Bible Study: Worldnet Grace Ministries

THE BOOK OF RUTH

Introduction
By Johnny Tatum

PART 2: A JEWEL SHINING AGAINST DARKNESS

Four Ways the Book of Ruth Is Extremely Important:

(1) HISTORICAL ASPECTS

Historically, the book of Ruth is important in the following two ways:

CHRONOLOGICAL CONTEXT

The book of Ruth took place during the period of the Judges, a very dark time in Israel. Is that not amazing? The best love story in the Bible set against that dark background.

A Picture:

DIAMONDS IN JEWELRY STORES

If you go by any jewelry store, you will see their best diamonds displayed on a dark background.

Application: The beauty of the book of Ruth shines better seen against the dark background of Judges.

The story of Judges is a period of decline for the Israelites; they even endure a period of slavery under the Canaanites.

Occasionally, the Israelites would yell Help! and every time they did so, God would help them. God waited patiently during all those years for His own people to cry out:

Help!

to Him. Just reading the book of Judges gives one a picture of the Israelites turning their hearts away from God, falling into sin and slavery, and occasionally, yelling Help! Whereby God would jump in and help. You would think [wrongly] that all of the time the Israelites were not yelling Help! God was helpless; He was not.

Good News:

GOD CONTINUES WORKING

Beware of thinking that God is sitting by helpless and waiting for us. Instead:

God is NOT dependent on human beings!

People who tell you that God needs us [to do something] are mistaken. Although He is sovereign, God has chosen to give the redeemed things as they ask and believe Him — to a point. Know that:

Even when the redeemed do not ask and believe, God is still working.

For the benefit of the redeemed, God wants them to participate in His working in their lives so they can enjoy it. However, even if the redeemed do not participate, God is still working.

That is what we see in the comparison between the books of Judges and Ruth. In Judges, the Israelites yell Help! and God intervenes. During all those times they are not yelling Help! — God is still doing something.

As we will see, it was during one of those intervals, when the Israelites did not yell Help! when God brought Ruth in. Though she was not even an Israelite, God sovereignly moved against the background of Judges. God was working.

THE GEOGRAPHICAL SETTING

The book of Ruth brings the messianic line to Bethlehem of Judea, the City of David. If we did not have the book of Ruth, we would not know why Bethlehem was the ancestral home of King David and, of course, of Joseph (legal father of Jesus of Nazareth) and of Mary (biological mother of Jesus of Nazareth).

Though the lineage of Messiah Jesus goes back to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, it was only through Boaz that Bethlehem was established as the ancestral home. Why? When Boaz redeemed the property in Bethlehem, he became the first person in the messianic line to own land [with wanderers (nomads)]. Abraham bought land, but it was used only as a gravesite.

Note: The ancestral home was defined as the first place in the Land where the family descendants owned land.

"So I thought to inform you, saying, 'Buy before those who are sitting, and before the elders of my people. If you will redeem, redeem, but if not, tell me that I may know; for there is no one but you to redeem, and I am after you,'" And he said, "I will redeem." Then Boaz said, "On the day you buy the field for the hand of Naomi, you must also acquire Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of the deceased, in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance." The closes relative said, "I cannot redeem for myself, because I would jeopardize my own inheritance. Redeem for yourself; you may have my right of redemption, for I cannot redeem." Now this was in former times in Israel concerning the redemption and the exchange [of land] to confirm any matter: a man removed his sandal and gave it to another; and this was the attestation in Israel. So the closest relative said to Boaz, "Buy for yourself." And he removed his sandal. Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, "You are witnesses today that I have bought for the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon. Moreover, I have acquired Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, to be my wife in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance, so that the name of the deceased may not be cut off from his brothers or from the court of his place; you are witnesses today." All the people who were in the court, and the elders, said, "We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built the house of Israel; and may you achieve wealth in Ephrathah and become famous in Bethlehem. Moreover, may your house be like the house of Perez whom Tamar bore to Judah, through the offspring which the Lord shall give you by this young woman." (Ruth 4:4-12)

When Caesar Augustus decreed all Jews were to go back to their ancestral home, where did Joseph and Mary go? They went to Bethlehem because of what happened in the book of Ruth:

Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all were proceeding to register for the census, everyone to his own city. Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child. While they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son (Jesus). (Luke 2:1-7)

Bethlehem is the focal point of everything in the book of Ruth.

