For Katie and Isaac / For their wedding, February 14, 2025 / Rick L. McNally

Today I’m going to talk a few minutes about the book of Ruth. And this is not typical for me. I have to admit to you that Ruth was not my favorite book in the Bible, and nor was it anywhere close. I kind of looked down on it a bit. This is kind of funny, for we know all scripture is from God, yet there remains a bit of it that is harder to swallow, probably for all of us. Your book or genre that is more difficult to swallow is probably different from mine.

There is grandeur in the Epistles, as they are thick with theological meaning and questions. There is great emotion in the Psalms, as we can learn there how to get closer to God and how to process our own brokenness. There are messianic mysteries to be solved in the prophets.  

And in the book of Ruth, there are simple people gleaning for wheat, trying to survive.

But I was wrong. I find deep, deep meaning here.  

Brokenness

There is deep meaning here that is meant for broken people. For those who don’t know how to fix what is broken. Whether that is (1) themselves, for those of us brave enough to pay attention to our brokenness (spelled out for ourselves in our own sinfulness, if we have the eyes to see that sin) or (2) the other people around us who are broken too and affect us, or (3) our cultures and societies that by nature don’t act in righteous ways.  

It is all broken.

Ruth is a book about two women, a mother-in-law and a daughter-in-law who are broken down and experience deep, deep loss and pain.

Naomi’s (the mother-in-law) name means “pleasant one,” but she rejects that name and takes the name Mara for herself because God has dealt very bitterly with her. She states to her townspeople on her return to her hometown that she “went away full,” and the Lord has brought her back “empty.”

If we were honest, we would admit that we are broken. None of us are heroes, we are all the needy ones who need fixing. Even New Testament “giants” such as Peter, John, and Paul were troubled souls (Jesus deniers, authority and glory junkies, and church persecutors) and continued to be troubled souls; ‘chiefs’ of sinners. Broken.

Katie and Isaac, we live in a broken world, and you will feel that brokenness. But brokenness has purpose. If you can admit your need, your brokenness, you may find joy.

Companionship

There is deep meaning in the book of Ruth, as there is human companionship, and that companionship was designed by God.  

Naomi may have nothing, but she did have Ruth. This was her daughter-in-law. Yes, her husband died, yes her two sons died, yes one of her daughter-in-laws left for her old home; but one remained with her.

The devotion that Ruth has for her is profound. She denies her own “Moabian” culture (one of idolatry, of moral degradation, of child sacrifice) and turns to Naomi’s culture instead; and to her God!

She states “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.” (Ruth 1:16-17)

It says in the text that Ruth “clung” to Naomi — she stuck to her like glue. This is the Hebrew word [dbq] used in Genesis 2 when God tells about the relationship between man and wife, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”

This devotion to others, and particularly in the marriage relationship, is a deep and profound truth.  Katie and Isaac — stick together, pursue each other, let nothing come between you.

Redemption

Ruth is also, at its heart, not just a story of brokenness and companionship, it is ultimately a story of redemption. The concepts of redemption are mentioned 17 times in this very short book, which pound for pound when compared to the rest of the Bible is 7 times more frequent. It is the theme of the book.

What these two broken people needed most in their lives was a way to survive in this world. With their husbands gone, and their means of making money, or owning land, or any commercial enterprise very limited, they needed outside help.

They couldn’t just power through — they needed someone to take up their cause.

This is the story of the Kinsman Redeemer, someone who was (1) related closely to them, (2) who had resources, and (3) desired to help them in their plight. They found such a person in Boaz. Boaz took upon himself their debts and their benefits, and wedded himself to their little family.

Jesus is the great (ultimate, real) Kinsman Redeemer. One who was (1) human, just like us, yet (2) had the resources of love and righteousness enough to share and (3) desired to help us in our desperation.  

Katie and Isaac, beyond all else, fall into Christ. Don’t fall into a movement, or a personality, nor into a religion — fall into Christ. He alone is your help. He alone is worthy of your devotion.

A Future

There is also, at the end of the book, a look toward the future. Though their lives were broken, though they had a little family and their day-to-day was desperate, God provided for them redemption. But not only that.

They were designed to be a part of a greater story. Their little contribution of faithfulness was a smudge of paint — and if you were to back up and see the other smudges of paint, you would see that it made a beautiful painting.  

Ruth and Boaz had a son; his name was Obed. He was the father of Jesse. Jesse was the father of David, the King. The greatest King of Israel. Another great loser who found a God who was bigger than himself.

This little slip of a girl, a foreigner, a Moabite, a lost soul, was the great, great-grandmother of David. Not only this, but this little Moabite was in the family tree of Messiah, the son of David, Jesus Christ of Nazareth.

God is the God of the past, present, and future. We need to find within ourselves the FAITH to let God be God. To live in faith of what He can do.

Our story is bigger than we know. We have a God who paints with paints we do not understand in perspectives we don’t comprehend, in hues that hurt our eyes at times, but make the most wonderful paintings we can imagine.

Let us respond to God with the attitudes of Ruth and Naomi.  

Katie and Isaac, let us find our Savior and rest in Him.