This is a script for a an animated retelling of the story of Ruth and Boaz from the Bible. The format of this script involves a lot of indentation, as it was pulled from a chart with a second column with directions for the animator.
This is the story of Ruth, the story of how one woman - widowed, displaced, and seemingly insignificant - found true love and shaped the fate of a nation caught in chaos and confusion. This often overlooked story is one of the turning points of the Bible.
In the days when the Judges ruled Israel, violence and chaos were the norm. People cut each other into pieces, started civil wars, went on violent rampages, and kidnapped the innocent.
In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.
One day, the land was hit with a famine. A woman named Naomi left Israel and all the chaos to go to the land of Moab. While she was there, her husband sadly passed away.
But her two sons found wives, and the whole family lived there happily for ten years. But then both of her sons died and all three women were left as widows.
One of the daughters-in-law, Orpah, decided to go home to her parents.
But the other one, Ruth, decided to stay with her mother-in-law and return to Israel.
When they got back to the land, they had to resort to gathering excess food left behind in farmer’s fields for the poor. But Ruth met a wealthy and influential man named Boaz, who was a relative of her late father-in-law.
While some people might have discriminated against her for being a Moabite foreigner, Boaz understood the wisdom of the Torah, God’s law, and so he treated Ruth kindly, gave her good opportunities for work, food to eat, and made sure she was safe.
Ruth couldn’t help but notice that he was a good man.
Naomi advised Ruth to make a move, since Boaz was a good choice for a new husband.
Her strategy was pretty bold:
Follow Boaz to his workplace (since he’s working overtime), wait for him to fall asleep, start removing the bottom part of his clothing, go to sleep near his feet, wait for him to wake up and notice that you’re there, then propose marriage.
And that’s exactly what Ruth did.
Boaz honored Ruth’s request, and worked out the details. They got married and had a son named Obed. Everyone was happy, especially Naomi, who knew that her family line would continue through her new grandson.
In those days, Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.
But Ruth and Boaz had Obed, and Obed was the father of Jesse, and Jesse was the Father of David, the second king of Israel and the first good king.
God used the story of outcast, disadvantaged, poor women to fulfil his promises to an entire nation, to bring order to a chaotic society, and to help them find a hopeful future.
And ultimately, Ruth became one of the ancestors of the Messiah, the true King who would bring peace to this world.
In any situation around you, God is faithfully working all things together for good, often in ways we can’t see.
Ruth’s story is about people in messy situations being led by a true and loyal God, who works all things together for good.
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