Today, we continue our journey through the Bible with today’s study of Ruth. May we remember to ask God to show us what He wants us to learn? Psalm 19:14; “May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock, and my Redeemer.”
As we study the Bible alone or in a group setting, I think there are several questions we can ask ourselves to help us dig deeper. The five questions are as follows:
- What does the scripture say about God?
- Then what does the scripture say about me?
- Does something in this passage challenge me?
- What gives me hope in this passage?
- Is anything unclear to me?
I hope these questions help you as much as they help me.
Ruth
Author: Unknown but possibly Samuel.
Audience: The people of Israel
Date Written: Sometime after the period of the judges (1375-1050 B.C.)
Length: 4 Chapters
Key Words: Redemption
Key Verses: “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” (1:16)
Key People: Ruth, Naomi, Boaz
Summary of Ruth:
Many people consider the book of Ruth as a literary gem. In fact, Dr. Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) read it to friends in a London literary club. Thinking the book as a new work, they praised the work for its simplicity and beauty. Ruth is one of two books in the Bible in which a woman appears as the main character. The other book is Esther which we will study later on.
The central theme shows us the importance of faithful love in human relationships. We also learn that acceptance into God’s family does happen because of our family lineage but by our willingness to follow His will in daily life. Finally, Ruth shows us how a Gentile woman become one of the ancestors of Christ because of selfless acts towards her mother-in-law.
Sections of the Book:
The book of Ruth has six periods which are:
- Ruth’s time in Moab (1:1-5)
- The families sad return to Bethlehem (1:6-22)
- Ruth works in the fields of Boaz (2)
- Ruth becomes married to Boaz (4:13)
- The grandfather of David is born (4:13-16)
- David’s genealogy is provided (4:18-22)
Messages in Ruth:
The Hebrew word for redemption or similar meaning words are used twenty-three times in the Book of Ruth. Some of the significant transformations are as follows:
- Naomi becomes transformed from despair to happiness.
- The family moves from destitution to hope and security.
- Both Naomi and Ruth move from emptiness to fullness.
This book foreshadows how Christ will redeem His people throughout the New Testament. As Boaz redeems Naomi and Ruth, Jesus will save His people by His birth, death, and resurrection. Salvation moves us from despair to happiness, from destitution to hope, and from emptiness to fullness.
Final thoughts:
Throughout the book’s pages, we see how Ruth’s decisions enriched her life. Ruth shows humbleness while still being industrious in her actions. In addition, she accepts wise counsel from her mother-in-law. Then, she agrees to a providential marriage to Boaz, which makes her part of a royal line in David’s family tree. Finally, we learn of God’s sovereignty (1:6; 4:13) and providence (2:3) from Ruth’s example of living a righteous life.
Lessons from the Bible
Each book of the Bible contains lessons for us to learn and historical information. We need to study God’s Word to see what to do and what not to do in life. Paul reminds us of the importance of the words within the text in 2 Timothy 3.
2 Timothy 3:14-17; “14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
Prayer
Heavenly Father, guide our thoughts as we study your Word. Please show us how to apply the principles to our daily lives. Thank you for the many blessings we find within its pages. In Jesus’ Holy Name. Amen.
Do you need prayer? I would love to pray for you. Submit your prayer request on my website at https://yvonne-morgan.com/submit-your-prayer-request-here/
Grace and Peace to you,
Yvonne M. Morgan is a Christian #author, #blogger, and #speaker. #BibleGatewayPartner
Matthew 28:19 “Therefore, GO and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
Additional Resources:
Humility, industriousness, reliance on wise counsel. A smart way to live. Great post, Yvonne. God bless!
Thanks Nancy. I pray to live a life of faith like Ruth. God bless
I so enjoy these Ms. Yvonne. I’m always amazed at what both women in this story teach me. I pray there are traits of both Ruth and Naomi in me. God’s blessings sweet friend.
Me too my friend. I hope my faith always shines through my life like it did for theirs. Thanks JD. May the Lord bless you and your family in the coming year.
Love how you paralleled the 3 transformations to our salvation, Yvonne!
Thanks Ava. Wishing you and your family a blessed New Year
So beautifully written, Yvonne! I appreciate the wisdom and commitment to read God’s Word to learn what He is saying to His people and to us. This story is so moving. The loyal love of family when all seems lost. The humility and hard work that is noticed by a Godly man and leader. The hand of God welcoming a Gentile woman into His family and into the lineage of our Savior. How great is our God! May we read with fresh hunger to know Him more. God bless you, Yvonne!
Our God is so great. We need to shout it from the rooftops. Thanks Melissa. May the Lord continue to bless you and your family in the New Year v🥰
The Book of Ruth is filled with lessons about God’s care for the poor. We also see the providence of God bringing in a Gentile convert to Judaism to be Messiah’s own ancestor.
Thanks Melinda. I pray the Lord blesses you and your family in the New Year.
We can learn a lot from Ruth and her life journey. Each time I read her story, I glean something new.
Me too. It is beautiful. May your new year be full of blessings.
Yvonne, I’ve always loved the book of Ruth. And interesting how you note it’s a literary gem. I never realized that, but can certainly see why. So thankful for the picture of redemption this book of the Bible paints for us.
Thanks Karen. It is a beautiful story of redemption that helps us all these years later. Wishing you and your family a happy New Year.
This is such an outstanding book! You hit the proverbial nail on the head when you said, “Each book of the Bible contains lessons for us to learn and historical information. We need to study God’s Word to see what to do and what not to do in life.” We can learn so much from Ruth… and Naomi! Thank you, Yvonne!
Thank you Jessica. Wishing you and yours a blessed New Year.