RUTH

 Our Sunday School Class has been studying the Book of Ruth.  Most of us have read this book, maybe even more than once.  Why wouldn’t we enjoy this book?  There are –

• Trials:  drought, death, living among strangers
• Decisions:  stay or go, consequences of each
• Journeys:  return to roots
• New Beginnings:  faith, family, new love, and a baby

 Ruth could be a Hallmark movie --- until ---

Reading Ruth and teaching Ruth are two different things.  Of course, we can read the notes in the Bible, but, as the teacher, I had to dig deeper.  I wondered how this book was studied by those of the Jewish faith.  What lessons did they learn?  Was this more than a love story?

I found exactly what I needed at  https://torah.org/  I searched Ruth and began reading.  Could I learn more about Naomi and Ruth?  Could I figure out why these four chapters were included in the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible)?  Well, yes I could learn more!  I read.  I made notes.  I was prepared to expand on those chapters.  And the study of Ruth began.

Was the class excited about finding out that Elimelek fled the famine and abandoned his extended family and friends instead of helping them with his wealth and crops?  Did they realize Ruth was the daughter of a king and her people worshipped Chemosh, a god that demanded human sacrifice?  Did they understand the process Boaz had to follow to marry Ruth?

Did they see the continuing of the bloodline that Lot walked away from?  And, the biggie, did they see that Ruth is a story of redemption?

The class will finish the Book of Ruth in the next couple of weeks and I hope we will all realize the story of Ruth is our story.

Like Elimelek, we often walk away from those we could help with our excess of blessings.  Like Naomi, when we feel empty, we realize we want to go home -- back to our foundation, family, and friends.  Like Ruth, we realize we are worshipping the wrong gods and turn toward the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

Yes, the Book of Ruth is a beautiful love story as we see Boaz and Ruth fall in love.  But this story is so much more.

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.

Matthew 1:5-6

The story of Ruth is a beautiful love story, but it surpasses the love of a man for a woman.  This story is about the great-great-grandmother of David and the future birth of a very special baby.

“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches.

I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”

Revelation 22:16