Recently, I had the blessing of being able to watch a video about the life of William Carey. It was fascinating and prodded me to begin reading through his biography by Timothy George so that I could read Carey’s many journal entries while struggling to spread the gospel in India. But as the movie ended, it did not simply tell about all that Carey did (though it did tell that), rather, it ended with a quote by him in a sermon he had preached. It ended with the words, “Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God.” And as those final words came upon the screen I knew that the person who put together that movie to tell the story of William Carey was not interested simply that those who watch it would be able to retell the story. Instead, he wanted them to imitate Carey’s faith. For telling a story is not done, for the most part, simply so that we may know the events, but that we might see the intention of why the story was told and act in response to it.

So it is with narrative literature in Scripture, such as Ruth. For we could read the story and be able to re-tell the events, but if we do not see the intent behind the story, the reason it was written, the message it is to communicate, then we have failed to meet the demands of this narrative. For what kind of story ends with a genealogy? What is the message of Ruth?

In order to understand this, we must first understand the story itself as many of us may be unfamiliar with it. The book of Ruth is built upon a crisis presented and ends with that crisis being solved. The crisis is given in the first chapter as Elimelech’s two sons marry two Moabite women, but then Elimelech and his two sons die (1:1-5). Then Ruth, the widow of one of the sons decides to go back to Bethlehem with Naomi (her mother-in-law), and treat her as her own mother (1:15-18). However, they go back helpless, and Elimilech’s line is in danger of dying out, for he has no descendants.

However, in chapter 2, we get a glimpse of hope for Ruth and Elimilech’s line. We are told that there was a relative of Elimelech named Boaz, who was a redeemer, that is, one who could receive Elimelech’s land that was left and continue on his line for him. We see this is 2:1, and 2:2 begins Ruth’s contact with him as she goes into the field and take the leftovers that fall behind. She does, and Boaz tells her to stay in his field, for she finds favor in his eyes (2:8-13). Then the hope grows with this blessed news Ruth receives from Naomi that Boaz is one of their redeemers (2:17-23). A ray of hope is flickering in chapter 2.

Then, in chapter 3, we find a bit more complication. Ruth, at Naomi’s request, goes to Boaz and lies at his feet throughout the night as a suggestion that she would like him to take her as his wife. Boaz awakes at midnight, finding her, and is pleased. He tells her that he would desire to redeem her, but that there is one closer that has the first option at being the redeemer of both Elimelech’s property and Ruth (3:6-13). Thus, we are thrown into another stage of complication and anxious waiting.

Finally, in chapter 4 we see that Boaz speaks to this man (the closest redeemer) and this man decides he does not want to redeem the land because he does not desire to lose other inheritance. Boaz then officially redeems Elimelech’s land and takes Ruth as his wife. (4:1-12). Then they give birth to a little boy, whose name is Obed whose significance we find in 4:17 as the author writes, “They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.” And so the book ends with a genealogy from Perez to David, who would become the great king of Israel.

So what is the message of Ruth? The message of Ruth is no doubt that God has raised up the Davidic line from these seemingly impossible circumstances and will fulfill his promise of bringing forth David’s greater Son, who is Jesus, the Christ. Thus, the New Testament opens with Matthew writing, “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1). And verses 5-6 remind us of these unlikely circumstances of Boaz and Ruth producing an offspring to continue the Messianic line as Matthew writes, “ … Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king.”

But what lessons does it have for us today? What are the demands of this story besides our ability to repeat it? I believe it can teach us four things in light of God’s provision in Jesus Christ:

It teaches us of God’s providence and our need to be aware of it

God’s providence is utterly clear in the story of Ruth. First, we see that the entire book is bracketed with an acknowledgement of his providence as in the beginning, in 1:6, the author writes, ‘Then [Naomi] arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the fields of Moab that the LORD had visited his people and given them food,” and it ends with the pronouncement, “And may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring that the LORD will give you by this young woman” (4:12).

Thus, in each situation, it is not attributed to natural circumstances of life “taking its due course.” Rather, God provides food and God will be the one who will allow conception of children.

But throughout the story we see God’s providence as well. Chapter one tells us that God has provided the rain for the famine to end, and then in 2:3, the author writes, “So she set out and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers, and she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the clan of Elimelech.” Ironically, it seems that the author writes this in such a way to grab the reader’s attention and force him to ask how it is that this “happened to happen?” And with the biblical worldview held by the author (e.g. Proverbs 16:33, where even the dice falling into the lap is determined by God), he clearly wants us to realize this chance meeting is providentially guided by God.

Finally, we see God’s providence in Ruth’s plot to get Boaz’s attention in chapter 3, bringing him to the desire to marry her and in the legal process by which the closest redeemer chooses not to redeem the land and Ruth but to let Boaz redeem them. Combined with the ending of the book (especially the epilogue of 4:18-22), it is clear that the author wanted us to see God’s providential hand working to fulfill his plan of bringing about David and ultimately David’s greater Son to redeem his people.

We too need to realize that God works in mysterious ways. We need to be consciously aware that God is providentially working in the details of life.

