Ruth 4 Commentary.
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“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” Micah 5:2 NIV
Chapter 4 presents us with a mini-genealogy of King David. Several hundreds of years passed and we see the prophet Micah talking about another king. His origins are partly glued to the story of Ruth. But really, His origins are from of old, from ancient times.
The presence of Ruth on the distinguished list of the human ancestors of the man Jesus Christ is hugely important. Firstly, she is a foreigner and a Moabite for that matter. Moab’s misconduct, treachery, and aggression towards Israel earned them banishment from the assembly of the LORD’S people. Grace has a way to dismantle these encumbrances.
Unlike Mary the virgin, Ruth had been married before. While we admire the virginity of Mary, we know virginity isn’t a prerequisite for inclusion into the household of faith. Ruth gives us hope that the previously married person can walk into marriage again like a virgin. The LORD can make it beautiful again.
The Book of Ruth holds value for many of us born outside the physical family of Abraham. Like Ruth, we have come into the Assembly of God’s people and have taken center stage. The naturally disadvantaged can look to this book and find hope that one’s tribe or nationality should not cause them to miss out. The generosity of the LORD has fixed it. Neither is a mixed background reason good enough to exclude oneself from the commonwealth of God’s people.
We can find the God of Naomi. We can stick to Him. And our lives are never the same. As for the long-term, it is the seed that Ruth carried in her womb that would become the Redeemer of the entire human race. As the boy, Obed brought joy to Naomi, so the boy born in a manger, in Bethlehem, to the distant descendant of Boaz, Joseph, would bring joy to them that believe.
The Book of Ruth ends here.
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