“The Sovereignty of God: From Wordly Hope to Confident Expectation”

 

 

Eight and the Book of Ruth

 

Most are aware of the notion that the number 7 speaks of completeness in the Scriptures, Many us are aware that 3 speaks of perfect unity. Some are aware that 5 speaks of grace, 12 of government, 40 of judgment. There are many more striking examples of God’s perfect order. Few are aware that the number 8 is God’s number of new beginnings. Apprehend that we speak not of some esoteric biblical/numerical code deal.  We simply embrace and develop a deeper appreciation that we have this strikingly perfect and sovereign God of order who has the whole deal wired. This is a source of comfort to this scarred child of the King, – and by the way, it’s pretty cool too.

 

The number 8 has always been my favorite for a number of reasons. Ask me why someday and you just might be astonished. As I had iterated, the number 8 speaks of new beginnings, and there are numerous examples, too many to mention herein.  A few of the better known: When God started anew after the flood, there were 8 humans. After the flood, God had them wait to the eight month to find dry land. A Hebrew child is circumcised (symbolic of a cutting away of the flesh) on the eighth day. And on an on.  Who is our ultimate new beginning? Christ Himself. Note that Greek letters are alpha-numeric, meaning a number is attached to each letter. The sum total of Jesus’ name in the Greek letters is 888. Now, stay with me and hold onto your socks friends as we turn our attention to the first 9 books in the Bible.

 

Consider sequentially the themes of the first 7 books in the Bible:

 

Genesis: Beginnings

Exodus: Redemption

Leviticus: Worship

Numbers: Walking w/ God

Deuteronomy: Obedience

Joshua: Blessing

Judges: Failure

 

Notice the progression of the familiar cycle, but more mind blowingly, perhaps, is the Eighth Book in the Bible, the Book of Ruth, and its theme. Check this out, out of nowhere comes this story that doesn’t seem on the surface to be deeply spiritual, or is it? It’s just a story of some pretty cool guy falling for an unsuspecting girl.

 

Well we know that Boaz is the “Lord of the Harvest” and that Ruth was a Moabitess. What a wonderful picture of the Lord of the Harvest taking unto him an unlikely Gentile bride. A beautiful typology of the church coming into the Kingdom no doubt. Now notice what happens. This little love story coming out of nowhere after these seemingly heavy spiritual books precedes the ninth book of the Bible, of which the theme is establishing the kingdom (1st Samuel).

 

The 8th book is the new beginning in the thematic cycle: God taking unto Himself the gentile bride of the Church right after the failure of his chosen people and before setting up the Kingdom. How mindfully delicious – the gentile Bride (the Church) is grafted in and now the Kingdom can be established. Now…How ridiculously cool is God? How wildly romantic is He? Let us now take a few steps back from the billboard and re-visit the progression of themes:

 

Genesis: Beginnings

Exodus: Redemption

Leviticus: Worship

Numbers: Walking w/ God

Deuteronomy: Obedience

Joshua: Blessing

Judges: Failure

Ruth: The New Beginning

Ist Samuel: And now the Establishing of the Kingdom

  

And now nothing less than doxology:

 

Thank you Father that you are forever in control of all conceivable powers and that by showing us these things it may build our trust in You and move us away from a worldly hope towards a bibline confident expectation.

 

In the matchless name of Christ Jesus,

Amen.

 

In His Awe,

John