We’ve all heard of or used the term “Six degrees of separation.” This term is mostly used when describing everyone who is six or fewer steps away from knowing any other person in the world. I bet you dinner, if you start having a conversation with someone inside or outside your circle of friends, they will know somebody that you both know.
How many of you remember, “My Space?” We now have Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and many other social media sites that connect people, friends, and businesses together.
In many cases they show how you’re connected, who you know and how you know each other. Sometimes the connections we have in life can be surprising and the things we have in common are unknown until we get to know one another.
In the book of Ruth we learn of the story of Boaz and his eventual marriage to Ruth. Ruth was a poor widow woman and was an outsider. After Ruth returned back to Bethlehem with Naomi, Boaz learns that she is a Moabite widow. When he finds this out, he treats her with the utmost respect.
In our study for this coming week you will learn that Boaz’s mother is Rahab. She was the prostitute who helped Joshua and the other spies when they were sent into the Land of Canaan to see whether the land was good or bad, whether the people there were strong or weak.
Because of Rahab’s faithfulness she was adopted into the family of Israel. Boaz decided to return the favor and reach out to Ruth who was a Moabite and was connected from not to many degrees of separation.
You may never know who you will come in contact with that knows somebody else you know. God will often work through the most unlikely people and unlikely circumstances to accomplish His purpose.
Resource(s): Bible, personal Bible study and “The Story” resources
