The Book of Ruth is a book of redemption. Almost every commentary on the market will bring out this central truth. Boaz is Ruth's kinsman redeemer, a type of Jesus Christ our kinsman redeemer, who has redeemed us from our sins and bought us into the family of God. However, one glaring truth that is even more evident and found throughout the Book of Ruth is the reality that the Gentiles will be partakers of the blessings of Israel, by the God of Israel, one future day. There are two books in the Old Testament that bear the names of women and both have this central truth; Esther was a Jew who...

The Book of Ezra is about the faithfulness of God toward Israel. Israel's gloomy history has given way to the dawning of a new day. Their Babylonian captivity is coming to an end. God told His people, through the prophet Jeremiah and others, that He would bring them back into their land after 70 years of captivity. God is faithful to His word. A new world power is on the horizon, and it is through this new world power that God will allow Israel to return to their land. The Book of Ezra records this historic return. A small remnant of Jews, under the leadership of Zerubbabel, will be the first...