My chronological reading for this year has me just starting Samuel. I'm not sure if I mentioned this, but for June 2012-May 2013 I'm reading through the "Chronological Study Bible (NKJV)" published in 2008 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. It's a different sequence than that I followed last year, but similar. In any event, I just finished Ruth and wanted to share some notes that I found interesting.
Ruth follows Judges. Judges presents the histories, most specifically the wars and battles of the people of Israel. Ruth, on the other hand, presents a different sort of history -- that of the day-to-day life of the people and what their customs were when not engaged in war. The society during the time of Ruth was stable with wise elders serving to govern the people. The laws of the covenant were (for the most part, I'm certain -- even then men were tempted to and sinned) respected and kept. One such law was that from Deut. 25:5-10 whereby a widow with no children shall be married to the nearest male relative and raise up an heir to the man who had died. Under this law, Ruth is eventually married to Boaz.
Another curiosity of Ruth is that along with the relations between Israel and its neighboring lands fairly peaceful, Naomi moves back and forth between Israel and Moab, and her sons take Moabite wives (Ruth and Orpah). Intermarriage was not encouraged nor common, but what is ultimately surprising is that Ruth and Boaz's union -- their first son was Obed, the father of Jesse, the father of David, perhaps the finest king of Israel.
On a personal note, I have to admit to preferring histories such as Ruth (and Esther) in that I don't get engaged reading about how many men fought in this or that battle and what the various roles were. As I move forward into Samuel I hope to write again soon.
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