Today, I'll give an overview of the book of Ruth and share why this book is so important.

This book is historical, but also literarily excellent. My MacArthur Commentary says there are seven major themes that emerge in Ruth.

"First, Ruth, the Moabite, illustrates that God's redemptive plan extended beyond the Jews to Gentiles. Second, Ruth demonstrates that women are coheirs with men of God's salvation grace. Third, Ruth portrays the virtuous woman of Proverbs 31. Fourth, Ruth describes God's sovereign and providential care of seemingly unimportant people at apparently insignificant times, which later prove to be monumentally crucial to accomplishing God's will. Fifth, Ruth, along with Tamar, Rahab, and Bathsheba, stand in the genealogy of the Messianic line. Sixth, Boaz, as a type of Christ, becomes Ruth's kinsman-redeemer. Finally, David's right (and thus Christ's right) to the throne of Israel is traced back to Judah." (MacArthur Commentary, p. 289)

Today's Reading: Ruth

Scripture Read or Referenced:

Ruth 1:16-17

Ruth 2:4-12

Ruth 3:9-13

Proverbs 31:10-31

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Commentaries Most Referenced: Moody Commentary, MacArthur Commentary

This is a dwelling place from Entrusted Ministries.

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I'm Stephanie Hickox.

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In this episode, we'll be discussing

one of only two books of scripture

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to be named after a woman, and this

woman was not even an Israelite.

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Today, I'll give an overview

of the book of Ruth and share

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why this book is so important.

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We'll read a portion and then

of course, I'll pray over you.

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The name Ruth likely comes from a

Moabite word, meaning friendship.

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The author of this book is

anonymous, but Jewish tradition

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has always attributed it to Samuel.

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And he would've written it

after David was chosen as king.

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That seems realistic because David

is mentioned in the genealogy at

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the conclusion but Solomon is not.

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Not only is this a historical book of

the Bible, it is literarily excellent.

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The Moody Commentary says what

the Mona Lisa is to paintings.

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Ruth is to literature.

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It takes place while the judges ruled

and there was a famine in the land.

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There's not a famine recorded in the

book of judges, but it seems it would

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best fit during the judgeship of j.

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From about 1126 to 1105 BC and the time

span of the Book of Ruth covers 11 to

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12 years my MacArthur commentary says,

there are seven major themes that emerge.

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And I'll read this to you because there

is a lot packed into this little book.

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And don't worry, I'll put this

list in the show notes first.

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Ruth, the Moabite illustrates that

God's redemptive plan extended

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beyond the Jews to Gentiles.

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Second, Ruth demonstrates that women are

COHEs with men of God's salvation, grace.

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third.

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Ruth portrays the virtuous

woman of Proverbs 31 fourth.

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Ruth describes God's sovereign and

providential care of seemingly unimportant

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people at apparently insignificant times,

which later prove to be monumentally

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crucial to accomplishing God's will.

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Fifth Ruth, along with Tamar

Rahab and Beth Sheba stand in the

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genealogy of the Messianic line.

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Sixth Boaz as a type of Christ

becomes Ruth's kinsman redeemer.

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Finally, David's right and thus

Christ's right to the throne of

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Israel is traced back to Judah.

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One of the challenging aspects of the Book

of Ruth is that it's elevating a Moabite.

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Let's rewind a bit to recall

just how this nation came to be.

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After Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed

in Genesis 19, remember how lot's

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daughters had that horrible idea to

continue the line with their father?

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Well, Moab began with his oldest daughter.

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And then do you recall Balik who tried

to get Baam to curse the Israelites?

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He was the king of Moab.

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Then judges three told us that

Moab oppressed Israel for 18 years.

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These are longstanding

enemies of the people of God.

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And if you have a really good memory,

you might be thinking, wait, didn't

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God say in Deuteronomy 23 that Moabites

were not allowed to enter the assembly

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of the Lord for 10 generations?

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How is Ruth doing this?

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the timing when Ruth arrived on

the scene actually allowed her to

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be at least 11 generations later.

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The first chapter shows us that

Naomi and her husband, Alec, whose

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name means my God is king, went

to Moab during the time of famine.

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Their sons Melan, and Killian meaning

sick and pining went with them.

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Perhaps it was compromising their

faith to go looking for food in

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the land of Moab, and that seems

likely because they allowed both of

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their sons to choose Moabite Brides.

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Sadly, a Leuk Naomi's husband dies

and then so do both of her sons.

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She is left with two daughters-in-law and

decides she'd like to return to Israel.

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She encourages the young women to

go back to their families of origin,

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and both Opa and Ruth resist.

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Here's a little tidbit

of pop culture for you.

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I once read that Oprah Winfrey's

parents intended to name her Opa

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after this character in the Bible,

but someone accidentally misspelled

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her name incorrectly on her birth

certificate, thus she became Oprah.

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In any case, OPA finally relents

and decides to stay in the land of

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Moab, but Ruth instead utters this

infamous phrase from chapter one.

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Do not urge me to leave you or

to return from following you.

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For where you go, I will go and

where you lodge, I will lodge.

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Your people shall be my people and your

God, my God, where you die, I will die.

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And this evidence is Ruth's

complete conversion to Yahweh.

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So.

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Naomi takes Ruth to Bethlehem.

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It's quite possible she's been worn

down from these 10 years of stress

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because her people question is this.

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Naomi, although God's name is not

frequently mentioned in Ruth, his

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providence and sovereignty is all over.

