The Big Read – Ruth

Powerpoint Pictures: Family Tree; Paparazzi on the Red Carpet; Superhero Picture; Different Flags of Countries; Inventor; Criminal in Jail; Crown

Have you ever had to do a family tree for your family?  Maybe you’ve been able to find out about your distant relatives – great, great, great, great etc grandparents – and discovered that you are related to someone interesting.

Someone who was famous.  Someone who was a real life hero.  Someone who was from a different country to the one you were born in.  Someone who invented something.  Someone who had a dark side – maybe a criminal.  Someone who was royal – a king or queen.

The book of Ruth is the first book in a section of the Old Testament known as the Writings.

The Writings is made up of a number of books that aimed to encourage God’s people after the time of exile was over, that a King like king David was coming who would save them from their sins.

Now how did the book of Ruth encourage God’s people?

By reminding them about someone special who was in Ruth’s family tree and by reminding them what that someone did.

Who was this special someone?  It was king David.

“Boaz [Ruth’s husband] was the father of Obed, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David.” (Ruth 4:21-22)

What did king David do?  He did for the people of Israel, what we are told Boaz did for Ruth.  Boaz rescued Ruth and David rescued the people of Israel (remember the story of David and Goliath?).

What God did for Ruth and for the people of Israel in the past, He would do again for His people again by sending another rescuer like Boaz and David, and in the family tree of Boaz and David (and who would also come from Bethlehem).

This rescuer was Jesus, and the rescue Jesus provided is greater than that of either Boaz or David because He saves His people, everyone who trusts in Him, from their sins.

So the book of Ruth encouraged the people of Israel that a David like rescuer would come to save them and it encourages by reminding us that He has come in the Lord Jesus and that He will save us if we trust in Him.