Welcome to The Bible in Three, a podcast where we discuss 3 Things About the Bible in under three minutes. Today we explored Ruth 4:14–15.
ONE— The Background
Ruth is found in the Old Testament right after the book of Judges, but it begins, “In the days when judges ruled…” Because of this opening, we know that what happens in the book of Ruth occurred at the same time as the events in the book of judges. And the book of Judges ends with everyone doing what is right in their own eyes.
TWO—The Breakdown
Ruth is actually the story of Naomi and how the faithfulness of Ruth, a foreigner, and the faithfulness of Boaz, a farmer, leads to the birth of a boy named Obed. Obed was Jesse’s dad who was the father of David the shepherd boy who became king of Israel. And then King David ultimately leads to Jesus! We’re going to talk about that in a future episode but right now I want us to focus in on the stark contrast between everybody else in the times of judges and the story of Ruth, Boaz, and Naomi.
THREE— The Bite-Sized Truth
Ruth 4:14–15
14 The women said to Naomi: “Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! 15 He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.”
Here’s the reason for their praise—When you read the story of Ruth, you learn that Ruth had the opportunity to go back to her own home and family and begin again. But instead, she chose to be faithful to God and to her mother-in-law Naomi. In a destitute situation, Ruth was faithful, and God provided. And Naomi was called blessed as a result.
Everyone was doing what was right in their own eyes. Sound familiar to our times? But Ruth—even in her hardship—put one foot right in front of the other and did what was right in the eyes of God. We can do the same. No matter our circumstances, we can honor God. Ruth’s faithfulness led to the birth of Jesus. Our faithfulness can point others to the hope of Jesus.
Here are some more resources to dig deeper.
Local Church— Being plugged into a church that prioritizes the reading and understanding of scripture is pretty important. For some that may be a pretty big ask due to previous hurt within this space. If that’s you, take your time and pray for God to lead you to the right space. But know that being in community with other faithful and mature believers is what God intended for his people. I’ll be praying with you for that community as well!
Traveling with the Father my friend Christine has a podcast with 3–5 minute devotionals that connects every day life to the truth of Scripture. You’ll love her soothing voice and beautiful honesty.
The Focused 15 Challenge My friend Jennifer has a 5 day challenge for creating a space for growing your faith.
YouVersion Bible App I love this resource because you can read the Bible in multiple versions as well as start reading plans that are as short as a few days or as long as an entire year.
Bible In Three I also have a few more resources for the entire family on my website!
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