By Nicole McLeod
Good morning, ladies, it’s a blessing to see you all here and to welcome you to our summer Bible study. It’s so nice to be with a group of women who love Jesus, and love to study the Bible together. I’m glad you have made the time to join us, in person or online, and may we will all be so blessed this summer in our study of Ruth.
I’m excited to get started, because this small OT book is a literary masterpiece, and is one of the greatest love stories ever written. It has and has an engaging plot, interesting characters, lots of romance, conflict, people overcoming insurmountable challenges, and a happy ending! But on a deeper level, it’s also the story of faith, hope, love, of virtue, and redemption. There’s something for everybody in it!
Whenever we begin a book of the Bible, I think it is helpful to get an overview of the book and answer some foundational questions.
- Why study this book?
- What is the book about?
- How does it fit into the storyline of the Bible?
- How does it point us to the gospel of grace and to Jesus the Savior of the world?
That’s our goal today, to answer these 4 questions to give us a starting place for the Bible studies ahead of us. So, let’s begin, as we always do, with one more word of prayer.
Heavenly Father, we can’t thank you enough for the new life you have given us in Christ, and for Your Holy Spirit who speaks to our hearts things we need to hear. Please clear our hearts and minds as we look over the book of Ruth, and we commit these summer studies and our lives to You, in Jesus name, amen.
1st question, why study the book of Ruth this summer:
Romans 15:4 gives us the best answer to this question, the Apostle Paul wrote this, “For whatever was written in former days (i.e. the book of Ruth) was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”
The OT scriptures were written not only to teach us and instruct us, but they were also given to inspire us to persevere in faith when we come up against challenges in our Christian life. The testing of our faith produces perseverance and endurance, and the difficult circumstances in our lives, and difficult people in our lives are some of the things God may be using to help us mature and grow to be more like Christ.
Aren’t we thankful God has given us His word, and His promises - and stories like Ruth to fill us with hope as we wait for His promises to be fulfilled.
This book reminds us that hard times come. We see this in the book of Ruth, famine, loss, grief, want, poverty, being an outsider, these are conditions we see in the story which may resonate with us in one way or another. We may not be experiencing famine, but 1/3 of our world today is experiencing this. Grief and loss, emotional struggles, feeling like an outsider, these are things we may feel to one degree or another. I am glad we will see God in these things this summer, and we will see His divine hand of providence at work in the lowest and best of times in the story. So whatever season you are in, and whatever you are going through, remember today, that you are in Christ, and Christ is in you, and we are a part of God’s family.
As we read this story may we engage with the story and take much encouragement from it. The first time I studied Ruth was 36 years ago, in 1990. I was a young woman, and I related to Ruth’s sense of being estranged from God and then coming to faith in Him. I admired her devotion to God and related to her gratitude to God for her undeserved salvation, and the loving-kindness of her Savior who spoke to her kindly and provided for her great blessings. But this time studying Ruth, 36 years later, I found myself relating to Naomi, the older woman – because having been through some challenges, and life – I am not the woman I used to be, and though I don’t relate to the bitterness in Naomi’s heart, I relate to seeing the steadfast and undeserved goodness of God to her no matter what she was feeling and even when she couldn’t see it, how faithful and good God was to restore her and give her joy and fullness in her older years.
2 Chronicles 16:9a “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him."
Nothing escapes God’s notice. He eagerly helps those, who like Ruth, have a heart that devoted to Him and is loyal to Him. Even our smallest acts of love, kindness, loyalty and love are noticed by God and may indeed ripple into eternity.
2nd question, what is the book of Ruth about:
1.It’s about love. This is one of the most beautiful love stories ever written. In chapters 1-2, the writer focuses on the faith, and loyal love Ruth shows towards her grieving Israelite mother-in-law, as they return to Bethlehem with nothing but the ashes of their former lives. Then, chapters 3-4, bring an amazing turn of events and the unfolding of an epic love story, and it’s love on so many levels. These were real people who walked with God in the dark times of the Judges. May their lives inspire us to do the same in our times.
In the story, the loyalty and love we see are described by the Hebrew word “hesed” a word used three times in the story. This is a special Bible word; you can look up and study. In the Bible, hesed (חֶסֶד) love is not just a feeling, but a deep promise-keeping loyalty that cares for others, even the undeserving. It’s often translated "steadfast love," "loyal love," or "lovingkindness".
When Ruth arrived in Bethlehem with Naomi, all she had was her faith in God, loyal (hessed) love for her mother-in-law, and a willingness to glean, and by her loving actions she gained good reputation. Proverbs 22:1 says, “A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.” And Ruth, having no silver or gold but having a good name, earned favor in the eyes of the landowner Boaz. He said in, Ruth 3:11 “All the people of my town know that you are a woman of noble character,” Think of Proverbs 31, and you can picture Ruth. Boaz was an honorable man of God, and he went out of his way to protect Ruth and provide for her and Naomi’s needs. Which bring us to our 2nd point.
