Ruth

During the days when the judges ruled, while Israel was in a state of anarchy, there was a famine in the land. Naomi moved to Moab with her husband Judah and their two sons.

It is important to note that the pagan Moabites were the descendants of Lot, who worshipped many other gods, NOT the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

After Naomi’s husband died, her two sons married Moabite women. Ten short years later both of Naomi’s sons died. The widow Naomi was utterly bereft. After hearing that the Lord had come to the aid of His people in Judah, Naomi and her two surviving daughters-in-law Orpah and Ruth prepared to move with her to Judah.

Along the road, in her grief, Naomi prayed “May the Lord grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband.” (Ruth 1:9) They all wept together and Orpah kissed Naomi goodbye but Ruth replied “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God will be my God.” (Ruth 1:16)

Out of the family of Ruth, our Lord in His grace chose a simple pagan girl to produce the world’s Savior. Eventually God led Ruth back to Bethlehem where she met Boaz, her ‘kinsman’ redeemer’.

Our Holy God has His way of confounding the wise. He adopted a non-Jew, a pagan girl who learned of the one true God. She married Boaz who was the son of Rahab, the harlot who helped Joshua in his conquest of Jericho. Ruth a pagan Moabite was the great-grandmother of King David.

This truth is revealed in the bloodline of the Messiah in Matthew 1:5. “A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ:” All the names are listed in Matthew that lead to Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.”

The bloodline of the Messiah in Matthew 1:5. “A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ: Abraham the father of Isaac, Jacob the father of Judah…Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth; Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David;………and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.” Hallelujah!