The Heart of God: Judges through 1 Samuel (4)

And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. Luke 24.27

Read and meditate on the book of Ruth.
God is faithful, even though His people often fall short of His glory. But when His people are faithful, even though turmoil and confusion may prevail all around, He blesses them with His grace and peace. The book of Ruth, which takes place during the period of the judges, reminds us of the true nature and rich promises of God’s covenant.

For reflection
1.  Notice how the book of Ruth begins (1.1) and how it ends (4.22). The focal point of Ruth is the tribe of Judah and the city of Bethlehem. What seems to have been the purpose of the book of Ruth, and how does it fit into the ongoing development of God’s covenant with His people?

2.  In the book of Ruth, which of the unifying threads of Scripture – God’s glory, His people, His work of redemption – seems to be especially in view? Why would this have been important for the first recipients of this book?

3.  Ruth was not a Jewess, but a Moabitess. Yet God brought her into His covenant people and blessed her powerfully. Ruth is not the first Gentile to be grafted into Israel (cf. Gen. 38, Josh. 6.22-25 and Matt. 1.5). What is God foreshadowing here about the scope of His covenant? What significance should we attach to the fact that Ruth is brought into the covenant community in Bethlehem, through the tribe of Judah?

4.  In two instances – her gleaning and the law of levirate – we see Ruth being cared for by provisions of the Law of God. How can you see that the Law of God, rightly obeyed, leads to the promises and blessings of God?

5.  What role does Boaz play in this story? How does his fulfilling the requirements of the Law benefit Ruth? Does his being from the tribe of Judah have any covenant significance for the unifying threads of Scripture?

Summary
Where God’s covenant is faithfully kept, and His people walk in obedience to His Word, there His blessings abound, so that even those from beyond the pale of faith can find safety, hope, and blessing within the covenant of the Lord. How can we see each of the unifying threads of Scripture weaving together and re-emerging in the book of Ruth?

Closing Prayer
Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous!
For praise from the upright is beautiful.
Praise the LORD with the harp;
Make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings.
Sing to Him a new song;
Play skillfully with a shout of joy.
For the word of the LORD is right,
And all His work is done in truth.
He loves righteousness and justice;
The earth is full of the goodness of the LORD.

Psalm 33.1-5

T. M. Moore

Two books can help you gain a fuller understanding of the terrain we will be covering in this series. Kingdom Documentsprovides a concise overview of the primary teaching of the Old and New Testaments, and shows, through early Church creeds, how our forebears understand the primary teachings of God’s Word. (click here to order). I Will Be Your Goddevelops more fully the idea of God’s covenant and leads us to consider the practical implications of our covenant relationship with God (click here).

Visit The Ailbe Seminary, where our course, Introduction to Biblical Theology, offers a parallel study of our theme in this series, using brief video presentations and the workbook God’s Covenant: An Introduction. All courses at The Ailbe Seminary are available without charge.

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.