The book of Ruth is one of two books in the Bible named after women. It is a book that gleams like a beautiful pearl. It takes place during the times of the Judges when every man did that which was right in his own eyes. The events of the book possibly indicate it occurred near the time of Gideon (1300 B.C.). The famine referred to in Ruth may have been the one caused by Midianites when they plundered the land for seven years.
The book of Ruth serves as a bridge from the book of Judges to 1 & 2 Samuel. This book provides us background insights of how people lived in this time period.
There was apostasy in the nation of Israel at this time, yet, there were people of conviction, consistency, and commitment to the Lord. Their godly lives were like lilies, perfuming their environment with their fragrant life and displaying the purity of their character as a lily displays its petals of ivory. The contrast between Israel, Ruth, and Boaz is obvious.
Israel Contrasted With Ruth/Boaz
Israel Ruth & Boaz
1. A life of rebellion. 1. Lives of righteousness.
2. Immorality 2 . Integrity
3. Ignorance of the Lord 3. Insights into God’s Ways.
4. Period of Irresponsibility 4. Demonstrated Responsibility
5. Idolatry 5. Idolized the Lord
The book of Ruth reminds us that God NEVER leaves Himself without a witness. He always has a flame for the darkness, whether it is Moses in Egypt, Elijah in Israel, or John the Baptist who prepared the way for the ministry of Jesus Christ. God has His men!
The author of this book is unknown. Tradition says it is the prophet Samuel. The genealogy at the end of the book proves the book was not written prior to the time of David. It is possible it was written during the reign of David.
FACTS ABOUT THE BOOK OF RUTH
There are four chapters in this book with eighty-five verses and more than 2500 words. The time period covered about twelve years. The three key people the book revolves around are Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz. The two words that continually ring out like the bells of the Tower of London are redemption and kinsman. They appear around twenty times in one form or another. The key verse is Ruth 4:14 And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the Lord, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel.
The Stages of the Story
The setting of the book takes place on two stages, Moab and Bethlehem. At this time there were three countries into which the people of Israel went when they were in a backslidden condition.
1. Egypt—A picture of bondage, worldliness, and sin.
2. Babylon—A place of cultural and spiritual apostasy.
3. Moab—Jeremiah described Moab.
Jeremiah 48:11 Moab hath been at ease from his youth, and he hath settled on his lees, and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither hath he gone into captivity: therefore his taste remained in him, and his scent is not changed. Moab is unfaithful, unconcerned, unengaged, undiscernible, and unmoved toward the things of God.
The story begins in Moab which was located east of the Dead Sea. It a place of sin and idolatry and was nicknamed “God’s Washpot” (Psalm 60:8). It was off limits to the Jews. From Moab the scene changes to Bethlehem of Judea. This was a town surrounded by grainfields that gave it its name “House of Bread.”
THE PURPOSE OF THE BOOK OF RUTH
God uses this book to teach the providence of God in blessing His children even in the area of finding a spouse. The story reveals the great love the Lord has for women as well as men. It shows God has a special unique purpose for the family. The pages of this book have God’s fingerprints everywhere. In the midst of trouble, trials, and tragedy His salvation shines as brilliantly as the noonday sun. We have seen this truth time and again throughout the pages of Scripture.
♦ Joseph was a slave for about twenty-two years in Egypt. His father was grieved, Joseph was rejected, falsely accused, and even forgotten by those he assisted. He was using the greenhouse of tragedy to grow a savior, knock off the sharp thorns of his life, and develop the roots of patience, trust, and faith in the Lord for the great task he would encounter in the future.
♦ Moses as a baby was placed in a basket and put upon the Nile River to escape the massacre of the Pharaoh of Egypt. He was found by the daughter of the killer king who takes him as her own son, naming him Moses … drawn out of the water. All the trials Moses endured in Egypt and in the wilderness were used by the Lord to develop him as a great man of God and leader to lead His people out of the bondage of Egypt.
♦ In Ruth, God was preparing the house of King David. It was Ruth who would become the great-grandmother of King David. Ruth is one of five women mentioned in Matthew’s genealogy of Christ. Three of the women had a bad past: Tamar, Rahab, and Bathsheba. Three of the women were Gentiles: Tamar, Rahab, and Ruth.
This book shows how three people remained strong in character and true to God when the society around them was collapsing morally and spiritually. The nation was permissive, but Ruth remained pure. The nation was irresponsible, but Boaz was responsible. It was a dark period for Israel, yet, in spite of the nations condition, God was still working in people’s lives. This story also demonstrated God’s grace in the midst of difficult circumstances. The time of the Judges was a period of disobedience, idolatry, and violence. Every man did that which was right in his own eyes. God continued to bless those devoted to Him.
The Kinsman Redeemer
The book of Ruth also teaches us the concept of what a Kinsman Redeemer was. The kinsman redeemer is a picture of the person and work of Jesus Christ on behalf of the bride … His Church. The name for a kinsman redeemer was a goel or levirate. He could redeem a widow, orphan, or slave. There were several QUALIFICATIONS he had to meet.
♦ The kinsman had to be related to the individual that needed redeeming. Jesus Christ became our kinsman after the flesh by taking on a human nature and becoming related to mankind. He was God and man. Paul said in Galatians 4:4–5: But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, [5] To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. The Bible says in John 1:14: And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
♦ The kinsman had to be FREE. Jesus Christ was free from the sin that has cursed the human race.
