Ruth sits between the stories of the early Judges and the new era of the monarchy, the times of kings and queens in the life of Israel. As part of the story of transition from one from of leadership to another, Ruth reminds us that God is working out his plan.
He worked it out in the Exodus through Moses, in the conquest through Joshua, through the early occupation through the judges and he will continue to work out his purposes through tghe newly formed monarchy because he already has a king planned in David the as-yet-to-be-born son of Jesse, Great-grandson of Ruth.
Key things about the story of Ruth:
1. God is always at work. In the seen and the unseen ,God is presented at work through the story of Ruth.
2. Hesed: Loving-kindness; covenant loyalty (7 examples in Ruth). There is a case for hesed being translated as loyalty rather than mercy in Ps. 136 etc. Faithfulness would carry a better sense of the original, but it still doesn’t go far enough. Need to think about what it means for God to be loyal to his covenant.
G-K #2876: 248 times;
Used to describe God’s love for us:
Give thanks to Lord for his unfailing love (Ps.107)
Ps 136: His love endures forever
The treaty God draws up with the people is a covenant of love (Deut.7)
Now rethink those verses with loyalty instead of love.
Give thanks to Lord for his unfailing loyalty (Ps.107)
Ps 136: His loyalty endures forever
The treaty God draws up with the people is a covenant of loyalty (Deut.7)
How does that affect the way you see God’s attitude towards yourself?
The story of Ruth is a story about covenant-loyalty, about acts of loving-kindness that reflect the nature and character of God who inspires such acts because he is loyal. It begins with Ruth’s loyalty towards Naomi and it concludes with God’s loyalty to Naomi.
The story opens unpromisingly. There's famine, relocation, death, loss, despair and separation. Not an uplifting picture. And the author never tells us that it's okay because God has it all in hand and Ruth will marry, have children and become David's great-grandmother.
It made me wonder: How many lives are lived in the gloom of chapter 1 rather than in the light of the hope that unfolds through the story? How many people do I know who, because things are not going well, cannot see the loyal hand of God anymore?
I am no different, I have good days and bad days. I have days when life and busyness overwhelm me and I'd rather be anywhere else, doing anything else, than what I have to do. But I am not called to give up, I'm called to persevere.
I’m called to faithfulness, I’m called to be loyal.
As a follower of Jesus I have a hope that ought to infect everything I do. I can live with hope, I can grieve with hope, I can face challenges with hope, I can face failure with hope. I am not defined by any of these obstacles, I am defined by my relationship with Jesus. I am, first and foremost, "in Christ" . That is who I am and that is what defines me.
And what of Ruth? She got on with life, and as she persevered she discovered God's involvement and care, his loyalty as he met her needs and the needs of the despairing Naomi, and then went way beyond just meeting her needs and gave her a fullness of life no one could have predicted when she left her home to travel with her mother-in-law.
Hope in God: loyalty to God, blessing from God
The story of Ruth is a story of love, loyalty and commitment.
And they all begin in the heart of God.
