Following Ruth
(week 03/08)
Olubi Johnson
In our article last week we looked at following Joseph, this week will look at following Ruth.
Ruth is another example of someone who fulfilled the fullness of her destiny against apparently impossible situations: she was a Moabitess alienated from the commonwealth of Israel , a stranger from the covenants of promise, without God and without hope in the world (Ephesians 2:12).
What then would make God choose this young lady to be the great-grandmother of David the King and thus a matriarch of Christ?
Her faithfulness to her mother in law Naomi and by extension to the God of Naomi, even when there was no apparent reward for her personally in doing so.
Naomi was on her way back to Bethlehem and her two daughters in laws: Orpah and Ruth said they would go back with her. However, when Naomi asked them what they would gain personally from so doing, Orpah went back, but Ruth decided to go with her.
Ruth 1:11-14(KJV): 11 And Naomi said, turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? Are there yet any more sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? 12 Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should have a husband also to night, and should also bear sons; 13 Would ye tarry for them till they were grown? Would ye stay for them from having husbands? Nay, my daughters; for it grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD is gone out against me.14 and they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her.
It was this selfless love for Naomi, and by extension to the God of Israel, that made God choose to bless Ruth and make her fulfill such a great destiny as to be a matriarch of the Lord Jesus Christ. Ruth was loving and faithful to Naomi in spite of Naomi’s obvious human imperfections and bitterness (Ruth 1.20). Naomi had lost a husband and two sons by not being in the perfect will of God in going down to Moab from Judah (Ruth 1.1-3) but by loving and being faithful to her Ruth was actually loving and being faithful to God.
1 John 4:20-21(KJV): 20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 21 And this commandment have we from him, that he who loveth God love his brother also.
Ruth 1:15-18(KJV): 15 And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law. 16 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: 17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me. 18 When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her.
The lesson here is that we are to esteem highly in love and be faithful to those in spiritual authority over us in spite of their human faults in order to enter into and fulfill the fullness of our destiny, like Ruth did.
1 Thessalonians 5:12-13(KJV): 12 And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; 13 and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves.
We are to follow Ruth!
In our article next week we will see how Ruth was led by God into her destiny by obeying Naomi after they got to Bethlehem.
