All Articles For The Book of Ruth

Rev. Haak is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Lynden, Washington. “Trust and Obey”—Ruth 1:1-18 Under Joshua’s guidance, the land of Canaan had been divided among the twelve tribes (Joshua 13-19). Every family had its own inheritance, within which the family was to continue to live in its generations (I Kings 21:3; Num. 36:7). This represented the Lords gracious care for them, and their inclusion in the covenant rest of God (Ps. 16:5, 6). Yet, sometimes the faith of the Israelites grew weak, especially when outward circumstances of famine and apostasy were heavy; and of themselves they severed that link...

Rev. Haak is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Lynden, Washington. In a sense we can call Naomi a prodigal daughter (Luke 15:11ff.). She left her spiritual Father’s house and lived for ten years in a place where He did not reveal Himself in His love in Christ. And she did return to Bethlehem-Judah, even as the prodigal son returned to his father’s house. She returned because she realized that there was no other place on earth where she could find blessedness. By God’s grace her return was in the way of acknowledging her sin and her Lord’s faithful...

Rev. Haak is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Lynden, Washington. When Ruth returned home that night after her first day of gleaning and recounted all that had transpired, Naomi began to see the merciful providence of God breaking through the dark clouds of her bitterness and poverty. As she listened to Ruth tell of the kindness of Boaz, and when she saw the material blessings Ruth brought back, Naomi blessed the Lord “who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead.” Especially when Ruth told her of Boaz, whom Naomi knew to be...

Rev. Haak is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Lynden, Washington.

Rev. Haak is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Lynden, Washington. Boaz had promised Ruth that he would see to her rights as a widow in Israel. Naomi had assured her that Boaz would not rest until he had done it. And so it was; the very same day found Boaz at the gate of Bethlehem, representing the cause of Ruth before the elders of the city. The gate of the city in that day was the near equivalent of our present county court house. Here all business was transacted. There contracts were publicly verified, trials were held, judgment...

Rev. Haak is pastor of the Protestant Reformed Church of Lynden, Washington. The book of Ruth begins with a sad picture of famine and sin, of death and a door closed on begetting covenant seed. But what a bright and beautiful picture it is with which the book closes. Boaz takes Ruth to be his wife, and she bears a son. And beyond this, God unfolds His purpose to continue the line of Christ. The beauty of the book of Ruth, along with all the Bible, is the salvation which God gives us in Christ, who was born in that...