5/6/21

"And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:
Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me." (Ruth 1:16-17)
The little book of Ruth warms my heart every time that I read it. From this book, we are reminded of human devotion to others, and are taught about the doctrine of the kinsman redeemer. We also see the hand of God providing for His children.
"Ruth" means "friendship" and "beauty".
I invite you to read this little book of the Bible. Watch for these things as you do:
1) Life on earth is hard and uncertain. (chapter 1) Elimelech, and his wife, Naomi, with their sons, Mahlon and Chilion, leave home because of a severe famine. In a foreign land, far from family and home, Naomi's husband dies. Her sons marry, but they also die in Moab. Three widows are bereft, and destitute.
2) Ruth's devotion, and character.
a) She loves her mother-in-law. (1:16-17)
b) She loves God. (1:16)
c) She works hard. (chapter 2:2)
d) She had a good reputation. (2:11-12)
3) The Kinsman Redeemer Doctrine.
a) In Israel, a kinsman could take your debts, and restore your
estate unto you, through a mutual agreement, and marriage.
b) Boaz was a wealthy kinsman of Naomi. He married Ruth,
and assumed all their debt, setting them free.
b) This is why God became a man. He is akin to us by the flesh.
Jesus is our kinsman redeemer! He bought our sin-debt.
4) Note, as well, that Ruth was a Gentile, not a Jew. Yet, she abandoned the idols of her homeland, and fell in love with God. Ruth marries Boaz, and becomes the great grandmother of David, the king of Israel.
God came to the aid of a Moabite girl that gave her heart to Him. God will always make a way for His children.
Life on earth can be hard, and uncertain. Look to your kinsman redeemer, today, for His help.
From my heart to your heart.