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RUTH Ruth was a decendant of Lot, who had a son by an incestous relationship with his oldest daughter, and called his name Moab, thereby making Ruth a Moabitess (Genesis 19:30-37). Because of their idolarty, the Moabites became an abomination unto God, and stayed that way until Ruth met Boaz on the threshing floor in Behlehem. The story of Ruth is found in the Book of Ruth, and is one of the greatest stories that depict love for her mother-in-law, Naomi. Therefore, Bethlehem, capital of Judea, called the "City of David." It was here that Boaz begat Obed of Ruth, and Obed begat Jesse, Jesse begat David, who begat Solomon of Bathsheba (Matthew 1:5-6). Bathsheba was a Hittite and they were children of Heth (Genesis 10:15), who was a son of Caanan, a son of Ham, a son of Noah. Even though TV and the movies show Bathsheba and even the Queen of Sheba with milky white skin, these were people of color, being the children of Ham, who historians say was the father of dark skinned people. I'll buy it! Throughout the Bible, there are many people of color if you for them. Ruth, a descendant of incest, married Boaz, a son of a prostitute. This a strange combination but, God's way is not our way, especially since we look on the outside rather than the inside like He does. Therefore, when we see Ham, we think of slavery and servitude; when we see Caanan, we think of a curse; when we see Boaz, we think of a son of a prostitute; when we see Ruth, we think of incest; when we see Bathsheba, we think of adultery; when we see David, we think of "born in sin, raised in iniquity." But beneath it all: there is a plan, a divine plan, reflecting a divine will, and it has traversed a rout of dubious reputations to arrive BACK at a little town called Bethlehem, "a place of bread." It was here that Ruth, under orders from her mother-in-law, Naomi, played the part of a prostitute by going to the threshing floor to sleep at Boaz's feet. By seeing her there, Boaz's closest kinsman refused to redeem the land. |
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