A Walk Through Ruth (Chapter 4)

In Ruth 4, Boaz goes to the city gate and meets the closer kinsman-redeemer. After negotiating, the kinsman declines the responsibility, allowing Boaz to redeem Ruth and the land of her deceased husband. 

Boaz marries Ruth, and they have a son, Obed, who becomes the grandfather of King David. The chapter concludes with a genealogy, linking Ruth to David’s lineage, highlighting God’s providence in weaving a foreign widow into Israel’s story.

Pointing to Jesus:

Ruth 4 points redemptively to Jesus as the ultimate Redeemer. Boaz’s willingness to redeem Ruth and her land mirrors Christ’s redemption of humanity and the earth from sin’s curse. The legal transaction at the gate foreshadows Jesus fulfilling the law to secure our salvation (Galatians 3:13). 

Ruth, a Gentile, entering David’s line (Matthew 1:5-16) prefigures Christ’s role as Savior for all nations, fulfilling God’s promise to Abraham (Genesis 12:3).

Devotion:

“Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a redeemer… He shall be to you a restorer of life…”

Reflection: 

Ruth 4 showcases God’s grace, orchestrating redemption through Boaz for Ruth and Naomi. This reflects God’s love, choosing even a Moabite to be part of His covenant people. 

The birth of Obed points to Christ, our ultimate Redeemer, who restores life through His sacrifice. We are saved by grace alone, resting in God’s eternal decree (Ephesians 1:4-5), not our merit.

Prayer: 

Heavenly Father , we praise You for Your redemptive plan, seen in Ruth and fulfilled in Christ. Thank You for choosing us in Your grace to be Your own. Restore us daily through Your Spirit, that we may live for Your glory. In Jesus’ name, 

Amen.

A walk through Ruth (Ch.2)

Ruth Chapter 2

In Ruth Chapter 2, Naomi and Ruth, now in Bethlehem, face poverty as widows. Ruth, with Naomi’s blessing, goes to glean in the fields to provide for them, trusting in God’s provision. By divine providence, she gleans in the field of Boaz, a wealthy and godly relative of Naomi’s late husband, Elimelech. Boaz notices Ruth, learns of her loyalty to Naomi, and shows her kindness by protecting her, providing food, and ensuring she gathers ample grain. 

He praises her faith and character, invoking God’s blessing on her. Ruth returns to Naomi with an abundance of grain and shares the news of Boaz’s favor, sparking hope that he might act as their kinsman-redeemer.

Ruth Chapter 2 points redemptively to Jesus as the ultimate Kinsman-Redeemer. Boaz’s role as a redeemer, showing unmerited favor to Ruth, a Moabite outsider, foreshadows Christ’s redemptive work, purchasing His people from spiritual poverty (Ephesians 1:7). 

Ruth’s humble faith and dependence on God’s provision mirror the posture of those who rely on Christ for salvation. 

Boaz’s generosity, providing safety and abundance, reflects Jesus, the Bread of Life, who offers eternal sustenance (John 6:35). 

The chapter’s emphasis on God’s providence, guiding Ruth to Boaz’s field, underscores His sovereign plan to bring salvation through Christ, a descendant of Ruth and Boaz (Matthew 1:5). 

Ruth’s inclusion in Israel’s covenant community prefigures the gospel’s reach to all nations (Galatians 3:28-29).

Devotional:

Ruth 2:12 – “The Lord repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!”

Reflection:

Ruth’s faith led her to seek refuge under the wings of the Lord, trusting Him in her vulnerability as a foreigner and widow. Boaz’s kindness to her reflects God’s unmerited grace, which Christians celebrate as the heart of salvation. 

We, like Ruth, are unworthy outsiders, yet God sovereignly draws us to Himself, covering us with His covenant love through Christ, our true Redeemer. 

Boaz’s provision points to Jesus, who not only shelters us but redeems us fully, securing our eternal inheritance. 

God’s providence, seen in Ruth’s “chance” arrival in Boaz’s field, assures us that He orchestrates every detail of our lives for His redemptive purposes.

Application: 

Rest in God’s sovereign grace, knowing that He has provided Christ as your Redeemer. Trust His providence in your daily needs, and let Ruth’s example encourage you to seek refuge in Him alone, with humility and faith.

Prayer: 

Gracious God, we praise You for Your sovereign providence and redeeming love. Thank You for Jesus, our Kinsman-Redeemer, who shelters us under Your wings and provides for our every need. Help us to trust Your perfect plan and to live with the humble faith of Ruth, glorifying You in all we do. 

Amen.

Devotional on John 17:15

"I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that You keep them from the evil one."~Jesus

(John 17:15)

"Pleasant as it might be to flesh and blood to be snatched away from conflict and temptation, we may easily see that it would not be profitable. How could Christ's people do any good in the world, if taken away from it immediately after conversion? How could they exhibit the power of grace, and make proof of faith, and courage, and patience, as good soldiers of a crucified Lord?

Questions like these admit of only one kind of answer. To abide here in this valley of tears, tried, tempted, assaulted, and yet kept from falling into sin, is the surest plan to promote the sanctification of Christians, and to glorify Christ. He that would win the crown must carry the cross, and show himself light in the midst of darkness, and salt in the midst of corruption. "If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him." (2 Tim. 2:12)

{J.C. Ryle}