Christ in All the Scriptures by A.M. Hodgkin

• Title Page
• Introduction
• Christ in the Pentateuch
• Christ in the Historical Books
  • Joshua
  • Judges
  • Ruth
  • The Six Books of Kings
  • 1 Samuel
  • 2 Samuel
  • 1 Kings
  • 2 Kings
  • 1 Chronicles
  • 2 Chronicles
  • Ezra
  • Nehemiah
  • Esther
• Christ in the Poetical Books
• Christ in the Prophets
• Christ in His Life on Earth
• Christ in Resurrection Power
• Christ in Future Glory

Ruth

Out from the darkness we have been studying, “in the days when the judges ruled,” there shines forth the sweet story of Ruth. In the midst of war and lawlessness and idolatry there were still those, both rich and poor, who feared God and lived virtuous and simple lives to His praise.

The family of Elimelech were evidently among these, though they took the backsliding step of going down into the Land of Moab for succor. The name Elimelech means “My God is King;” and if his faith had been strong enough to depend upon his King, much trouble might have been spared. “There was a famine in the land,” even in Bethlehem, “the House of Bread,” and they went to Moab in search of food, and, as often happens, “they continued there.” Trouble upon trouble followed this downward step. Elimelech died, his two sons married Moabitish women, and then the sons died also.

After about ten years Naomi heard “that the Lord had visited His people in giving them bread,” and she arose to return to her own land, And then follows the memorable choice of Ruth to cleave unto her mother-in-law in following her to an unknown land, and to what seemed a life of privation and toil. When Naomi saw that she was “steadfastly minded” to go with her, she left speaking to her.

There must have been something very beautiful in Naomi’s life thus to win the devotion and love of Ruth, first to herself and then to her God; and it has been well to keep her name, which means “Pleasant,” instead of substituting her suggestion of Mara.

They arrived at Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest, and proved it to be the House of Bread once more. The calm poetry of those harvest fields of Bethlehem, the eager gleaner among the maidens, the reapers, the lord of the harvest—have all lived in golden sunshine in our imagination from our childhood.

“Her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging to Boaz.” Behind our lives there is a guiding Hand which causes even insignificant things to be fraught with mighty issues.

In Boaz, the kinsman of Elimelech, “a mighty man of wealth,” we have another beautiful character. The simplicity of his life, the courtesy of his behavior to all with whom he came in contact, his generosity, his regard for the Law, above all his constant reference of every event to God, stand out in striking contrast against the dark background of his time.