Learning Through the Book of Ruth

The book of Ruth starts with a seemingly tragic story of Naomi and her family. While living the land of Judah because of the famine in the land, they decided to settle in the land of Moab, where her sons married Moabites women – Oprah and Ruth. Late on, Naomi’s husband died together with her two sons.

Key Points:

(1)  Will you still trust God if everything that you pray for, longs for, wants for, and dreams for happens otherwise?

2 Kinds of Response:

(a)  Ruth 1:21 noted a normal person’s common response: (1) Devastation, (2) Losing of Hope, and (3) Questioning God. This is a negative response.

(b)  Going along with God on this process (Ruth 1:16-17). This is a positive response.

(2)  If God has another plan, the Lord sometimes uses circumstances that seemingly disadvantageous to us, but at the end, it is only to put us into a more favorable situation.

·        If there is no famine in Bethlehem-Judah, Naomi’s family will not go in the land of Moabites and they will never meet Ruth.

·        If Naomi’s husband and sons didn’t die, she will never ever thought of going back to her homeland where she came from

·        I realized here, that sometimes, good things (e.g., greener pasture, better life) made us so complacent in life that we sometimes forget the reason why God put us to a certain place.

·        It is only when we are alone and broken, that we started to look back and reach out to God again.

·        Being alone, Naomi is just a stranger in the land of the Moabites and this makes her even more devastated. Going back to Jerusalem, however, will make her closer to the people and land she is familiar with. Closer to home makes her feel that she has family.

·        It is normal thing for a person to have wanting to have a family and sense of security and comfort.

·        I saw here that through Naomi’s brokenness, she decided to go back home. If God didn’t break Naomi, Naomi and Ruth might never go back to Jerusalem.

·        Do, I see here that God uses our brokenness for a greater purpose.

(3)  God’s plan to our life is just a fraction of God’s overall plan to man or the big picture.

·        Chapter 4 of Ruth reveals that God’s plan to Ruth is not just to marry Boaz out of God’s compassion, love and protection for Naomi and reward of Ruth’s faithfulness; rather, it is part of the greatest plan of redemption of all.

·        Verses 21 and 22 of Chapter 4 says Boaz begat Obed, and Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David. Out of David’s descendants comes the Messiah – our Lord Jesus Christ, who saves us from our sins and reconciled us back to God.

·        Meaning, God already has His plan beforehand. In His omniscient mind, God saw that Ruth will become faithful, so, God let her to mother a generation wherein our Lord Jesus Christ will eventually came from.

·        Same way for us individually. God is training us now in order to become a broken and fitted vessel to share the glory of God to people. As a fraction of a whole, I am one of the body of Christ. Collectively, we are the Church.

Why Ruth and Boaz?

Ruth’s Character:

(1)  Faithfulness (Ruth 2:11-13)

Ruth shows her faithfulness by:

(a)  Showing reverence and honor to Naomi (verse 11)

(b)  Complete trust to God (verse 12)

(c)   By being grateful to Boaz, whom the Lord sent for their aid (verse 13)

2 Corinthians 9:8 (ESV) God is able to make all grace abounds to you, so that, having al sufficiency in all this, you may abound in every good works.

(2)  Submission through Obedience (Ruth 3:1-5)

·        When Naomi instructs Ruth what to do. Ruth simply obeys without hesitations

·        If we submit to the Lord, we simply obey God without murmurings and hesitations.

Boaz’ Character:

Man of Responsibility through:

(1)  Sense of Respect (Ruth 3:11-13)

(a)  To Others (verse 11)

He never takes advantage to Ruth even she willingly offers herself to him.

(b)  To Authority/Hierarchy (verse 12)

He never bypass another kinsman or family members that is relatively closer in relation to Naomi than him.

(c)   To Time (verse 13)

The keyword is tarry. Even though the decision of the other family member will not be sure and they do not know the time that it will render to come up for a decision, Boaz still instructs Ruth to wait.

I understood here the importance of the essence of time in order for us to not make a decision in haste, only to regret later.

Thus so, the Lord blessed Boaz and Ruth.

Conclusion

            We usually do not understand the Lord’s plan in our life. All we can do is to trust God that all of His plan is in favor of us and wait for His instructions.