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In fact, right away when Ruth goes

to gather food, knowing the promises

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of Deuteronomy, that the people were

commanded to leave enough for the poor.

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She finds out that she's gleaning

in the field of Boaz, who happens

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to be a relative of Naomi.

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And here's what happens when

Boaz approaches the field

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In chapter two, beginning in

verse four, and behold, Boaz came

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from Bethlehem and he said to the

Reapers, The Lord be with you.

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And they answered The Lord bless you.

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Then Boaz said to his young man

who was in charge of the Reapers,

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whose young woman is this?

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And the servant who was in

charge of the Reapers answered.

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She is the young Moabite woman who came

back with Naomi from the country of Moab.

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She said, please let me glean and gather

among the Sheaves after the Reapers.

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So she came and she has continued

from early morning until

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now, except for a short rest.

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Then Boas said to Ruth, now listen,

my daughter do not go to glean in

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another field or leave this one,

but keep close to my young women.

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Let your eyes be on the field that

they are reaping and go after them.

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Have I not charged the

young men not to touch you?

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And when you are thirsty, go

to the vessels and drink what

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the young men have drawn.

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Then she fell on her face, bowing to the

ground and said to him, why have I found

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favor in your eyes that you should take

notice of me since I am a foreigner?

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But Boaz answered her all that you have

done for your mother-in-law since the

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death of your husband has been fully told

to me and how you left your father and

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mother and your native land and came to

a people that you did not know before.

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The Lord repay you for what you have

done and a full reward be given you by

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the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose

wings you have come to take refuge.

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Boaz continues his kindness to her.

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He's referred to as a man of valor, and

Ruth's character is elevated as well.

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In fact, there are about eight clear

similarities between Ruth and the

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woman described in Proverbs 31.

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The parallels are so evident

that some believe the chapter

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may have been written about her.

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What I find most fascinating about

Boaz is that some believe his

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mother was Rahab, you know, Rahab,

the prostitute from Jericho.

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And if that's true, it makes absolute

sense to me that he would be a

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man who would not cast anyone off

because of their upbringing, their

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nationality, or their position in life.

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If his mother was Rahab, I bet

she thoroughly trained her son to

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see and encounter everyone with

kindness and respect to teach him

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that the God of Israel is a God

who welcomes all into his kingdom.

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And so when we get to chapter three,

and Naomi encourages Ruth to take off

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her garments of mourning, and to cleanse

herself, put on her best outfit and

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reveal that she's ready to be remarried.

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She goes, and according to the

custom of the day, and without a

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hint of immorality, she makes Boaz

aware that she would like for him to

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become the family's kinsman redeemer.

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And I think Boaz may have been trained

by his mother to assume the best about

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people and to not only care about

appearances, but to care about the heart.

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He has seen the pure hearted

devotion and diligence of Ruth.

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And he determines he would be

honored to become her husband

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as it's the dark of night.

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He says to her in chapter

three, who are you?

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And she answered, I am Ruth your servant.

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Spread your wings over your

servant for you are a redeemer.

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And he said, may you be blessed

by the Lord, my daughter.

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You have made this last kindness.

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Greater than the first and that

you have not gone after young

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men, whether poor or rich.

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And now my daughter, do not fear I

will do for you all that you ask for.

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All my fellow townsmen know

that you are a worthy woman.

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And now it is true that I am a redeemer.

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Yet there is a redeemer

nearer than I remain tonight.

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And in the morning, if he will

redeem you, good, let him do it.

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But if he is not willing to redeem you,

then as the Lord lives, I will redeem you.

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Boaz is a man of his word.

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He allows the near

relative to claim the land.

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And Ruth, if he would like.

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But as some would say in an act of

prejudice, he decides not to because he

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doesn't want to taint his family line With

a Moabite, a kinsman redeemer had to have

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a blood relationship and the resources

and willingness to buy the family's

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property and this man isn't willing.

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But Christ fulfilled all of these for us.

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In chapter four, not only do Ruth

and Boaz marry, but God opens Ruth's

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womb and blesses them with a child.

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This is notable because she

was married for 10 years.

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I and did not have a

child during that time.

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They named their son Obed and he

will become the father of Jesse,

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who will become the father of David.

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Making Ruth and Boaz the great

grandparents of the future, king David

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of Israel, and more importantly, they're

part of the Messianic line that Christ

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will come through a thousand years later.

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Throughout this book, there

is a theme of Hess love.

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It was the theme of one of

my best friend's weddings.

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It describes the loving kindness

and favor and grace of the Lord.

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It's how Boaz and Ruth treated others.

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And it's what we can display

and teach our kids to display.

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There was a medieval Jewish scholar

named Maites that defined Hesed

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as the doing of more good to one

than that to which he is entitled,

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we can teach our kids that everyone

has value before the Lord to look

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into eyes instead of screens alone,

to see people as made in the image

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of a God who loves them dearly, and

to be instruments to communicate

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the gospel to a watching world.

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Let's pray.

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Heavenly Father, we are in awe of the

Hesed love displayed in the Book of Ruth

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and that you've displayed toward us.

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We thank you that even in

the midst of tragedy, you are

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working for our ultimate good.

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We understand that the gospel is

for everyone, and we humbly ask that

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you would use us to spread the news.

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That we all can be redeemed to

a right relationship with you.

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Help us to model for our kids

that others matter, and to be

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your hands and feet on this earth.

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Jesus, we praise you

for coming to redeem us.

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Amen.