Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons. Ruth 1:1
We all know how the book of Ruth ends, with the gentile widow in happy marriage to the wealthy redeemer of Bethlehem. But the book starts off with a raft of tragedies. First there was the terrible choice of abandoning the land of blessing to dwell in enemy territory. Then there was the tragic death of Elimelech, followed by Naomi’s decision to remain in Moab with her boys instead of returning home as she should. She then saw those boys married to Gentile girls, contrary to what they had been taught. Not until the young men died did Naomi get the message that she needed to get back to Bethlehem. But despite all of Naomi’s wrong moves, God was able to bring blessing to both her and Ruth.
You and I are like Ruth, born into a history of human tragedy that began with our first parents and their departure from Eden. That tragedy was not our fault, but we continued the tragedy of sinfulness in our own experiences. We encountered the Gospel message and were faced with a choice, just like Ruth and Orpah. Through the grace of God we were saved, and like Ruth, were brought into rich blessings. Today we appreciate those blessings, as we appreciate how far our Redeemer has brought us.
Nothing that happened to Ruth in Bethlehem could have come about if Boaz had been a poor man. Nor could it have occurred if he had been unkind or stingy. His character reminds us of One Who would love us, would pay the great price of our redemption, and would kindly enfold us in His great salvation forever.
The One Who we worship and remember today is a direct descendent of Boaz and Ruth. Their love story is a sweet reminder of our wonderful relationship with our Redeemer. -Jim MacIntosh
Here is the link to the video of this message: https://youtu.be/xASlwvr2dN0