Thanks for joining us in our summer study of the book of Ruth. At first glance, the book of Ruth could seem to simply be a romantic love story between Ruth and Boaz. However, on closer examination, the story of Ruth and Boaz seems to revolve around Naomi’s plight to struggle to live after the tragic death of her husband and two sons in a foreign land. Then, at the very end of the book, we see the mention of King David who is the great grandson of Boaz and Ruth. Could this story be the validation and celebration of King David written in a time when leadership was desperately needed? While all of these plot lines are part of the story, we would do well to keep our eye on the activity of God.
To put it another way, a wise reading of the book of Ruth demands that we have a theocentric mindset. Throughout the story, we should find ourselves asking questions like: What is God revealing about Himself? How is God working in the lives of these people? What are the implications for how He will deal with me today? Simply put, the book of Ruth is a discovering of the providence of God in the characters in the various storylines of Ruth. Therefore, as we go through this 9 week study keep a close-watch for the hand of God.
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