John Piper - A Sweet and Bitter Providence: Sex, Race, and the Sovereignty of God

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With his usual clarity, candor, and insight, John Piper masterfully guides us through the short but powerful book of Ruth. More than a little romance, Piper unpacks the books teaching on sovereignty, providence, grace, and glory. As we follow the account of Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz, our own lives are enriched and transformed. I recommend this book to all who desire to know God better through his Word.

Tremper Longman, Robert H. Gundry Professor of Biblical Studies, Westmont College

We live in a relativistic culture, where people are more concerned with being liked than being truthful. In A Sweet andBitter Providence, John Piper does an outstanding job of biblically defending key truths that the church often ignores. He gives us an example of how to take a bold and educated stand on issues of race, purity, and Gods sovereignty.

Francis Chan, pastor of Cornerstone Church and author of Crazy Love

Other Books by John Piper

Gods Passion for His Glory
The Pleasures of God
Desiring God
The Dangerous Duty of Delight
Future Grace
A Hunger for God
Let the Nations Be Glad!
A Godward Life
Pierced by the Word
Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ
Whats the Difference?
Brothers, We Are Not Professionals
The Supremacy of God in Preaching
Dont Waste Your Life
The Passion of Jesus Christ
Life as a Vapor
When I Dont Desire God
Taste and See
Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die
God Is the Gospel
What Jesus Demands from the World
Battling Unbelief
When the Darkness Will Not Lift
Spectacular Sins
Finally Alive: What Happens When We Are Born Again
John Calvin and His Passion for the Majesty of God
Rethinking Retirement
This Momentary Marriage: A Parable of Permanence
Velvet Steel

For a complete list of books by John Piper, see page 159.

A Sweet and Bitter Providence

Copyright 2010 by Desiring God Foundation

Published by Crossway Books
a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers
1300 Crescent Street
Wheaton, Illinois 60187

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law.

Cover design: Matt Mantooth Cover illustration: Bridgeman Art Library

First printing, 2010

Printed in the United States of America

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are taken from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible: English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are from The New American Standard Bible. Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

Scripture references marked NIV are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. The NIV and New International Version trademarks are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by International Bible Society. Use of either trademark requires the permission of International Bible Society.

Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-4335-1437-1

PDF ISBN: 978-1-4335-1438-8

Mobipocket ISBN: 978-1-4335-1439-5

ePub ISBN: 978-1-4335-2434-9

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Piper, John, 1946 A sweet and bitter providence : sex, race, and thesovereignty of God / John Piper.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-4335-1437-1 (hc)
1. Bible O.T. RuthCommentaries. I. Title.
BS1315.53.P67 2010
222'.3506dc22 2009021018

To
Nol and Talitha
women of worth

CONTENTS

RUTH IS A VERY OLD BOOK. The events took place over three thousand years ago. Could it be relevant and helpful for your life? I think so. The sovereignty of God, the sexual nature of man, and the gospel never change. And since God is still sovereign, and you are male or female, and Christ is alive and powerful, the book has a message for you.

I dont know you or your circumstances well enough to say for sure that you should read this book. You must decide. To be sure, there are other things to do that are just as importantlike telling your neighbor about Jesus. So let me simply tell you why I think you might be helped if you join me in listening to the message of Ruth. Ill make these seven reasons brief, so you can decide and be on your way or stay.

The Word of God

First, the book of Ruth is part of the Scriptures, which Jesus loved. He said, Scripture cannot be broken (John 10:35). He said, Until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law [a reference to the Scriptures] until all is accomplished (Matthew 5:18). And best of all he said, [T]he Scriptures ...bear witness about me (John 5:39).

The reason these Scripturesincluding Ruth cannot be broken is that they are Gods word. All Scripture is breathed out by God (2 Timothy 3:16). Men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21). Therefore, the message of Ruth is unwaveringly true. Its a rock to stand on when the terrain of ideas feels like quicksand. Its an anchor to hold us when tides are ripping.

But the best thing about the Scriptures is that they give hope, because they point to Jesus Christ. They were written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope (Romans 15:4). The message of Ruth is filled with God-inspired hope.

A Love Story

Second, Ruth is a love story. One commentary suggests that it may be the most beautiful short story ever written. There are some heart-stopping moments. Not often do we get the richest and deepest truth in the form of a passionate love story. The way Ruth and Boaz find each other is the stuff of epics. It involves Gods sovereign rule over nations and reaches across thousands of years in its purpose. But the story is the flesh-and-blood experience of one family living the unexpected plan of God.

Manhood and Womanhood

Third, the book of Ruth is the portrait of beautiful, noble manhood and womanhood. The greatness of manhood and womanhood is more than sex. It is more than a throbbing love story. In a day when movies and television and advertising and the Internet portray masculinity and femininity in the lowest ways, we are in great need of stories that elevate the magnificent meaning of manhood and womanhood.