The Hidden Christ

And she said, “Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.”  But Ruth said: “Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever 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. The Lord do so to me, and more also, If anything but death parts you and me.” (15-17)

Ruth 1

The book of Ruth is an Old Testament signpost that points us to Christ in four chapters of successively broadening revelation. The first chapter, is perhaps, not so immediately obvious as are the succeeding chapters. In the first chapter, Elimelech departs to Moab with his wife, Naomi, and his sons because of famine. While there, his sons marry Ruth and Orpha. In time, all three of the men die. Naomi is bereaved of all her menfolk. In distress, she determines to return to Israel, a broken and crushed woman. She implores her two widowed daughters-in-law to remain among their own people. Orpha complies, Ruth does not. Ruth determines to go with Naomi and argues forcibly, as we see in the text today. It is here we find a picture of Christ’s working in Providential ways to draw us to Himself, when it seems that all of life is against us. Here is the Unseen Bridegroom, awaiting the arrival of the coming Bride. Christ moves behind the scenes to draw us unto Himself out of the most inauspicious circumstances. We have lost everything, must depart all our old acquaintances, our homeland and the idols of our youth. We go forward, to what, we do not know; yet Providence leads us onward. We cannot see the future; yet Christ, property, status and a place in the Royal Line awaits us. All of this, and more is coming, but at the outset, we are just poor, bereft sinners, hoping for something better. So Christ draws us from where we are, unto His Glorious Self.

Our Gracious Master,
We rejoice in You and in
Your Providence to draw us to You.

Where the Bush is Burning
Tomm Tice