By Gustav Krös
06/06/2025
On Sunday, 8th June, most Christians will celebrate Pentecost, in commemoration of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, as described in Acts 2:1-41. Within the Bible, Pentecost goes by a number of different names, such as the Festival of Weeks, Festival of Harvest, and Shavuot. It was while the disciples were celebrating this festival that the Holy Spirit was poured out upon them, and from then on, the festival took on a new meaning for those who believe in Jesus Christ.
But Orthodox Jews still celebrate Pentecost as the disciples did roughly 2,000 years ago. According to the Jewish calendar, Pentecost was celebrated on 2nd and 3rd June this year, and as we read in Numbers 28:26, it’s a celebration of thanksgiving for the first fruits of the harvest, while also commemorating the giving of the Law to the Israelites at Mount Sinai. There are many traditions in celebrating the festival, and one of them is the reading of the Book of Ruth, which takes place during the barley harvest (Ruth 1:22).
Without planning it myself, I read the Book of Ruth during my quiet time on 29th May. On different occasions, I have read and heard people speak about the correlations that can be found in the Book of Ruth with regards to the relationship between the Jews and Gentiles, but for the first time, I truly saw it with great clarity. The simple equation is that Naomi represents the Jewish people, Ruth represents the Gentiles, and Boaz represents Jesus.
Naomi left the Promised Land in verse 1, just like the Jewish people left the Promised Land, and then she returns—just like we can see today that the Jewish people have returned to the Promised Land. Similar to the astonishment of people in 1948 upon seeing the Jewish people return, we also see in chapter 1, verse 19, that the people were amazed to see Naomi return: So the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?” And, similar to Naomi returning after being afflicted (verse 20) by the death of her husband and two sons, so too the Jewish people return after great calamity in the aftermath of the Holocaust.
Ruth is a Moabite, which automatically means she’s a Gentile. In chapter 1, verse 16, she makes it very clear that she wants to serve the God of Israel when she says, “Your people will be my people and your God my God.” She lives up to this commitment by leaving her country, her people, and her gods, and travelling with Naomi to the Promised Land.
Shortly after their arrival, we are introduced to Boaz. One thing that Boaz has in common with Jesus is the fact that he lives in Bethlehem, which is also the place where Jesus would be born. But of greater interest to me is the way that he greets the harvesters in chapter 2, verse 4, by saying to them, “The Lord be with you!” This is reminiscent of Isaiah 7:14, which says, “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel”—which means, ‘God with us’. It is as if Boaz speaks a prophetic word of the Messiah who will be born in Bethlehem.
In chapter 2, verse 8, we see that through Ruth’s humbleness and commitment to her new life, she gets to experience the protection of the God of Israel through her relationship with Boaz. Then, in verse 14, she is shown full acceptance as a Gentile when Boaz invites her to share a meal with him—a moment very reminiscent of the sharing of Communion: At mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come over here. Have some bread and dip it in the wine vinegar.”
The story then ultimately leads to Boaz redeeming both Naomi and Ruth, similar to how Jesus is the redeemer for both the Jews and the Gentiles. We are thus given a clear picture of a Gentile being grafted into the Lord’s olive tree, as described in Romans 11:11-24. It is also interesting to note that we read in Matthew 1:5 that Rahab, who was also a Gentile, was the mother of Boaz. Thus, Boaz himself had a Jewish father and a Gentile mother, which makes him relatable to both, while also showcasing again the reality of Jesus being the redeemer of both.
Throughout the story, there are valuable lessons to be learned, such as the Lord’s provision to Naomi and Ruth through Boaz. Alongside this, we see Ruth’s love and respect towards Naomi, and that Ruth truly lives a life of blessing Naomi. It exemplifies the relationship God desires to see between the Jews and the Gentiles: that as Gentiles, we will show the same love and respect towards Jews as we see Ruth displays towards Naomi. As we read in Romans 11:18: “Do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.”
We also see in Boaz’s relationship with Ruth something of the reality of what Paul writes in Romans 11:11, when he says, “Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious.” As it is also written in Deuteronomy 32:21: “I will make them envious by those who are not a people.”
We are thus called to love and bless the Jews with the same love that we receive from Jesus. Then, through us as Gentiles, the Jews will get to experience the reality of the love of Christ and will want to stand in a relationship with Him themselves.
