Big Doors Swing On Wee Hinges.

                                       Big Doors Swing On Wee Hinges

Have you ever felt “insignificant” among God’s people? Ever felt that you were just there to fill a seat? Or give money into the collection plate? Don’t worry. Believe me. You are more important than that.

Let’s take a look at a woman from the Old Testament.

I want to look at an apparent oddity contained in the Old Testament. The Book of Ruth. It is a small little book consisting of only four chapters and stuck in between the massive historical tomes of the Old Testament. The previous seven books from Genesis to Judges contain 232 chapters. While the following six books after Ruth - 1st Samuel to 2nd Chronicles - contain 167 chapters. Such a tiny little book should surely be out of place amongst all the worthy historical accounts of ancient Israel.

However, as the Blog title suggests, “Big Doors Swing on Wee Hinges”.  For it is the Book of Ruth which joins these two historical accounts together. Israel had changed from being tribal and nomadic, governed by prophets and elected leaders to becoming a nation in her own right, with a capital city and a king.

And the events recorded in the Book of Ruth were right in the middle of all of this.

You see it was Ruth who married Boaz. And Boaz’s mother was called Rahab – “Rahab the Harlot” of Jericho fame. Her that was saved from the collapsing walls of the City. You can read about Rahab in the Book of Joshua, particularly between Chapters 2 and 6. After the Jericho events Rahab married a man called Salmon and had a son called Boaz. Rahab was Ruth’s Mother-in-Law.

But the connection doesn’t stop there. You see, Ruth and Boaz had a son called Obed. And he had a son called Jesse. The Bible then records Jesse as having had either seven or eight sons – The youngest of which was called David. Yes. David the Shepherd. The giant-slayer. The Psalmist. The King of Israel. He was Ruth’s Great Grandson.

And another little oddity contained within this lineage. Neither Rahab nor Ruth were Israelites. You see, Rahab was a Canaanite and Ruth was from Moab. Both countries were one time enemies of Israel.

Truly the book of Ruth should be given far more accolades than it has been within Christian circles. For it indeed is this small book that is the hinge on which the history of mighty Israel turned.

Surely if anyone was to feel “insignificant” it should have been Ruth. But she had a big part to play.


And so do you.

 

 


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