There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury
every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21
and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked
his sores.
So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the
revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to
keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this,
that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my
power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of
my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ,
then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities.
For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
The book of Ruth begins with the historical setting in the period of the judges. This was a time of unprecedented sin and rebellion in Israel as “everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judg 21:25 ). It is also important to see that this was a time, not just of spiritual crisis, but of economic crisis as well. ‘There was a famine in the land.’
The book of Ruth starts by mentioning time, names, places, and events. The mood was somber and dramatic. A famine forced a family in Bethlehem to move to a Moab, foreign land. This situation became an opportunity for God to demonstrate His grace. The unfolding of the story revealed how God providentially worked to meet needs of His people and fulfill His plans of redemption.