The Book of Ruth is an important, though brief, segment of scriptural revelation for several reasons.
First, the book shows the faithfulness of God in providing a ruler over His people in David as He had promised Judah (Gen. 49:10). As later history would reveal neither David nor his sons, the kings of the Davidic dynasty, would fulfill all that God had in mind when He promised a ruler. The great son of David, Messiah, will do that.
Second, the book links the patriarchal and monarchical eras of Israel's history. The patriarch Perez was the ancestor of King David, not Saul. This connection shows the legitimacy of the Davidic dynasty in the monarchical period and the illegitimacy of Saul's dynasty. Likewise the writer did not tie David in with the Mosaic era or covenant but with the patriarchal era and the Abrahamic Covenant. This helps the reader appreciate the fact that the Davidic dynasty did not have its roots in the conditional Mosaic Covenant but in God's unconditional promises to the patriarchs.92The Book of Ruth is thus a revelation of the providence of God.
". . . God uses the faithfulness of ordinary people to do great things."93
Third, the book reveals that God will use apparently unpromising material to bring blessing to others if such a person will only trust and obey Him. Though Ruth was a Moabitess, a childless widow, and poor, she became a true Israelite, namely a believer in Israel, a wife and mother, and both physically and spiritually rich. The key was her faith in and commitment to Yahweh. Not only did Ruth enjoy God's blessing personally, but she became a channel of blessing to all around her and for generations to come. As such she became a kind of paradigm of what God intended for the whole nation of Israel: blessed and a blessing to the world. The story of Ruth, therefore, also reveals the great grace of God.
By way of application, as we compare later revelation with the Book of Ruth, we can see that there are many parallels here. There are parallels with the spiritual redemption that God has provided for us through the Son of David, Jesus Christ. What Boaz did for Ruth was very similar to what Christ has done for the object of His love, the church.
This little book is like a small diamond. Each of the many motifs resembles a facet that shines with its own particular beauty. Perhaps the most outstanding of these is how God works out His own purpose through human instrumentality.94Other important themes include famine, harvest, rest, blessing, redemption, and seed. Yet the book is much more than a collection of various themes. It possesses a unity that carries the reader along smoothly and excitedly to the end.
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Copyright 2003 by Thomas L. Constable
