The story of Ruth - Ancestor of the Lord Jesus
Ishak Natan
April 2021, Jan 2022
Foreword
The main message of this book is rest. The thought of rest /
tranquility colors the entire book of Ruth in the Old Testament Bible.
In the Middle East the position of a woman without a husband is
dangerous and there are many trials. Only in a husband's house can she
feel safe, comfortable and protected.
Chapter
1 outline:
Elimelech and his family
fled
from their home in the promised land of Israel because of the prolonged
dry season and lack of foods.
Driven by hunger, this family migrated to the land of Moab
and Elimelech died there.
Mahlon and Chilion, his two sons married Moabite girls, and they died
too.
Elimelek's
wife Naomi had heard in the country of Moab that how the LORD had
visited his people in giving them bread.
She intends to return to her
home in Beth-lehem-judah
followed
by Orpah and Ruth. However Naomi prevented her
two
daughters-in-law from going with her. Orpah left her; And Ruth said,
Entreat me not to leave you, or to return from following after you: for
where you go, I will go; and where you lodge, I will lodge: your people
shall be my people, and your God my God: Where you die, will I
die, and
there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if
anything but death parts you and me. (Ru 1:16-17)
Finally they both arrived at Beth-lehem, where they were happily
welcomed.
Chapter 2 outline:
Ruth was picking up grains of barley from the field of Boaz. He asked
the identity of the foreign woman and was answered by his servant.
Boaz
noticed her, and showed his generosity. What Ruth got, she brought to
Naomi. (Ruth 2:1-23)
Chapter
3 outline:
Naomi directed Ruth to approach Boaz to sleep beside his feet,
for he was Elimelech's kinsman who could redeem. In the middle of the
night Boaz was surprised and a brief conversation ensued. Boaz
acknowledges the
right of a kinsman and told Ruth that there were other,
more closer who could potentially make up for it. He sends her
away with six measures of barley. (Ruth 3:1-18)
Chapter 4 outline:
Boaz summoned more
closer kinsman to Elimelech
in order to buy / redeem Naomi's land by gathering witnesses at the
gate (Ruth 4: 1-8).
Boaz
and Ruth married after the closer kinsman could not redeem it (Ruth
4:9-13).
The concluding sentences is almost completely devoted, not to a young
and happy wife and mother, but to Naomi. The female neighbors comforted
Naomi and named her grandson Obed as a foster child. Naomi complains of
leaving "full", returning "empty". But finally comforted by Ruth's baby (Ruth 4:14-17).
Typical Allegory:
1) Naomi as a type of Israel.
a) the Jews were expelled from the Promised Land to a non-Jewish land
because of idolatry.
b) Israel being a widow
as “Jehovah's wife” Isa
54:4-8,10; Hos 1:3-9
c) To bring Ruth to Boaz, Naomi needed to be exiled from her land: Isa
6:9-13; Romans 11:11-12
d) Boaz and Naomi do not meet John 1:11
e) Israel learned about Christ through Ruth and Ruth learned about
Boaz' ways through Naomi
2) The unnamed servant as the Holy Spirit who introduced a foreign
woman to Boaz.
3) Ruth is a type of
believer who is not a Jew, this story is a type of Gentile
calling. The Moabites, forbid by the Law (Deut 23:3), but
recognized by
Grace.
a)
Foreigners and distant,
b) Poor and in need of peace,
c) Associated with Boaz by
marriage, likewise the believer is connected to Christ through the
marriage of the sinful human nature with the holiness of his divine
Redeemer;
d)
One Kinsman / closer
relative, fellow creatures, could not help, as a symbol of the Law.
4) Boaz the kinsman
redeemer as a type of
Christ:
a)
Lord of the harvest,
b) A mighty rich man (Ruth
2:1).
c)
Who cares for us and treats well (Ruth 2: 6-9).
d) "And when in repentance we
will come and lie down at His nailed
feet, and ask Him to cover with the red coat of His love (the emblem of
His blood), how swift will He answer" (Ruth 3: 10-13 ). He spoke with
cool and reassuring words.
f) Redeeming us, and unite
Himself with us, loneliness disappears,
becomes fruitful and a blessing to others.
Conclusion
Ruth found rest through
Redemption and union with her Redeemer.
For Christians there is no eternal rest in this world, apart from being
united with its divine Redeemer.
______________________
https://hebrongospelhall.org/2021/02/the-outlined-bible-by-robert-lee/
https://www.worthychristianforums.com/topic/218735-typology-in-the-book-of-ruth/
https://slidetodoc.com/beware-the-lamb-the-book-of-ruth-links/
https://agapegeek.com/2010/06/15/the-book-of-ruth-types-and-shadows-revealed/