Greetings appreciated community, welcome to my blog, today's topic is about the book of Ruth and part of its history, we will meditate a bit on it.
Rut 1: 1-16
- The family leaves because of hunger in Moab
- This book does not speak of miracles, nor of spectacular things, but it shows us as God who is extraordinary, is present in ordinary things.
- It is a panorama of God's redemptive plan for humanity
- This story happens in the time of the judges:
- There was no king and everyone did what he wanted (Judges 17.6)
- It was a dark time of a lot of violence
- There was a lot of spiritual confusion
- But in the midst of those dark and bad times, there were still those who followed God.
The story of Ruth takes place during the time of the judges. It reveals that during the pathetic moral and spiritual apostasy of that time, there was a devout remnant who continued to love and honor God. The book emphasizes that God is active in the lives of those who remain faithful to him and to his word.
Naomi, although she was a faithful follower of the Lord, suffered great adversity. She and her family suffered the effects of hunger and were forced to expatriate. In addition, she lost her husband and children. It seems that the man had abandoned her and even that he had turned against her; However, the story shows that God continued to be concerned about her, working through others to help her.
God in his infinite mercy uses others to bless us even in the midst of difficulties.
Like Naomi, believers could be faithful and loyal to Christ, but at the same time suffer some adversity in their lives.
That does not mean that God has abandoned them or is punishing them. The scriptures repeatedly emphasize that God lovingly continues to make all things work for their children in times of trouble.
Romans 8: 28 Now we know that God arranges all things for the good of those who love him, [e] those who have been called according to his purpose.
The selfless love and devotion that existed between Naomi and Ruth teach that true godliness always includes loving care and personal sacrifice for family members.
Naomi believed that her adversity showed that she had no favor with God but He was against her. That personal point of view turned out to be wrong. We should not consider that all hardship and adversity is the result of God's actions or of his dislike of believers, because sometimes satan and normal human experiences cause hardships and difficulties in our lives.
God cares for those who seek Him with dedicated and sincere trust; those who believe him.
This story is about the providence and provision of God in the lives of all who trust in Him and follow His ways.
It is sad to see that Naomi encourages Ruth to return to her idols, but God would use her as a test for Ruth.
Naomi's proposal was very attractive, but Ruth did not accept it and decided to stay with her.
Ruth is determined to follow her mother-in-law and worship the true God, which she says is almost like a marriage vow
"Do not beg me to leave you and to turn away from you, because wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you live, I will live, your people will be my people and your God will be my God ... "(Ruth 1:16)
She was willing to follow her and to worship God of Israel, not of her people, was a genuine conversion.
Ruth reveals her belief to the true God and makes the commitment before him.
Ruth was a Moabitess, but that did not stop her from worshiping the true God, nor did she prevent God from accepting her worship.
God does not respect people, he receives everyone who comes to him.
Ruth was a Moabitess, but that did not stop her from worshiping the true God, nor did she prevent God from accepting her worship.
God does not respect people, he receives everyone who comes to him.
"And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me go into the field to gather ears of corn after him before whose eyes I find favor: and she said unto him, Go, my daughter." (Ruth 2: 2)
"She went and gleaned in the field after the reapers, and it so happened that the field plot belonged to Boaz, who belonged to the family of Elimelech ..." (2: 3)
Have you ever discovered the "manifestation of the glory of God in your own life? How many times have you thought that things have happened accidentally and then discovered that it happened by divine will that you were where you were? Do you remember Zacchaeus going up in the sycamore tree? (Luke 19: 2) It happened that "coincidentally it was the tree under which Jesus placed himself. And the short Zacchaeus, clinging to the branch of the sycamore tree, looked down and congratulated himself because he did not want anyone to realize that behind that facade of businessman was hidden a heart he sought. And it happened "just as the Lord Jesus looked up, saw him there, called him by his name and told him to come down from the tree, did it happen by chance? Jesus knew his name and Zacchaeus was there by divine will.
"Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife, and he joined her, and the Lord granted her to conceive and give birth to a son." Then the women said to Naomi, "Praise be to Jehovah, who made you not today a redeeming relative is missing! May his name be celebrated in Israel! He will restore your life and sustain your old age ... "(RUT 4: 13-15)
Ruth was a woman redeemed by grace, but imagine this scene: one morning Ruth tells her husband Boaz: "My dear, this morning I am going to the country." She picks up her coat and goes to the fields. : "Ruth, where are you going? And she replies: "I'm going to get some breakfast in the fields, I'm going to pick up some grain here and there so we can have something to eat as a snack.
How do you think Boaz would feel? His wife, whom he had redeemed from slavery and from his situation as a foreigner and whom he had taken to his home, was saying to him: "I am going to go pick up spikes in the fields as I did before you redeemed me. That is exactly what we do to Christ on many occasions, we are married to him, who has given us all things, Christ is the one who rose from the dead, the restorer of life, the one who possesses wealth and strength, Who gave us our state, do not you think that Boaz would say to him, "Rut, what's the matter with you? Do not you realize you're my wife? I have given you everything I have and you do not need to collect ears in the field. You own all the property together with me because everything I have belongs to you. Why do you go out to glean?
Do not you think there must be times when the Lord Jesus should look at us in amazement and say: "What are you doing? Why do you continually come to me asking for what you already have? Why do you ask for health, strength, grace? , joy and peace, I have given you all those things and all that I am is the only thing you need, why keep on begging what you already have?
If we began to walk according to this powerful and transforming truth that God has transmitted to us here in the book of Ruth, that is to say, that we are married to him, that he has risen from the dead; Married to a man of strength and wealth, who has given us everything he is and everything he has, we would be aware of the incredible folly of picking up insignificant leftovers. If we were to realize what we are doing by doing something like this, our lives would be transformed. And those with whom we live at home would be the first to see it, then those who work with us, and those we meet in the course of our daily occupations. It would not be long before everyone knew that something had happened to us and that we have begun to live in the glory and fullness of a redeemed life. That is what I want for myself.
As Abraham responded to the Lord's call with faith, so Ruth's trust in the Lord caused her to leave her country in order to follow God's redemptive purpose.
Genesis 12 1-4
12 The Lord said to Abram, "Leave your land, your relatives and your father's house, and go to the land that I will show you.
2 "I will make of you a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name famous,
and you will be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you
and I will curse those who curse you;
Through you they will be blessed
all the families of the earth! »
4 Abram departed, just as the Lord had commanded him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran.