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9.26.2005    |    Ruth the Moabite
The Book of Ruth is easy to dismiss as one of those interesting books in the Hebrew Scriptures that may seem to be of little consequence. After all, this isn't a recipe for Christian living, is it? And it's all about women and their emoting; not very manly, especially since the Book of Ruth is tucked in among all those Old Testaments books relaying wars, the establishment of kingdoms, and the actions of God in human history. But it is hard to understate the Book of Ruth's importance in salvation history.

The Book of Ruth is the ultimate demonstration of the outreach program of the ancient Hebrews, and a clear sign of Jesus' mission to the Gentiles. For openers, it gives the lie to the notion of a racially pure Jewish nation, and should be read by anyone today who thinks that being Jewish has anything to do with race. Not only that, it also demonstrates how a direct ancestor of Jesus dame from a despised people, the Moabites -- recalling that Moabites all descended from an act of incest (Genesis 19:34-38).

One lesson for me is that our Savior, while without sin himself, did not hesitate to have his mortal self born from a line that included Ruth the Moabite, Ruth the descendant of incest, one of the most heinous of sins. And yet, in Ruth we have the literal seeds for "the root of Jesse", who, of course, was himself Ruth and Boaz' grandson.

Finally, the thought we should all take away from Ruth is the notion of joining the family of God, which many of us, even those who profess to be saved, should do, at least spiritually. Let us always remember these words; words that convey the power of God Almighty to cause us to join to Him. From Ruth 1:
16But Ruth said, "Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. 17Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the LORD do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you."
Amen.

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posted by John Luke at 6:48 PM

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About this site and the author

Welcome. My name is John Luke Rich, (very) struggling Christian. The focus here is Christianity in its many varieties, its fussing and feuding, how it impacts our lives and our society, with detours to consider it with other faiths (or lack thereof).

Call this blog my way of evangelizing on the internet.

Putting it differently, we're only here on this earth a short time. It's the rest of eternity that we should be most concerned about. Call it the care and feeding of our souls.

I was born Jewish, and born again in Christ Jesus over thirty years ago. First as a Roman Catholic; now a Calvinist by persuasion and a Baptist by denomination. But I'm hardly a poster boy for doctrinal rigidity.

I believe that Scripture is the rock on which all Christian churches must stand -- or sink if they are not so grounded. I believe that we are saved by faith, but hardly in a vacuum. That faith is a gift from God, through no agency on our part -- although we sometimes turn a deaf ear and choose to ignore God's knocking on the door.

To be Christian is to evangelize. Those who think it not their part to evangelize perhaps haven't truly understood what our Lord told us in Matthew 28. We must preach the Gospel as best we are able. Using words if necessary.

Though my faith waxes and wanes, it never seems to go away. Sometimes I wish it would, to give me some peace of mind. But then, Jesus never said that walking with Him was going to be easy...

Final note: I also blog as Jack Rich on cultural, political and other things over at Wrong Side of the Tracks

Thanks for stopping by.