Ruth- Christ Through the Bible

Text: And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: ¹⁷ Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.

Introduction-This is a love story without the mention of love.

The theme of marriage occupies much of the story, but when viewed as the ideal romance between faithful Ruth and godly Boaz, the rich theology of this book passes right under the noses of many of its admirers. Before the story is about this couple, it is about God. The book of Ruth is first and foremost about the covenant faithfulness of the LORD to ensure the arrival of our Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ.

God providentially guides and blesses all who trust Him.  Ruth exemplifies God’s grace in the midst of suffering. The story of Ruth is about a Gentile woman of Moab who chose to serve the God of Israel and was richly blessed by Him. The book shows Gentiles are not outside the scope of redeeming love.

The book shows how Ruth, a Moabitess, became the great-grandmother to David. It brings the genealogy down to David and so, to David’s greater Son- Jesus the Christ.

Ruth’s place in revelation has to do with the genealogy of Jesus through David (4:17-22). The message of Ruth is about the macro picture of God’s providential working through Israel to bring the Messiah. God is providentially active at work in the lives within the book but also in the scope of history. His work is often unseen in the dark days of the judges. God puts Ruth in the royal line of David and Jesus (Mt 1:5).

There is no explicit time indicated in the book, other than that the story occurred when the “judges judged” (literally: 1:1)—probably near the end of the period of the judges, which covered 450 years (Acts 13:20).

The story of Ruth took place over a period of 10 years.

The genealogy in Ruth (4:17-22) does not mention Solomon, indicating that the book was written during David’s monarchy, 1010-970 B.C.

The book of Ruth is named after its chief character. It is interesting that the book is not called after Naomi (the senior character) or after Elimelech (the head of the house), but after Ruth, the Moabitess, the stranger (non-Hebrew) who sought after God. Ruth ultimately became an ancestor of the Messiah (see genealogy of Jesus, Mt 1:5). Ruth is a book dealing with the providential working of God upon the hand of a woman.

Jews read the book of Ruth annually on the Feast of Pentecost commemorating the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai (Ex 23:16); this was the beginning of the First fruits offering. Ruth was betrothed during the First fruits celebration (Ruth 3:2).

The Kinsman-Redeemer: Boaz, the kinsman-redeemer, was typical of Jesus in His redemption of man. Resolve to redeem is crucial for redemption.  The book has a focus on redemption: “redeem,” “redeemer,” “redemption,” and “kinsman-redeemer” used 20 times.  It also has a focus on “mercy” – God’s faithfulness borne out of kindness and love (1:8; 2:20; 3:10).

The kinsman-redeemer provides a type of Jesus, the Kinsman-Redeemer (Deut. 25:5-6; Ruth 4:9-17). Boaz accepted this responsibility because his brother, had died.

The genealogy of Jesus included several non-Jews (Mt 1). God showed grace in the line of David:

Tamar the Canaanite (Mt 1:3)

Rahab the Canaanite harlot (Mt 1:5)

Ruth the Moabite (Mt 1:5)

Bathsheba, probably a Hittite (Mt 1:6

Matthew 1:5 is the only other mention of Ruth in the Bible, outside the book of Ruth itself.

Ruth is a love story without the use of the word “love.”

The book is the only example of the law of the kinsman-redeemer in motion.

The genealogy at the end of the book is an important link to Christ.

Ruth was read at the Feast of Pentecost (it was a book of grace).

 Introduction

We are going to begin the study of the book of Ruth. The book of Ruth is a very brief book of four chapters. That means that we will not be spending a great deal of time on the book because there isn't that much of it, but we will be thinking together about some truths that I believe will be of real interest to us.

I would like to begin by calling to your attention what I think is at least an observation. I always think about this when we have any kind of discussion related to the book of Ruth. There are only three books in the Bible with women as central figures. Those three books are Esther, Ruth, and the second epistle of John, which is addressed to the elect lady. Many times attention is called to the fact that there are two books in the Bible which have for their names the names of women–Ruth and Esther. That is true, but I want to emphasize that there is the other book of II John, which has the one to whom the book is addressed, the elect lady. Who that lady was, no one knows. There has been a number of observations made as to whom she might have been, but there is no definite evidence as to who she was.

Related to Preservation

I have suggested that these three books are related to the subject of preservation, and I am personally of the opinion that this is one of the reasons they are included in the canon of Scripture. Ruth, is included in the canon of Scripture that the Messianic line might be preserved, because if we did not have the record of the genealogy which we have in the book of Ruth, then there would be no way to trace the Lord Jesus Christ and His lineage to David.

Time Period of the Book

As we begin our study of the book of Ruth, I think it is important for us to recognize that it is an appendix to the book of Judges. As a matter of fact, in the Hebrew Bible, it is arranged as part of the book of Judges. The reason for that is what you find in the first phrase of the first verse, “it came to pass,” when the Judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. This sets immediately the time for the story as found in the book of Judges, a time about which we will have a bit more to say a little later. You can see from this first statement why it would be considered an appendix to the book of Judges because it is additional information for that which you find within the book of Judges itself.

Importance of the Genealogical Record

Another thing to be recognized is that it is a connecting link between the Judges, which was a form of government, and the king, which began with Saul–more properly with David, who was God's first choice as king. Even though Saul was anointed as king, you will remember that God's first choice was David. If you are familiar with the Scripture, you will recognize that the connecting link between the period of the judges and the period of the monarchy is the book of Ruth because of what you find in verses 21 and 22 of chapter 4. There you read:

Ruth 4:21-22 And Salmon begat Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed, And Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David.

This genealogical record, with which the book of Ruth closes, makes a connecting link between the period of the judges and the period of the kings.

The third thing that we should emphasize is there would be no historical reference upon which the genealogy which traced the Lord Jesus Christ to David and thus proved that He was the Son of David as well as the Son of Abraham. There is no genealogical record which permits this except this genealogical record which you find in the book of Ruth.

It might be wise for us to take just a few minutes to turn to the Gospel of Matthew and notice the genealogical record which is presented in the first chapter that you might understand the importance of what I am suggesting to you.

Luke follows the same procedure, including in the genealogy of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Four Illustrations of God's Grace

I don't know whether you noticed or not that genealogical line in Matthew four illustrations of the grace of God. If you were humanly writing the lineage of a king, you would be very careful not to mention any black sheep in the family; but in this genealogy, four women are named, and all four of them are symbols of what God's grace can actually do.  They are examples of woman of questionable lineage and character.

1.      For example, here is Ruth who was a Moabite, and according to the Scripture, could not come into the congregation of the Lord until the fourth generation, yet the grace of God opened the door for her entrance.

2.      Here was Rahab who many people consider to be a harlot–Rahab, the one who believed the twelve spies when they came into the land of Israel. Here she is an ancestor of the Lord Jesus Christ.

3.      Then there is Tamra, who was a prostitute, or at least who acted the part of a prostitute in seducing Judah. Here she is in the genealogical line of the Lord Jesus Christ.

4.      Then of course there is Bathsheba, the wife of Urias. You well know the story of adultery involved in that. Only God's grace could provide for the mention of the individuals such as these. All of us ought to be grateful for that grace because it is the only reason any of us are related to the family of God.

Ruth 4:6 And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: redeem thou my right to thyself; for I cannot redeem it.7

In the days of Gideon, when famine occurred in the land of Israel, the family of Elimelech went down to Moab expecting to find bread. The interesting thing is in order to go down to Moab, they had to leave Bethlehem; and Bethlehem is translated by the phrase, “the house of bread.” They left “the house of bread” and went down into Moab, lost everything they had and did not begin to have any of it returned until they came back to the place of God's appointment, “the house of bread.”

Chapter 1: Where’s the bread?

Ruth opens with the words, “In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land, and a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab.” This is almost comical, since Bethlehem is a compound word in the Hebrew, combining beth, “house,” with lehem, “bread.” Bethlehem, the House of Bread, has no more bread in it!  Naomi, after the passing of her husband and two sons, hears that “the Lord had visited his people and given them food” (1:6), and so she returns.

This points to a future time when the Lord will visit his people and give them food. Except the difference is that the Lord, I AM, will not merely give his people food, he will be their food. He will visit them, not only providentially, but also physically. He will announce to them, “I am the bread of life.”

Chapter 2: The wings of the Lord

The temptation in chapter 2 would be to compare Boaz – who gives food to Ruth, with leftovers – to Jesus – who fed the 4000 and 5000, with leftovers. But that smacks of the “this reminds me!” fallacy that we ought to avoid. Rather than drawing comparisons, trace the storyline of redemptive history.  The part that points to the redemptive historical climax in Jesus is Boaz’s statement in 2:12, “The Lord repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!”

Here in chapter 2 we see a pagan, idolatrous Gentile come under the wings of the Lord. There would come a time when many more among the nations would do the same. But not until, in a stunning twist of irony, God’s own people refuse to come under his wing:  “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!” (Matthew 23:37, parallel Luke 13:34)

It was Israel’s rejection of Jesus, which included his atoning death on the cross, that opened the door for the nations – you and I – to come under his wing of protection from God’s wrath.

Chapter 3: Finding rest

The chapter begins and ends with the theme of rest. In 3:1, Naomi asks Ruth, “My daughter, should I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you?” Then in the last verse of the chapter, Naomi assures Ruth that Boaz “will not rest but will settle the matter today” (3:18). The principle is that the redeemer doesn’t rest until he accomplishes rest for his beloved. Furthermore, we see that the redeemer does this on behalf of the Lord. This can be seen in the connection the author makes between Boaz’s and Ruth’s statements about “wings”. Boaz says, “a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge” (2:12). Ruth, in a manner of speaking, views Boaz as the incarnation of the Lord’s wing when she says, “Spread your wings over your servant, for you are a redeemer” (3:9).  But, as the author of Hebrews tells us, there is a rest that God’s people are still waiting for (Hebrews 4:8-9). Ruth chapter 3 points to the actual incarnation of our redeemer, Jesus, who promises, “I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29; same Greek word for “rest” as the Ruth).

Chapter 4: A son who anticipates the Son

The story concludes with Boaz and Ruth being married, and Ruth giving birth to a son. In this chapter, the responsibility of pointing to Jesus shifts from Boaz to this new son. There are five ways this son points forward to the birth of God’s Son.

1. This son is born in Bethlehem (4:11).

2. This son is referred to as “the offspring” in the midst of a comparison to Judah (4:12). The word “offspring” often is a technical term used to identify someone who will have a special role in God’s plan of salvation. It is first used of Eve’s offspring who will crush the head of the serpent (Genesis 3:15). Later this word is used in reference to the offspring of Abraham who will inherit the land (Genesis 17:7-8), and the offspring of David who will sit on the throne forever (2 Samuel 7:12). Each of these promises are fulfilled in Jesus (see Revelation 13:3, Galatians 3:15-16, and Luke 1:32-33, respectively).

3. This son was conceived through a unique demonstration of God’s power, “and the Lord gave her conception” (4:13). Jesus also would be conceived in an even greater demonstration of power, in a virgin.

4. The women of the town bless Naomi, saying the son, “shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age” (4:15). The delightful renewal Naomi experienced was only foretaste of the complete restoration of eternal life that God’s Son would provide.

5. This son is the next step toward the coming of David, from whom would come the Messiah, Jesus (4:17-22, see the genealogies in Matthew 1 and Luke 3).

Conclusion

A few observations regarding the application of this method. You might even call them rules of thumb.

1. As I said before, the goal is not to point to Jesus in the OT, but rather to discover how the OT points forward in the storyline to the coming of Jesus, and what he will accomplish in fulfillment of the OT.

2. Notice that the aspect of what points to Jesus changes throughout the book. It would be a mistake to say Boaz is the only pointer to Jesus because he is the kinsman redeemer. This is especially clear in chapter one, where he doesn’t appear, and chapter four, where there is strong evidence that the newborn son is the pointer.

3. The kind of pointer changes from chapter to chapter. Abraham, Moses, David, etc. will be the pointer to Jesus in some of their stories, but not in others. So, look for trajectories in theme or the part of story that demands an intensified resolution. The strongest pointers, however, are quotations or allusions of the OT in the NT, which we don’t have many of in the Book of Ruth.

Have you been redeemed?  You have been bought by the price of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  If you have not accepted Him, you still have time.  Don’t die in the land of Moab when there is life in the Bread of Life.