Ruth Made Simple: The Old Testament Made Simple (Dr Anthony Loke) 9789832762218 (Pustaka Sufes)

Product Description：
The Old Testament Made Simple
“One who is interested in the study of the book of Ruth will find the needed historical background materials in addition to the interpretation of the book itself. I wish to point out three important areas in particular.

Firstly, the title includes explanations of important Hebrew words. This will help the readers to grasp the meaning of key words that constitute the message of the book of Ruth. Often we may understand a word based on the English translated version, but an explanation based on its Hebrew cognate will open another perspective that is often not translatable in English. Words llike hesed (kindness) and goel (redeemer) for example, are too important to be missed. The readers will be grateful for the discussions of these Hebrew terms that help to shape the understanding of the book.

Secondly, there are many reflection questions included at the end of every chapter. Those questions stimulate further thinking on the message of the book of Ruth, and are great for discussions and applications in life. Lastly, the chapter on “Key Theological Themes” is exceptionally helpful. The chapter addresses the “absence” or “hiddenness” of God, the role of human actors, human initiative, and the issue of identity with regards to aliens, or sojourners/foreigners. reading this chapter from a post-exilic context is intriguing, especially when Dr Loke states that the book could have an influence on a later generation being re-told as a response to Ezra’s reforms (page 13)/ It is essential, therefore, to think in response to the questions posed by Dr Loke on page 90-how do the people of God perceive the presence of “the other” particularly in a multi-racial society like Malaysia?

I trust that this title will also stimulate the people of God to find pointers to many pertinent questions living in times of the Covd-19. It was in the context of famine and struggles for survival, that Ruch and Naomi found God’s hesed, and God as the ultimate goel through decisive human initiatives. May we, as people of God, play our parts and find hesed from the One true goel in the challenging time or pandemic.”
Dr Elaine Goh, Seminari Theoloji Malaysia