Baby Ruth

So I'm rolling back to Ruth as I said I would.


I think everyone loves the story of Ruth, particularly the ladies, because it's a story of love. It is the making of an ideal situation in the middle of a not-quite-so ideal situation, sort of a Cinderella story. First of all, Ruth apparently has a phenomenal relationship with her mother-in-law, something that I think most girls hope for, because we all know the stories of mothers-in-law that seem to be sent straight from the underworld to make your life a misery - case in point, Marie Barone on Everybody Loves Raymond. I'm not married so I don't have a wicked mother-in-law story. 


I love my own mother too much to even grasp the idea of being so close to my mother-in-law that I would want to leave my home, family, and friends to be with her wherever she went. Perhaps Ruth's life was  in shambles before she met Mahlon, Naomi's son. I once saw an old movie about Ruth, and though not corroborated by the biblical account, it portrayed her as a priestess in the temple of a Moab god where she assisted in the sacrifice of children! YUCK! So yeah, if that had been my life before I married a man of a God-fearing - or should I say, Yahweh-fearing - family, I would probably want to skip town too.


Somehow I think that it was more than the family and more than Naomi that persuaded Ruth to make this journey and total life-changing decision. Orpah, after a little reluctance, finally turned and went back to her home, to her family, to her comforts. How many of us are just like Orpah? Seemingly, she was only half-heartedly invested in this family. The appeal of the familiar called out to her and she answered the call. I must say I can sympathize with her. Not only in the physical world but also in the spiritual realm, my comfort zone calls my name and I quite often give it attention.


Then there is Ruth. She is steadfast in her decision, the only direction she will go is in the direction that Naomi is going. She had invested her life in this family and, dare I say, in this God of her in-laws. She was sold out to Yahweh. How could she stay in Moab when she knew what she knew about the Lord because of this family? Moab held no promise for her, but Israel, Israel was the land of promise! How little she realized at that moment how much promise there was for her. God had a husband for her in Israel - a kind-hearted, hard-working, God-fearing, prosperous man. 


And with her husband, Boaz, was the promise of children. In her line would be the greatest king of Israel - David. But even more than that, would be the King of Kings! Can you imagine? She belonged to a gentile nation, a nation that had been at war with Israel, and yet the Lord saw fit to have her grafted into the lineage of THE CHRIST! AAAHHH I'm tearing up just thinking about it! How humbling! Ruth is a picture of how even the gentiles have a share in the inheritance of God's Chosen People, as Rahab before her was also a part of this great lineage. 


God plucked Ruth out of a wicked nation for in her he saw integrity, devotion, character. He saw a heart that He could use for his purpose in the earth!!! Simply Amazing!