There are two stories going on in your life – the Upper Story and the Lower Story. We all live in and see life from the perspective of the Lower Story. No matter how hard we try, we can only see so far down the road because humanity’s viewpoint is linear, horizontal, limited. All our decisions require some sort of faith or trust in what we cannot control around the corner. The Upper Story is how the things look from God’s perspective. His viewpoint is panoramic, vertical, unlimited. Not only does he see around the next bend in the road, he is sees it all from beginning to end. The goal is to align our Lower Story to God’s Upper Story because when we do, God promises it will be a good story.
SUMMARY
The story of Israel’s judges closes with a line that could just as well be the opening for the story of Ruth: “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit” (Judges 21:25). God’s chosen ones looked more like a reality show gone wrong than a holy beacon of hope. They had abandoned God’s plan (again) and had become moral misfits and spiritual adulterers. Then a foreigner stepped onto the stage and a candle of hope flickered once again.
The story of Ruth glimmers against a backdrop of blackness. In the opening scene, Naomi’s family caravanned away from the Promised Land where famine had left them hungry for food and for hope. They settled in Moab where idol worship prevailed and God seemed far away. Naomi’s two sons married Moabite women but the weddings were quickly followed by three funerals. Naomi’s husband died first, then both of her sons. All that was left was three widows, no children and the prospects were grim.
Naomi heard the famine had lifted and decided to return to Bethlehem. She sent her daughters-in-law back to their homes to find new husbands. Ruth expressed her strong will and even stronger faith by refusing to leave. Her poetic declaration of loyalty offers the first sign of hope: “Where you go, I will go; your people will be my people and your God my God” (p. 122). The two widows made the journey back to the Land of Promise where the only hope was mere survival.
Once there, Ruth exercised a widow’s right to gather the extra grain from the fields. Her field of choice just happened to be that of a godly man named Boaz who was the family guardian to could carry on the heritage of Naomi’s deceased husband and sons. He noticed Ruth and admired the way she worked to provide for her aging mother-in-law. Boaz offered his help and protection.
Jewish law required a guardian to redeem a widow and her land to preserve the family line. So, as was the custom, Naomi told Ruth to offer herself in marriage to Boaz. He was delighted but also knew of a closer relative who had the right of first refusal. That man chose to forfeit Naomi’s land since it also meant he would have to marry Ruth, which might threaten the inheritance he would pass along to his own children. Neither Boaz nor Ruth was disappointed by his choice since his refusal paved the way for Boaz to fulfill his role as “kinsman redeemer.” Boaz gladly married Ruth, redeeming the family’s land. God cheerfully restored Naomi and planted a family tree: Ruth and Boaz à Obed à Jesse à King David à Jesus.
There’s no denying this story is a great romance. But even more, it brings us to a defining episode in the greatest love story ever told. Boaz’s love for Ruth is a mirror image of the heart of God. Boaz steps in as a willing kinsmen redeemer and foreshadows One who would step in as the Redeemer for all people and the “not chosen” are chosen after all. God’s plan will overwhelm every obstacle, overturn every injustice and overcome in the end. Soon, we’ll see that God is writing a happily ever after for this story after all.
QUESTIONS
- Describe a time when you felt uncomfortable, out of place, and far from home.
- The period of the Judges was marked by weak faith and irresponsible living but this foreign woman gives hope by potentially sacrificing her future to be fully committed to someone else’s care and welfare. What is your spiritual heritage? Who made a sacrifice so you could be a child of God? Who have you made the same sacrifice for?
- Neither Ruth nor Naomi had any reason to welcome each other as family. Social acceptability said that Naomi had no business having a Moabite daughter-in-law, and Ruth had no business staying with Naomi. When have you been tempted to follow the socially acceptable rules rather than doing the right thing? What changes can you make to open yourself up to friendships that cross barriers like race, age, and religion?
- The word for redeem is used twenty times in this story, making it a key theme of this short book. What does it mean to be redeemed? Does God’s redemption have a limit on who can access it? Am I dismissing someone as beyond the reach of God’s grace? How is our redemption already accomplished but not yet complete?
- Meanings of Biblical names are always significant. Elimelek’s name meant “my God is King.” Naomi’s name meant “my pleasantness,” but later asked to be called Mara, meaning “bitterness.” Ruth’s name meant “friendship.” Boaz’s name meant “swift strength.” Who lived up to their names and who did not? How do you live up to the name “Christian”?
- The story of Ruth demonstrates laws that God had given Israel to take care of marginalized people (Deut. 25:5-10, Lev. 19:9-10 & 25:25). What do these laws and customs reveal about the heart of God for the poor, the widow, and the orphan? How are you caring for the less fortunate, thereby reflecting the heart of God?
- Boaz risked his own reputation by showing compassion for an outsider. When have you put your reputation at stake to care for someone not like yourself? When has someone else shown you kindness you didn’t deserve? What ripple effects did this have for the gospel? In what tangible ways do you express your faith and elevate the reputation of the gospel?
- Boaz praised Ruth saying, “May the LORD repay you for what you have done [for Naomi]. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge” (The Story, p. 125). How is Ruth’s love, loyalty, and care for her aging mother-in-law a model for us to follow? How does this “others-centered” life reflect the heart of the gospel?
How does it make you feel to know that Jesus Christ loved you so much that He was willing to leave the glories of heaven to come to earth, taking on the form of a man? What is one thing you can do this week to share the transcending love of Jesus with others?
TAKE-AWAY
Ruth as a person gives us a great picture into the nature of deep, abiding love for others, the type of commitment that should define our relationships, marriages, families, and most importantly, our friendship with God. Boaz gives us a picture of what it means to selflessly show compassion on the less fortunate and those unlike ourselves. And through the lives of these biblical characters, we see the strong, sovereign hand of God who is giving us glimpses of Jesus, our ultimate Kinsman Redeemer. All human beings are helplessly enslaved to sin, under the dominion of the evil one, unless and until we are redeemed by the one and only Redeemer. Christ alone is God’s provision and we all should live markedly different lives in light of this amazing truth.
PRAYER
Father, thank You for the beautiful reminder that no one is outside Your offer of salvation and no one is beyond redemption. Thank You that You loved me so much that the Lord Jesus left the splendour of heaven to become my Kinsman Redeemer bringing me out from slavery to sin into the family of God. Your love is amazing. Thank You for Your goodness and grace. Amen.
