Summer 2008 Study
The  Book of Ruth
Church of the Redeemer 

 O God, you have taught us to keep all your commandments
by loving you and our neighbor:  Grant us the grace of your
Holy Spirit, that we may be devoted to you with our whole
heart, and united to one another with pure affection; through
Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the
Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

Monday, July 7

The Faithfulness of God and Our Obedience to Him

Read Ruth 1-4

 

We are beginning today a five-week journey through the Book of Ruth.  Go ahead

and read the whole book. It's short - only four chapters long - but in those

chapters is a story that explores so many important biblical lessons.  Themes

that run through it include redemption and restoration, God's provision and his

sovereignty. It is a story of how broken lives are rebuilt when God is at the

center. All in four chapters!

 

Ruth is easily my favorite book in the Bible. One of the reasons I love it is because

I can read the whole book in 20 minutes and see the overarching themes play out.

It's hard to get a big picture from the other books in the Bible, many of which

are much longer. I like that Ruth is a Gentile in the line of David, and ultimately

Jesus, because it assures me that by following the Lord, we can all be adopted

into God's family. 

 

There are practical lessons in Ruth as well. The book gives insight on why people

come to faith. It challenges us to consider how we are supposed to care for our

extended families. Ruth also points us to how God expects us to relate and care

for the poor. It challenges my behavior and attitudes. I have to deal with the

question of whether or not I am living a life that attracts others. Ruth and Naomi

were. Boaz was. Am I?

 

As we go through the book of Ruth over the next five weeks, the golden thread

that will run through the readings is God's faithfulness and our obedience to him.

Look for that thread as we go through the book. The 25 readings for this study

of Ruth are written by a group of twelve Redeemer people who will explore the

themes I have laid out with their own personal reflections on the various passages.

We should be able to see the golden thread running through the book as we

unfold it day by day. 

 

Join us as we venture through one of the most interesting books in the Bible. It is

ultimately a love story between Ruth and Naomi, between Ruth and Boaz, and

most importantly between each character and God. We are each part of our

own love stories. God longs for us. May we long for him as the deer pants for water. 

 

                                                                                    Jeanne Higgins