Okay, you can turn in your Bibles to the book of Ruth as we continue in our study through the Old Testament. Having recently finished the book of Judges, I'm just going to read chapter 1, and we'll probably not get to chapter 1 this evening. We're going to do some introduction. It's always good when we look at a new book in the Bible to do what's called introduction.
Biblical introduction refers to that discipline of looking at the particular details of the particular circumstances involved in a book. And tonight we'll look at the date, the historical setting, and the historicity of the book of Ruth, the purpose of the book, some of the themes in the book, and then just provide an outline of the book. And that'll shape or guide our study in the next several weeks as we look in detail at the particular chapters. So beginning in Ruth chapter 1 at verse 1.
Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem, Judah, went to dwell in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. The name of the man was Elimelech. The name of his wife was Naomi.
And the names of his two sons were Malon and Kilian, Ephrathites of Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to the country of Moab and remained there. Then Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died, and she was left and her two sons. Now they took wives of the women of Moab.
The name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other, Ruth, and they dwelt there about 10 years. Then both Malon and Kilian also died, so the woman survived her two sons and her husband. Then she arose with her daughters-in-law that she might return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the Lord had visited his people by giving them bread. Therefore, she went out from the place where she was and her two daughters-in-law with her, and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah.
And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, go, return each to her mother's house. The Lord deal kindly with you as you have dealt with the dead and with me. The Lord grant that you may find rest each in the house of her husband. So she kissed them and they lifted up their voices and wept.
And they said to her, surely we will return with you to your people. But Naomi said, turn back, my daughters. Why will you go with me? Are there still sons in my womb that they may be your husbands?
Turn back, my daughters. Go, for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, if I should have a husband tonight and should also bear sons, would you wait for them till they were grown? Would you restrain yourselves from having husbands?
No, my daughters, for it grieves me very much for your sakes that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me.' Then they lifted up their voices and wept again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. And she said, look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods. Return after your sister-in-law.
But Ruth said, entreat me not to leave you or to turn back from following after you. For wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried.
The Lord do so to me, and more also. If anything but death parts you and me." When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she stopped speaking to her. Now the two of them went until they came to Bethlehem. And it happened, when they had come to Bethlehem, that all the city was excited because of them.
And the women said, is this Naomi? But she said to them, do not call me Naomi. Call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the Lord has brought me home again empty.
Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me? So Naomi returned and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, with her, who returned from the country of Moab. Now they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest. Amen.
Well,
Introduction
as I said, we're going to look at particular details of the book by way of introduction so that when we get into it, we have some sort of a historical context to navigate our way through it. So first, the date, the historical setting, and the historicity. Now,
Date and Historical Setting
in terms of the date of composition, we really do not know that, when the actual book was written. We do, however, know the date or the time period that is covered by the book itself. That's indicated in chapter 1, verse 1. It indicates the time period when the book or when the events in the Book of Ruth took place.
Now, it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled that there was a famine in the land. So it links us closely to the book we just studied, the Book of Judges. particular book covers the time period from about 1398 to about 1043, now give or take a few years here and there. Just to give you your bearings, Saul became king in Israel about 1052 BC. And so this is the time frame covered.
It's the period of the judges. It is prior to the monarchy in Israel. Now, the reference to the famine in chapter 1, verse 1, links us or possibly links us to the specific judgeship of Gideon. Remember in Judges chapter 6, the Midianites' particular form of oppression over the people of Israel was to basically decimate crop production and ruin their agriculture.
So Kyle and Dalich feel confident to say that this book of Ruth probably took place during the judgeship of Gideon. Now I'm not sure about that. I think it's an interesting detail. Just because Judges 6 mentions famine doesn't mean there isn't an event of famine anywhere else.
I just simply kind of give you that so that if you're ever reading Kyle and Dalich, you will see that that's what they support there. So we know when the time frame is, the period that the book covers. As I said, we don't know specifically when the author composed the book. Obviously, it was after the fact because it wasn't a prophetic word.