2.The story is about redemption: This is the theme we can’t miss in Ruth. God’s faithfulness to redeem people, to bless them and give them security and rest. Ruth represents all of us. She is a picture of humanity estranged from God and yet loved and redeemed by God. Various forms of the Hebrew word “redeem, redeemer, redemption are used 20 times in this 85-verse book. And this story shows us that God’s redemptive plan has always extended beyond the Jews to Gentiles.
3.It’s also about God’s providence. Providence is a term that describes God’s divine guidance and care over us, His power that sustains and guides human destiny. His providence is in every scene and plot turn of this story, orchestrating each of the small, "coincidental" events. We love it when God does the miraculous, but in Ruth’s story we will see the subtleties of how powerfully God works through daily providence.
4. As you read the story, I encourage you to notice the prayers and blessings throughout this book. God answers these prayers and blessings, and they are such a beautiful part of the story.
5. It’s about hope: Did you know that the first mention of the word "hope" (tiqvâ) in the Bible is found in the book of Ruth 1:12 (KJV/ESV). The word is spoken by Naomi, as she tells Orpah and Ruth, her two widowed Moabite daughters-in-law, that there is no hope for them with her. Ironically, the word is first used to express the absence of hope, but the Book of Ruth ultimately reveals the One True hope for all, the God who clearly gives beauty for ashes.
3rd question, How does the book of Ruth fit into the storyline of the Bible?
The Bible doesn’t say who wrote the book of Ruth, but Jewish tradition suggests the Prophet Samuel. It’s thought he wrote it after he anointed David, King of Israel, to explain the ancestry of David and build a bridge between the time of the Judges and the time when God gave Israel a king. Judges is the book of when Israel had “no king” and 1 Samuel is the book of when Israel had “man’s king” Saul, but 2 Samuel is the book of when Israel had “God’s king” David.
Don’t overlook the genealogy at the end of the story. It looks back almost 900 years to the patriarchs and the time of Jacob, and to his son Judah (4:11) and forward, beyond Ruth and Boaz about 100 years to the coming reign of King David (4:17, 22). This gave David a recognized heritage that validates his right to the throne of Israel and makes this story is a significant piece of Israel’s history. These were real people who lived Godly lives, shining brightly even in the dark times of the Judges. How awesome to see God’s grace and His wonderful plan of redemption unfold across the generations.
4th and final question, How does it point us to the gospel of grace and to Jesus the Savior.
The book of Ruth is one of the most dramatic books of prophecy in the Bible. The ancient Jewish scriptures often grouped this book, not with Judges where it fits in historically, but with the OT prophets. In Ruth, we find beautiful prophetic pictures foreshadowing God’s future plans for Israel and His plan for the gentile church, all brought about through one magnificent Kinsman Redeemer. It beautifully illustrates God’s plan of salvation. This book shows us God’s big picture in a small 4-chapter package. As one commentator put it, “The coming of the Messiah is the be-all and end-all of the Book of Ruth.”
Because Jesus is born into the line of David and was often referred to as the "Son of David", he shares his ancestry. In Matthew 1, Ruth and Boaz are listed as ancestors in the direct line leading to Joseph, the husband of Mary.
I also want to point out that Ruth is the only direct ancestor of Jesus with a book named after her. It is one of two OT books named after women; the other book is Esther. Ruth is the only OT book named after a non-Jewish person, so it’s very presence in the Bible is amazing!
Women were not usually mentioned in Jewish genealogies, but Matthew’s record of Jesus’s genealogy, in Matt 1 includes five very interesting women, which shows us again the grace of God who redeems people of all nations. Ruth is one of those women, and Ruth and Boaz and their son Obed, are named in the genealogy of Christ.
In closing, Ruth’s story captivates us and it challenges us to walk in faith and love, to labor in the harvest, to trust God’s providential power and plans. It shows us God’s big heart and the redemptive story which we are a part of. When we invite Jesus into our lives, no matter what our past, or where we came from, we become part of His family. We now have a story of hope. God has an incredible way of taking the messed-up pieces of our stories and weaving them into something very beautiful. We can live in the confidence that He is in the process of working things out for good, and we can trust in Him.
I encourage you this week to read the book of Ruth to get the big picture before we begin our in-depth studies. It’s only 85 verses. Look for the themes of redemption, providence and hope. Notice the spoken prayers and blessings and take note of what God is showing you so you can share with us this summer. I also hope that you will share your own stories of redemption with one another this summer.
Let’s close in prayer: Lord, thank you for these precious women who have come to spend time with you today. You are so good to us! As we read this beautiful story this summer, and begin our studies next week, we pray help us and teach us and help us grow in grace and in love with you. In Jesus name, amen.