Overview of the Bible: Ruth

                                 Book of Ruth  

Title: Ruth (YouTube Lesson on Biblical Buffet)

Date of writing: 1: Samuel, about 1050 BC, 2: about 1000 BC (times of Solomon)

Date of Narrative: about 1350 BC

Structure:

a. 1:1-5, “genealogy” or descendance of Elimelech

  b. 1:6-7a, Naomi hears about YHWH’s visitation

    c. 1:7b-19a, death of Orpah 

      d. 1:19b-22, testimony of the women

        e. 2, search for the blessing (under the wings of YHWH)

        e’. 3, YHWH provides the blessing by the wings of Boaz

      d’. 4:1-12, testimony of the (elders of the) city

    c’. 4:13, birth of a son (anti-death)

  b’. Naomi is restored/visited by YHWH

a’. 4:18-22, genealogy of Perez

 

Main themes:

Faithfulness to the end – see Memory verse. Ruth goes through a death of her husband, silent rejection of women in Bethlehem, and hardship of poor life. Being faithful to the LORD she ends up being one of the grand…mothers of Jesus.

Godly leadership. There are examples of poor leadership in the book – the judges and Elimelech in the beginning of the book, and Boaz – an exemplary character. He presents the main features of a godly leader: strong faith (2:4), outstanding ethics (2:15-16), and very keen management skills (4:1-12).      

Main Characters: Elimelech, Naomi, Mahlon, Chilion, Orpah, Ruth, Boaz, Perez, Salmon (husband of Rahab, Mt. 1:4-5, important for the themes of the Biblical chronology and acceptance), David.   

Reflection in other parts of the Bible:

Famine in the Book of Ruth is a continuation of at least three major instances in Genesis: ch. 12:10-20 Abram goes to Egypt because of the famine, Isaac goes into the land of Philistia – grandchildren of Egypt, Gen. 10:6, 13-14 – (ch. 26), and the whole story of Joseph is presented in the context of famine (Gen. 37-50).

Story of Judah and Tamar (Gen. 38) is picked up here – the first in the lineage of David is Perez: son of Judah by Tamar, which was a scandalous event in the Biblical History

Ruth is a Moabite. The genesis of Moabites is scandalous (Gen. 19:30-38). Therefore, we see two scandalous stories find their redemption in the union of Boaz (descendant of Judah) and Ruth (descendant of Lot).

Ruth together with Tamar and Rahab – all three are “foreigners” – find their place in the genealogy of David the king, and Jesus the Messiah (Mt. 1:3-6).               

Lutheran teaching: Book of Concord does not have references to the Book of Ruth.

Liturgical call to a congregation: “The LORD be with you” is based on the greeting of Boaz.

The theology of acceptance to the “communion of the saints” by faith (not because of gender, social status, or racial preferences) is deeply rooted in the plot and theology of the Book of Ruth.  

Lutheran hymnody:

LSB 653 – In Christ There is No East or West. 

LSB 575, 576 – My hope is built on nothing less. 

Relevancy of the Book:

Acceptance of the “strangers” into the communion of the saints. This acceptance should be happened not on their terms, but the LORD’s. The book encourages the Church to be accepting, not inclusive. 

Living through the hardship (famine, emigration, and death etc.). God is faithful in His Fatherly promises to us.

Memory verses:

1:16-17 Ruth said: “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you will go I will go, and where you will lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you will die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.”