{"id":4057,"date":"2011-12-07T01:00:19","date_gmt":"2011-12-07T09:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lighthousebc.com\/beacon\/?p=4057"},"modified":"2012-02-13T19:43:52","modified_gmt":"2012-02-14T03:43:52","slug":"bob-ruth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lighthousebc.com\/beacon\/2011\/12\/07\/bob-ruth\/","title":{"rendered":"BOB – Ruth"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

by Stephen Rodgers<\/em><\/p>\n

RUTH IN\u00a010\u00a0WORDS\u00a0OR\u00a0LESS<\/strong><\/p>\n

“Loyal daughter-in-law pictures God’s faithfulness, love, and care.”<\/p>\n

TITLE<\/strong><\/p>\n

The title of this book takes its name from Ruth the Moabitess heroine who is mentioned by name 12 times in the book itself.\u00a0The name “Ruth” most likely comes from a Moabite and\/or Hebrew word meaning “friendship.”<\/p>\n

The 13th (and only other) time that Ruth is mentioned in the Bible is in Matthew 1:5…as an ancestor of Jesus Christ, the Messiah.<\/p>\n

AUTHOR\u00a0&\u00a0AUDIENCE<\/strong><\/p>\n

The author of Ruth is unknown, although Jewish tradition ascribes it to Samuel (Baba Bathra<\/em>\u00a014b-15a).\u00a0While that is certainly possible (after all, Samuel did not die until after he had anointed David as God’s chosen king) (1 Sam 16:6-13; 1 Sam 25:1), some scholars disagree since Samuel died before David actually became king, and Ruth 4:17-22 can be interpreted as implying that David’s kingship was already an established fact at the time of writing.<\/p>\n

Generations of Israelites would have read Ruth to get a glimpse of what true faith looked like during a time of religious impiety and moral degeneracy.<\/p>\n

DATE<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ruth takes place during the time of the Judges<\/a> (Ruth 1:1), specifically sometimes around the judgeship of Jair (Judges 10:3-5) from circa 1126 BC to 1105 BC. However it was most likely written sometime after that.<\/p>\n

For reasons mentioned above, the story most likely was written during the reign of David. Given the fact that Solomon isn’t mentioned, it most likely was written prior to his ascension to the throne, putting it somewhere between 1011 BC and 971 BC.<\/p>\n

BACKGROUND\u00a0&\u00a0SETTING<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ruth begins in the town of Bethlehem (for those of you unfamiliar with the Bible, it will be significant later), transitions to Moab (located East across the Dead Sea), and then transitions back to the town of Bethlehem for the remainder of the story. The story from beginning to end unveils in four main scenes, over a total of 11-12 years:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Ruth 1:1-17<\/strong> – Ten years in Moab<\/li>\n
  2. Ruth 1:19-2:23<\/strong> – Several months in Boaz’s field<\/li>\n
  3. Ruth 3:1-18<\/strong> – One day in Bethlehem and one night at the threshing floor<\/li>\n
  4. Ruth 4:1-22<\/strong> – About one year in Bethlehem<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    HISTORICAL\u00a0&\u00a0THEOLOGICAL\u00a0THEMES<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Three themes\u00a0consistently\u00a0surface throughout Ruth:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Acceptance<\/strong> – Ruth shows that participation in the family of God is not based on nationality or ethnicity, but on faith and obedience.<\/li>\n
    2. Kindness and Faithfulness<\/strong> – The transformation of Naomi from an embittered woman (Ruth 1:20) to a joyful grandmother (Ruth 4:14-16) as a result of the loyalty and kindness of Ruth reflects the character and provision of God.<\/li>\n
    3. Redemption<\/strong> – Boaz’s redemption of the land, Ruth, and the family are all symbolic of Christ’s redemption of the church and his people.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      INTERPRETIVE\u00a0CHALLENGES<\/strong><\/p>\n

      There are a number of issues that have been raised in regards to the propriety of events in the book of Ruth. Generally, these objections can be grouped into a racial<\/em> category and a moral<\/em> category.<\/p>\n

      In terms of her racial status as a Moabitess, much has been made of the fact that she would have been forbidden from entering the assembly of the LORD (Deut 23:3) or from even marrying an Israelite in the first place (Ex 34:16; Deut 7:1-3; Jos 23:12). \u00a0The former is partially true; the later is completely false.<\/p>\n