There's a level of devotion that I see in a young Moabite woman in the Old Testament that I want to emulate. Sarah Reeves' song "Just Want You" led me to the book of Ruth this week where I was moved by the characteristics of allegiance that I long to see in my own life toward my Savior. You can't emulate what you don't understand, so let's dive in together. On this episode I discuss: Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include:
Read and keep on reading Consult a map Follow Cross References How God's providence plays the long game -- just consider the placement of Ruth in the genealogy of David - Ruth 4:18-22 God's providence in the history of the United States on a tour through the Jenney Museum How our song lyrics remind me of the devotion of Ruth toward her mother-in-law - Ruth 1:16-18 Asking myself Do I have that kind of devotion to my Savior? Am I willing to go wherever Jesus goes? Am I willing to call God's people my people? Exploring the region of Moab through a map and encyclopedia entry - BibleHub.com Following the cross-references to the foundation of Moab - Genesis 19 Discovering references to Moab in Judges since that is the era in which the story is placed - Judges 3:12-14 is an example Pausing again to consider the characteristics of Ruth - Ruth 2:11-12 Considering the providence of God -- does anyone think it was a coincidence that Ruth ended up in Boaz' field? - Ruth 2:1-3 How Boaz as the kinsman-redeemer is a foreshadowing of Christ as our ultimate kinsman-redeemer - GotQuestions.org     Additional Resources Lyrics and music - Praise Charts Story behind the album where "Just Want You" is featured - YouTube Video This Week's Challenge Read the book of Ruth in it's entirety -- read and keep on reading. Consult a map of the area to understand where Moab is in relation to Bethlehem. Follow the cross references to Genesis 19 to discover where Moab came from. Research where Moab is described in the book of Judges as this is the time when this story took place. Finally, as you use our song to worship consider the devotion Ruth showed to her mother-in-law and ask yourself, "Do I have that kind of loyal, humble, trusting devotion to my Savior?"