242020

Judges 17-21, Ruth 1-4

Thank God for the Gospel of free grace! The light of that free grace in Ruth looks even better compared to the darkness at the end of Judges. When religion becomes plastic and personal and secular, it's women that suffer. When men don't have God as their King, it's women that suffer. Isn't that the author's point, there was no king in Israel, not even God? When we all make our own minds up about religion, there is no end to the sin the sickness and the darkness.

Except there is an end. In Ruth 1 we meet another man who is going on a journey. Moab was no worse than Bethlehem perhaps, but it was still a move away from the promises of God. But what mercy God pours out through Boaz. here is a man with God as his king. he covers the woman instead of cutting, redeems instead of sacrificing. What a picture of the Lord Jesus, who gave all He had to redeem the helpless. 

God is always at work, even in the darkest of seasons. God save us from personal, plastic religion.