Ruth, whose name means Friendship, is one of the iconic women of the bible. Her friendship with Naomi is one of the most talked about relationships between two women in the bible.
But what makes Ruth such an interesting figure beyond her relationship with Naomi is that she is an outsider. A woman from Moab that marries the son of Naomi, and who is eventually widowed like Naomi. And when Naomi decides to return to Bethlehem and her people Ruth insist on being at her side.
Her unwavering friendship to her mother-in-law eventually leads to her becoming the wife of Boaz and the two of them have a child, Obed. Obed would have a child, Jesse. And from Jesse, the greatest king of Israel would be born, David.
This book is a great example of how God continually seeks out the lost, the outsider and incorporates them back into the family of God. Ruth sets the stage for the unification of the two kingdoms under David. And from the house of David, the Messiah will eventually be born and unify all of God’s children, Gentile or Jew into the body of Christ, the church, the physical representation of God’s son here on earth.
It is this story of outsider, friendship and love that will be our focus for the next Beer and Bible at the Heuther Hotel January 30, 2019 at 7:30 pm.