Page 132 - Fundamentals Ebook Final

EPILOGUE

As far as the chronological order of books in the Bible, the Book of
Ruth comes after the book of Judges, but historically Ruth does not
follow Judges. Ruth 1:1, “Now it came about in the days when the
judges governed...” Ruth is right in the middle of Judges. Judges
17:6, “In those days there was no king in Israel, and every man did
what was right in his own eyes.” Judges is the story of a moral
deterioration. It is almost depressing to read about some of the sins
in these chapters; immorality, darkness, murders, rapes,
homosexuality, and idolatry. If any book can be called a moral
desert, it is the book of Judges.

It is important to understand that Ruth took place in those days
because unless you knew that, you would never guess it, because the
Book of Ruth is such a breath of fresh air. Ruth is a wonderful
illustration of an oasis in a desert. I think Ruth would be a wonderful
book anyplace in the Bible, but it is a more wonderful book because
of its setting in the days of the Judges. You see, the question that
we need to ask, and that the book raises, “Is it possible to have an
oasis in a moral desert?” God does want to create out of us
corporately and individually, an oasis in the desert. You do not have
to be a scholar to know that this world is a desert, and everyone is
doing what is right in their own eyes, and there is no king in the land.
Here is the great truth of the Book of Ruth. In every moral desert
where Jesus Christ is known in reality, there is an oasis in that desert.
I do not care how bad it gets. No matter how dark, no matter how
dismal the environment, God intends that there be an oasis of
refreshment, of life, of abundance and of fruit.

One thing I love about the Book of Ruth is that it sweeps away all
the excuses that men give for their lives. “What can you expect
from so and so? He was not loved by his parents. He was abused
as a child, and he had to grow up in that environment.” “What can
you expect from someone who has experienced such tragedy?”
Well, I will tell you what God expects. He expects an oasis in the
desert. God has provided in Christ Jesus everything necessary for