God of Ruth
"Now Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband. Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, 'Go back, each of you, to your mother's home.' But Ruth replied, 'Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go, I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.'" (Ruth 1:3,4,8,16 NIV)
For the past 14 years, I’ve had the privilege of facilitating women’s Bible study at my church on Tuesday mornings. A couple years ago, as we were nearing the end of our season together, I asked if anyone had ideas for the next study. One of my ladies said, “I’m thinking Ruth.” At which point, I started thinking Ruth.
A couple days later, I was standing at my kitchen counter when my then-13-year-old daughter walked into the room and, without preamble, declared, “Ruth is SUCH an interesting book to study.” Which is when I decided my study sisters and I were most definitely going to do Ruth, because when your teenage daughter announces that a book of the Bible is “such an interesting book to study,” you pay attention.
Right away, only a few verses in, we unpack a crucial fact about the book: namely, that its leading lady was a Moabite woman. A Moabite woman.
If you’re like me, you might be inclined to gloss over that fact or think, “Yeah, so what?” Which is completely understandable, except that when we view this detail within the whole context of God’s Word, we start to understand that it impacts almost everything else about Ruth’s story.
As part of the nation of Israel—God’s chosen people—Naomi’s boys were not supposed to be marrying Moabite women. God went on the record about His feelings on the matter in Deuteronomy 7 and in 1 Kings 11, where He listed Moabites among the “nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, ‘You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods'" (1 Kings 11:2). God’s priority is always our loyalty, because He knows that’s what's best for us. Anything or anyone that diverts our gaze from His face and His character and His will is going to be something He’s against.
But now we hear one of the most beautiful refrains sung all through the book of Ruth: no matter what our past is, God can redeem our present and our future. Maybe your history or your family tree or your heritage has some ugliness to it. Really, all our pasts do because we are sinful people living in a broken world. But the Great I AM is also the great “I can” and “I will.” In His grace and mercy, Yahweh brought Ruth out of her history and into His story. And He can and will do the same for you.
Through the tiny book of Ruth, God shows the big truth that He uses the individual sentences of our lives to write His master tale. While she was faithfully following a god—THE God—she barely knew, that same Almighty God was using Ruth to paint a picture of redemption so huge, it would result in salvation for the entire world.
But you see: Ruth didn’t know how her story was going to turn out while she was being faithful. We do not know how our stories will turn out when we’re in the middle of the middle of them. Ruth, though, allows us the opportunity to stand back and read the finished work. And it is glorious.
Whatever you’re doing today, dear friends, ask God to help you be found faithful, because you can’t imagine the scope and sanctity of the story God is writing with and for you. But it will be glorious.
If you’re like me, you might be inclined to gloss over that fact or think, “Yeah, so what?” Which is completely understandable, except that when we view this detail within the whole context of God’s Word, we start to understand that it impacts almost everything else about Ruth’s story.
As part of the nation of Israel—God’s chosen people—Naomi’s boys were not supposed to be marrying Moabite women. God went on the record about His feelings on the matter in Deuteronomy 7 and in 1 Kings 11, where He listed Moabites among the “nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, ‘You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods'" (1 Kings 11:2). God’s priority is always our loyalty, because He knows that’s what's best for us. Anything or anyone that diverts our gaze from His face and His character and His will is going to be something He’s against.
But now we hear one of the most beautiful refrains sung all through the book of Ruth: no matter what our past is, God can redeem our present and our future. Maybe your history or your family tree or your heritage has some ugliness to it. Really, all our pasts do because we are sinful people living in a broken world. But the Great I AM is also the great “I can” and “I will.” In His grace and mercy, Yahweh brought Ruth out of her history and into His story. And He can and will do the same for you.
Through the tiny book of Ruth, God shows the big truth that He uses the individual sentences of our lives to write His master tale. While she was faithfully following a god—THE God—she barely knew, that same Almighty God was using Ruth to paint a picture of redemption so huge, it would result in salvation for the entire world.
But you see: Ruth didn’t know how her story was going to turn out while she was being faithful. We do not know how our stories will turn out when we’re in the middle of the middle of them. Ruth, though, allows us the opportunity to stand back and read the finished work. And it is glorious.
Whatever you’re doing today, dear friends, ask God to help you be found faithful, because you can’t imagine the scope and sanctity of the story God is writing with and for you. But it will be glorious.
* * * * * *
God, I know Your story is complete from beginning to end. Help me to faithfully live the page you have written for me today.
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I'd love to hear from you! Feel free to tell me what you really think. Years ago, I explained to my then-two-year-old that my appointment with a counselor was "sort of like going to a doctor who will help me be a better mommy." Without blinking, she replied, "You'd better go every day." All of which is just to say I've spent some time in the school of brutal honesty!