Ruth 1:1-14
(Full audio HERE)
The Book of Ruth is has been described as a "pearl on a jet black background." When you consider that it takes place during the time of the Judges, arguably one of the darkest times in Israel's history before Christ, this description seems more than fitting. It's a beautiful story - a love story - with complex relationships, a good dose of conflict, and a happy resolution. Best of all, it points us to Christ's love and redeeming work.
We see this love demonstrated in the self-sacrificing love and labor of Ruth. And if we're paying attention, we see this love at work in the Providential orchestration of events that brings Naomi, Ruth and Boaz to a happy ending. Not mere happenstance, these details are the work of a sovereign God.
So, in this first part of chapter one, we learn a little something about the bitterness of life, about how God clings to us, and about how we cling to God. To listen to the full message that begins our study of Ruth, just CLICK HERE.