The setting, or the historical setting, is indicated in verse 1. Now, it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled that there was a famine in the land. Now remember, one of the particular themes in the book of Judges was the people of Israel would sin, God would then raise up a foreign oppressor, the people would then cry out because of their sin, and the Lord would bring deliverance. Well, when we look at verse 1 in chapter 1 of the book of Ruth, we see that God not only used foreign oppressors to bring judgment upon the nation of Israel for their unfaithfulness to the terms of the covenant, but he also used famine.
God had stipulated in the books of Leviticus and Deuteronomy curses consistent with covenant breaking. And one of the other means or one of the other punishments that Israel would reap is if they went into the land and they were unfaithful to Yahweh, God would send famine. He would block the heavens. There would not be rain, they would not have the ability to produce agriculture and things that would sustain life.
Leviticus 26, 19 and 20, I will break the pride of your power. I will make your heavens like iron and your earth like bronze, and your strength shall be spent in vain. For your land shall not yield its produce, nor shall the trees of the land yield their fruit. So in Ruth 1.1, the statement that there was famine in the land, that ought to alert us to the reality that things were not well in Israel at the time.
Remember, the land of Canaan was a land flowing with milk and honey. It was a land that was bountiful, a land full of plenty, a land where they would certainly be able to sustain life and happiness. But because there's famine, or when we read that there's famine in the land in chapter 1, verse 1 in Ruth, We know that things are not well in Israel. We know that there is sin, and we know that God's judgment has come upon them.
Deuteronomy 28, 23, and 24, and your heavens, which are over your head, shall be bronze, and the earth, which is under you, shall be iron. The Lord will change the rain of your land to powder and dust, From the heaven it shall come down on you until you are destroyed." So instead of water coming down, there would be dust storms. It would be so dry and so arid that they would not be able to produce crops. The famine was such that Elimelech the Judahite took his wife and sons to Moab in order to ride out the famine.
So they're in Bethlehem and they travel south and over the river, over into Moab. They go into the land of the pagans in order to escape the particular chastisement of this famine. So that's the historical setting. Now notice the book doesn't tell us who wrote it.
There's no inscription, there's no attribution in terms of who wrote the book. The author is unknown. The Talmud, which is the Jewish writings, ascribed Judges and Ruth to Samuel, along with 1 and 2 Samuel. Whether that is correct or not, I don't know.
But that's just kind of the history of interpretation. Other names have been put forward as potential authors of the book. But the book does not tell us very specifically. The fact that it's called Ruth is very intriguing for two reasons.
First, because Ruth is not an Israelite. She's a Moabitess. I mean, that would be very, it's kind of an interesting detail that in the Jewish scriptures You have Ruth the Moabitess being the title character in the book. As well, she's not the main character in the book.
If Daniel Bloch's commentary is to be believed, and I think it is, he says there are 1,294 words in the book. I've got to tell you, I didn't count that. I did want to verify, I mean I might want to verify, but I didn't have time today to count the words in the Book of Ruth. But of that 1,294 words in the Book of Ruth, 678 of those words are on the lips of the characters.
In other words, the book is primarily, or at least a little more than half, dialogue, interaction, exchange, discussion. Boaz speaks the most. So if we were looking simply at the character who has the most dialogue, the book could be called The Book of Boaz. If we're looking at the primary character, who the story is really about, we could call it the book of Naomi.
And if we really are being, I think, consistent with the entire purpose of the book, we could call it the book of Obed, because he is ultimately the chief actor in this particular book. I mean, this book exists to bring us to the genealogy in chapter 4. The book is very pro-David. It is pro-David, the Davidic dynasty.
We'll see that as we move along. But Ruth is the title character. And then the order in the canon is very interesting, the way that the books are given to us. There is a particular order that we have in our Old Testaments.
It begins with Genesis and ends with Malachi. We have the books of the law, then we have the former prophets, then we have some writings, and then we have the major prophets. And the prophets. And basically, when we have Judges and Ruth linked together, that is good.
There's a logic to that. Obviously, verse 1, in the days when the Judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. So this intimately links us to the book of Judges. But it's interesting that in the Hebrew canon, the way that the Jews put the canon together, they have three categories.
You may have heard the word Tanakh. It's simply the T and the N and the K, and that stands for Torah, Navaim and Ketuvim. And that's the Law, the Prophets and the Writings. Well, in the Hebrew canon, Ruth is categorized in the writings, and Ruth directly follows the book of Proverbs.
