Introduction to Ruth

Introduction

Have you ever thought that God was against you?

That everything happening in your life was falling apart at the seams…and that God was specifically causing heartache, strife, and suffering in your life…and you could not understand why?

Naomi, who is the main character in the book of Ruth, is someone who could completely relate with these thoughts, for she too had everything taken away from her in a few short years and felt like the Lord had turned against her.

However, the story of Ruth is not a story of tragedy and heartache...but a story of redemption.

It is a story of a God who, despite the sins of his people, continues to remain faithful to his covenant promises

It is a story of a God who uses the most unlikely characters to bring about his plans and purposes.

It is a story of a God who, at times looks distant and no where to be found, but is actually sovereignly orchestrating all circumstances and events…

And he is working in all of these ways to fulfill his plans and promises to provide redemption to his people through the long awaited Messiah.

So, we can summarize the message of Ruth with this statement:

God demonstrates his covenant kindness through sovereignly working in the most unlikely of people and through the most unlikely of circumstances to fulfill his promises for our good and his glory.

As we begin our study in Ruth, we can see the book divided nicely into an exposition, four “acts,” and then a Conclusion.

There are three things we need to know before diving into our study of Ruth to better interpret the meaning of this fascinating book:

Background Context.

The Genre of Old Testament Narrative

and the key Biblical themes that connect this story to Christ.

Background Context

First, the author of the book of Ruth is unknown, but we know that it was written around 700 BC after the Kingdom of Israel had split into two separate kingdoms (Israel and Judah).

The purpose of the book may have been to reunite Israel after the kingdom was divided after the death of King Solomon; and to remind the people of God’s covenant kindness towards them in bringing about the offspring of Ruth and Boaz, which led to the birth of King David.

The narrator, most likely intends the reader to see Naomi as a comparison with Israel as a whole during the time of the judges.

The setting of the book takes place, “In the days when the judges ruled.”

Genre

Second, the story of Ruth is in the genre of a narrative or story.

So, what are some important things we need to know when it comes to interpreting narrative literature in the Bible?

OT Narratives Usually do not directly teach a doctrine but does illustrate a doctrine taught clearly elsewhere in Scripture.

Describes what happened…not necessarily what should have happened or ought to happened.

Descriptive vs. Prescriptive (What people do is not necessarily a good example for us to follow, normally it is the opposite.)

Narratives are selective and incomplete and serve a specific purpose. They are not written to answer all our theological questions.

In the final analysis, God is the hero of all biblical narratives and all OT narratives point to Jesus (Luke 24). “and beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.”

Main Themes

Lastly, there are four main themes of the story of Ruth that we need to be looking for throughout the next few weeks of our study:

God’s faithfulness to fulfill his covenant promises to his people.

God kept his promise to bless all the nations through his covenant with Abraham.

He began to fulfill this covenant by taking Ruth, a Gentile, and grafting her into the people of Israel and giving her the covenant blessings.

We see later in Matthew’s Gospel that Ruth is listed in the line of Jesus the Messiah!

For us, if we are in Christ, this means that just as God was faithful to fulfill his promises to his people then, he will be faithful to fulfill the promises to all those who trust in Christ now.

DO YOU TRUST HIM THAT HE WILL DO WHAT HE SAID? (list certain situations)

We can trust God, knowing he will not fail us, he will not leave us, and he will always do what he promises.

Our God is a promise keeping God!

The compatibility between divine providence and human agency.

God uses the most unlikely people to fulfill his purposes.

Even in the midst of suffering, destruction, and death, God is providentially over all of these events, orchestrating his plans and purposes.

At the same time we see that the acts of Elimelech’s family, Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz are acts and choices that they freely make and are not forced to do.

Yet, even in the midst of both the sinful choices and the faithful actions, God is working and using them both to accomplish his plan of redemption in bringing about the royal line of King David.

A royal line that would eventually lead to the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

For us, if we are in Christ, this means that even when we face trials and situations that do not make sense and think that God has left us, we can know he is still working in our circumstances and even at times, bad choices, to bring about his plans and purposes for our good and his glory.

We can trust him and seek to remain faithful to him, even when we cannot feel his presence or see him working.

DO YOU TRUST HIM IN THIS WAY?

We must ultimately base our actions not on our emotions but we know to be true from his word.

Adding to this thought, Theologian Mary Wilson Hannah says, “The story of Ruth calls us as Christians to extend the same loyal love we have received from God to others, including in hard times when the Lord’s purposes seem hidden.”

The Power of Covenant Kindness/Faithfulness.

Chesed=lovingkindness and covenant faithfulness (Exodus 34:6-7).

This lovingkindness can be seen in various different relationships.

God with the people of Israel.

God with Naomi.

Naomi with God.

Boaz and Ruth with Naomi.

Through God’s lovingkindness towards Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz, we see the true power of covenant kindness....for as Wilson Hannah says, “without Ruth and Boaz’s kindness to Naomi, Obed would never have been born, nor King David, nor David’s greater son, Jesus.”

Yet, all of this came about through the power of covenant kindness God showed towards his people and his people showed towards one another.

For us, we should respond in praise to God for the lovingkindness he has shown us in Christ, and we should also seek to share that same lovingkindness with others.

DO YOU SHOW THIS LOVINGKINDNESS TO OTHERS?

Who knows…he may use the lovingkindness we show to others to bring about amazing things for his glory to fulfill his plans like he did with Ruth and Boaz!

The Institution of Redemption.

Redemption: to buy back.

We see the institution of redemption all throughout the book of Ruth, specifically in Boaz fulfilling the law of the Leverite marriage in being the “kinsman redeemer.”

For this to take place, the redeemer must pay a price to buy back the land, property, and in this case, the daughter, who is Ruth in this story.

These pictures of redemption point ahead to God’s ultimate redemption of his people, in which, He Himself, became the kinsman redeemer in Christ to pay our redemption price with his blood,.

Jesus did this to buy us back from sin and death to have abundant life…both now and forevermore!

This is the story of Ruth, the story of redemption, that paints a beautiful picture of God’s covenant kindness, faithfulness, and love that has been fully put on display through Jesus towards those who fear him.

But....notice that in these four promises I gave the condition of “if you are in Christ,” For these promises are not yours if you are still outside of God’s family, living in the land of God’s enemies, and worshipping the false gods of today’s culture, such as success, fame, money, entertainment, pleasure, and the like.

However, like Ruth, who was outside the family of God, living in a pagan land, and worshipping false gods, but who turned from her sin and placed her faith in Yahweh, the one true God...you can make that same decision today.

The question is, what is stopping you? What is holding you back from laying down your life and seeking to follow Jesus?

Desperate times call for desperate measures....and as we find ourselves in a modern day time where the judges rule and everyone does what is right in their own eyes…its time to make a radical commitment and surrender to King Jesus…its time to die to yourself and start living for the God who made you, the God who loves you, the God who gave his son for you...

Brother or sister in Christ, its time for you to rise up in the power of the Holy Spirit and stop standing on the sidelines of life and GET IN THE GAME!

Its time for you to stop “playing Christianity” and truly start living for Jesus.

Its time to stop looking like the world and start looking like a child of God in your speech, actions, and thoughts.

Its time to stop giving into sin and to start walking in the grace and power of the Holy Spirit that has freed you from sin.

Its time to stop crippling in fear to speak up for Christ and to boldly proclaim the gospel to a lost and dying world!

There is no time like the present… so what are you waiting for???