The book of Ruth reminds us that God never leaves Himself without a witness. Moses was His witness in Egypt. Elijah was His witness in Israel. John the Baptist was Christ’s forerunner.
I. Facts About the Book of Ruth
1. There are four chapters, 85 verses, more than 2500 words.
2. The time period covered about 12 years.
3. There are three key people. The book revolves around, Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz.
4. There are two words that continually ring out: Redemption and Kinsman.
5. These words appear 20 times in one form or another.
6. The key verse is Ruth 4:4
II. The Stages of the Story
1. The setting o the book takes place on two stages: Moab and Bethlehem.
2. At this time, there were three countries into which the people of Israel went when they were in a backslidden condition.
3. Egypt, a picture of bondage, worldliness, and sin.
4. Babylon, a place of cultural and spiritual apostasy.
5. Moab, described in Jeremiah 48:11.
a. It was unfaithful.
b. It was unconcerned.
c. It was unmoved toward the things of God.
6. The story begins in Moab which was located east of the Dead Sea.
a. It was a place of sin and idolatry.
b. It was nicknamed, “God’s washpot.” Psalm 30:8
c. It was off limits to the Jews.
d. From Moab the scene changes to Bethlehem of Judea.
e. This was a town surrounded by grainfields that gave it its name house of bread.
III. The Purpose of the Book of Ruth
1. God uses this book to teach the providence of God in blessing His children even in the area of finding a spouse.
a. The story reveals the great love the Lord has for women as well as men.
b. It shows God has a special unique purpose for the family.
c. The pages of this book have God’s fingerprints everywhere.
2. In the midst of trouble, trials and tragedy, His salvation shines as brilliantly as the noonday sun.
3. We have seen this truth repeatedly throughout the pages of scriptures.
4. Joseph was a slave for about 22 years in Egypt.
a. His father was grieved.
b. Joseph was rejected, falsely accused, forgotten by those he assisted.
c. God was using the greenhouse of tragedy to grow a savior for His people.
5. Moses, as a baby, was placed in a basket and put upon the Nile River to escape the massacre of the Pharoah of Egypt.
a. All the trials Moses endured in Egypt and in the wilderness were used by the Lord to develop him.
b. He became a great leader and lead Israel out of bondage.
6. In Ruth, God was preparing the house of King David.
a. Ruth would become the great grandmother of king David.
b. Ruth is one of five women mentioned in Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus.
7. This book shows how three people remained strong in character and true to God when the society around them was collapsing morally and spiritually.
a. The nation was permissive, but Ruth remained pure.
b. The nation was irresponsible, but Boaz was responsible.
c. It was a dark period for Israel yet in spite of the nation’s condition. God was still working in people’s lives.
d. This story demonstrates God’s grace in the midst of difficult circumstances.
e. The time of the judges was a period of disobedience, idolatry, and violence.
f. God continued to bless those devoted to Him.
IV. The Kinsman Redeemer
1. The book of Ruth also teaches us the concept of what a kinsman redeemer was.
2. The kinsman redeemer is a picture of the person and work of Jesus on the behalf of the bride, His church.
3. There were several qualifications he had to meet.
a. The kinsman had to be related to the individual that needed redeeming.
1) Galatians 4:4-5
2) John 1:14
b. The kinsman had to be free. Jesus was free from the sin that has cursed the human race.
c. The Goel, nearest kin, had to pay the price of redemption. Leviticus 25:48-49
1) Jesus alone by His sinless life was able to pay the price for our sin in order that we could be saved.
2) 1 Peter 1:18-19, 1 Corinthians 6:20
d. The redeemer had to be willing to pay the price.
1) In the garden of Gethsemane.
2) John 10:15-18
3) 1 John 3:16
e. The kinsman had to be prepared to marry the widow.
f. The result of redemption is Jesus was married to the church.
g. As Boaz would come forth from Bethlehem to take a gentile bride, Ruth. So, Jesus would come forth form Bethlehem to take His gentile bride, the church.
4. You and I are affected by the events of this book through Ruth. David comes into the world. Through David our Savior came into the world.
a. No Ruth, No Savior.
b. Ruth played an important role in God’s plan for mankind.
V. Little Known Notes about the Book of Ruth
1. Ruth was second among five Jewish festivals, scrolls.
a. At Passover, song of Solomon is read.
b. At Pentecost, Ruth is read.
c. On the 9th of Au, memorial of Jerusalem’s destruction, Lamentation is read.
d. At the Feast of Tabernacles, Ecclesiastes is read.
e. At the Feast of Purim, Esther is read.
