What's In a Name?

"What would you like her name to be?"... that was the question that came through the phone as I stood outside on that crisp fall day talking to our attorney about the adoption process... I knew the answer; but when I spoke those three words, chills radiated down my spine...

Many have asked us, why Ruth? Is it a family name? The name of a close friend? No, it's not a family name or the name of a close friend... although I'm so in love with this very short book of the Bible and have studied it so intimately that I feel as though Ruth could be my sister or at the very least, my best friend. If you have read the book of Ruth, you know the basics... Ruth was a Moabite from the land of Moab, daughter in law of Naomi, sister in law to Orpah, a young widow in an interesting predicament. Her father in law, husband, and brother in law had all died and so her mother in law, Naomi was headed back to her home in Judah... the three women set off on their journey. It was then that Naomi urged her daughters in law to go back to their homes, their families, their gods. This is where the famous part happens, the one most people know, the most quoted lines from the book, the one many sermons surround... Ruth responds lovingly to Naomi, "Don't ask me to leave you or turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people and your God will be my God" Ruth 1:16. It's a beautiful love... an endearing scripture and it sure makes me love that girl; because let's be honest, at this point Naomi wasn't an easy woman to love, she was bitter! However, in spite of everything, Ruth continued to love Naomi.
This is where the story gets more interesting to me...

Ruth and Naomi were women left vulnerable by circumstance; they had no one to provide for them in a time when women couldn't own property or speak for themselves... they needed a man. Ruth happens upon the field of a kind man named Boaz who allows Ruth to go behind his workers to harvest wheat and even tells his workers to leave some behind for her to gather. After Ruth has worked hard all day gathering in Boaz's field, Naomi reveals that Boaz is a kinsman or family redeemer. A kinsman redeemer was a close relative who would be responsible for the economic well being of the relative. "The custom of redemption was designed to maintain the wholeness and health of the family relationships, even after the person has died" - Kelly Minter.

So, Naomi concocts a plan, Ruth is to get dolled up and go to the threshing floor where Boaz is; she complies and there she has a conversation with Boaz. She tells him he is a family redeemer and he responds to her with loving kindness and speaks one of my favorite scripture verses in the entire Word of God - "Now don't worry about a thing my daughter. I will do what is necessary, for everyone in town knows you are a virtuous woman. But while it is true that I am one of your family redeemers, there is another man who is more closely related to you than I am. Stay here tonight and in the morning I will talk to him. If he is willing to redeem you, very well. Let him marry you. But if he is not willing, as surely as the Lord lives, I will redeem you myself!" Ruth 3:11-13.

Boaz does indeed redeem Ruth. He marries her, and she gives birth to a son whom they give the name Obed. Obed was the father of Jesse, the grandfather of King David... are you following? If you are, you realize that this genealogical line flows all the way down to JESUS; Ruth, a Moabite woman from a foreign land who followed her mother in law to a land away from her home to worship a God she didn't know was redeemed and became a part of the greatest redemption story in history! Redemption. The book of Ruth is a story of redemption! Ruth was redeemed by Boaz... we are redeemed by Christ!

We had the amazing privilege to redeem our daughter, Ameliah, and that is why her middle name is Ruth. She now bears the name of a strong, brave, kind, virtuous woman who was redeemed by a wonderful man and who played an integral part in my redemption and yours.

... Ameliah Ruth Odum, I replied... as tears filled my eyes and chills went down my spine, I knew God would use us to redeem our beautiful daughter... that she had found her forever home.

Boaz's Field