Now think about it for just a moment. How does the book of Proverbs end? It ends with chapter 31, a description of the virtuous wife. Lo and behold, in the Hebrew canon, after you read Proverbs 31, guess what the next book is?
The story of a virtuous young woman named Ruth. who is a proselyte and who converts to the religion of Yahweh, who sides with her mother-in-law, ends up marrying a godly man, a good provider, and becomes one that is in the messianic line. So it's an interesting placement of the book in both the English Bible and as well in the Hebrew canon. But if we take it as we have it here in our English versions, probably Ruth is to be viewed similarly to those appendices at the end of Judges. Remember, after the series concerning the deliverers themselves, which begins in chapter 3 at verse 7 and goes to chapter 16 and verse 31, with Samson being the last deliverer, remember that 17 and 18 shows religious apostasy in Israel at the time of the judges.
And then 19 to 21 shows us ethical perversity in the time of the judges. So we have that. So Ruth functions sort of like an appendix. It functions sort of as a snapshot of life in Israel during the period of the judges.
But there is a great contrast, because what we find in Judges 17 to 21 is bad. What we find in the book of Ruth is very good. It's a very positive look. So when we look at Judges, we're not to conclude there's no faith, there's no goodness, there's no kindness, there's no love, there's no covenantal faithfulness.
No, the book of Ruth indicates for us that even in the period of the Judges, God had His remnant, God had His Boaz's, He had His Naomi's, He had His Ruth's, He had the people of the covenant and he sustained them and he blessed them and he preserved them and he kept them in the midst of that. Bloch says, whereas judges had developed the theme of Israel's increasing spiritual infidelity in the pre-monarchical period, that's prior to the kingdom, this book highlights the presence and nature of genuine spirituality during the same period. So when we look at the book, it functions similarly to one of these appendices. But again, It's not a negative snapshot.
It is a positive snapshot. And it serves to indicate that God is faithful and that in whatever situation he preserves his remnant, he has his seat. He does have those who have not bowed the knee to Baal. And in this, we can greatly rejoice.
This was a means of encouragement to Elijah. Remember, Elijah thought that he alone was left of the faithful in Israel. God says, I have 7,000 that haven't bowed the knee to Baal. I think at times in the history of the church, when things are going poorly, we tend to think that we're it.
There is no other. There isn't other faithful people. Well, the book of Ruth helps to show us that, yes, in the midst of difficulty, there is nevertheless shining lights, and God sustains his people. So the date and the setting, the historical situation, the author, And then
Historicity of the Book
the historicity. You probably do not doubt it, but people have questioned whether or not Ruth is fact or fiction. Some say it's just a fictional story designed to help us understand certain things. Well, the fact is that it's fact, and that's given to us in several lines of evidence.
First, the reference in 1.1 is to a specific historical period in Israel's history. I mean, you can't deny the existence of the period of the judges. And the fact that 1.1 in the Book of Ruth links us to that particular period is a very strong piece of evidence to suggest that it is a historically accurate depiction. Secondly, the persons are linked to a particular family in Israel.
We're dealing with very specific and detailed persons. We have Elimelech. He's from Ephrathah, or Bethlehem, Ephrathah. He's a Judahite.
He is linked with Obed. Of course, Obed is then the father of Jesse, who is then the father of David. 1 Chronicles chapter 2, 1 to 17, shows us these connections. So the book is certainly historically accurate. Thirdly, the narrative doesn't give any evidence as to being a fictional account.
There's no suggestion whatsoever in the Book of Ruth that were to interpret it as fable or fiction, but rather as fact in history. Fourth, the events recorded. I mean, we have a famine. We have burial methods indicated in chapter one. verse 17.
We have a reference to Bethlehem and people outside gleaning in the fields. We have a legal process detailed for us in chapter 4 verses 1 to 12, all of which have their tap roots in the books that have preceded the book of Ruth. And then another line of evidence is the fact that an Israelite would have never made up a story and then attached a Moabitess' name to it. Oh, that's of God.
I mean, God alone would do this. He would formulate this book in such a way and attach the name of Ruth, the Moabitess. An Israelite probably wouldn't have done that. If it was fudged, if it was faked, it certainly probably wouldn't bear the name Ruth.
