Ruth – Salisbury Baptist Church

Ruth

A Worthy Inheritance

1st June 2025

The story of Ruth's redemption by Boaz reveals a spiritual legality. Just as Boaz acted properly and lawfully to secure Ruth, Christ's Atonement is a finished, legal reality in heaven. Now being atoned, when we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us, not only out of mercy alone, but because of the completed work of His Son. This truth calls us to a total commitment, like that of Ruth, so that we may walk fully in the blessing of being part of God's family.

Ruth

A Worthy Life

25th May 2025

The Old Testament concept of worthiness, seen in Ruth and Boaz, is updated and clarified in the New Covenant. To find God's will, especially in relationships, requires three things. First, we must be equally yoked with fellow believers, as true worthiness is found in Christ. Second, we must offer a total commitment to the Lord, a full surrender like that of Ruth to Naomi. Finally, we must be transformed by the renewing of our minds, learning to listen to the Holy Spirit's leading from within rather than conforming to the pressures of the world.

Ruth

Proving God’s Will

18th May 2025

The story of Ruth and Boaz provides a surprising illustration of a woman proposing marriage, guided by the cultural practice of the Levirate law. This law established the role of a kinsman-redeemer, a relative obligated to provide for a widow and preserve a family line. Finding God's will, especially in marriage, is less about receiving detailed instructions for every step and more about surrendering oneself to His sovereign purpose. When two people, like Ruth and Boaz, recognise in each other a worthy character and a shared commitment to the God of Israel, The Lord, they can trust that God will overrule circumstances to bring about His good and perfect will.

Ruth

Resting in His Purpose

11th May 2025

Discovering the will of God is less about finding a specific answer for every small decision and more about surrendering to His overarching purpose. When we pray for His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven and commit our lives to Him as a living sacrifice, we can rest in His sovereign ability to direct our paths. God is perfectly capable of arranging circumstances, even through apparent coincidences, to achieve His plan in our lives. By focusing on living a godly life and trusting Him, we allow Him to work His purposes through us, just as He did through the lives of Ruth and Boaz.

Ruth

Go, My Daughter

11th May 2025

The relationship between Naomi and Ruth offers a powerful model for mothers-in-law. A truly good mother-in-law cultivates a love so deep that the distinction between daughter and daughter-in-law fades away. This is a love that seeks the best for the younger woman, even if it means letting go, and wisely empowers her to take initiative, trusting in God's guidance for her new family. Through this relationship, we see how a woman who chose to belong to the people of God was welcomed and became an ancestor of Jesus Christ Himself.

Ruth

Clinging to God and His People

4th May 2025

Ruth's decision to cling to Naomi is a picture of how a new believer finds their true home in the arms of God and His people. This commitment to God's community, even when it means leaving the familiar behind, is a vital direction of faith. Through this simple act of loyalty, God works out His mysterious and sovereign will, placing Ruth in the lineage of the Saviour Himself. In the same way, when we commit ourselves to the church, we make ourselves available for God to achieve His divine purpose He has in our finding and following Christ.