As we begin our eight-part study in the book of Ruth, it is necessary to zoom out and examine the book from a 10,000 foot view—who wrote the book, how is it structured, where is it placed in Scripture, etc. These broad sweeping strokes help us set the stage to see the focus and major themes of the book—primarily, the redemption and lovingkindness of our God. Moreover, in order to properly understand this little gem of Scripture, we need to be acquainted with three key tensions that appear at the beginning of Ruth.

William Wilberforce is one of those rare men in history that lived life as God intended life to be lived. He boldly acted on behalf of Truth—risking his life, forsaking his comforts, and letting go of his reputation—and, therefore, altered the course of world-history. Many men of antiquity can clearly be deemed culpable for the downward trajectory of nations, but few men in history can actually be pinpointed to have turned their entire culture in the direction of God. William Wilberforce is one of them. Because of Wilberforce, the wicked practice of slavery was completely abolished in England in 1833. This massive work of 48 years can all be traced back to a day in 1785 when William Wilberforce awakened. May the same soul awakening happen within all of us.

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In this special episode, Eric Ludy and Nathan Johnson discuss their two new series launching November 5 … and give some encouragement to believers as the election in America approaches.