Discover The Word

Monday, November 22, 2010

The story of Ruth

IDEA: God’s providence is always present even when it is not always evident.

PURPOSE: To help listeners appreciate how God’s presence appears in a story even though the characters may not be aware of it.

Have you ever read a novel or watched a movie more than once? Why did you do it?

Do you think that the listeners or readers of the story of Ruth had ever read or heard the story before?

It was read as part of the feast of Pentecost each year.

It must have been read during or after the reign of King David.

People read the book to see how the author skillfully revealed a great truth about God.

I. God’s providence is always present even when it is not always evident.

Why do we mean by God’s “providence”?

Why would the story of Ruth and the idea behind it be appealing for readers in the 21st century?

What “genre” of literature does the writer use to get across this great idea?

What are the strengths of a short story?

What are its limitations?

II. Where in a short story is the most likely place for a key interpretive statement?

Is the mood of the ending different from the mood at the beginning? Why?

The emphasis on God’s gracious gift of a child (Ruth 4:11-14) provides a strong climax. The happy ending after such a sorrowful beginning affirms God’s gracious direction of the lives involved in the story.

Yet, throughout the story by implication we see God at work.

Conclusion:

The story of Ruth is the story of ordinary farmers in an ordinary little town living ordinary lives, surprised by the providence of God at work in their lives.