The book of Ruth is a fascinating and enthralling narrative - one drawing us into the story of redemption and the grafting of Gentiles into the family of God. It begins with the family of Naomi, an Israelite woman who finds herself in a tough situation, as both her sons and husband pass away. Left with no family, and in a foreign land, Naomi decides to leave the country of Moab and head back to Bethlehem. She heard the LORD had come to the aid of her people in Bethlehem by providing food and decided to make the journey back home with her daughters-in-law.

The construction of the tabernacle found in Exodus can be one of those sections of scripture that can be easy for us to simply skim through, as a new covenant believing American Gentile. We are thousands of years removed from the culture, tools, materials, and measurements. What does acacia wood look like? How many feet are in a cubit? I didn’t even know you could weave thread from goat hair. Furthermore, the significance of the fixtures and furniture commanded by God to be constructed for consecration and worship are incredibly alien to us who worship God in renovated buildings with screens and speakers. In light of all this, we tend to exegete, or interpret the meaning or application of these chapters in Scripture, in one of two ways: