A Nugget from New Life Network
Scripture for the Day (March 14, 2017)
I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved. And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God. (Romans 9:25-26)
There are only four women listed in the Bible as part of the lineage of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1). Ruth is one of them! There are only two books in the Bible that are named and dedicated to the life of a woman. Ruth is one of them! That would indicate to me that this woman, and this book of the Bible, is pretty important. With that in mind, let’s take a brief look at the life and times of Ruth.
There was a famine in the land of Bethlehem Judah and Elimelech, his wife Naomi and their two sons, moved to Moab to escape the famine. It should be noted at this point that God had told His people to never seek the prosperity of Moab (Deuteronomy 23:6). Elimelech and the two sons all died in Moab and left Naomi with two Moabite daughters-in-law. This is one more example of what happens when we get out from under the protective hand of God and open ourselves up to the wiles of the enemy.
Naomi decides that the best thing to do is to return to her homeland of Bethlehem Judah. She tried to convince both daughters-in-law (Orpah and Ruth) to stay in their own country of Moab. Orpah finally agreed to stay but Ruth (whose name means friend) was steadfast about going with Naomi and made this faith declaration to Naomi which changed her life forever:
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: (Ruth 1:16)
After returning to Bethlehem Judah with Naomi, Ruth started working in a corn field that belonged to a man named Boaz who was a kinsman to Naomi’s late husband. Ruth found great favor with Boaz because she had been so faithful to leave her country of Moab and take such good care of Naomi:
Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger? And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore. The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust. (Ruth 2:10-12)
Boaz became the kinsman redeemer (a perfect picture of Jesus) for Ruth and they were married. They had a son from that marriage who was named Obed (which is where we get our word obedient from). Obed became the father of Jesse, who became the father of David. Quite a heritage!
This whole story is about the redemptive power of Jesus Christ and about how God can turn the very things that the enemy means for harm to the good if we are obedient. It is also important to note that the mother of Boaz was Rahab, a prostitute that helped the spies sent by Joshua. Ruth was a Moabite that served other Gods. However, these two women are in the bloodline of Jesus Christ. That tells me that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Regardless of what your background has been, or what you were born into, you can decide like Ruth to walk away and serve the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob through Jesus Christ.
And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. (Matthew 19:29)
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Hebrews 11:6)
