Special Series

Why is Ruth in Your Bible?

Ruth For Shavuot

MANY wonder why the book of Ruth was included in their Scripture. Most, including myself in the past, saw it only as the story of the descendants of the eventual King David to Solomon. But there is critical information missing from that understanding.

But what about this Torah commandment?

Deuteronomy 23:3 — “An Ammonite or Mo’aḇite shall not enter the assembly of יהוה, even a tenth generation of them shall not ever enter the assembly of יהוה,

Torah commands that no Mo’abite shall ever enter into the assembly of YHVH. Never. No way. No how. Nuh-uh.

But Ruth is a Mo’abitess.

MANY in Christianity stand by the idea of the two houses. They challenge those who are Torah observant with: Which house are you? Well, the truth is that the promise is that there will BE one house. The current punishment is two houses.

But that is only a part of the prophetic importance of Ruth.

In the 4-part series, I cover that Ruth chose to be part of Israel. I failed to emphasize this is the greatest significance of the message of Ruth.

You see, if Ruth is a Mo’abitess, then King David was a Mo’abite descendant and not eligible to be the King of Israel, and farther down the line, Yeshua ben Yeho’seph of Natzaret is not eligible to even be the Messiah, let alone King.

Get that?

So, how can He be Messiah?

Accompanying the Israelites when they left Egypt was a large mixed multitude of those who were not children of Israel. But they became part of Israel. Those of the mixed multitude enjoined themselves to the Father and accepted His covenant.

When they accepted His covenant, they became Israel.

Ruth 1:16–17 — But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you, or to go back from following after you. For wherever you go, I go; and wherever you stop over, I stop over. Your people is my people, and your Elohim is my Elohim. {Ruth, great-grandmother of Dawiḏ} “Where you die, I die, and there I shall be buried. יהוה do so to me, and more also — for death itself parts you and me.”

With all she was, all she had, and all she would become, to death and beyond, Ruth committed herself to YHVH, to be a part of His people. She chose to live the rest of her life as His daughter.

When Ruth made this commitment… When she accepted the terms of the covenant she became an Israelite. She left being a Mo’abitess in the past and lived the rest of her life as an Israelite.

This is a main point of her story. She stopped being a Mo’abitess when she left it in the past and chose to be His. The book of Ruth is in our Scriptures because she was a model of how Israel was and is created.

Don’t forget the importance of the prophetic shadow picture of the redemption of Israel, also.

It has always been a choice. Accept the covenant, choose to be His, and you become one of His — Israel.

The book of Ruth is essential reading for understanding the process of engrafting.