Introduction
God’s use of ordinary people to achieve His goals may be found in the Holy Scripture more than once. As an example, the story of Ruth can be cited, a humble girl who symbolizes the events of Israel’s redemption. The chapters in the Bible about this character introduce the idea of salvation through the atonement, and Ruth typifies the idea that loyalty and obedience to God’s will determine a person’s belonging to Him.
Ruth’s Story
The events of the Book of Ruth take place in the days of the judges when immorality and arbitrariness were frequent in Israel. The book tells the story of a young pagan woman named Ruth who leaves her homeland to follow her mother-in-law Naomi to Israel (King James Bible, 2020). There, she marries Boaz, her influential relative, and even becomes the progenitor of King David. This means that the woman is also the foremother of the Son of David, Jesus, and in his genealogy, among the few women, her name also appears.
From the text about Ruth’s character, a reader can glean the fact that belonging to the people of God is determined not by blood and birth but by faithfulness and obedience to the will of God. This truth was fully revealed by Jesus Christ since due to Him, the Kingdom of God became available to all nations. This idea is central to the story of Ruth and conveys the meaning of the text about her.
Ruth’s story was included in the Scripture because it symbolized moral purity, strong faith, and worthy life. All of these aspects were rare during the events described because, according to the King James Bible (2020), the degree of permissiveness in Israel at that time was great. In contrast, in the book of Ruth, the events are presented through the prism of a different view. In her story, those people are mentioned who believe that nothing can be hidden from God, and this message is one of the main factors explaining the value of Ruth’s story to the Scripture.
One of the main ideas that readers should take from Ruth’s story is the significance of atonement. God used Boaz who was responsible for Naomi and Ruth, his relatives so that he would buy Naomi’s allotment and continue her family line by marrying Ruth (King James Bible, 2020). By taking Ruth as his wife, he provided her with a position in society, safety, and care. Therefore, Boaz became a type of Jesus Christ who redeemed people from sin due to His death and endowed them with all blessings those who revealed their need to God.
As a result, Ruth becomes a symbol of the atonement that God gives to the whole of humanity. The woman is assigned the role of the one who feels blessing and mercy. In addition, the idea of grace is reflected, which can descend on a person when following God’s commandments. Thus, the story of the redemption of Israel is presented through the image of this character.
Conclusion
Ruth’s story shows how the grace of God can help people come to redemption and feel grace and mercy. Through this character, in the Scripture, the redemption of Israel is shown from the perspective of an opportunity to draw closer to God by following the laws of loyalty and obedience. The inclusion of this story in the Bible allows describing the events of Israel at that time and reflecting how the faith of one person can change others’ fate.
Reference
King James Bible. (2020). The Holy Bible [eBook edition]. King James Bible Online.