But probably the biggest affirmation and confirmation of the historicity of the Book of Ruth is found in the New Testament. In the Gospel of Matthew, in the genealogy of our Lord Jesus Christ, specifically in Matthew chapter 1, verses 5 and 6, we have reference to Boaz, we have a reference to Ruth, we have a reference to Obed. So Matthew the evangelist, Matthew the apostle, does not treat the book of Ruth as if it's fable or fantasy or fiction. Rather, he treats it as historical fact and reality.
And he shows us how Ruth, the Moabitess, is in the very line and genealogy of our Redeemer, even the Lord Jesus Christ. So those are some of the basic details in terms of introductory material.
Purpose of the Book
Secondly, the purpose of the book. As I mentioned, it's pro-David. The genealogy at the end certainly ends on that note. Notice in chapter 4 at verse 18.
Now, this is the genealogy of Perez. Rez begot Hezron. Hezron begot Ram, and Ram begot Amminadab. Amminadab begot Nashon, and Nashon begot Salmon.
Salmon begot Boaz, and Boaz begot Obed. Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David. So I'll just quote two men concerning the purpose of the book. Daniel Blott says, by attaching this genealogy to the story of Naomi and Ruth, the narrator emphasizes that the significance of Obed's birth goes far beyond satisfying Ruth's maternal instincts or filling the emptiness Naomi has experienced at the beginning.
In other words, the reference to Obed and his link to Jesse and that link to David tells us that there's more about the book of Ruth than Naomi's emptiness being filled or Ruth's maternal instincts being fulfilled. He says, the birth of Obed represents a critical link in the sequence of historical events that will climax in the divine election of David as king over Israel. The book functions to present to us primarily the Davidic dynasty. And of course, as New Covenant Christians, we know the messianic overtones involved in that particular reality.
John Gill speaks to this. He says, the principle design of the book of Ruth is to give the genealogy of David, whom Samuel had anointed to be king of Israel, and from whom the Messiah was to come, and who therefore may be said to be the aim and scope of it, as he is all of scripture. This is a Puritan maxim. This is a reformed principle, that Christ is the scope of it all.
The whole of scripture has as its focal point the Lord Jesus Christ. Gil says this. He then goes on to say, and whereby it appears that he, the Messiah, sprung from both Jews and Gentiles. Cannot deny that.
Ruth is a Moabitess. She is a Gentile. And Gil notes this. And I love the implication that he draws from this.
And whereby it appears that he sprung from both Jews and Gentiles and is the savior of both. And there is a good foundation for both to hope in him. And the call and conversion of Ruth the Moabitess may be considered as a shadow, emblem, and pledge of the conversion of the Gentiles." Now, that is most excellent observation in terms of this particular book. Yes, he is Israel's Messiah.
But as the scriptures testify, Israel's Messiah has a worldwide campaign. He doesn't just come to Israel, he comes to Israel and to the Gentiles. The prophet Isaiah makes this very clear. You can turn to Isaiah chapter 42 for just a moment, just so you can see this and how it's fleshed out in the life and in the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The promise to Abraham in Genesis chapter 12 was that he would be the father of all the nations. Well, that's brought to fruition and completion in and through our Lord Jesus. Notice in 42.5, thus says God the Lord, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk on it, I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness and will hold your hand. I will keep you and give you as a covenant to the people, as a light to the Gentiles, to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the prison, those who sit in darkness from the prison house.
I am the Lord. That is my name and my glory I will not give to another, nor my praise to carved images. Behold, the former things have come to pass and New things I declare before they spring forth, I tell you of that. Turn to 49 for just a moment.
Chapter 49, just validating or fleshing out or seeing the implications of Gil's statement in terms of the significance of Ruth the Moabitess being in the genealogy, being in the line of Obed and Jesse and David and ultimately our Lord Jesus Christ. Notice in chapter 49 at verse 5, and now the Lord says, who formed me from the womb to be his servant, this is Christ speaking, to bring Jacob back to him so that Israel is gathered to him. For I shall be glorious in the eyes of the Lord and my God shall be my strength. Indeed, he says, it is too small a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel.
