The People’s Bible: Judges, Ruth

by John C. Lawrenz

Publisher:

Northwestern Publishing House

, 1997

Overview

The book of Judges records the stories of those leaders God sent to rescue his people before Israel had kings. Each account reveals how frequently God’s people turned away from him and yet how faithful God was in sending them deliverance. Ruth is the beautiful story of a Moabite woman who became an ancestor to King David and to Jesus.

Many people have found The People’s Bible to be the most reliable Bible commentary series published. It’s the laypeople’s Bible—down to earth, clearly written, easy to read and understand, filled with practical and contemporary applications. The Christ-centered commentary follows the Scripture sections containing explanations of the text, historical background, maps, illustrations, and archaeological information.

The People’s Bible commentaries are great for personal or group study.

Key Features

• Historical background
• Maps, illustrations, and archaeological information
• Practical and contemporary applications

Contents

Top Highlights

“Time passed. The barley harvest was over, and the wheat harvest was about to begin. Naomi’s property had been put to good use during the harvest season by someone in Bethlehem. But she had received no income. As soon as the wheat harvest was over, the land was hers to offer for sale. Only then would Naomi face the future with a minimum level of security.” (Page 243)

“Ruth used God’s covenant-savior name, ‘Lord,’ in her oath. This reveals most clearly where Ruth’s faith rested. We might compare Ruth’s words with those offered at confirmation by a confirmand.” (Page 227)

“First, that the faithful love of the Lord remain theirs in recognition of how they themselves had proven devoted and loyal in their love to their dead husbands. Perhaps here we have an inkling that both women had been touched in their marriages by the faith of the family into which they had married. Second, Naomi wished them the security that a new marriage would provide. The word rest is used in the Old Testament to describe the blessings that come as the result of God’s promises.” (Page 223)

“The marriage was of the same type that Gideon made with Abimelech’s mother. The bride would stay at the house of her father, making a dowry unnecessary. Perhaps the parents of Samson held out hope that their son would someday come to his senses and contract a proper marriage with one of his own people.” (Page 153)

“Israelites were forbidden to intermarry with Canaanites (Deuteronomy 7:3), but Moabites were cousins to the Hebrews through Lot, Abraham’s nephew. Moabites were barred from the Israelite congregation for ten generations, however (Deuteronomy 23:3). We can speculate that the marriages occurred near the end of the ten-year sojourn. Our reason is that no children from either marriage are mentioned.” (Page 221)

Product Details

• Title: The People’s Bible: Judges, Ruth
• Author: John C. Lawrenz
• Publisher: Northwestern Publishing House
• Publication Date: 1997
• Pages: 260

About John C. Lawrenz

The mission of Northwestern Publishing House is to deliver biblically sound Christ-centered resources within the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod and beyond. The vision of Northwestern Publishing House is to be the premier resource for quality Lutheran materials faithful to the Scriptures and Lutheran confessions. NPH publishes materials for worship, vacation Bible school, Sunday school, and several other ministries. The NPH headquarters are located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.