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God is
at work to save mankind ever since the Fall in the
Garden of Eden. God wanted to possess a nation for
Himself through whom His redemption plans to be
executed. For this very purpose He called out Abraham
with his wife. God scrupulously sustained Abraham's
lineage so that His Son Jesus Christ might be born in
that family. Several in the bloodline, like Joseph and
David, were mysteriously and mightily used in order to
preserve the lineage for the set purpose. God's wondrous
and solemn plan to save the whole world is revealed when
he inducted a few characters in the redemption plan
though they were not in that lineage.
We find one of those characters none other than Ruth in
the Book of Ruth. Though Ruth was not born in the
promised lineage of Abraham, she was privileged to
become one of the links in that chain. On the contrary,
she belonged to an incestuous lineage (Gen. 19:31-37), a
cursed generation. The nation of Moab, to which Ruth
belonged, was completely out of God's plan. No Moabite
might have ever thought of becoming a vessel to carry on
God's plan of redemption of mankind.
There came an opportunity for Ruth the Moabitess to know
the living God through her marriage with a Jew. Her
family life did not last long due to the untimely death
of her husband. Three successive deaths - of all the
males in the family - brought three widows to a crucial
decision of their lives. The decision of Naomi, Ruth's
mother-in-law, to return back to her people and God
inspired Ruth to follow her. The decision of Ruth (Ruth
1:16) was self-effacing because she could have stayed
back in Moab and remarried. Her chance to remarry was
remote in Bethlehem, the city to which she was planning
to migrate. Even if she managed to marry someone, the
decree of God stood against her progeny. No Moabite,
even to the tenth generation (Deut. 23:3), was permitted
to enter the assembly of God.
The moment Ruth took a firm decision to follow her
mother-in-law and her God, the God of heaven inscribed
her name in His book in order to provide for her and to
protect her. From that very moment God inducted her too
in His redemption plan. Further, Ruth walked very much
focused under His plan and project. God showed His
faithfulness through providing her a family in the
lineage of Abraham the chosen man of God. "For I know
the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to
prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope
and a future. (Jer. 29:11).
If we ask Ruth to share her testimony, she would say:
"My ancestry is very bad and out of God's plan. I never
knew such a wonderful and mighty God who can rewrite our
history. My effort was least comparing to His in order
to transform my life. The encounter with Him in my life
and my firm decision to follow Him were sufficient to
please Him to rewrite my history
"I came to Bethlehem as widow. It was joyous to be under
His provision and protection. He connected me with the
noble man of the city. and eventually I became his wife.
The elders of Judah recognized me to be in the lineage
of Abraham (Ruth 4:11-13). I became the great grandma of
David, the great King of Israel. Moreover, Jesus Christ
the Saviour of this world was born into my lineage. God
can rewrite your history provided you focus on to walk
with Him in all His ways.”
Ruth's is a living testimony for all of us. God can use
us beyond our understanding and imagination irrespective
of family background and a poor personality. A complete
surrender and commitment to follow Him wholeheartedly is
what God requires of us.
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