Scholarship, context and study plans for Come, Follow Me
“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD.” — Isaiah 1:18
Come, Follow Me · Old Testament 2026 · Week 23
“My Heart Rejoiceth in the Lord”
June 1–7, 2026Ruth; 1 Samuel 1–711 chapters · 242 verses
Two women whose sorrow turns to joy. Naomi loses her husband and sons, but her Moabite daughter-in-law Ruth refuses to leave her: “Thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.” Boaz redeems them, and Ruth becomes David's great-grandmother. Hannah weeps and prays for a son, gives him to the Lord, and sings, “My heart rejoiceth in the LORD.” Her son Samuel learns to say, “Speak; for thy servant heareth.”
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Study guide
Ruth and the opening of 1 Samuel are stories of ordinary faithfulness that changed Israel's history. These notes help you see the customs behind them and their links to Christ.
How to read this week
Read Ruth in one sitting. It's four short chapters, carefully told. Watch Naomi move from emptiness (1:21) to fullness (4:14–17).
Learn two customs. Gleaning (Leviticus 19:9–10) let the poor gather leftover grain. A kinsman-redeemer could buy back a relative's land and marry his widow. The scripture helps explain both.
See Christ as Redeemer. Boaz pays the price and takes Ruth in. Christ redeems us at His own cost.
Compare Hannah and Eli. Hannah is misunderstood by the priest but is the one truly close to God. Eli is the priest but can't restrain his sons.
Notice the ark. Israel treats it as a lucky charm (ch. 4). The Philistines learn it isn't a trophy (ch. 5). God's power can't be used without faithfulness.
From the Judges to Samuel
Days of the judges — Naomi and Ruth return to Bethlehem (Ruth 1)
Harvest — Ruth gleans in Boaz's field (Ruth 2–3)
Redemption — Boaz marries Ruth; Obed is born (Ruth 4)
Later — Hannah prays at Shiloh; Samuel is born (1 Sam 1)
Samuel's youth — The Lord calls Samuel (1 Sam 3)
Battle of Aphek — The ark is lost; Eli dies (1 Sam 4)
Twenty years on — Israel repents; Ebenezer (1 Sam 7)
Images and ideas to recognize
Passage
Image
What it means
Ruth 2:2
Gleaning
God's law providing for the poor and the stranger.
Ruth 2:12
Under His wings
Trusting in God's protection.
Ruth 4:10
Kinsman-redeemer
Christ, who redeems us at His own cost.
1 Sam 2:2
The rock
God's stability and strength.
1 Sam 4:21
Ichabod
The glory departed from a people who forsook God.
1 Sam 7:12
Ebenezer
A memorial: “Hitherto hath the LORD helped us.”
Restoration connections
D&C 25 — The Lord's counsel to Emma Smith, including “a song of the heart.”
Luke 1:46–55 — Mary's Magnificat echoes Hannah's song.
Mosiah 3:8 and Matthew 1:5–16 — Jesus Christ born of David's line, descended from Ruth.
D&C 121:43 — Reproving with sharpness and then showing love, the opposite of Eli's failure.
Questions for the week
Ruth chose to stay with Naomi at great personal cost. Whom could you show that kind of loyalty (1:16–17)?
When has something that looked like chance turned out to be the Lord's care (2:3)?
How is the Savior like a kinsman-redeemer to you?
Hannah's countenance changed before her prayer was answered (1:18). What helps you find peace while you wait?
How have you learned to recognize the Lord's voice, as Samuel did (3:1–10)?
Conference talks & Church resources
Talks the Church's lesson points to this week, plus other Church resources that teach from these chapters.
Scholarly papers
Faithful scholarship from BYU and related publishers, tagged with the chapters each one discusses.
Podcasts & video
Come, Follow Me shows and episodes covering this week's reading.