There is so much to glean from the book of Ruth that there is we will camp out there this week. Such a short book - so much truth. Wow.
Here are some of the things that stuck in my soul this week from reading Ruth:
Be a great in-law. Certainly the behavior of Ruth stands out to us. She chooses to serve her mother-in-law, to devote herself to an uncertain future. Her character is undoubtedly one of compassion and selflessness. What an example! There is another example of greatness in this book, though. One that resonates in this particular stage of my life. Still in the in-law department but on the other side. What an amazing woman Naomi must’ve been for her two daughters-in-law to love and serve her so! Note to self :)
God includes those the world thinks should be excluded. Ruth was not an Israelite. She was not only a foreigner, she was from a heathen nation which would have been an insurmountable obstacle to obtaining God’s favor. But God. The two most significant words in the world. But God. The belief was that only those born of Jewish blood could be blessed, included in God’s plan. But God. He not only “lets Ruth in”, He gives her the prestige of joining in the blood line through which the redemption of the world comes! Ruth birthed Obed, who begat Jesse, the father of David. David, the shepherd boy who became King, is the very line from which Jesus our Savior traces His earthly lineage to. But God indeed! The blood of this foreign, unworthy woman from the heathen Moabite nation flowed in the veins of the Messiah, our Savior. Our Savior whose blood ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation (Rev. 5:9). The picture here is not only unity that supersedes ethnicity and background but also perceived self-worth. May we never look at others - or even ourselves - as being excluded from the grace of God. Although none of us is worthy of His favor, He is willing to lavish it on us abundantly. Not based on who we are but rather on who HE IS. Hallelujah!
Trust God’s loving sovereignty. The beginning of Ruth introduces us to a key character in the story - it shows us a defeated and bitter Naomi. She had suffered great loss and seemed destined to endure more pain and alienation. She had moved to this foreign country as a desperate measure - trying to survive in the midst of a famine. Then her husband dies and then both her sons. She is not only alone, she is destitute and hopeless. It is hard for us as Gentiles to fully grasp the loss of significance she experienced in the death of her husband and sons - not only was it tragic to be so bereaved but in Jewish culture, it was easy for her to feel that she was losing her significance to God — if she had no heir to continue her family line, then she would be blotted out as meaningless in a culture where history and lineage meant everything. So, yes, Naomi was defeated and depressed and hopeless. It is in the midst of her deep pain that God reveals His loving sovereignty. He leads Naomi back home by breaking the famine of her land. He provides not only food for her and her daughter-in-law, but also one who rescues them from poverty and hopelessness. And then, He heaps rich blessing on her! The book closes so that we see - not only for Ruth but also for Naomi - that God’s loving sovereignty was at work all along. Ruth 4:17 tells us that “a son has been born to Naomi”. The gift of this baby boy was not only to Ruth and Boaz but God makes it very clear that he is also born to Naomi and He gives us the beautiful picture of her with the baby in her lap, tenderly caring for him. Her joy, her place, her significance is restored. Hallelujah we can trust God’s loving sovereignty!
One last thing I want to point out. The blessings found in obeying His Word. Numerous examples in this book point to the blessings of obedience, blessings that are widespread and multiplied beyond the singular act of obeying. Naomi and Ruth knew that God provided for the needy to gather leftover grain in the fields - and because Boaz not only knew this principle, but also obeyed it, the grain was there for Ruth to gather. And because she gathered it, she was connected to Boaz and the rest of the love story follows. All set in motion because they knew and obeyed God’s Word.