2. At the Feast of Pentecost, the book of Ruth is read.
a. The Feast of Pentecost commemorates the giving of the law on Mt. Sinai.
b. It occurs at the time of the beginning of the offering called the First Fruits of the Harvest.
c. At this time, the barley was being separated from the chaff.
3. Pentecost is the day of the empowering of the church. the giving of the Holy Spirit.
VI. A Look at Three Books
1. A look at the three books: Ruth, 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel. Several interesting insights.
2. We find Ruth was written during the times of the Judges when Israel had no king.
a. Every man did that which was right in his own eyes.
b. It was a time of apathy because God’s people failed to claim all the land for their inheritance.
c. They failed to obey God and were indifferent to His commands.
3. It was also a time of apostasy.
4. Apathy leads to apostasy.
5. Israel compromised and lived like all the other heathen nations.
6. They were idolatrous and immoral.
7. It was also a time of anarchy.
a. The apostasy ended in anarchy because everyone was doing their own thing.
b. Running their own life without any regard for God’s word.
8. When we examine 1 Samuel, we find a king, but it was the wrong king.
a. It was a king chosen by men and not God.
b. They were tired of being different and wanted to be like everyone else.
c. They picked a man named Saul, but this was not God’s choice.
d. Saul belonged to the wrong tribe.
1) Genesis 49:10, the kings were to come from Judah.
2) Saul was from the tribe of Benjamin.
e. Saul was allowed to be king to discipline and chasten Israel.
9. He stared out as a deliver and ended up being a destroyer.
10. Saul is a type of the anti-Christ to come.
a. The world will cry for a ruler soon.
b. The anti-Christ will start as a peace maker.
c. The anti-Christ will be defeated and replaced by King Jesus.
11. Studying of 2 Samuel reveals it is the book of the right king. The king of God’s choice.
a. David was Ruth’s great grandson.
b. David is a picture or type of Jesus.
12. David
a. He was born in Bethlehem from the tribe of Judah.
b. His occupation was a shepherd. John 10:11
c. David was rejected by his people as the Lord was rejected. John 1:12
d. David defeated his enemy, Goliath. Jesus defeated Satan in the wilderness.
1) Matthew 4:1-11
2) On the cross.
e. David was chosen, Jesus is coming soon.
13. Judges is the book of no king.
14. 1 Samuel is the book of man’s king.
15. 2 Samuel is the book of God’s king.
VII. Themes in the Book of Ruth
1. There are several key themes in the book of Ruth.
2. Faithfulness
a. Ruth shows faithfulness to Naomi.
b. Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz were faithful to God and His law.
c. God was faithful to His people.
d. Ruth’s life was guided by her faithfulness to the Lord.
3. Kindness
a. Boaz was exceedingly kind to Naomi.
b. To Ruth, who was without money and from the land of Moab.
c. God showed kindness in bringing all three together.
4. Grace
5. God’s Care
a. God showed his care by protecting Ruth and Naomi by providing for their needs.
b. Ruth wen from poverty to prosperity.
6. Perils of Backsliding
a. Ruth is the story of a Jewish family who like the prodigal son of Luke 15.
b. He went into a far country and began to be in want.
c. A look at chapter 1 reveals what Naomi lost in Moab.
1) The pace of disobedience a sin.
2) Spouse, verse 3
3) Sons, verse 5
4) Her witness for the Lord, verse 8 & 15
5) The support of the Lord, verse 13, the Lord’s hand is against me.
6) Strength and semblance, her appearance had changed, verse 19
7) Spirit and serenity, she lost her joy, verse 20
8) Satisfaction of the Lord, verse 21
9) She gained suffering from the Lord’s hand, verse 21
VIII. Types in the Book of Ruth
1. Ruth is a picture of a sinner that believes in the Lord.
a. 3:4-6, she cast herself at Boaz’s feet.
b. She claimed him as her redeemer, 3:9
c. She received the promises of Boaz, 3:9-13
d. She accepted her redeemer and became his bride, 4:13
e. She bore fruit or children, 4:13
f. She was a Moabite under a curse yet believed in the Lord.
2. Boaz is a picture of the Lord Jesus.
a. He is the kinsman redeemer. Romans 3:24
b. He is the restorer of life. John 11:25
c. The provider of grace. John 1:17
d. The giver of rest. Matthew 11:28-29
e. The Lord of the harvest. John 4:35
f. The supplier of needs. Philippians 4:19
g. The bridegroom. Revelation 19:7
h. Boaz means, “In him is strength.” 1 Peter 5:10
3. Naomi, Naomi is a picture of a backslider whose life was restored.
a. She left Bethlehem
b. Returned to find God’s restoring grace.
4. The book of Ruth is about the Lord putting our life back together after our will and way has been broken to pieces.
