess, Ruth would never have entered the genealogy of Jesus because her background was polluted. The Moabites come from a man named Moab, and he was conceived in an incestuous relationship between Lot and his daughter. In addition to that, the Moabites were idolaters. However, what her background denied Ruth, her vision to support her aged mother-in-law, procured for her.
The Leadership Lessons from the Life of Ruth are;
- Leaders are selfless. Ruth was completely selfless. She never gave any thought to herself and what would become of her future if she left Moab with her mother-in-law. All her thoughts were towards Naomi. She wanted Naomi to be properly cared for and sacrificed her future to give Naomi a comfortable life.
- A leader’s vision is always about others and never about the leader. Ambition is always about self and vision is always about others. Orpah had an ambition; to return home, remarry and have children. And while there is nothing wrong with that, Orpah was never mentioned again. Ruth had a vision; to go with her mother-in-law and look after her until death separated them. The vision of Ruth had no place in it for Ruth; it was all about Naomi. Today, billions who have read her story, celebrate Ruth.
- Leaders are listeners. Ruth listened to her mother-in-law and followed her instructions to the letter. Therefore she could marry Boaz.
- What a leader is unable to access because of his or her background, he or she will procure through vision. Ruth is an ancestor of Jesus Christ. She would not have become the Messiah’s ancestor because of her background as an idolater and the descendant of an incestuous union. But because she was a woman with a vision, she got it, even though she wasn’t seeking it.
- Leaders who seek the good of others to their detriment are never destroyed. Jesus said those who lose their lives will find it and those who seek to save their lives will lose it. In a bid to save the Jews, Esther was ready to perish but did not perish. Orpah sought to save her life; she wanted to remarry and have children; she could not afford to throw her life away in the bid to care for an aged mother-in-law and so Orpah lost her life. The Bible never mentioned her again. Ruth, however, did not care about her life, she was prepared to lose her life, and indeed she threw away any hopes of remarrying and having children in a bid to look after her aged mother-in-law. What she did not know was that in doing so she would find a better life as the wife of a wealthy man and an ancestor of Jesus, the saviour of the world. Today everyone who reads Christ’s genealogy will know that He had an ancestor named Ruth.
- Leaders make tough decisions. Ruth’s decision to leave Moab with Naomi was not an easy one. It was a tough decision. It was a decision that meant she would never again see her homeland. It was a decision that meant she would never again see the people she loved and the people she had lived with all her life up until that point. It was a decision that meant she would leave the familiar for the unfamiliar. It was a decision that meant she would step into a future that was uncertain as she had no idea of telling what life in her mother-in-law’s country held for her. It was no easy decision, but Ruth decided nonetheless because leaders are people who make tough decisions. And, as it usually is for other leaders, Ruth’s tough decision paid off.
- Leaders constantly operate outside their comfort zone. The day Ruth stepped out of Moab she stepped out of her comfort zone. However, the young woman was not deterred by this, as soon as they entered Bethlehem she was on her way to glean corn for herself and Naomi. She was new in the land. She was a stranger in the land. She was unfamiliar with the culture in the land. In Bethlehem, Ruth was out of her comfort zone but, like other leaders, she took charge and went on with her activities despite this fact.
- Leaders are initiators. When Ruth arrived in Bethlehem with Naomi, she did not wait to be told what to do. No true leader sits around waiting to be told what to do. Leaders are initiators. When Ruth and Naomi arrived in Bethlehem, it was the beginning of the barley harvest. They had not planted and so had nothing to harvest but she knew if she went out to work they would have food to eat. She didn’t wait for Naomi to tell her to do this, she took the initiative. She was a woman in charge of the situation.
- Leaders are also good followers. Ruth was a leader, but she was also a follower. She followed Naomi from Moab to Bethlehem in Judah. She humbly followed Naomi’s instructions concerning Boaz. She displayed humility, meekness and a willingness to carry out Naomi’s instructions to the letter. She was without any doubt a good follower. A man or woman who is unable to follow will never be a good leader.
- A leader’s good work will always make way for him/her. Ruth was a good woman who had shown great kindness to her old mother-in-law. This act of kindness did not go unnoticed by Naomi’s people. Boaz said to Ruth; “It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother-in-law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore.” Her good works caused her to find favour before Boaz.
- Leaders are also servants. Many people think that leadership is about being served, but leadership is a call to serve. Ruth was a leader, but she was also a servant to Naomi, and this was a position she chose, no one asked it of her. She went with Naomi to Bethlehem to be of service to the old woman. Her desire and willingness to serve made her a leader.
- Leaders see a need and meet it. Many see needs but are unable to meet them for numerous reasons. Orpah saw a need in the life of Naomi but could not meet it because she could not let go of her needs; which may have included the need to remarry and have children. Leaders like Ruth have needs like everyone else, but they put aside their needs and meet the needs of others. The ability to put the needs of others before one’s needs separates leaders from followers.
- Leaders do not quit or take no for an answer. Ruth and Orpah both indicated an interest in following Naomi to her homeland. Orpah was quick to quit, but Ruth held on firmly to what she wanted. She did not quit, and she did not take no for an answer. Her mind was made up on what she wanted, and she could not be persuaded
In conclusion, Ruth was a leader who, like many other leaders, sacrificed her way to the top. Many people desire a mountain-top experience in life, business or career, but only a few get it because not everyone is willing to pay the price required. Ruth’s story is a pointer to the fact that if one is selfless and willing to help others sacrificially, one will not only get the things one wants but will also get the things one never contemplated.
See you at the top!
