The Book of Ruth is a window into an important part of history. We see into the culture and ways of the people of Israel, and a record of part of the journey of what it would take to bring the promise of the ‘seed’ into being. The Messiah was on his way but how would he come?
This book is only four chapters, and easy read for our Bible in a Year series. But completely worthy of time to consider and put into its contextual orientation.
Ruth 1
This chapter sets the scene for this family. Life can be tough. Naomi moved to a different place, lost her husband and her two sons. Was left with two daughters-in-law and wondering what’s next. But she hears God is doing things back at home in Israel so she determines to return.
Relationships can be such a beautiful thing, and these portions of the story are so beautiful. The love and respect between the women. She releases them back to their families. One goes back to her ‘people and her gods’, the other determines to stay ‘your God my god’. Ruth was stedfastly minded and had identified what she wanted.
This is the God of the Hebrews at work. Salvation. Ruth was technically not of Israel, she was Gentile, and even worse, a Moabite that was already dealing with God’s pronouncements against the nation. But not only does she choose the Lord God of Israel, she is fully redeemed and firmly brought into the story of how the Messiah comes to the world.
Absolutely fascinating how God brings about his will. He does things his own way, and it’s not conventional. How can Satan even predict it? I love it!
Ruth 2
Hebrew custom, since the days of the laws of Moses, had dictates about what happened with widows and more. Naomi’s husband had a relative back in this home town she returned to, Boaz. He is the one scripture starts tracking.
He is blessing people with is words, showing kindness as an employer, observing with care what is going on around him. You see the way the culture works amongst the people.
Are we anything like that?
Boaz sets protection in place for Ruth who is working for him in the fields. And really blesses her because he has heard about what she has done for Naomi.
‘The Lord recompense thy work and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust’ (Ruth 2:12)
How beautiful is this man? His love of God, his words of blessing.
He sets it up so Ruth gets an abundance from her days work, and Naomi recognises that God is looking after them.
Ruth 3
Naomi wants to set Ruth up for her future. The Hebrew custom was that a widow could be redeemed by a family member, so Naomi gives Ruth instructions what to do.
Boaz is all class how he deals with Ruth.
Ruth 4
The story is so fascinating, and so different to Western culture. The challenge is not to view it through the eyes of modern culture, but to comprehend the ways established with the Hebrews at this time.
Boaz claims Ruth as his wife. But this also has to do with inheritance and lineage. And the people and the elders said:
‘We are witnesses. The Lord make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel; ……’ 4:11
Again, we are tracking back to the promise, Abraham, Isaac and of course, Jacob who was married to Rachel and Leah. This historical orientation of God bringing his promise through the generations is so critical to modern Christianity – without it, we are rudderless.
Boaz and Ruth have Obed, who has Jesse, who has David.
David, who would be King of Israel, who would forever be immortalised in the kingdom as the one who ‘loved God’.
David, who in Acts 15 is mentioned in the context of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
We are ignorant if we do not consider the whole historical context of salvation and the future God has prepared. Christianity does not solely exist from Jesus Christ – it always was Hebraic, and it is comprehensive.
Thank God that in Jesus Christ there is no longer a separate between the Jew and the Gentile, between male and female. We are all one in him when we have believed.
