Of all the persons that appear in the Old Testament, Samson and Ruth exist high in the rankings of polarized figures operating on different ends of the spectrum of faith. Samson’s story is tragic and demoralizing despite being filled with references to “the Spirit of the Lord” (Jgs 13:25; 14:6, 19; 15:14), and yet Ruth’s story is cheering and redeeming despite having no explicit reference to God’s activity at all. It might seem odd to hold these two books in juxtaposition to one another. However, their position in the canon is no accident. The ending of Judges seems hauntingly unfulfilled: “There was no king in Israel.” (Jgs 21:25) The narrative of Ruth, though, is about to change that reality in, perhaps, the most remarkable way possible. (Ruth 1:1; 4:18–22)
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A juxtaposition that reveals the Redeemer.
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Of all the persons that appear in the Old Testament, Samson and Ruth exist high in the rankings of polarized figures operating on different ends of the spectrum of faith. Samson’s story is tragic and demoralizing despite being filled with references to “the Spirit of the Lord” (Jgs 13:25; 14:6, 19; 15:14), and yet Ruth’s story is cheering and redeeming despite having no explicit reference to God’s activity at all. It might seem odd to hold these two books in juxtaposition to one another. However, their position in the canon is no accident. The ending of Judges seems hauntingly unfulfilled: “There was no king in Israel.” (Jgs 21:25) The narrative of Ruth, though, is about to change that reality in, perhaps, the most remarkable way possible. (Ruth 1:1; 4:18–22)