Now, you may ask, “How can such a realization really alter the way we live?” I think, however, that it will alter our focus, our faith, and our prayers. That is to say, one who is consciously aware of God’s providence in the details of life will first be less focused on himself and more focused on what God is doing. When we fail to recognize God’s providence, it is easy to become engrossed in ourselves, our problems, what’s going on in our world, and thinking that we are the center of the universe with all revolving around us. However, as we recognize God’s providence, consciously being aware of it, we will find our focus often being on God, what he is able to do, and what he is indeed doing.

It also changes our faith by forcing us to realize that God is in control and that he is doing great things. Can you imagine how anxious Ruth must have been if she were aware of the legal proceedings and heard the man with the opportunity to redeem her first saying that was his desire. No doubt, she would have been greatly anxious, worried, and concerned. However, knowing God’s working, we would have encouraged her in that moment, if we were able, simply to have faith in God’s providence as he is working for his glory and her good. We need to speak similar words to our own souls in the midst of confusing and trying times.

Finally, being aware of God’s providence will change our prayers. We will begin to pray for God to do great things to show his glory whereas before we would have been focused merely on small matters concerning only us.

I think I can give an example here. Wednesday night, as Roy and Donna returned from Slovakia, where their attempt to adopt a little girl had been thwarted, Roy shared with me that he wondered if their going over there was not simply to adopt this little girl but to open the door for many adoptions between Slovakia and America so that many children could come into Christian homes here and heart the gospel. He said this for he had a favorable conversation with many influential people over the adoption process in Slovakia – people who had previously been leery of Americans. He saw his circumstances with eyes that wanted to be aware of God’s providence.

Then, as Roy had earlier discussed this with Jim, Jim came in Wednesday night asking that we as a church commit to pray for God to open a door between America and Slovakia for adoptions and opportunities to share the gospel with thousands of Slovakian children. Roy looked for God’s providence and it has already changed the way that we are praying as a church.

We need to be aware of God’s providence in circumstances.

It teaches us that God will not fail to carry out his purposes and plans

From the viewpoint of the author, he was showing how God had brought about Israel’s greatest king, David. But Ruth points us to God’s ultimate provision of the true King of Israel, who would come through David, Jesus Christ.

And it teaches us that we can trust God to bring about his promises. For we are not where the characters of the book of Ruth were in redemptive history. We know that God has already provided his Redeemer. But we do wait for his return in days where we might be tempted to wonder, “How long, O Lord?” The book of Ruth teaches us that we can trust God to fulfill his promises.

It reminds us (through foreshadowing) of God’s intent to include men from all nations, tribes, and languages in his redemption

One of the amazing things about this story is that Ruth is a Moabite who gets to be included in Davidic line which would bring about our Redeemer. But I believe it is a foreshadowing of God’s desire and work of bringing his people from every tongue, tribe, people, and nation.

God will providentially ensure that he will have people from every tongue, tribe, and nation; he has promised it. In Revelation 5:9 and 7:9, we get a glimpse of God’s people worshiping him in eternity, and it is made up of men from every tongue.

Therefore, we (understanding God’s desire, plan, and providence) should go in confidence in mission work into these places, and we should pray with great faith for those in tribes who have yet to hear the gospel to hear it soon.

For example, isn’t it difficult at times to pray for the people group whom we have “adopted,” the Musi. They have no access to the gospel, with the exception of a seeming few missionaries near them who have yet to be able to communicate the gospel to them. However, we can know that some from them will hear the gospel and believe. God will take the gospel to them to call out his people. In fact, right now we are hearing stories of Muslims dreaming of Christ, being shown in dreams to go to the houses of missionaries, those missionaries taking the opportunity to share the gospel, and many Muslims believing and being saved.

God’s providence and desire to gather his people from every nation should drive us to go preach his word and to pray with faith.

It teaches us that God uses ordinary people to carry out his extraordinary plans

Daniel Block writes, “This family consists of the most unlikely candidates for divine service: a widow left without husband or sons, an alien in a similar state, and a bachelor from the humble town of Bethlehem.”¹ Yet God used them to provide ultimately redemption for his people, as they were in the line of his Messiah.

In the same way, this morning, realize that God can use you to carry out great plans. I believe that he is interested in using greatly those whose hearts are turned toward him.

So this morning, as we have been reminded of God’s providence, assurance of carrying out his plans, and desire to save men from every tongue, tribe, people, and nation – Is he calling you to mission work? Is he calling you to be the means by which he will call out his people where they have little or no current access to the gospel? Is he calling you to labor in prayer what you dream God might be doing in his providence in the details of life. Is he calling you to invest financially that others may labor in this work and you be their fellow-worker through provision for them?

I don’t know what God is calling you to, but I do know that the book of Ruth encourages us to dream and to believe that God will use his people as he providentially carries out his plans of bringing redemption to his people. May he call many of us to great tasks even this morning.

As Carey preached, so I end: “Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God.” Amen.

¹ Daniel Block, Judges, Ruth: The New American Commentary, (Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1999): 610.

THE MESSAGE OF RUTH