Outline
I. Introduction
___A. The Writing of the Book:
______1. Date — unknown, but probably after the reign of David
______2. Author — unknown, but some think Samuel
______3. Type of writing — Historical
______4. Message an purpose — God’s providential care: His use of both saint and sinner in the working of His purpose
______5. Position in the Old Testament — Varies in different versions
____B. The Canonical Authority of the Book
______1. Generally accepted by all
______2. New Testament recognition given
____C. The Setting of the Book:
______1. Time — when the judges ruled
______2. Places — Bethlehem and Moab
______3. Principal characters: Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz
II. The Book of Ruth”
____A. Elimelech’s Exodus:
______1. Possible reasons: both good and bad
______2. Some ill effects
______3. Out of evil, good comes
____B. God’s Overruling Providence
______1. Naomi returns empty that she might be made full
______2. Ruth becomes a widow that she might become a mother in the lineage of Jesus
______3.Boaz yields to his kinsman that he might triumph lawfully
______4. God rules in the affairs of men
____C. “God is no respecter of person”
______1. A Moabite enters the lineage of Christ
______2. Man’s point of view versus God’s point of view
________a. To the Jew — Ruth is a heathen
________b. To God — Ruth is one for the Master’s use
______3. Ruth, and God’s eternal purpose
________a. God’s purpose, to reconcile, all men in one body
________b. Jew and Gentile versus one new man in Christ
________c. Ruth and Boaz are symbolic of this fusion of the two races
____D. “But in every nation” . . . The obedient are blessed
______1. In Judgment, heritage is unimportant
______2. In Judgment, substance and wealth are unimportant
______3. In Judgment, our deeds, thoughts, and motivations are the deciding factors
III. Conclusion
___A. Proof in this story that God rules in the affairs of men
___B. “All things work together for good . . .” (Romans 8:28).
___C. “Oh, Lord, our Lord, How excellent is Your name!”
Introduction
Due to the limit of our time and space, we shall omit the details of the introduction of our lecture and refer our audience to the outline for this material in order that we may spend all our allotment on the specific purpose of this lectureship–which is the message of the books of the Bible and their relationship to the fulfillment of God’s purpose in His Son. It will be necessary however, by way of development of this theme, to introduce to you the chief characters of The book of Ruth and the specific situation in which the book has it setting.
Discussion
Characters
Ruth, the outstanding character, as the name of the book indicates, was a Moabitess and therefore most likely a worshiper of the heathen god, Chemosh. She married Mahlon, son of Elimelech and Naomi, and was thereby introduced into the nation of Israel and to the worship of Jehovah. Naomi, the mother-in-law of Ruth, is probably the character of second importance in this narrative. Boaz, an outstanding man in Israel and the man who became the husband of Ruth after she had lost her husband, Mahlon, and after she had come to live with her widowed mother-in-law, also plays an outstanding role in the course of this beautiful story.
Setting
Sometime during the rule of the judges, a man by the name of Elimelech with his wife, Naomi, and their two sons left Bethlehem in the land of Judah and journeyed into the land of Moab because there was a famine in Israel. We are not informed of the severity of the famine, and so as far as we know, the decision of Elimelech to leave Bethlehem is a singular instance. We are not informed of the motivation of Elimelech in this decision, but we may reasonably consider two possibilities: 1) It may be that because of peculiar circumstances it became necessary for him to leave Bethlehem and journey into Moab in order to provide for his family. If this was the case, then he certainly is to be commended for his action (1 Timothy 5:8). 2) It may be that it was simply a case of “the grass looking greener on the other side of the fence”. If the latter, we might well admire his idealism but have less respect for his judgment. In either case, we have an example of the Lord’s being able to use men to His own pleasure and turn all their ills into blessings (Romans 8:28).
God’s Overruling Providence
In the land of Moab Elimelech’s two sons married heathen wives. This could have been disastrous in itself because though the Moabites were distant relatives to the Israelites, they were also idolaters. It has ever been true that “evil companions corrupt good morals” (1 Corinthians 15:33). Jehovah warned against this danger, particularly that of marrying foreign wives, in the giving of the law (Deuteronomy 7:3-4). In spite of this possibility, exactly the opposite happened. There is no evidence that any of Elimelech’s family embraced the idolatry of the Moabites. We do find however that some sober impressions were left by reason of these Israelites’ going into the land and at least one Moabite (Ruth) was converted to the worship of Jehovah. But let us further observe the providence of the Lord in the lives of those who are associated with the events of the book.