I will also give you as a light to the Gentiles that you should be my salvation to the ends of the earth. So you see, it was always God's purpose and plan, all the way back to the Abrahamic covenant, to send the Messiah on a worldwide campaign to save his people from their sins. It's not just the nation of the Jews. It's going to be Gentiles as well.
And I quite appreciate what Gil says concerning the significance of Ruth, the Moabitess, being in the very line of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then
Themes in the Book
what are some of the themes in the book? Some of the themes in the book. Well,
Theology Proper: God's Character
certainly the doctrine of God is preeminent. The doctrine of God, or we might call this theology proper. Notice His grace. Chapter 1. and verse 8.
Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, go return each to her mother's house. The Lord deal kindly with you. This is the Hebrew word hesed, and it's a rich word. It's kindness.
Sometimes it's translated as steadfast love in the Psalter. I think that's how the ESV translates it. It's not just a kindness, but it's a covenantal kindness, and she She speaks that to these daughters-in-law. But as well, she appreciates it for herself and they recognize it when the Lord God is good.
Chapter 2 at verse 20, Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, Blessed be he of the Lord who has not forsaken his kindness to the living and the dead. And Naomi said to her, this man is a relation of ours, one of our close relatives. So the Lord's grace is evident in this book of Ruth. The fact that Boaz is this man that delivers.
I mean, the redemptive theme is there in the book also. But not just in terms of God's theology proper, not just his grace, but his judgment. You see, Naomi doesn't just say, well, you know, chance has been bad to me, or I've been struck with bad luck. No, because of this famine, they leave Bethlehem, they leave Judah, they go to Moab.
And then when they get there, bad things continue to happen. I mean, she loses her husband and she loses her sons. I mean, when you look at the life of Naomi in chapter one, it is bitter. That's why she says, don't call me Naomi, but rather call me Mara.
I am not pleasant, but rather I am full of bitterness. It has been a difficult go for us to leave our home in Bethlehem and to go to Moab and for me to have to bury my husband and my two sons. But notice, She doesn't operate as if she is victim to cosmic forces. She understands that this is the chastening hand of God.
Notice in chapter 1 at verse 13. Know my daughters, about halfway through, for it grieves me very much for your sakes that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me. She's mindful of the reality that the God of the covenant is not only the God of covenantal kindness, but he's also the God of judgment and chastisement. When we don't obey the terms of the covenant, when we do engage in sin, there are repercussions as a result of this.
And we should appreciate this with Naomi. She understands the reality that the situation she finds herself in is not haphazard, it's not because of bad luck, but rather it's because the Lord's hand has been against her. But the Lord's hand certainly doesn't continue against her, because God gives her Ruth, God ultimately gives Boaz to Ruth, and that brings great blessing and joy to Naomi. But then notice as well in chapter 1 at verse 20, she said to them, do not call me Naomi, call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.
I went out full and the Lord has brought me home again empty." Now this doesn't mean I went out full of food in Bethlehem and to Moab and came home empty. He's talking about family. I went out with a husband and two sons. I've come back with nothing.
I've come back, well, not nothing. She's got Ruth, and praise God for that. But you see, the people of God in the history of redemption do not blame cosmic forces on their bad luck. They attribute all things, whether the good or the ill, to God Most High.
As well, something concerning theology proper, I call the Lord's excellence. I mean, the Lord is such, and God's glory is manifest in such a way that we have that statement in chapter 1, verses 16 and 17. I mean, that's one of the most glowing pieces of scripture that the Bible has. I'm not a literary critic.
I don't know all the ins and outs of Good writing in that. But apparently the book of Ruth is written in a most beautiful way. They say it's composed in just a magnificent way. Well, certainly 1, 16, and 17 are poetic, glorious statements from a Moabitess unto God Most High.
She's speaking to Naomi, but it's with reference to God. Entreat me not to leave you or to turn back from following after you, For wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Call that the Lord's excellence.
He is so excellent. He is so wondrous. He is so glorious that Ruth is willing to turn her back on the gods of Moab and to pursue Yahweh of Israel. I mean, you got to think about it here.
Ruth is leaving everything she holds to everything near and dear to her heart. She didn't leave Bethlehem to go to Moab. She lived in Moab. She married one of Naomi's sons.
