Strong Links

Now these are the generations of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron, Hezron fathered Ram, Ram fathered Amminadab, Amminadab fathered Nahshon, Nahshon fathered Salmon, Salmon fathered Boaz, Boaz fathered Obed, Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David. Ruth 4:18-22

If you think about family genealogy and history like links in a chain of faith, there are broken links, weak links, strong links, and first links. The broken links in the chain of faith in Ruth include Mahlon and Chilion, who turned their back on God, married godless women, and left no legacy. The weak link in the chain of faith includes Elimelech, who professed a faith that he didn’t much practice by moving his family away from God’s people and presence, spending a decade out of worship as they lived a worldly life, and watching his sons marry unbelieving women. Elimelech’s wife, Naomi, was also a weak link in the chain of faith who, through healing from her hurts and repentance of her life apart from God, became a strong link in time.

The strong link in this chain of faith is Boaz whose name literally means strong. And the first link in the chain is Ruth, who was the first believer in her family history and quickly became a strong link in the chain of faith. God chose to work through the strong links of Ruth and Boaz to bring Jesus Christ as the savior of the world.

  • Are you the first link, strong link, weak link, or broken link in your chain of faith? If you don’t come from a strong chain, how can you be encouraged by the life of Ruth?

Boaz was a strong link in the chain. What can you learn from him?