Up to this point in the Book of Ruth, we have seen the loving and excellent character of two women—Naomi and Ruth. Although others have been mentioned, these two women are the only real actors up to this point. But now, in chapter 2 we will be introduced to the kinsman, Boaz. He’s the first male who’s not sick, dying, or disobedient to God we find in the story. Chapter 2 shows us Ruth’s faithfulness and love for the covenant people of God. We will also see her rewarded even in the midst of uncertainty and suffering. Boaz will be the one through whom this wonderful deliverance will come. As we look at chapter 2, remember all the circumstances from Chapter 1 that our God used in order to have Ruth grafted into the line of Christ and taken in among Jesus’ ancestors. Ruth coming into the covenant community is a figure of the Gentiles coming into the Church.

Ruth has been called the most beautiful piece of literature in the not only the Bible, but the entire world. This book is about the providence of God and His covenant community. Providence is God’s care, preparation in advance, and His guardianship over you. Ruth is about the kindness of God’s people. BTW- We do not get to be God’s people because we are kind. We are kind because we are God’s people. This book gives us a picture of our Lord’s redeeming work. Boaz, a character we’ll get to as we look into this book, is the redeeming relative or kinsman-redeemer. This points us to Christ—our kinsman redeemer. Ruth is a picture of those who enter into new life through Christ, and we will see the clear hand of the Holy Spirit as we look at Ruth’s life. The main theme of this story is that of a redeeming relative. The most important theme in the Book of Ruth is God’s preservation and continuation of the promised Seed and the redemption of God’s people no matter the circumstances.

No other passage shows the heart of love of the Lord seen in the Suffering Servant, the Messiah, Jesus, more than this one. And all this 700 years before Christ lived on earth. The NT quotes more from Isaiah than all the other prophets combined, with an amazing 308 references in the various NT books. For example, John quotes Isaiah in chapter 12 of his Gospel, and then he adds this commentary in verse 41, “These things Isaiah said when he saw (Jesus’) glory and spoke of Him.” As a matter of fact, when one reads verses like these, it’s almost as though Isaiah was an eyewitness to the flogging and the crucifixion—that he was there. But remember, Isaiah’s long ministry was roughly 700 years prior to that of Jesus. Seven centuries separate them. I’ve used this as an example before, but that’s like someone writing in the early 1300s about the events related to the terrorist attacks here on 9/11/01!