Now she's leaving her home, she's leaving her family, she's leaving everything that was near and dear to her heart, and she's leaving her gods to embrace the God of heaven and earth. It is the Lord that is excellent. And then as well, with reference to chapter 2, Boaz and the men, the servants in the field, the reapers in the field, understand that it's the Lord that gives blessing over and over again. We see that in chapter 2.
Notice in verse 4, Boaz came from Bethlehem and said to the reapers, the Lord be with you. And they answered him, the Lord bless you. We see that worked out in this book. God is good to his covenant people.
Yes, there was famine, but it's not always going to be that way. Yes, there is chastening for a moment. But then he brings them back and gathers them in Bethlehem, and he feeds them, and he gives them good things, and he causes the rain to fall upon them. So with reference to theology proper, we see the Lord's grace, judgment, excellence, and the fact that he gives blessing.
God's Providence
A second major theme is God's providence. God's providence over what we might call natural events. We don't read chapter 1-1 as humanists. When we see famine in the land, as Christians who understand the book of Deuteronomy and Leviticus, we don't say things like, wow, they need better agriculture and better farmers there in Israel.
No, we know that God is sovereign over the affairs of man, and that when Israel is unfaithful, God brings famine. That is his providence, that is the outworking of his plan and decree for the people of God. Secondly, we might say, and I don't like to use this particular term with reference to God, but the actual text does seem to indicate it. We could say that God exercises providence over chance events.
If we believe in a God who has decreed all things, he has purposed the end from the beginning, and all the means thereunto. There's no chance in the universe. But look at the way 2.3 reads. Then she left and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers, and she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz.
Now, Christian reader, how do you interpret that? She happened to come? It was just her lucky day. She bumped into Boaz.
Turns out he's kin. Turns out he has the ability to redeem. Turns out he has the ability to provide them with benefit and blessing. When we read 2.3, we see the hand of the Lord God Almighty at work.
Hopefully we think in terms of Proverbs 16.33. The lot is cast into the lap. But every decision is from the Lord, right? There's no chance.
There's no haphazardness. The text of scripture reads that way to indicate to us that God Most High is orchestrating all of these things because he is bringing blessing to Ruth. He is bringing blessing to Naomi. But even more importantly, he's bringing blessing to Israel and to the nations of the earth.
Because if Boaz and Ruth don't get together, there's no Obed. And if there's no Obed, there's no Jesse. And if there's no Jesse, there's no David. And if there's no David, there's no King Jesus.
So you see, two, three. And she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz. God is orchestrating His sovereign decree in bringing what appear to be haphazard events together so that his will is accomplished. It really is a beautiful means by which God's glory is demonstrated.
And then his providence is seen over the plans of men. Chapter 3, verses 1 to 5, Naomi tells Ruth, this is what you need to do, go to Boaz's house. We see the implementation of that plan by Ruth. Boaz responds favorably.
Now, chapter 3 is interesting. We're going to have an interesting time when we get to that particular chapter. What is it exactly that she's doing there? Whatever is going on, Boaz responds favorably.
And then we have that situation where the closest kinsman redeemer stands in line to be able to take the field, but as well, he would take Ruth. And he refuses that. So every step of the way, when it looks like things might get complicated or difficult, every means that is employed, God overrules, God blesses such that Boaz can take Ruth to be his lawfully wedded wife forever, to hold her, hug her, love her, and to have Obed with her. I mean, it truly is the providence of God in the span of four short chapters.
So we've got the doctrine of God, the providence of God, and then
Life in the Covenant Community
we have the life of the people of God. It's an interesting book in that there's no miracles. There's no prayers for the outstanding things that we find in, say, a Samson when he prays to God, give me strength so that I can bring down these pillars upon these Philistines and kill them. There's nothing really out of the ordinary in the book of Ruth. a love story, I think that's why a lot of people gravitate to it, it's so sweet and nice and cuddly and warm and all that sort of thing, but there's not a lot of really exciting things going on.
It shows us that life in the covenant can be, and oftentimes, more oftentimes than not, is pretty ordinary. We see in these particular chapters snapshots of the good part of covenant life. At the end of Judges, we see snapshots of the bad part. Here in the good part, we see Ruth exercising this kind of hesed or kindness to Naomi.
