Enjoying The Book Of Ruth

PEN/Hemingway Award Winner: An “enthralling” novel of a woman trapped within a tragically dysfunctional family (Entertainment Weekly). From the New York Times–bestselling author of The Excellent Lombards and A Map of the World, this is “an extraordinary story of a family’s disintegration [that] will be compared to Jane Smiley’s A Thousand Acres” (People). It follows Ruth Grey, a young woman in a tiny Illinois farm town, who has lost her father to World War II, and constantly faces her unhappy mother’s wrath—when she isn’t being ignored in favor of her math-prodigy brother. As Ruth navigates her lonely life, she strives to find happiness and pleasure where she can, but the world may conspire to defeat her. “A sly and wistful, if harrowing, human comedy . . . [An] original voice in fiction and one well worth listening to.” —The Boston Sunday Globe “Unforgettably, beat by beat, Hamilton maps the best and worst of the human heart and all the mysterious, uncharted country in between.” —Kirkus Reviews “Hamilton’s story builds to a shocking crescendo. Her small-town characters are as appealingly offbeat and brushed with grace as any found in Alice Hoffman’s or Anne Tyler’s novels.” —Glamour

The book of Ruth is a moving story of romance and redemption. It begins tragically yet ends wonderfully. Why? Because the God of the Bible ‘is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think’ (Ephesians 3:20b). In the book of Ruth we glimpse the wonderful providence of God at work. The book proves the truth of Romans 8:28 that ‘in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose.’ The book of Ruth is a story of romance—a romance between Ruth and Boaz —and also a story of redemption. Ruth, a nobody, became a somebody, eventually marrying into the Messianic line. How? By the amazing grace of God. And it is the same today! By nature we are sinners - helpless and hopeless. But by the grace of God in Christ, our sins are forgiven, and we become the adopted children of God and heirs of eternal blessedness – heirs of the very kingdom of heaven. These and others are some of the encouraging lessons we glean in the book of Ruth. Come then and be blessed by this lovely portion of the Word of God and enjoy the book of Ruth!

The book of Ruth is a love story. Like all love stories it has twists and turns, tension and resolution, and a happy ending. But it's far more than that because it reveals to us a God who is deeply committed to caring for his people. In Boaz, God provides Ruth with a loving husband to free and provide for her, pointing us to the Bible's grand story of redemption and David’s greatest son, Jesus. Tony Merida's compelling story-telling and Christ-centered insights make this both an accessible and absorbing expository guide to the book of Ruth. It can be used for personal devotions, or for leading small-group studies, or for sermon preparation.

Based on a conference held Apr. 4-5, 2008 at Amherst College.

London, 1880. Eighteen-year-old Witch Hunter Luke Lexton has failed his initiation into the Malleus Maleficorum - the secretive brotherhood devoted to hunting witches. Instead of killing the witch he picked from the Book of Witches, he has committed the worst possible crime: he has fallen for her. Sixteen-year-old witch girl Rosa Greenwood has failed to secure her struggling family's future by marrying the handsome, cruel, rich and powerful Sebastian Knyvet. Instead she has set fire to his factory and has brought disgrace on her family. Now together they are on the run - from Rosa's ex-fiancé and from Luke's former brothers in the Malleus. As they flee across England, and with the danger of their past catching up to them ... can they overcome their differences? Can a witch hunter ever find love with a witch girl? 'Gorgeously romantic.' Amanda Craig, The Times

Scrolls of Love is a book of unions. Edited by a Christian and a Jew who are united by a shared passion for the Bible and a common literary hermeneutic, this volume joins two biblical scrolls and gathers around them a diverse community of interpreters. Respectful of traditional biblical scholarship, the collection of essays moves beyond it; alert to contemporary trends, the volume returns venerable interpretive tradition to center stage. Most significantly, it is interfaith, bringing together two communities that have read their Bibles in isolation from one another, in ignorance of the richness of the others traditions.

Now you can easily read the powerful biblical book of Ruth with a twist; all in rhyming couplets. Increase your understanding and inspiration as a result of this approachable account of the story. This Bible story is about one of the most famous women in the Bible. It will touch your heart, whether you are an adult, a teen or a preteen. It is a story of loyalty, kindness, but above all: choices. Elimelech chooses to take his family away from his homeland, where there is a famine. Ruth chooses to leave her origins and go with Naomi, her mother-in-law, and become one of her people. Boaz chooses to marry a relative and redeem her late husband's name. Discover how these choices and their consequences intertwine and result in the birth of King David. This book is appropriate for Bible study or just a good read.

The forest is a dangerous place, where siren song lures men and women to their deaths. For centuries, a witch has harvested souls to feed the heartless tree, using its power to grow her domain. When Owen Merrick is lured into the witch’s wood, one of her tree-siren daughters, Seren, saves his life instead of ending it. Every night, he climbs over the garden wall to see her, and every night her longing to become human deepens. But a shift in the stars foretells a dangerous curse, and Seren’s quest to become human will lead them into an ancient war raging between the witch and the king who is trying to stop her.