In the book of Ruth, the central theme of hesed, or faithful, loyal love, keeps everything together and keeps the story moving ever closer to redemption. Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz all reflect and demonstrate God’s faithful, loyal love to one another. The love for one another and for God, the trust and boldness and faith that these three show, and the arc of redemption in the story makes the book of Ruth a beautiful and meaningful story.
But these themes are not the whole story. Ruth has further reaching implications.
Ruth and Boaz get married and have a son, named Obed. Obed has a son named Jesse. Jesse has a son named David. David would become Israel’s greatest king.
From this poor, foreign widow, Israel receives her greatest king.
And it doesn’t stop there.
Read Matthew 1:1-17. If you’ve read Matthew before, you may have been tempted to skip this section, as it’s a seemingly boring genealogy. But look closer. “An account of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham (1:1)…Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David (5-6)…Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah” (16).
Four women are named in Jesus the Messiah’s genealogy. Ruth is one of them. From this truly amazing woman, a woman redeemed because of her faithful, loyal love, trust, and boldness, comes the ultimate redeemer, Jesus. What a legacy!
Read the sermon here: Ruth 4: Legacy
Discussion/Reflection Questions:
- Why do you think the book of Ruth is in the Bible?
- After reading Ruth, what can you learn from Ruth? From Naomi? From Boaz? How can you apply these lessons to your life?
- What’s the significance of David and Jesus having a foreigner like Ruth in their genealogy?
- While God was rarely mentioned in the book of Ruth, looking back, what have we learned about God in this book?
Pastor Drew's Desk 