In the Book of Ruth is a great and mighty story. It is a story of their life (Ruth and Naomi for the most part), but it is also a prophecy. Maybe you have or have not seen the prophecy but it is there.
The Book of Ruth is about Ruth of course and her life, but it is also about Naomi her daughter-in-law who was a gentile.
The story in the Book of Ruth is very important to know. Ruth is represented by the nation of Israel. Naomi, her daughter-in-law was married to a man named Elimelech. Elimelech means my God is King. However, in the story Ruth’s husband dies, then her two sons die. She is living in exile from her homeland, basically a stranger in a foreign land and because her husband and both her sons are dead she is in pain and sorrow. (In the culture of the day…women pretty much had to depend on their husband or the sons for help). She decided to go back to her homeland, and Naomi wanted to go, out of love for Ruth back there with her.
The Jews for the last couple thousand years lived in exile as well. They were foreigners n far-off lands. For a jew to be away from their homeland was also like being in pain and sorrow.
The story comes alive though because Ruth, through this gentile daughter-in-law Naomi who became part of the nation of Israel is brought to the knowledge of God, and because of her faithfulness to Ruth and her good heart…she becomes part of the nation of Israel and part of the line of Jesus the Messiah. Jew and gentile came together. She becomes Ruth’s adopted daughter and with all the rights of a daughter.
Now, pay attention if you don’t know this already: Those in the new covenant/the born again ones become the adopted children of Israel. Israel is their mother, and the church is Israel’s daughter. Amazing.
Ruth marries Boaz, a relative of Ruth and through them they bear a child who is in the line of Jesus. This child becomes the blessing of Naomi’s life and through Naomi comes Ruth’s redemption, and through Ruth comes Naomi’s blessing.
It is through the Jewish people, that the blessing has come to the Gentiles…and it will be through the Gentiles that the blessing comes back to the Jewish people. Amazing! Yeah, I said amazing again. I love the Book of Ruth and find love and joy in that book.
Those blessed with salvation are blessed through Israel…and become part of Israel. They are Ruth, and Israel is their Naomi.
It is through these two women and their love for one another that this story becomes an amazing example and prophecy for us. It puts us all together as one…Jew and Gentil. It tells us about the line of our Lord…Jew and Gentile together. Ruth blesses Naomi, and Naomi blesses Ruth…that completes the story.
We, as Christians, are to be complete as well. All this fighting on earth and everyone hating each other needs to stop. Christians are the church, Jesus is the overseer, and the Jews and us are one. Remember people…Jesus was Jewish. We are to love each other and stand up for one another. We are to be the Naomi who loves Ruth. Our souls are intertwined together and we all need to care about what happens to them.
People need to understand that if we can’t get along here on earth why would God want us in heaven? It is time to lay down all hate for the Jews and just love them. They don’t yet understand everything about Jesus…but they will soon enough. God loves them. They were chosen. Be there for our Jewish brothers and sisters.