Concluding Thoughts on Ruth

"Christ proceeded from the Gentiles, as well as from the Jews, and his grace is given to both."  So it is stated in the introduction to the Book of Ruth in my Bible.  And so it seems, this theme of universality, of a faith for all, lies at the root of this book.  Ruth's otherness, her identity as a gentile, is important.  And just how important cannot be fully realized until one places it within the context of Jesus Christ and the Church He established.  Lest there be any doubt about who the Messiah came to save, lest some think He came only for a select group, the Book of Ruth helps to disavow such a notion.  Ruth cannot be an important figure only because she is David's great-grandmother.  There is something else at play here.  The Davidic connection is important of course.  But its importance again is heightened by tracing and following that connection to Jesus Christ.  One might even wonder why the very short Book of Ruth is even included in Scripture, were it not for this very significant factor.

I don't mean to underestimate this powerful little book of the Bible.  Even taking away the grander themes and significance, there is much value in the book, specifically in the conduct of its characters.  Ruth is a picture of virtue (as are Noemi and Boaz).  She leaves all to follow Noemi to Bethlehem, a strange place for her.  In this she is also prefiguring the faithful Christians who will leave all that is familiar to them to follow Christ.  Ruth has found the true faith, the One and Only God, and suddenly her priorities change.  She leaves her pagan society of Moab behind and ventures into the Promised Land where she meets Boaz, marries and has a child who will be a grandfather to one of the most important of all Biblical figures, the king David.  She remains virtuous and noble even in the face of extreme poverty as she gleans the fields (work that would have been seen as demeaning).  She is loyal, self-sacrificing, and pious.  In short, Ruth is one of the most heroic and saintly figures in the Bible, worthy of our emulation.  The Book of Ruth is a breath of fresh air because of the examples of human goodness it contains, and for its lack of human sinfulness (which is of course plentiful in most other Biblical books).  It's a nice place to pause and have one's spirits lifted.  Especially since we're about to embark on the rocky ride contained in the Books of Kings.  Weighty events are afoot, and I look forward to a heavy dose of analysis concerning kingship, both as it pertains to Christ's Divine Kingship and human kingship as it ought to appear (or not) on earth.