Ruth's tent man the tenth man

The Book of Ruth, probably written by Samuel, is an infinitely charming Old Testament book with only four chapters, 85 verses and 2,578 words.

There is, in fact, only one other book in the Bible with a woman’s name: Esther. Ruth is a Gentile who marries a Jew and Esther is a Jew who marries a Gentile. Both of these books are books of history, typology and doctrine. Someone once said, “Ruth is one of the richest rewards of truly knowing the scripture.”

“Heart history appeals to people who have a heart,” says Jordan. “The stories that are based in appeal to affections are the things that attract people, and Ruth is that way. There’s always a charm in a book that is filled with typology, and the main characters in Ruth are all pictures of God’s dealings with the nation Israel, and especially in the kinsman redeemer Boaz, who is a type of Christ.

Ruth is a love story that is very much a true story. More importantly, it’s a book of prophecy and doctrine in typology, written during the early part of David’s reign before he had Solomon.

Jordan explains, “Ruth takes place during the deep dark period of Judges but isn’t recorded until the early reign of David because Boaz is the predecessor of David. David is in Boaz’ line and Boaz is one of those key people who are in the Messiah’s line and now David can be Israel’s king. So, in that interlude between David and Solomon, where God is teaching Israel how He will work on their behalf, He writes a little book because the first thing Israel needs when there under all that judgment is for Him to be their Kinsman Redeemer.

“And the first thing the Davidic covenant provides for them is a redeemer. And so the little book of Ruth, nestled as it is between Judges and the ministry of Samuel. . . in the book of Judges you see the doctrine of the kinsman redeemer--you see Gideon the deliverer and Samson the avenger and God ministering through the weaknesses of Israel and bringing about His purpose. You’re seeing those things God will do to redeem Israel and you see David and Solomon as the king and the one who brings the blessing of prosperity to them. Those are the mandates God has in the Davidic covenant that will be accomplished in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ.

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Between the first two cycles of the five cycles of judgment laid out in Leviticus 6 there was a period of respite. The first cycle, as said, covers the dark ages of the Book of Judges, where the book of Ruth took place, but then there’s sort of a respite from Samuel through the reigns of David and Solomon. The Book of Judges isn’t written until that respite period comes on the scene. During the reign of David, they reach back into Judges and pull out a story of Ruth and Boaz. In fact, the story’s pulled out of the lineage of King David. In his ancestors is a story about the Kinsman Redeemer that is doctrine attached to that period of respite.

Ruth 2:1 says, “And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz.” The term kinsman is used about a dozen times in the book. Unger’s Bible Handbook is the first to refer to Ruth as “the romance of redemption.”

Jordan explains, “When you start at the beginning of the genealogy of Christ and count down the first ten guys you come to Noah. The tenth one in Shem’s line (the line of Christ) was Abraham. Boaz is the third tenth man.

Matthew 1:5 says, “And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse.”

Jordan says, “That’s why the Book of Ruth is there to tell you who Boaz is. By the way, you can go on through the Old Testament and find those other tenth men and find their significance. It’s fascinating.

“The Book of Ruth isn’t just a little ditty that just happened to be passed on from campfire to campfire; ‘Let’s just put it in the Bible because we happen to have it around.’ Ruth is put there in the Bible to teach some doctrine about the kinsman redeemer, about Israel’s need to be redeemed.

“Boaz has some real insightful wisdom and a determined commitment and an undeterred love for Ruth to get the job of redemption done. By the way, the name Boaz means ‘in his is strength’ and he’s the redeemer who gets the job done! The picture is of the Messiah. It’s Israel in the time of Jacob’s trouble being saved by her Messiah who comes by the way, out of Bethlehem.”