Advent Day 11 :: Easter Eggs
“Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel! 15He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.” (Ruth 4:14-15)
If you’re a fan of any movie series such as that of the Marvel Universe, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and so forth, you are familiar with Easter eggs within those series. In doing a Google search for “movie Easter eggs” I particularly liked how one website defined the term as
“movie Easter eggs are hidden references, clues or inside jokes that have been inconspicuously (and sometimes not so inconspicuously) placed into TV shows, video games, and movies. They're pretty much a creator's secret love letter to their fans, or in some cases an inside joke with fellow creators.”
The phrase “secret love letter” caught my attention and I believe fits well with today’s passage. In our Christian circles we often refer to the Bible as God’s love letter to His children. Inside we find proof and evidence of God’s love for His creation and more importantly for us humans.
All throughout Scripture we see a culmination to how God had planned to redeem His people and rescue us from our sinful nature and broken world. We have been looking at those “Easter eggs” and today’s touches on a theme we have looked at before - genealogies.
At the end of the book of Ruth we see that Ruth and Boaz get married and have their firstborn child; a son. Naomi’s friends made note of Naomi’s history and how God had provided for her a redeemer and restorer who will be renowned and continue to nourish. At the beginning of Ruth we see that Naomi’s two sons had passed away and she was alone with her two daughter-in-laws - Ruth and Orpah. Ruth stayed with Naomi while Orpah went her way. Through Ruth, Naomi’s lineage would continue. In verse 17 we see that Ruth’s son Obed would be the grandfather of David whose lineage the Messiah would come through.
In just five verses God gave us a glimpse into the continuation of His redemptive plan. Our Savior is coming and He is to be our redeemer, our restorer, and one to nourish our faith through the end of time.
The book of Ruth started out in a time of famine and ended in the promise of being redeemed, restored, and nourished which would be passed down for generations until now.
Are you in a dry season right now? Is your faith lacking a bit? Are you feeling like God isn’t there at the moment? Be encouraged by knowing that God is working out things for the good of those who love Him. You may not see Him, you may not feel Him, but it does not mean that He is not working and bringing His purpose and plan for you to light. Take time today to rest in the Redeemer. Allow Christ to restore your faith and nourish it in Himself. Take a moment to read through the Psalms, or worship Him by singing along to one of your favorite songs.
Further Reading: Psalm 130
Photo by Rasa Kasparaviciene on Unsplash
