The Gospel According to Ruth

This spring, I used my first free audit as a graduate of SBC to attend the Ruth intensive taught by Professor Nate Wall-Bowering of Providence Seminary. The book of Ruth came alive for me during this course. Here are my big takeaways.

First, I learned that Ruth is a significant book in the Bible. It is not merely a quaint little tale that should be confined to Saturday morning women’s Bible studies, but a powerful contribution to the gospel message of scripture.

Secondly, I learned that part of what makes Ruth this powerful narrative is that it teaches us how to interpret scripture: Boaz creatively interprets the law of Moses in such a way that he can care for Ruth and Naomi, because he is an ordinary, faithful Israelite: one who is shaped by the wisdom of God’s law such that he is able to obey the intention of the law even in complex situations.

Finally, this course taught me about the importance of hesed, the Hebrew word that is difficult to translate with only one English word: “steadfast love”, or “faithfulness”, or “lovingkindness”.

Ruth’s reckless hesed towards Naomi leads her to sacrifice everything. In her we can see the reflection of the hesed of God towards his people.

______________________________________________________________________

This article was originally published

in The Recorder Vol 62, No. 3