The Best Love Story Ever
“The Lord repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.” (Ruth 2:12 NKJV)
As a kid, I was enamored by the “Cinderella” Disney cartoon—the tale of a downtrodden stepdaughter transformed into a sparkling belle-of-the-ball by her fairy godmother. The handsome Prince Charming is smitten by her, pursues her, and eventually identifies her by her glass slipper. The movie ends with their happy-ever-after wedding.
Cinderella has a lot in common with Ruth in the Bible. For example, both of their story titles focus only on the main heroines. But I’ve often felt that the gentlemen in these two accounts aren’t getting enough credit for their roles.
How would the Cinderella story end without Prince Charming? And where would Ruth be without Boaz? Indeed, the entirety of world history would have been radically different without Boaz and his actions. Let’s look at the “romance” of the two ancient Israelites.
Ruth is a dedicated woman, both to her beloved mother-in-law, Naomi, and then to Naomi’s God. Ruth is humble, obedient, and courageous. She works hard to serve and honor the elder Naomi. As a result, Ruth is quickly renowned in Bethlehem as a woman of kindness, no doubt from the way Naomi has described Ruth to old friends and family.
Boaz is a wealthy man, respected in the community and by his workers. He’s generous, protective, a good negotiator, and decisive. Like Ruth, Boaz is wise and sacrificial. He’s older than Ruth, but you get the impression he sees her as mature beyond her years.
As in Cinderella’s tale, Ruth is plucked from a hopeless situation and claimed as bride to a community leader. The Bible doesn’t mention if Ruth is beautiful or not, but she must have been remarkable to attract the attention of Boaz. From the way Boaz instantly responds to Ruth’s request—despite his groggy sleep—he may have already mulled over his possible role as kinsman-redeemer to her.
There’s a bit of suspense because Boaz can’t claim Ruth immediately. He must overcome the possible claim by a closer relative. But he succeeds in redeeming Naomi’s property and acquiring Ruth’s hand in marriage in the process.
Did Boaz and Ruth have a romantic relationship? Were they soul mates? Was theirs what we’d call “true love”? Maybe. Maybe not…at least in the modern sense. But we can hope they respected each other in marriage because of their integrity.
They certainly left behind a powerful legacy. Their son, Obed, became the father of Jesse, whose son was King David. We don’t know if David ever knew his great-grandparents, but he must have been told about their amazing faith, strength, and courage. He inherited their same love for God’s goodness.
I, for one, would re-title their book “Boaz and Ruth” because each has a significant role. While Ruth might be a role model for godliness, Boaz is a pre-cursor and Davidic ancestor to the most important figure in history: Jesus Christ, our Kinsman-Redeemer.
Like Boaz, Jesus takes us under His wings, protects us from evil, purchases us from the slavery of sinful impoverishment, and bestows His wealth of grace upon us. The whole narrative of Scripture points to His redemption of us.
Friend, do you need a “Cinderella story”? Are you caught in a hopeless situation of despair, in need of a Redeemer? Be encouraged by the loving example of Boaz’s redemption of Ruth. God, in His surpassing love and forgiveness, has already sent His Savior Son to take you under His wings.
Jesus Christ will guard your soul until He returns to claim you as His own—so that you can spend happy-ever-after eternity in heaven worshipping Him. That’s truly the best love story of all time.
Jesus, Son of God and Son of David, thank You for being my Kinsman-Redeemer. Thank You for coming to this earth to share the same flesh with me, to take my deserved place on the cross, to sacrifice Your life in order to redeem my life from the pit. Keep me always in Your care, and let me daily and forever cherish Your love for me. In Your holy and blessed name, Amen.
Nancy C. Williams is a Christian wife/mom with a writing career spanning more than 40 years in business and journalism. Williams is the author of the novel To Love a Falcon and the devotional book A Crocus in the Desert: Devotions, Stories, and Prayers for Women Experiencing Infertility. Her blogs are featured on Crossmap.com and AriseDaily. To follow Nancy’s posts and news, go to her home page at NancyCWilliams.com and subscribe at the bottom.
© Copyright 2025 Nancy C. Williams (text and photography). Unless otherwise noted, Scripture verses are taken from the New King James Version®, Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. #cinderella #princecharming #ruth #boaz #kinsmanredeemer #truelove #soulmates #godliness