♦ The goel had to pay the price of redemption. Christ alone by His sinless life was able to pay the price for our sin in order that we could be saved. Peter put it this way in 1 Peter 1:18–19 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; [19] But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Paul spoke of Christ paying the price for us in 1 Cor. 6:20: For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
♦ The redeemer had to be WILLING to pay the price. When our Lord agonized in the Garden of Gethsemane, He demonstrated His willingness to the pay the price for sin. John 10:15–18 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. [16] And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. [17] Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. [18] No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. In the epistle of John the Bible says Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren (1 John 3:16).
♦ The kinsman had to be prepared to marry the widow. The result of redemption is Christ was married to the Church … His Bride. If Jesus Christ is your personal Lord and Savior, you are a part of the Bride of Christ.
♦ As Boaz would come forth from Bethlehem to take a Gentile bride (Ruth), so Jesus would come forth from Bethlehem to take His Gentile bride … the Church.
Another purpose for the book of Ruth is it traces the ancestry of King David and verifies ten generations had passed since the illegitimate conception of Pharez to Judah (Genesis 38). The Bible says in Deut. 23:2, A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the Lord.
You and I are affected by the events of this book. Through Ruth, David came into the world. Through David our Savior came into the world. No Ruth … No Savior!? Ruth played an important role in God’s plan for mankind.
LITTLE KNOWN NOTES ABOUT THE BOOK OF RUTH
Ruth was second among five Jewish festival scrolls.
1. At Passover—Song of Solomon is read.
2. At Pentecost—Ruth is read.
3. On the 9th of Ab (Memorial of Jerusalem’s destruction)—Lamentations is read.
4. At the Feast of Tabernacles—Ecclesiastes is read.
5. At the Feast of Purim—Esther is read.
Notice that at the Feast of Pentecost the book of Ruth is read. The Feast of Pentecost commemorates the giving of the Law on Mt. Sinai. It occurs at the time of the beginning of the offering called the First Fruits of the Harvest. At this time the barley was being winnowed, separated from the chaff. The significance of Pentecost for us as believers is it is the day the Church begins with the giving of our Comforter, the Holy Spirit. Pentecost is the day of engagement or betrothal for the Church. The Holy Spirit is our engagement ring if you please. Paul said in Ephesians 1:13–14, In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, [14] Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory. The word “earnest” means down payment or engagement ring. As Boaz took a Gentile wife unto himself, redeemed her, Jesus Christ has taken a Gentile bride for Himself too … His Church which just so happens to have begun on Pentecost.
THEMES IN THE BOOK OF RUTH
There are several key themes found within the borders of the book of Ruth.
♦ Faithfulness—Ruth demonstrated faithfulness to Naomi. Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz were all three faithful to God and His law. God was faithful to His people. Ruth’s life was guided by her faithfulness to the Lord. Are you faithful to the Lord?
♦ Kindness—Boaz was very kind to Naomi and also to Ruth who was without any money and from the land of Moab. God was kind in bringing all three together.
♦ Grace—Boaz was not in the immediate circle of Levirate responsibility. He was not a brother of Mahlon. God worked it out where Boaz could marry the woman he loved.
♦ God’s Care—God demonstrated His care by protecting Ruth and Naomi and by providing for their needs. Ruth went from poverty to prosperity.
♦ The Perils of Backsliding—This book is the story of a Jewish family, who like the prodigal son of Luke 15, went into a far country of Moab and there began to be in want. Chapter one is about a prodigal family who left Israel and returns to the house of Bread broken and barren. A look at chapter one reveals what Naomi lost in Moab … the place of disobedience and sin.
1. Spouse—vs. 3
2. Sons—vs. 5
3. Her Statement for the Lord (her witness or testimony)—vs. 8, 15
4. The Support of the Lord—“the Lord’s hand is against me” vs. 13
5. Strength and Semblance—Her appearance had changed. vs. 19
6. Spirit and Serenity—She lost her joy. vs. 20
7. Satisfaction of the Lord—vs. 21
8. She gained Suffering from the Lord’s hand.—vs. 21
TYPES IN THE BOOK OF RUTH
♦ Ruth—She is a picture of a Sinner that believes in the Lord. She cast herself at Boaz feet (3:4–6). She claimed him as her redeemer (3:9). She received the promises of Boaz (3:10–13). She accepted her redeemer and became his bride (4:13). She bore fruit or children (4:13). She was a Moabite under a curse, yet, believed in the Lord. We as sinners are under the curse of sin and must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ too.
♦ Boaz—Boaz is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ.
1. He is the Kinsman Redeemer—Romans 3:24—Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
2. He is the Restorer of Life—John 11:25—Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
3. The Provider of Grace—John 1:17—For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
4. The Giver of Rest—Matthew 11:28–29—Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. [29] Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
5. The Lord of the Harvest—John 4:35—Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.
6. The Supplier of Needs—Philip. 4:19—But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
7. The Bridegroom—Rev. 19:7—Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
8. Boaz means “In Him is Strength”—1 Peter 5:10—But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
♦ Naomi—Naomi is a picture of a backslider whose life was restored. She left the “House of Bread”, Bethlehem, and returned to find God’s restoring grace. The book of Ruth is about the Lord putting our life back together after our will and way has broken it to pieces.
Message Audio/Video and Outline: https://upwards.church/watch-now/leander-campus-videos
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Source: Rod Mattoon, Treasures from Ruth, Treasures from Scripture Series (Springfield, IL: Rod Mattoon, 2000), 1–9.
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