More to The Story - Chapter 9 - Ruth

WHY ARE RAHAB AND RUTH IN THE STORY?
 
"Naomi (told Ruth), "Wait, my daughter, until you find out what happens. For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today."   Ruth 3:18(NIV)

“So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife.  . . . and she gave birth to a son. The women living there said, 'Naomi has a (grand)son.' And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.  This, then, is the family line of Perez:
Perez was the father of Hezron,
Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab,
Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon,
Salmon the father of Boaz, Boaz the father of Obed,
Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David." Ruth 4:13-22

“Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father,. . . of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ." Matthew 1:6-16  


REFLECTION

Naomi told Ruth to wait. She did and true to her hope, Boaz did not fail her. Boaz and Ruth married. They became parents and Naomi and a grandmother. God used this mixed family with a faithful foreigner to continue the family line into which Jesus was born.
 
Did you notice Rahab of Jericho in Matthew’s genealogy? What a mix. Israelites, foreigners, sinners and saints. Maybe God actually does use little people like us in ways that are beyond our comprehension.

Prayer

“Lord, thank you for Ruth’s story, which is actually, once again, Your story, the story of You, the One who redeems the unredeemable . . . . . people like me . . . .and of all things, you use me in the process of redeeming others. You are beyond amazing. Amen.”  

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