This week we will hopefully begin to understand that God is sovereign and good, two attributes which are shown in His kindness displayed to His people. When we think of God we hopefully think of Him as loving, gracious, compassionate, just, righteous, strong, creative, and ultimately kind. We’ve seen a lot of not so kind things happening even in the first few verses of Ruth 1, but the central idea behind God’s kindness is that He keeps His word no matter what.
Ruth is a book providence and redemption. In one sense all of the Bible is about God’s providence and Redemption, but it is very strongly pronounced in Ruth; it is one of the reasons we are calling the series “The Story Within the Story.” All of our stories find meaning and hope within God’s larger story of us. Providence simply means God’s care and guidance over His creation, but when it comes to our lives we should have an understanding that He knows all that has been done to us and all that we have done…and that He can make things work out for His glory and our ultimate joy.