In Ruth 1, we meet three men and three women, who suddenly separate, leaving all in apparently impossible situations. By the end of the first chapter, there is a ray of hope for the women but none for the men. Even so, one of the women remains convinced that God is against her, since her life has taken tragic turns. As we face suffering in our own lives, we also can conclude that God is against us, unless we consider what he did by sending his own Son.
The detailed instructions for the construction of the Tent of Meeting held important lessons for Israel and also for us today.
In his greeting, Paul previewed coming attractions in the rest of the letter, including the main event of Christ’s humiliation and exaltation.
The opposite results of David’s and Saul’s desperate measures hold lessons about how to live in the world while not being of the world.
