RUTH: FOREIGNER, FAVOUR, FAMILY

At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She asked him, “Why have I found such FAVOUR in your eyes that you notice me – a foreigner? – Ruth 2:10 (NIV)

The God of favour is the Author of families: “Of whom the whole FAMILY in heaven and earth is named” (Eph.3:15). By favour, God connects and settles the solitary in families. By favour, He assumes the roles of Father of the fatherless, Husband of widows, Defender of the poor and Succourer of the afflicted (Psa.146:9). “A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in His holy habitation” (Psa.68:5). We didn’t choose being born into particular nations or families. It was all by the sovereign grace and favour of the Almighty God.

God’s favour that sets the solitary in families is demonstrated in the story of Ruth and Naomi, poor widows in need of the Lord’s help. Ruth however prepared the ground for the favour that she ultimately received, by making the right choices and commitments. When circumstances left them widowed, Ruth told her aging mother-in-law, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me” (Ruth 1:16-17 NIV). By this, Ruth forsook the gods of the Moabites and embraced the God of Israel.

Ruth’s story shows how God loves to surprise people of FAITH with His FAVOUR. After a tragic past but a consistent faith and through a chain of divinely-orchestrated circumstances, Ruth won the favour of a wealthy, older bachelor – Boaz. She was redeemed and became Boaz's wife. She had a son, Obed who was father of Jesse and grandfather of King David, from whose descendants the Messiah was born. So Ruth, the young destitute widow and foreigner from Moab who showed such love to her Israelite mother-in-law, became a direct ancestor of Jesus Christ.

The same favour engrafts us believing Gentiles into the Commonwealth of Israel (Eph.2:12). By grace and favour, through faith, we have become members of God’s redeemed family, where we are accepted, loved, respected, protected, provided for, trained, equipped and rewarded. The Author of favour “sets the solitary in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land” (Psa.68:6). You need the wisdom of God in the various family-related choices you need to make in life, include your commitment to accept, love, help and regularly fellowship with the rest of the family. You should support the life and mission of your church family with your time, talents, tithes and treasures. These would go a long way in attracting God’s favour into your life’s affairs.