There are times in life when God supernaturally intervenes and we see the “Red Sea” part. But, more often, life is like the book of Ruth. There is pain and loss and we’re working around the edge of the field trying to scrape up enough grain for the next day. On such days we need to remember that God is at work in history – – we can be sure of it.
All the more reason to appreciate the example of Ruth and the radical courage of her decision.
Trible’s quote on Ruth:
“Ruth stands alone: she possesses nothing. No God has called her; no deity has promised her blessing; no human being has come to her aid. She lives and chooses without a support group ands he knows that the fruit of her decision may well be the emptiness of rejection, indeed of death. Consequently, not even Abraham’s leap of faith surpasses this decision of Ruth’s. And, there is more. Not only has Ruth broken with family, country and faith, but she has also reversed sexual allegiance. A young woman has committed herself to the life of an old woman rather than to the search for a husband . . . One female has chosen another female in a world where life depends upon men. There is no more radical decision in all the memories of Israel.”[1] Trible quoted in Hubbard
[1] Trible quoted in Frederic Bush, Ruth/Esther, ed. David A. Hubbard and Glenn W. Barker, Word Biblical Commentary, vol. 9 (Dallas: Word, 1996), 54.
Wow! Thank you so much for this Chris! I really needed to hear this today and to have my thinking jolted back to where it belongs…..God focused!
This is very beautiful and encouraging on so many levels. God has comforted me many times with Ruth’s story and I, for one, am so glad He put it in the Bible for us.
I’ve often wondered about the sense of destiny that God had to have deposited in this woman’s spirit to enable her to stand in the face of such despair and hopelessness. God came through for Ruth and He will not disappoint us either.
Thank you for posting.
Thanks for posting this quote. I love the book of Ruth because of its focus on the providence of God. He uses everyday events in our lives to see His hand. No matter how big or small the event, He is there.
Wow! That’s quite a quote! VERY interesting. I was thinking of Esther, too. No other book of the Bible lacks a mention of God’s name, but his implicit work is on every page.