Dr. Lawrence Butler, The Bridge Church, Pembroke
There are several points of interest upon which we shall look over the next few weeks. It is my intention to point out two of those acts of mercy and grace in this lesson today. May the Holy Spirit quicken the Word of God to our hearts, granting understanding of His mysterious wonders to deliver man from sin.
The first is that God’s plan of salvation is intended to reach all humans, not just special groups of limited numbers. In other words, the blood of Jesus Christ was shed for all people, regardless of race or ethnic groups.
Ruth the Moabitess illustrates to us that salvation’s plan was not extended for Jews (Israelites) alone, but for the Gentiles as well. This was not revealed as clearly in the Old Testament as in the New Testament, but it is there nonetheless as we see in this short Book of Ruth.
The reward for Ruth’s faith and obedience not only to her mother-in-law but to the Lord Himself was going to bring the same blessing the Jews received.
“The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust” (Ruth 2:12). She loved and respected Naomi, but she served and trusted the Lord.
Thus, she would receive the same reward as all the children of God.
The second point is somewhat similar in that Ruth’s blessing demonstrates that in God’s eyes women are co-equal with men. They are considered joint heirs with men in salvation’s plan of grace. We realize that in most societies since the world began women have been relegated to positions of second class citizenship, sometimes in near bondage situations, but this has never been God’s viewpoint. This has existed because of man’s sinful confusion of God’s will.
Listen to the Apostle Paul’s position on the subject of equality. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus” ( Galatians 3:28).
Our ethnicity, our color nor our gender has any bearing on God’s love for us. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). All of us are loved and desired by our Father.