Elimelech and his family went to Maab from Bethlehem when the famine strike Bethlehem. After reaching Moab in 10 years span she lost her husband and two sons.

“Then Naomi’s husband Elimelech died, and she was left with her two sons, 4who took Moabite women as their wives, one named Orpah and the other named Ruth. And after they had lived in Moab about ten years, 5both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and without her husband.” Ruth 1: 3-5

One day Naomi decided to return to her homeland Bethlehem. She told her two daughters-in-law to go back to their homes since she is leaving for Bethlehem. Orpah left her but Naomi clinged at her saying 

“Do not urge me to leave you

or to turn from following you.

For wherever you go, I will go,

and wherever you live, I will live;

your people will be my people,

and your God will be my God.

17Where you die, I will die,

and there I will be buried.

May the LORD punish me,

and ever so severely,

if anything but death

separates you and me.”

(Ruth 1: 16 -17)

Meanwhile, God visited Bethlehem, the city that recognized Naomi and welcomed her. Here are some of her heartfelt words:

9So Naomi and Ruth traveled until they came to Bethlehem. When they entered Bethlehem, the whole city was stirred because of them, and the women of the city exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?”

20“Do not call me Naomi,” she replied. “Call me Mara,c because the Almighty has dealt quite bitterly with me. 21I went away full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi? After all, the LORD has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me.”

22So Naomi returned from the land of Moab with her daughter-in-law Ruth the Moabitess. And they arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest. (Ruth 1)

As the days go by Ruth met Boaz and they got married, God blessed them with a baby boy and they named him Obed. He became the father of Jesse, the father of David.

When Matthew records the gospel according to Matthew, he mentions the genealogy of Jesus.4 Women are mentioned in that genealogy and one of them is Ruth.

In general, the Jews don’t like the pagans or gentiles. They don’t like to mingle with them as well. But God was gracious to Ruth and the Messiah came through her descendants and its recorded in their history.

Humanly Ruth did not deserve this but God was gracious and kind to her.