The New is in the Old concealed: Ruth - Wed 6 Dec

This is an absolute nugget of a book. It’s a story that begins with tragedy and pain, but ends so happily, leaving the reader with a warm glow. It’s a story of God at work in a crazy, mixed-up world, through very ordinary and unlikely people.

The story in a nutshell:

Times were hard in Judah, food was scarce, in fact a famine prevailed. Naomi and Elimelech plus their two sons decided to go abroad until things improved. They ended up in Moab where both sons married local girls – Ruth and Orpah. Tragically Elimelech died. Ten years later both sons died. Naomi decided to return home to Judah and tried to convince her daughters-in-law to stay in their native Moab. Orpah took this advice but Ruth would not be dissuaded from travelling with Naomi to her hometown of Bethlehem. In Naomi’s words “I went away full but have come back empty”. Prospects for the two women were bleak and Ruth’s first means of subsistence was gleaning in the barley fields of a man called Boaz, who turned out to be a relative of the late Elimelech. (And an Anglican, see 2:4!!) The remainder of the story concerns Boaz’s beautiful relationship with Ruth and his purchase of Naomi’s estate.

A good story with a happy ending, but how is Jesus revealed? With a bit of digging and the help of the Holy Spirit we can find lots of treasure just below the surface.

I want to look at just two ways that Jesus is shown:

1.      Boaz was a kinsman-redeemer. In other words, Boaz was a close relative who had the right to buy back Naomi’s property.  Yesterday we noted God’s decree that a son of Eve (Jesus) would bruise the serpent’s head. Today we’re seeing the same picture from a different angle. Boaz is a “type” of Jesus. Jesus came to this earth as a son of Eve (our close relative) and as Almighty God in order to procure our redemption. This is such a beautiful combination.

2.      Ruth means “mercy”. (We’re more familiar with ruthless – without mercy.) Boaz means “in him is strength”. Boaz and Ruth were the family from which the royal line of David sprang.  Yet Ruth was raised as a Chemosh-worshipping Moabitess, and Boaz’s mother was Rahab, a Canaanite prostitute. Hardly credentials for royalty!  Not even Jewish!  A look at Matthew 1 will show that Jesus was born into this royal line and was known as the Son of David.  We also, as believers, have been born into the same royal line, from every conceivable background! 

 Further reading: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe: C.S. Lewis