Journey Through Judges and RuthSample

Intro

Nicole introduces this lesson about lovingkindness—hesed in Hebrew—a thread that runs through the book of Ruth: expressed in Ruth’s loyalty to Naomi, Boaz’ care for Ruth and, ultimately, God’s concern for his people. God’s hesed will spill over from this seemingly inconsequential story into a royal line that will usher in the golden age of this chosen people.

Lovingkindness in Ruth: In the Text

Ruth is a refreshing exception to so many of the lawless, faithless stories in Judges. But both books emphasize the gracious plan of God at work among the most unlikely, and Ruth is certainly that.

Repetition in Ruth 2&3

Ruth tells a story of righteous behavior among a seemingly insignificant family in Judah’s hill country. These events contrast with Judges’ difficult and intense political history.

Ruth tells a story of two women dealing with a difficult trial. A consistent theme in the story is “lovingkindness,” or hesed in Hebrew. The second and third chapters of Ruth drive home this theme repeatedly.

We discover characters in this story looking out for each other. Instead of all the killing and intrigue we see in Judges, Ruth is a story of loyalty, courage and sensitivity.

See the table below for some of the key plot developments in chapters 2 and 3. The verbs alone—“blesses,” “gives,” “recognizes,” “advises,” “nourishes”—give impressions of hesed among a handful of ordinary individuals. And this is happening at a time when the national scene was deeply troubled.

Reference: André LaCocque, Ruth, 2004, p. 8.

Ruth & King David

The book of Ruth ends with a delightful story of a newborn on the lap of Naomi—and a genealogy that leads to King David.

Now these are the generations of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron, Hezron fathered Ram, Ram fathered Amminadab, Amminadab fathered Nahshon, Nahshon fathered Salmon, Salmon fathered Boaz, Boaz fathered Obed, Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David.

Ruth 4:18-22 (ESV)

The fact that Ruth ends with a genealogy may mean that it was intended to be the start of another story. Just as the Gospels Matthew and Luke begin with genealogies to introduce the story of Jesus, Ruth’s genealogy signals the start of David’s story in 1 and 2 Samuel.

The genealogy of Boaz and Ruth may lead to David, but Boaz offers a contrast to the tragic flaws of David. In David’s great-grandfather, we find a model of selfless, faithful love. Boaz’s kindness and devotion exhibits a model of behavior that is in stark contrast to David’s marriages and family life.

Ruth’s story of Moabite redemption by an Israelite man sets up a jarring contrast with what we find in 2 Samuel 8:2 (ESV). See how David treats the people of his great-grandmother:

And he defeated Moab and he measured them with a line, making them lie down on the ground. Two lines he measured to be put to death, and one full line to be spared. And the Moabites became servants to David and brought tribute.

David will become Israel’s greatest king, but he is not beyond reproach. Unlike the characters in Ruth, David will commit evil acts and damage many relationships. He bears YHWH’s anointing, but his character does not. For that we’ll have to wait until the New Testament, where we’ll meet the “Son of David,” who is also the Son of God.

Reference: James McKeown, Ruth, 2015, pp. 84-85.

The Women of Jesus’ Genealogy

Read Matthew 1:1-17

In the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew, we find Ruth alongside people like Abraham and Jacob. There are five women in total in this genealogy. Consider what these women might have in common. Record your observations.