TODAY’S READING: RUTH 1-4
OVERVIEW: Elimelech and Naomi and their two sons sojourn into Moab during a time of famine; Elimelech’s death; the marriage of Naomi’s two sons to Orpah and Ruth; the death of Naomi’s sons; Naomi’s decision to return to Bethlehem and Ruth’s decision to go with her; Ruth goes to glean in the field of Boaz in Bethlehem; Boaz’s kindness to Ruth; Naomi informs Ruth that Boaz can fulfill the role of kinsman-redeemer; Ruth approaches Boaz at the threshingfloor; Boaz fulfills the role of Ruth’s kinsman-redeemer, taking her to wife; Ruth gives birth to Obed, King David’s grandfather.
HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:
The Book of Ruth is the record of one of the greatest love stories of all time. Ruth’s story is a familiar one. She was born into this world a Moabitess. The Moabites were a race of people cursed by God due to sin (Deut. 23:3).
During a time of famine (1:1), one day someone shared with Ruth the fact that the Lord had visited His people inBethlehem, giving them bread (1:6). Upon hearing that good news, she left her father and mother and the gods of her homeland, and went to partake of the Lord’s provision of bread inBethlehem(1:15-18).
When she arrived in Bethlehem, she just “happened” (2:3) to go to work, gleaning in the harvest field of the only man on earth who would carry out for her the Old Testament provision of the kinsman redeemer (Lev. 25:23-28). His name was Boaz, a mighty man of wealth, a Jew, from the city ofBethlehem(2:1-2). Boaz take one look at her, falls head-over-heels in love with her (2:5), and takes her out of his harvest field to be his bride (4:9-10). “And,” as the old saying goes, “they lived happily ever after.”
Like Ruth, we too, were born into a race of people that had been cursed by God due to sin (Rom. 5:12; 6:23a). We call it the “human” race.
But, one day, someone shared with us the fact that God had visited this planet, being born inBethlehem(Luke 2:4, 7), as the Bread of Life (John6:35), and could feed the famine sin had left in our soul. Upon hearing that “good news” (gospel – I Cor. 15:1-4), we left our father and mother (Matt.10:37), and the “gods” we once served in our homeland (I Thess. 1:9), and became a partaker of God’s provision on our behalf.
We have now been left to work, gleaning in the harvest field (Matt.13:38) of our Jewish Kinsman
Redeemer, the mighty man of wealth (the “God-man”) from the city ofBethlehem, until He calls us out of His harvest field (I Thess.4:16) to make us His bride (Rev. 19:7; 21:9), and so shall we ever be with the Lord (I Thess.4:17), living happily ever after (Rev. 21:4).
In October and November of 2007 we covered the book of Ruth in Sunday morning sermon series, which is available on request.
CHRIST IS REVEALED:
Through BOAZ, the mighty and wealthy Jewish kinsman-redeemer from the city of Bethlehem who took a Gentile bride out of his harvest field – Ruth 2-4 (Isa. 9:6; Heb. 4:15; Luke 2:4-7: Rev. 19:7; Matt. 13: