The story of Ruth is the story of the ancestry of David. Ancestry is important in the biblical worldview because it is the foundation for who we are as people. In the midst of Israel’s darkest hour we see a shining light in Ruth and Boaz (David’s great grandparents). This seed of faithfulness to God would become the seed of a new age, a time of great spiritual revival for Israel. In the book of Judges we saw how a little bit of compromise on the part of individuals can lead to the spiritual downfall of a whole people. In the book of Ruth we see how a little bit of faithfulness on the part of these individuals leads to the revival of this same people. It is amazing what faithfulness and obedience to God can lead to. Our choices have a multi-generation effect, far beyond ourselves and even our own family. Every choice to obey and serve God is a seed planted and its fruit lasts forever. If a little bit of disobedience can lead to such great downfall how much more will a little bit of obedience lead to restoration and revival? Ruth was an ‘unworthy’ woman of Moab, not even an Israelite. But her decision to fall in with God’s people and purpose (1:16) made her one of the key baton carriers of the faith, and her legacy lives on in the person of Jesus Christ to whom she is a direct forebear (Matthew 1:5).
Commit yourself to God’s purpose for you.
Read Ruth 1