- Naomi – Mara: The word Naomi means “pleasant”. Upon her return from the land of Moab, Naomi refused to be called by this name because she said, “I went out full, and Jehovah has brought me back home again empty”. She asked that she be called “Mara” instead because this name means “bitter”. This is significant! Naomi and her family left because of a famine, but they left with abundance; now she returns empty. How often this is the case! We leave true riches in the search of something that looks more promising, but find that what we are seeking is all in vain. Yet, even in this, we see the providence of the Lord! Had Naomi and her husband found riches and prosperity in a land of Moab, and had Elimelech lived, probably neither she nor Ruth would have been blessed with a distinction which they now enjoy. Truly, Naomi returned home empty in order that she might be made full by the Lord!
- Ruth, blessed of the Lord: No doubt Ruth was a devoted wife. Surely her heart must have been broken by her early widowhood, but her courage and devotion sustained her and proved her one “suitable for the Masters use”. Ruth became a widow in order that she might become a mother in Israel and in the lineage of Jesus, the son of God.
- Boaz, a man of stature: In Boaz we observe another example of one suitable to the use of the Lord and one in whom we see God’s providence at work. He was a near kinsman of Ruth’s deceased husband, but there was one who was nearer than he. Boaz might have eagerly and ruthlessly trampled the right of this kinsman had he been so disposed. According to the law, the kinsmen nearest to the widow of a man who had died without seed was to take her and raise up seed for his deceased kin. In this case there was an estate to redeem as well. Boaz might have allowed greed to motivate his decision and thus rushed inconsiderately over the right of another, but he did not. Instead, Boaz made sure that the law was observed and that the kinsman nearer than he was given the first opportunity to fulfill his part, even though providence had cast Ruth into his life and even though Ruth had called to his attention the fact that he was one who might fulfill the duty of near kin. No doubt it was this humble, unselfish, and law-abiding attitude that caused the Lord to look upon him and bless him as he did and to give him the right to redeem the inheritance of Ruth and Naomi and to take Ruth to be his wife. Boaz yielded in order that he might triumph lawfully.
- God rules in the affairs of men: All of this gives us an insight into the workings of our Heavenly Father. It has always been true that God rules in the affairs of men. He is not an unconcerned bystander. How unreasonable it is to suppose that Jehovah should be powerful enough to create and yet not concerned enough to regulate the affairs of His creatures (Daniel 4:25; Romans 8:28-31).
We therefore have ample proof of the providence of the Lord and of the fact that He is dutifully concerned with the affairs of men. Let us learn another important lesson from this wonderful story.
God Is No Respecter of Persons
By the acceptance of Ruth into the lineage of Christ, we have positive evidence of the fact that our God is not and has never been a respecter of persons. In this we see a contrast between God’s and man’s point of view. To the Jew of a few generations removed from the time of Ruth she would have been reckoned as just another Gentile on the level with the beast of the field. The tragedy of it all is that man has not improved much in his concept. Racial prejudice is one of the curses that lingers to haunt mankind. In some areas it is the Jews who are now reaping what their forefathers have sown; in other places it is the Mexican, the Indian, the Negro, or even the Russian, who is the object of the hatred and the prejudice of self-righteous and self-centered man of other races. On every hand we find the racial intolerance which God has by this and other examples of disavowed, and which the Holy Spirit specifically branded as being contrary both to the nature and laws of God (Acts 10:34-35; James 2:9).
Let us briefly consider God’s standard of evaluation in contrast with that of man. Man is prone to judge by what he thinks he sees. In a word, man looks on the outward appearance. God, however, looks upon the heart of man (1 Samuel 16:7). Therefore God considers not the racial or physical characteristics, but considers the “hidden man of the heart”. In the case of Ruth God saw in her the kind of character which was adaptable to His purpose and the loyalty of heart that would cause her to become a devoted follower and faithful servant.
