Marriage and birth

Life is made up of a series of choices. By making good choices through faith, blessings will surely come. However, making self-centered choices driven by disbelief leads to destruction. Let us not grow weary of doing good. (1) Boaz took Ruth as his wife through faith. It was part of God’s plan and Boaz’s active choice. As Christians, we can’t act independently of God, but at the same time, we are not robots either. Making daily choices while seeking and confirming God’s will is the essence of Christian life. (2) Ruth was also a woman of faith. She made the decision to accompany Naomi to the land of Israel, seeking refuge under the wings of Israel’s God. She also accepted being redeemed by Boaz. While this may seem like passive action, it was still a choice made by Ruth. (3) As a result of their choices, they were blessed with a son. This son’s descendants would eventually lead to the birth of the Messiah. Ruth’s choices brought blessings not only to the Israelites but also to foreigners. Through the Book of Ruth, God proved that He never forgets the Gentiles.

Naomi’s rejoice

On that day, the neighbor women surrounded Naomi and rejoiced, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” Since Naomi had gained this child in place of her deceased son Mahlon, it was indeed fitting to say, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They continued to say that “he will serve her and the entire house of Elimelech, and at last will be the servant of Yahweh. His name is Obed – a servant.”  The nickname the neighbor women gave become his actual name. Bethlehem was about to witness an even greater wonder, the birth of the Messiah. The prophet Micah had prophesized, “But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will come forth for Me to be ruler in Israel” (Micah 5:2). This prophecy was fulfilled through the birth of Jesus. Let us praise the name of God, who worked out His plan using Ruth, a Gentile (Moabite) woman.