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August 2, 2023
But Ruth said, ‘Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus, may the LORD do to me, and worse, if anything but death parts you and me.’” (RUTH 1:16-17 NLT)
Beloved one have you noticed the Book of Ruth is one of only two books of the Bible to be named after women, the other Book is Esther. Even though it’s small, this incredible book contains many principles that greatly impact us today. First, let me share an overview of the book of Ruth, a woman named Naomi packed up and moved from Judah to Moab due to a terrible famine that was affecting her family. She and her husband went there with their two sons, who eventually took wives while living in Moab.
Tragically, Naomi lost her husband and two sons. Broken and empty, she decided to move back to Bethlehem in Judah. Her daughter-in-law Ruth came with her since she had also lost her husband. Keep in mind that Ruth was a Moabite woman, and she was now moving to Judah as a foreigner. This was a big deal in their culture, but she was committed to Naomi as her daughter-in-law, and she wanted to follow the God of Israel. While in Judah, God worked out an amazing plan for a man named Boaz to take Ruth as his wife, give her a child, and provide for her and Naomi. What’s remarkable about this plan was that Boaz was qualified as a “kinsman redeemer” to take her as his wife.
There are Five Essential Lessons We Can Learn from the Book of Ruth:
1. God is concerned about all people regardless of race, nationality, or status.
Ruth was not a Jew. She was a Moabite. Even though many discriminated against her, God loved her just the same. God does not discriminate, and He loves all people just the same.
2. Men and women are both equally important to God.
God cares about men and women all the same. We are all one in His eyes. While most false religions that have been constructed over the centuries often elevate men and dishonor women, Christianity is the one religion that consistently honors men and women at the same level. There is no difference in God’s eyes.
3. There is no such thing as an unimportant person in God’s eyes.
Few saw Ruth as an important person. But God saw her as important and His plan for her life ended in her becoming a part of the lineage of Jesus (as the grandmother to King David)! God’s plan generally involves using people who are underdogs or unimportant or unimpressive from man’s perspective. God is for the underdog!
4. God uses “little” things to accomplish great plans.
What an amazing plan God had for a succession of “little” things that all added up to important pieces in God’s big plan. God intended for Ruth to be a part of the story of the lineage of Jesus. So, He pulled together events such as the famine, Naomi’s relocation to Moab, their return to Bethlehem, Boaz’ bloodline, and many other events just to ensure that Ruth could be a part of His plan, and God does that same thing in your life and mine today!
5. God has a Redeemer in place who can rescue us from the devastation of our own sin.
God has a Redeemer for your life, too, and His name is Jesus. Boaz was a type (prophetic symbol) of Christ and His redemptive work in our lives today. We are empty, just as Naomi was empty and devastated after she had lost everything and returned to Judah.
Our sin has rendered us empty and desolate spiritually. But Jesus is willing to redeem us. He wants to rescue us from the penalty of our own sin, and all we must do to be rescued is to call on Him in faith and ask Him to save us. (Romans 10:13) My hope is that you are one of His redeemed. If you are not, my prayer is that you will call on Him right now and ask Him to save you once and for all from the consequences of your sins!
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