Even though she was a foreigner, Ruth showed herself a model Israelite woman: humble, thankful, hard-working, and deeply loyal to those she loved. Ruth never complained about her circumstances or hardships, rather she responded with gratitude when anyone showed kindness to her. In the end she proved that character counts more than circumstances.
Jesus said that you know a tree by its fruit and Ruth consistently showed good fruit. This caught the eye of a very good man. The two married, began a new life together, and had a son. Ultimately, through that son, Ruth the poor, destitute, refugee became an ancestor of Israel’s greatest king, David, and Jesus Christ, the savior of the world.
Ruth’s story is filled with life lessons; she is a great example of an overcomer. But her story has a larger significance. She contradicts a common assumption about the God of the Old Testament – that only members of one special race could be His chosen people. Ruth was fully accepted by God and His people because she chose to follow the one true God.
This Sunday’s lesson will focus on Lessons from the Book of Ruth. An audio version will be posted to the website Sunday morning and we will live-stream the sermon at 12:30 on our Facebook page.
Praying everyone is staying safe and healthy.
In Christ,
Gary T.