Journey through Scriptures – Journey Through Ruth
In our journey through Scripture, we now begin our journey through Ruth. We’ve come to one of my favorite books of the Bible. It’s the little book of Ruth in the Old Testament. It is one of only two books in the Bible that bears the name of a woman, and the other, of course, is Esther. I think it’s very interesting, but Esther was a Jewish girl. Ruth is a Gentile girl.
Esther was the Jewish girl who married a Gentile and saved the promised line. Ruth is a Gentile girl who married a Jew and extended the promised line. And so both of them find their way into this beautiful story of the coming of Messiah.
It’s wonderful that He comes to the Jew, but it’s “to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” Salvation is of the Jew. But it is not just for the Jew. And so whether you are an Esther or you’re a Ruth, whether you’re a Jew or Gentile, we’re all made one in Christ. It’s an amazing book.
Listen: Journeying through Ruth
Overview of Our Journey through Ruth
As we begin our journey through Ruth, we see that Ruth was a Moabitish girl. She was a young lady that never would have known God except for grace. And that’s really the message of the book of Ruth. It is a message of grace.
If you begin in Ruth 1:1, you begin with this phrase. The Bible says that this story takes place “in the days when the judges ruled,” which means that the little book of Ruth, literally in history, fits into the Book of Judges.
So the whole story fits right into the setting of the previous book, the time of the judges, and the Book of Ruth is the story of one family living at this particular time. The short version of this story is that there was a family that left Bethlehem and moved down to Moab. Now that’s a story all its own of them departing from Bethlehem, and why they did it was because of the famine. The man’s name was Elimelech. His wife’s name was Naomi. They have two sons. They moved down into Moab. The two sons each married Moabite women. One of those was this young girl named Ruth. Elimelech and his two sons die, and Naomi is left all by herself and decides to go back to Bethlehem-Judah, back home.
It’s really a beautiful picture of the backslider and the one who knows God, but has been away in the far country, returning to the Lord. And when she does, she brings someone with her. My friend, if you’re away from God, if you will come back to the Lord, you never know who may come with you. It’s the beautiful work of the grace of God multiplying.
Ruth Returns with Naomi
And so when Naomi returns, she brings with her her daughter-in-law, Ruth. And now Ruth, of course, has a divine appointment with a man by the name of Boaz. This was all orchestrated by the good providence of God.
Boaz is for us a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. Boaz was willing to put everything on the line. His reputation, his riches, everything so that Ruth could enter into his family. And in doing so, Naomi gets the blessing. It’s a wonderful story of the grace of God.
Outline of A Journey through Ruth: A Book of Testimony
Viewing the book of Ruth as a testimony book can help guide our journey through Ruth.
- Chapter one is the testimony of the Backslider.
- Chapter two is the testimony of the Blessed.
- Chapter three is the testimony of the Betrothed. Ruth is given a beautiful romance and relationship with Boaz.
- Chapter four is the testimony of the Bought. This is the testimony of the grace of God, the Lord at work in an amazing way.
The Kinsman Redeemer
And really, the main character is not so much Naomi or even Ruth. It is this kinsman redeemer. It is this man named Boaz. Here’s the key verse of the book. At the end of the book in 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.” Oh, there’s a lot of potential in that one verse.
Boaz, the Near Kinsman
Who is the kinsman? Well, the whole theme of the Book of Ruth is the theme of redemption; literally, to be bought. There is a romance in Ruth, but the overarching message is one of redemption. Ruth was a Gentile. The only way that she could come into the family, the only way that she could be brought into the blessing, is that someone who loved her had to be willing to purchase everything that belonged to her, and that particular person had to be a near kinsman. It had to be someone related closely enough to purchase everything. They needed the resources to do so.
Boaz steps up to the plate and says, “I’ll be the Redeemer. I am willing to put everything on the line to purchase all of this.” You see, the marks of the Redeemer were that they had to have the right to redeem by relationship, they had to have the power to redeem, and they had to have the will to redeem.
Christ, Our Kinsman Redeemer
Let me tell you, that’s the Lord Jesus Christ, our Redeemer. He had the right to redeem because He became a man. Jesus was made of a woman. He became one of us. Jesus had the power to redeem in His own precious, sinless blood. And thank God He had the will to redeem, because He was, “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)
Key Words
Did you know that as we journey through Ruth, in this short little book of only four chapters, the word ‘redeem’ or ‘buy’ or ‘purchase’ is found 15 times? Why is that? Because this is God’s great message in Ruth. It’s a message of redemption.
It’s a message of Jesus Christ paying in full our sin debt and purchasing all so that we could be saved — so that we could know God and enter into the blessing. Once this transaction takes place, Ruth is able to enjoy everything, and she has to wander no more. There’s no more danger, no more thirst, no more hunger, no more guilt.
Sounds a lot like salvation, doesn’t it? She’s a picture of the Gentile bride of Christ. Ruth is a picture of us, the church, coming into relationship through redemption.
We now journey to the cross, where Jesus Christ’s final words — ‘it is finished‘–are spoken. Did you know the word He spoke (tetelestai) was a merchant term in Bible days? When someone had their bill paid in full, it was stamped with the word ‘tetelestai’. When Christ said, “It is finished,” He was saying it is paid in full. If you know Jesus Christ, your sin debt has been paid in full. (Click HERE to watch Scott’s video series on Christ’s Cries from the Cross.)
Salvation in the Name of Christ
As we approach the end of our journey through Ruth, whom do you identify with in this book? Perhaps you’re Ruth outside of Christ, never been saved, not a member of the family of God. Your sin has been paid in full. Christ is your Redeemer. He loves you. He wants you to come into his family. (If you do not know Christ, CLICK HERE.) Perhaps you are like Naomi, you have wandered from God and returned empty. You are troubled about your future – broken and bitter. Oh my friend, when you come to the end of this book, Naomi’s not bitter. She’s blessing the Lord.
Listen to the words again to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel.” See, Christ not only saves the lost, but He reclaims the backslider. That’s what grace does, friend. That is the power of the redeeming blood of Jesus Christ. It lasts forever.
Prominent Names Seen in a Journey Through Ruth
Did you know Boaz’s name means “in him is strength?” My friend, in Christ is strength.
The last word in the book of Ruth is David. Why? Because it is a picture of the son of David, the Redeemer who was to come, the Lord Jesus Christ. This is not just God’s message to Ruth or Naomi; it is God’s message to me and you.
He does it so that His name may be famous. Friend, there is no name like the name of Jesus Christ. “…for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” If you are lost or away from God today, call on His name — that famous name! Speak the name of Jesus today. Cry out to Him in faith. God will extend grace to you. If you have experienced that grace, if you have that testimony, would you make His name famous wherever you go? We learn these truths as we journey through Ruth. Share the name of Jesus today, and continue to enjoy the journey.
Related Article: 5 Ways to Get More Out of Your Bible Reading
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