Do you have fifteen minutes to spare? Read the book of Ruth – it's only four chapters and it'll take you about fifteen minutes to read from beginning to end. As you're reading this fabulous narrative out loud listen to the number of times you hear the word kindness – which is the English translation of the Hebrew word ḥesed (חֶסֶד) meaning "loyal love or loving kindness". The book of Ruth tells a great story, but it only makes complete sense when we discover how it fits into the bigger story of the whole Bible – the unfolding account of God's transforming kindness as it is poured out on a fallen world. Great stories have great plots with well-defined characters who experience a full range of emotions including defeat, pain, joy, and triumph. What makes the story of Ruth great are the details within the plot that illustrate how the Lord fulfills His plan to show transforming kindness to rebellious people.
Three takeaways from my time in the book of Ruth this week.
1. God is in control of our circumstances. I know I've mentioned this before but it's worth reiterating. There's no chance in our circumstance! We see throughout the story of Ruth events that seemingly transpire "by chance" but when read in its entirety, we see the hidden hand of God sovereignly directing the activities of humanity. For example, in chapter 2 we're told that Naomi had a relative on her husband's side from the clan of Elimelech, a man of social and economic standing, whose name was Boaz (2:1). When Ruth then goes out to glean in the fields, the text says, "As it turned out, she found herself working in a field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelech" (2:3) Of all the fields in all of Bethlehem, Ruth just so happened to glean in one of fields belonging to Boaz?! Chance encounter? I think not. God doesn't do coincidences. Particular people are found in particular places at particular times and play their part in God's unfolding plan of transforming kindness. The sooner you realize God is in control and you aren't, the better off you'll be – trust me on this one.
2. God loves to use ordinary people for His purposes. The story of Ruth is centered around the ordinary family of Elimelech – not a family of great influence nor position – but rather one who experiences great tragedy in the foreign land of Moab leaving Naomi and Ruth destitute widows. It is through Naomi, who God has emptied, and through Ruth – the foreigner from the land of Moab which has a scandalous pedigree and a bad history with Israel – that God demonstrates His transforming kindness. God did not use the rich and influential but rather He chose to use the lowly and ordinary to accomplish His purposes.
3. God is our redeemer. The term for redeem, redeemer, and redemption goel (גאל), is seen twenty-three times in the story of Ruth. "The essence of redemption is reversal—the reversal of a bad situation, at the expense of a redeemer."1 Naomi and Ruth found themselves in a bad situation but God had provided them Boaz – their kinsman-redeemer – who was perfectly suited to reverse their misfortunes. Likewise, humanity has found itself in a bad situation – one which requires redemption – and in His lovingkindness, God has accomplished our redemption through the life, death, and resurrection of His son Jesus – who was perfectly suited to redeem us.
Remember, as you and I experience the Lord's transforming kindness we become part of His plan to bring others into His story – transforming them by His lovingkindness. That is the pattern the Lord has followed throughout human history and it is a pattern He continues to follow today.
May God bless you and keep you this week!
In Christ,
Patrick Ransom
[1] Jonathan Prime, Opening up Ruth, Opening Up Commentary (Leominster: Day One Publications, 2007), 15.