She didn't owe Naomi anything. Naomi even said, why don't you go back? I don't want you to be void of a husband. And Ruth makes this lofty confession.
I'll go where you go. And wherever you lodge, I will lodge. I'll be buried where your people are buried. I want to identify with the covenant people.
That's good. When we get to Boaz, I mean, it starts off in a very small way. Boaz says to her at mealtime, come here and eat of the bread and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar. This is a nice man.
And it sets the stage for everything that follows. Really, he is a nice man. So life in the covenant, more often than not, is ordinary, workaday, faithfulness, kindness, gentleness expressed to one another in the context of the ordinary, the mundane. You see, not every biblical book is filled with all of these miracles and all of these things.
A lot of the Bible takes place among regular folk doing regular things, and the book of Ruth is a very, very clear picture of that very thing. No miracles, no grand displays of God's power, simple people being kind to one another and living life out in the covenant community with kindness. They are imitating, mirroring, reflecting the kindness of God. Now, of course, the context is his providence.
Everything is conducted according to his plan. Nothing goes awry. It's not as if the thing gets shorted out and we don't have Obed, we don't have Jesse, we don't have David. All of that is assured to take place because of God's providence.
But life in the covenant community is normal. Life in the covenant community is expressed in kindness and love and goodness to one another. So those are some of the themes. Certainly there's others that we will investigate as we move through this book.
And then
Outline of the Book
in terms of an outline, the book is pretty simple. It's not really in-depth or detailed. One man just gives it to us this way, chapter 1. Famine to Harvest, Chapter 2, Gleaning in Boaz's Field.
Chapter 3, Rest for Ruth and Naomi. And then Chapter 4, Verses 1 to 17 is Resolution at the Town Gate. And then Chapter 4, 17b to 22 is the Davidic Genealogy. Again, it's all moving to that end.
Daniel Block, I think, outlines it very helpfully. And probably this is what I will follow. So I want to give Daniel Block credit. I don't want to plagiarize him.
I'll try to do this as we move through the book itself. But a very helpful outline. He has it set up in four acts, acts similar to a movie or to a play or whatnot. The first act is in chapter one.
It is the crisis for the line. There is danger with reference to the line of Judah, as it's represented here in this man from Judah. We have the setting of the crisis, the nature of the crisis, the response to the crisis, and then the interpretation of that crisis. He says, Act II is the ray of hope for the line, chapter 1 verse 22 to chapter 2 verse 23.
We have a new setting, we have the initiative of Ruth, the grace of Boaz, and then the results of this. Act 3 is the complication for the line. We have the scheme or plan in chapter 3 verses 1 to 5, the implementation of that, and then the results. And then Act IV is the rescue of the line.
There's a legal resolution. It has to be done appropriately. It has to be done accordingly. Again, it taps us into the Pentateuch and the books of the law and what was stipulated in terms of Israel's polity and the way they did business and transacted exchanges and all those sorts of things, inheritance.
And so that was a thing they had to make sure was in place, the legal resolution. and then the genealogical resolution, and then he ends with the epilogue being that royal genealogy in chapter four, verses 18 to 22. So that, God willing, is how we shall proceed and seek to make some observations and lessons along the way in our study of the Book of Ruth. So we're gonna actually end a bit earlier tonight. I didn't wanna now try to fit in chapter one, so.
I'll close in prayer and then if anybody has any questions or discussion, we can do that.
Closing Prayer
Our father, we thank you for your word and we thank you for this little book tucked in behind judges or after judges before Samuel. We thank you for this glimpse into Israel's life, but even more so, we thank you for this glimpse into your plan, into your sovereignty, into your providence and the way that you order all affairs and the way that you have brought things together in such a manner so that Christ could come from the line of David. How we thank you for redemption through Him. How we thank you that even in this book the gospel is alluded to, the gospel is here in seed form.
And we praise you that it's throughout Scripture that Christ is the scope of the whole, that all of Scripture testifies concerning Him. Help us to approach these things in this manner and help us to make much of Christ, not only in our study, but in our lives, God. Help us to live in such a way as to bring glory and honor to You through Him and by the power of Your Holy Spirit. And we pray these things through Christ Jesus, our Lord.
Amen.