Having thus observed the two standards of evaluation, it is appropriate that we make some deductions from the premise of man’s thinking in order that we might see the fallacy thereof. Racial prejudice stems from a “self exalted” concept. It suggests that men are created on different levels. If such is true, then God, the creator of man, is either 1) unable to make all men equal and therefore not omnipotent, or 2) unwilling to make all men equal and therefore not just. Who can believe either of these ridiculous alternatives?
Racial discrimination has led to yet other extremes. There are those even among the number of the disciples of Christ who do not believe that certain races, and particularly the Negro, have an equal right to the gospel of Christ and to equal fellowship in the Body of Christ. This is nothing short of denominationalism! It is an effort to defeat the eternal purpose of God in reconciling all men unto Himself in the one body where there is neither Jew nor Greek, bond nor free, male nor female, but all are one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:26-29; Ephesians 2:14-16; 3: 1-11). I therefore submit to you that we are challenged this day to take a stand up on the side of the Lord and prove to the world that we are seeking to further the purpose of the Lord rather than trying to defeat it! This is not a political issue; it is the eternal purpose of God which he purposed in Christ Jesus, our Lord. I therefore further submit to you that any body of people that purports to be Christian and yet maintains and attitude of intolerance, prejudice, and discrimination against certain minority groups, and who practices a segregation of the races of men simply from the self-righteous viewpoint that one man is superior (or inferior, depending upon the direction from which one is looking) to another, that that group of people is in a very fact antichristian rather than Christian! The purpose of God from eternity is that He should make known His wisdom by the reconciling of all men to Christ, and there is no respect of persons with Him (Romans 2:6). I submit to you that the story of Ruth is a picture of the fulfillment of this purpose In that Ruth, a Gentile, and Boaz, a Jew, are those united into the closest possible human relationship, that of marriage, and that the two were in this union directly associated in the genealogy and lineage of Christ. The fusion of the two races is therefore beautifully depicted in this link of the ancestry of the Lord and the age-old curse of racial prejudice is pictured in its true light as one of the many and injustices which is common to the standards of man.
“But in every nation . . .”
In the Day of Judgment it will not be important who our relatives were. Our wealth, social standing, or other accomplishments will not be considered. Instead, we shall be judged with the righteous judgment of God according to our works. There will be no prejudicial distinctions there, but all men will stand equal in the eyes of Him with whom we have to do. The record says “For we must all be made manifest before the judgment seat of Christ; that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10). It is the decree of God that in every nation he that fears Him and works righteousness, is acceptable to Him (Acts 10:35)..
Conclusion
In conclusion, may I remind you dear friends, that this book is written as a part of a divine and eternal message from God to man. It is a vital part of God’s revelation. The book of Ruth supplies a perfect unit of a perfect whole, the Bible. To the extent that I’ve been able to present to you the mind of God as revealed in this book, I have presented a perfect message. This wonderful book supplies us with a satisfactory knowledge of the working of God in man. Its romanticism provides a medium for a palatable learning of some otherwise difficult lessons. It proves that God respects character, not personalities; that He is concerned with everyday affairs of His creatures; that He is able to use these ordinary events as the instruments of divine service and for the fulfillment of His purpose in us. It proves that He is able to make all things work together for good to them that love Him, and that even death itself can be made to serve an entirely good purpose unto them that fear His name. In this great book we learned the lessons of trust, loyalty, devotion, humility, and praise. We think that there could be no more fitting climax to the book of Ruth than the exclamation of praise spoken by David, grandson of Ruth and progenitor of Jesus, “Oh Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Your name”!
Questions for Class Discussion
- Where does the Book of Ruth have it setting and what significance has this city to future events of scripture?
- Discuss the relationship of Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz to the general theme of the book.
- Discuss the possible motivations which may have caused Elimelech to leave Bethlehem and to journey to the land of Moab.
- Who are the Moabites?
- Show from the scripture that God rules in the affairs of men. How does this affect the political, social, and religious world?
- What is God’s eternal purpose and how is it served by the events of the book of Ruth?
- Does God endorse discrimination toward minority racial groups? What then should be the Christian’s attitude toward other races?
- What is the difference between God’s standard of judgment and that of man?
- Name some specific lessons which are to be learned from the book of Ruth that might be somewhat incidental to the general theme.
- What general changes would be made in our society of today if the message of this book were taken to heart by all men?