Singing The Seasons - The Megillot: Ruth

Bible Streams

Love, loss, high drama and a penultimate moment that will leave you on the edge of your seat, the little book of Ruth delivers more than just an epic story in miniature. It's a tale loaded with technical insight into the ancient Hebraic practice of law, community, custom and generational legacy. It rarely mentions God but demonstrates His powerful work in the ordering of circumstances and hidden providence. This walk through Ruth will open your eyes to the intricacies and nuances of this elegantly simple tale.

--

There is a small collection of books that sit nestled toward the back of the Hebrew Bible. In the Ketuvim, the Writings, wedged between the three large poetic books of Psalms, Proverbs and Job, and the post-exilic writings (Daniel, Ezra-Nehemiah and Chronicles), are the Five Megillot - the Five Scrolls. Small but rich and complex in their subject matter, these five books found their significance both in the biblical narrative but also in the liturgical calendar of Israel.

Resources/Links mentioned in this episode, or as references or helpful for Bible Streams:

• Book: LaCocque, André. 2004. Ruth. A Continental Commentary. Trans K. C. Hanson. Minneapolis: Fortress.
• Book: Younger Jr., K. Lawson. 2002. The NIV Application Commentary: Judges, Ruth. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
• Article: Brady, Christian M.M. 2013. “The Conversion of Ruth in Targum Ruth.” Review of Rabbinic Judaism, no. 16: 133-146.

Big thanks to Tim Whittle for editing and extra production on this podcast.

Get more info at Riverlife Church, and find us on Facebook and Instagram. Music credit: Scott & Annie McKinnon, 'Revive'.

Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Android and Spotify