Illustration:

RENAISSANCE PAINTERS

The focal point of the book of Ruth, Bethlehem, reminds me of the work of the Renaissance painters who painted images of the life of Messiah. Those masterpieces, including "The Last Supper" by Leonardo da Vinci, were created whereby all lines converge on the face of Messiah Jesus.

A ROUGH ACCOUNT OF THE ELIMELECH FAMILY

Elimelech [a Jew] is married to Naomi [a Jewess] and they live in Bethlehem. They have two sons, Mahlon and Chilion. There is a famine around Bethlehem, so they go to Moab.

While in Moab, the two sons marry two girls from Moab, Ruth and Orpah. Elimelech dies, and then Mahlon and Chilion (his name sounds like something you would buy at a hot dog stand -sic!) die.

Shortly thereafter, Naomi decides to go back to Bethlehem. The two daughter-in-laws say We will go with you. Naomi says No, no. Orpah stays in Moab, but Ruth insists so Naomi and Ruth go to Bethlehem.

BETHLEHEM IS WHERE—

The Elimelech Family lived.

Naomi returned with Ruth.

Boaz lived.

Ruth was redeemed.

Ruth married Boaz.

Boaz and Ruth's son, Obed, was born.

Boaz and Ruth lived their entire married life.

Therefore, they established the ancestral home of King David at Bethlehem. And that was why Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth, was born in Bethlehem.

If it was not for the events in the book of Ruth, King David would not have been born in Bethlehem, and Jesus of Nazareth would not have either.

(2) DISPENSATIONAL ASPECTS

Dispensationally, the book of Ruth is important as follows:

One: Grace Over Law

Ruth was excluded form Israel because she was from Moab; she came in by grace.

The Law excludes everybody; however, Grace triumphs over Law.

Two: God Was Moving from the Time of the Jews to the Time of the Gentiles

Elimelech and his family were Jews in the Land who went out of the Land to Moab.

Picture: At the Cross, the nation of Israel rejected Jesus of Nazareth. When they did, God turned to the Gentiles. God graciously gave the Jews 40 more years in the Land, and then they were taken out of the Land in 70 A.D.

Application: The Jews stepped out of God's purpose and the Gentiles were brought in to take their place.

Elimelech and his family (all Jews) went out of the Land, and then Ruth (a Gentile) was brought in; she was grafted into the family.

Picture: The body of believers was brought back into the foundation of Israel; they were grafted in. That is why Messiah Jesus said:

For salvation is of the Jews. (John 4:22)

That means the Jews are the trunk. However, the Jews got cut off [temporarily], and the Gentiles were grafted in on their trunk.

The book of Ruth tells us about a Jewish husband and a Gentile bride.

Does that sound familiar?

Picture: The bride of Messiah is Gentile.

Three: The Relationship with Human Government

The book of Ruth is placed in the Bible between the book of Judges and the book of 1 Samuel.

In the book of Judges, we see the failure of the theocracy (Government by God ruling). We think Oh what a shame! Actually, it was good. God could not let theocracy prevail, because the whole foundation of that theocracy was the Mosaic system. It had to fail.

Again, in the book of Judges, we have the failure of theocracy. Then we have the book of Ruth. And then in the book of 1 Samuel, the monarchy was established — the picture of the Kingdom.

Do you see the whole picture?

The Whole Body of Regenerate Persons In Prophecy
Book of Judges	The Time of the Jews
Book of Ruth	The Church Age
Book of 1 Samuel	The Millennial Kingdom

Four: The Jews Were Out of the Place of Blessing

The Gentile girl, Ruth, was brought in. However, the Jewess, Naomi, brought Ruth in.

Picture: Biblical Judaism brought the Gentiles to Messiah Jesus.

Therefore the Law has become our tutor to Messiah, so that we may be justified by faith. (Galatians 3:24)

Naomi and Ruth go back to the place of blessing, Bethlehem, from Moab.

[What a Great] Picture: A Jew is bringing a Gentile into the position of blessing!

Next:

Ruth Introduction, Part 3: WAS RUTH THE LINK FOR THE NEW TESTAMENT?

To: Matthew 1:1-17, PRESENTING THE GENEALOGY OF JESUS OF NAZARETH: KING!

Back To: Ruth Series Page

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