God does not just disclose who He is by saying things about Himself, but reveals His nature and character by His actions as recorded in every book of the Bible.

These initial few verses contain some of the most popular words recited to pledge devotion and commitment at weddings today, however the original readers would have been struck by the unusual response and the great cost for this Moabite widow to pledge covenant loyalty to her widowed Israelite mother-in-law, her people and her God.

The first five verses of this divinely inspired account paints a worsening picture of what was happening in Naomi’s situation, each statement moving from bad to worse.

The book of Ruth, like all Scripture, is written by a human author who is guided by the Spirit of God. This means that its historic context, specific details, every tension and resolution to that tension, is designed to reveal God, His ways and His perspective to us.