““May the Lord bless him!” Naomi told her daughter-in-law. “He is showing his kindness to us as well as to your dead husband. That man is one of our closest relatives, one of our family redeemers.” Then Ruth said, “What’s more, Boaz even told me to come back and stay with his harvesters until the entire harvest is completed.” “Good!” Naomi exclaimed. “Do as he said, my daughter. Stay with his young women right through the whole harvest. You might be harassed in other fields, but you’ll be safe with him.” So Ruth worked alongside the women in Boaz’s fields and gathered grain with them until the end of the barley harvest. Then she continued working with them through the wheat harvest in early summer. And all the while she lived with her mother-in-law.”
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Ruth‬ ‭2‬:‭20‬-‭23‬ ‭NLT

As the tide begins to change for Ruth and Naomi, one of the themes that begins to take center stage is a spirit of adoption. Naomi was kind to Ruth enough to be viewed as a biological mother. For Naomi, Ruth gave up home and idolatry and followed her to Bethlehem. In fact, this wasn’t a one-sided experience at all. It is clear that not only did Naomi adopt Ruth, but Ruth fully adopted Naomi. She took on Naomi’s burdens as her own, putting herself to work, rather than making a new family as Naomi suggested. We also see this carried forward in Boaz’s character. Both he and his employees adopted Ruth into their blessings and fold. By extension, they also adopted Naomi. Naomi’s response was to encourage Ruth to lean into this as well. This is a good picture of how God operates his kingdom. It is to be like a family. Each person works to the benefit of the other in every station. There is living kindness and sacrifice for everybody. Whether Boaz sacrificed potential profit from Ruth’s gleaning, Naomi sacrificing her limited resources to feed Ruth, or Ruth sacrificing her future to stay with Naomi, it is all done in concert. Its ebb and flow keeps blessings churning amongst the godly and elevates everyone regardless of station.

Theme of Adoption: Ruth and Naomi’s relationship exemplifies adoption, with both women embracing each other as family.

Reciprocal Adoption: Naomi and Ruth’s adoption of each other is a two-way street, with both women sacrificing for the other’s well-being.

Kingdom of God as Family: The story illustrates the kingdom of God as a family where members work together for each other’s benefit, sharing blessings and sacrifices.