The Hope for the Future: Christ

The Book of Ruth ends with the genealogy of Perez of the line of Judah: "Now this is the genealogy of Perez: Perez begot Hezron; Hezron begot Ram, and Ram begot Amminadab; Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon; Salmon begot Boaz, and Boaz begot Obed; Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David (Ruth 4:18-22).

Note especially verses 21b-22: "Boaz begot Obed; Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David," confirming the statement about the birth of Obed to Ruth and Boaz in verse 17b, which reads, "And they called his name Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David." This is what gives the Book of Ruth its significance. Ruth's great-grandson was David, the greatest king in the history of Israel. It was through the line of David, in fulfillment of prophecy, that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was born in Bethlehem. Isaiah says that the Savior will be "a shoot (that) will come up from the stump of Jesse… the Spirit of the LORD will rest on him" (Isa. 11:1-2, NIV).

God was never in doubt as to what He was doing. He was silently accomplishing His purposes in the godly line of David, which would one day come to its complete fulfillment in the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is our hope! Jesus is our kinsman-redeemer! Remember, it was by His Incarnation that the Son of God became our kinsman so that by His sacrificial, atoning death He might also become our Redeemer. All of our needs and problems find their solution at the Cross of Christ and in His glorious Resurrection.

So, the Book of Ruth points ahead to Christ, the hope for the future. We are encouraged to rely on the character of God as revealed in His Word. Isaiah asks, "Who among you fears the LORD? Who obeys the voice of His Servant? Who walks in darkness and has no light?" (Isa. 50:10a). And he answers, "Let him trust in the name of the LORD and rely upon his God" (v. 10b).

We are to judge, not by what we see of our circumstances, but by what we know of the unchanging character of our God. The only way that can happen, is to have our minds soaked in Scripture and our thinking informed by the certainty of God's sovereignty being exercised in love and grace, right now, in the circumstances of our daily lives.

Boaz and Ruth were ordinary people who lived faithful lives. In the same way, God wants you to be faithful. Trust Christ, the hope for your future. He is our "kinsman-redeemer," our Savior. He is our Lord, our God. As Isaiah says, "Trust in the name of the LORD and rely upon (our) God" (Isa. 50:10b). Amen.