After the ferocity of Judges, it’s lovely to have something so special to read.

Why is Ruth special to me? For many reasons! It echoes the Woman of Nobel Chapacter in Proverbs (watch this space!), it is the text in the Bible most likely to have been written by a woman and it’s the passage my sister and her husband had at their wedding!

Ruth is a story of two loyal and resourceful women. There’s Ruth and her mother-in-law Naomi. Both are widowed, and they have very little security, status, or protection. They share tears as they navigate life as new widows. They share joy as they journey to Naomi’s hometown, where Ruth meets and marries a kind man called Boaz.

Ruth is a beautifully written story, and is a breath of fresh air after the darkness of the past couple of books. Naomi is shrewd. She understands her culture and how to make the systems work to her and Ruth’s advantage. Between them, these to women turn their lives around.

I am a big fan of this book (I’m sure you can tell!), and the verse that jumped out to me most this time I was Ruth 4.17: And the women of the neighbourhood gave him a name, saying “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

After the darkness of Judges, a story is told about the coming of a king who will be good. Not perfect, by any means, but good. Even in dark times, God is bringing about the light.