A woman derives her value and security from men-father, husband, and sons. It deprives females of legal rights, agency, and voice. Patriarchy is a fallen social system that empowers men over women and a few men over most other men. It is important to understand that patriarchy is not the Bible’s message it is the cultural backdrop that sets off in the starkest relief the radical gospel nature of that message. The Bible takes place within an ancient patriarchal culture. To unleash the Bible’s explosive powers, we must remind ourselves that we are not reading an American book. That won’t be a smooth or a painless process for anyone. It’s designed to disrupt and challenge our thinking, to raise hard, important questions, and to move us forward as truer followers of Jesus. It’s not supposed to give us a reassuring pat on the back. The Bible is a dangerous book-in explosive but life-giving ways. I’d always heard (even taught) that this brief biblical narrative was a beautiful love story where the wealthy, handsome Boaz rescues the lovely but impoverished Ruth from her dismal life of singleness.Ī more accurate depiction of the book of Ruth is of a harmless looking backpack loaded with explosives. No one warned me I might need a crash helmet.
This serene portrayal of Bible reading left me totally unprepared for what happened when I started digging deeper into the Old Testament book of Ruth. Some believe this daily practice will guarantee a prime parking spot when we arrive at work or are out running errands. The path to spiritual growth (so we are told) is to have our daily “quiet time”-a private time of Bible reading and prayer that gets us focused for the day.
There is more to the Bible than you know.
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