Daily Readings at Southeast

  Introduction to Ruth Coming right after the chaos of Judges, the book of Ruth is like a deep breath of hope. It takes place “in the days when the judges ruled,” which means it happens during a dark and unstable period in Israel’s history. And yet, within these four short chapters, we find a beautiful story of loyalty, redemption, and God’s quiet faithfulness. Ruth is one of only two books in the Bible named after a woman, and what makes it even more remarkable is that Ruth isn’t an Israelite—she’s a Moabite. The Moabites were often hostile toward Israel and worshiped false gods. Yet Ruth becomes one of the most celebrated women in Scripture, reminding us that God’s story includes people from every background, even outsiders. The book begins with tragedy. A woman named Naomi leaves Israel with her husband and sons because of a famine. While in Moab, Naomi’s husband dies, and then both of her sons die as well, leaving her with two Moabite daughters-in-law: Orpah and Ruth. Naomi dec...

 Scripture: Judges 18 Judges 19 Judges 20 Judges 21

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 Scripture: Judges 2 Judges 3 Judges 4 Judges 5