“But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.””
Ruth 1:16-17 NIV
This is a beautiful Bible verse that many people have engraved on the inside of their wedding rings. It symbolizes the heart of two people that are making a covenant relationship with each other to never leave each other or forsake each other. Absolutely, beautiful and powerful words that let your spouse know that NOTHING will ever separate you in this life on earth.
But there is a deeper meaning to these verses. The short version of the story... Naomi had left Bethlehem with her husband and two sons because of a famine. They moved to Moab to find food. Her two sons married Moabite women. Sadly, her husband and her two sons died. She was put in a situation where, not only was she a widow with no means of support, but her sons could not take care of her. This was one of the worst possible situations to face in those times. As a widow, she needed her sons to take care of her. Instead, she had two widowed daughter-in-laws.
She explained to them that they should remarry in Moab and she would return to Bethlehem and find support. This is sound advice. This is a worldly way to insure that they would not starve to death. One of the daughter-in-laws took this advice. The other, Ruth, took a huge risk. She was going with her mother-in-law to Bethlehem! This verse came from her pledge to Naomi.
Most of the Moabites followed the ancient Semitic religion like other ancient Semitic-speaking peoples, and worshiped different idols. Their chief god was Chemosh, and the Bible refers to them as the "people of Chemosh."
Ruth was walking away from the god of Moab, the only one she had ever known, and throwing her trust in the God of the Israelites.
Best move she ever made!
Our pastor preached a sermon on idols a couple of Sundays ago. We must search our hearts and ask ourselves the question, “Am I following the idols of America?” We are surrounded by idols...popularity on social media, financial success, decorating our house, cars, etc. Same gods that the Moabites worshiped. False gods.
Listen to the great reward that Ruth inherited. She went out to find food. The Lord lead her to Boaz, who was a close relative. Naomi could NOT believe it.
“Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “Why, GOD bless that man! GOD hasn’t quite walked out on us after all! He still loves us, in bad times as well as good!” Naomi went on, “That man, Ruth, is one of our circle of covenant redeemers, a close relative of ours!””
Ruth 2:20 MSG
The gospel message. Boaz represented Jesus Christ, our covenant Redeemer. When Ruth threw her trust in Naomi’s god, he lead her to a covenant redeemer, who would rescue her family. But when we throw our trust in the one true God, he will lovingly lead us to Jesus Christ, our covenant redeemer. How kind is the Lord?
No accident that the marriage of Ruth and Boaz was part of God’s greater plan. Ruth was the great grandmother of King David, who ultimately fulfilled the prophecy that Jesus would be born in Bethlehem. This story of Ruth has so many promises fulfilled, but many more to come. Never forget that the entire Bible is about Jesus...Old Testament and New Testament. Stick your head in the Old Testament and look for the gospel. Many aha moments!
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