What if the OT ended with the book of Judges? That would be a pretty miserable, depressing ending. Remember the last words of Judges in 21:25? “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”
The book of Judges is an example of what happens when people forget God. Society loses all moral clarity. This is the best that man can do, fend for himself and make up his own self-absorbed rules. When Judges ends, Israel’s future and hope looks fairly dim.
Then there’s the little book of Ruth. This little book has a big message: God is still in control! In the middle of the chaos of Judges, God is still sovereignly working out his redemptive plan. While Israel is rebelling, God is actively putting the pieces together to provide salvation for His people!
Judges ends with Israel desperately needing a king. The last word of the book of Ruth is “David.” David is a descendent of Ruth and Boaz. David will be king. Not just any king though. This is the king God will provide. This is a king after God’s own heart. This will be Israel’s greatest king. David’s rule will foreshadow the rule of the final king, King Jesus!
And all of this is happening, unseen and unknown, right in the middle of Israel’s moral down-spin and idolatry! For sure, there are many more lessons to “glean” from Ruth. This is a wonderful, beautiful story. The essence of it though is that God is orchestrating events in such a way as to provide a “kinsman redeemer” at just the right time! When Ruth ends, Israel DOES have hope because God is in control!
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