Welcome to Summer Bible Study
The study tonight will be on Ruth.
Kindness Shown
•“The story of Ruth and Naomi is a story of human kindness and devotion transcending the limits of national or self interest. It is the book in the OT which has long been cited as a perfect example of the art of telling a story.”
•The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible
The Name Ruth
•The biblical name of Ruth means either:
–“friend or companion”
–“satisfied or refreshed”
The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible
Others say it means “pleasant”
The Story Begins
•Read Ruth 1.1-5
Story Set in Time of Judges
•The time of Judges was a time of war and strife.
•It was a time of disorganization.
•It was a time when the tribes of
•The judges were leaders in battle and leaders in peace.
Story About Ordinary People
•“The book of Judges tells of war and strife, but this is a quiet story or ordinary people going about their quiet lives.”
•Ruth: An Introduction and Commentary. Leon Morris
Elimelech and Naomi
•“The land” is a reference to
•The land was experiencing a famine.
•Relief was found by Elimelech and Namoi leaving the land (
•The son of
•
•
•“The core of
•wadis means 1.the bed or valley of a stream in arid regions
•2. a shallow usually sharply defined depression in a desert region
Famine
•The famine was in
•“Droughts are strange affairs and can vary widely over comparatively small areas.” Leon Morris
Famine
•“But, famines like every other event in nature or history, are elsewhere integrated into the characteristic biblical doctrine of divine providence.” New Bible Dictionary
Read
•Read Ruth 1.6-18
The Decision to Return
•The LORD “visited” His people or “had come to the aid of His people.”
•A visit from God in the OT can mean either a blessing or a curse.
•Here it is a blessing.
•The famine is over.
The Three Start Out
•The three begin the journey back to
•On the way, Ruth tells her daughter-in-laws to go back to the homes of their mothers.
Question
•Why do you think Ruth wants her daughter-in-laws to go back to their own homes?
“Mother’s House”
•The usual way of referring to a home would be “father’s house.”
“Mother’s House”
•Why is it put this way?
•“because maternal love knows best how to comfort a daughter in her affliction.” Keil-Delitzsch
•“But in a polygamous society the place for such as Ruth and Orpah would be the woman’s quarters presided over by the mother.” Leon Morris
Naomi Prays/Blesses
•Naomi either offers a prayer or a blessing.
•It is for God to:
–Show kindness. The Hebrew word is “hesed.” Hesed refers to God’s covenant loyalty. It is deeds of mercy shown by the powerful one to the weaker one.
–Find rest in another the home of another husband. Rest in this sense is security in marriage and not freedom from work.
The Blessing for Marriage
•“In antiquity there were, of course, few jobs for women, especially in rural areas, so that marriage was almost the only career open to a woman. It was the one thing which promised stability.” Leon Morris
Loud Weeping
•Loud weeping was the Eastern expression of grief.
•The loss of Naomi was overwhelming to the daughter-in-laws.
Grief and Culture
•Grief expressed in our American culture is very different than grief expressed in Eastern culture.
The Decision to Continue
•“We will go back with you to your people.” Ruth 1.10
•Both seem to agree to return with Naomi at first.
•Yet, Orpah will decide to go back to
Question
•Why do you think Orpah made the decision to go back to
Question
•Why do you think Ruth decided to stay with Naomi and return with her to
Making Decisions
•The decision made by each was a spiritual decision.
•Orpah’s decision was to stay with her culture (
Which God Do You Want?
•“Look,” said Naomi, “your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods.” Ruth 1.15
•The false god of the Moabites was Chemosh.
•Num. 21.29; Jer. 48.46
•“The sacrifice of children as a burnt offering was part of his worship.” II Kings 3.27 New Bible Dictionary
Ruth’s Choice
•Ruth decides she wants the God of Israel.
•Read Ruth 1.16-18
No Mother-in-Law Jokes
•“All literature abounds in love stories; but this is the only instance of a great love story about a mother-in-law and a daughter-in-law. Too often that relationship had been the theme of vulgar jest and jibe, but here in the Book of Ruth it is lifted into heavenly places.” The Way of a Man with a Maid. Clarence Macartney
Naomi’s Feelings and Thoughts
•“It is more bitter for me than for you, because the LORD’s hand has gone out against me.”
Naomi’s Experience
•She lost her husband.
•She lost both her sons.
•She is a widow, and this means she is very poor.
“LORD’S Hand Against Me”
•The Hebrew verb “gone out” is sometimes used in the OT of an army “gone out” against an enemy to do battle.”
•This implies a hostile or enemy like relationship with God.
•“Naomi cannot encourage the girls to stay with her. Yahweh is her enemy.” Leon Morris
Naomi and Mara
•Naomi requests that Ruth call her “Mara.”
•The Hebrew word means “bitter.” 1.20-21
•The name “Mara” is direct contrast to the meaning of her name of “Ruth.”
•Do you recall from the early part of this presentation what the name “Ruth” means?
Question
•In times of tragedy, is it natural to feel like God is your enemy and not your friend?
Ruth Meets Boaz
•Read Ruth 2.1-16
Gleaning
•The OT allowed the poor, orphans, widows, and strangers to glean grain, grapes, and olives.
•Lev.19.9-10; 23.22.
•Deut. 24.19
•At harvest, the land owner was not to harvest up to the border. And the land owner was not to pick up what was left behind. This was to be for the poor.
Gleaning
•“Gleaning was not dependent on the whims of landowners. It was a right and moreover, a right granted in the law to the widow.” Dt. 24.19 Leon Morris
Harvest Time
•Naomi and Ruth arrive at harvest time.
•They use the practice of gleaning to get food.
Boaz
•A relative of Naomi on her husband’s side.
•A man of standing-might refer to his wealth or his power/status or both.
•“Boaz may have been a warrior….But in this book he appears rather as a solid citizen, a man of influence and integrity in the community….” Leon Morris
Boaz
•Appears to have faith by the greeting he gives to the harvesters. 2.4
•Attracted to Ruth. 2.5 (love at work)
•Shows concern for her by:
–Stay in his fields to glean
–Stay with his servant girls (some form of status)
–Gave orders for the men not to touch her
–Made provisions for her to quench her thirst
Boaz is impressed by Ruth.
•Ruth helped Naomi.
•Ruth left her parents, land and gods.
•Ruth adopted Yahweh as her God.
•Ruth traveled to a country that she knew nothing about.
Question
•What one person in the OT (Genesis) also did all the things Ruth did?
•Could Boaz of had this person in mind when he was thinking of Ruth?
Answer: Abram
•Gen. 12.1 God spoke to Abram
•“Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.”
Boaz as Redeemer
•Lev. 25.26, 48-49
•There was a legal aspect of redemption.
•Redemption was a process of getting something back for its original owner by the payment of a sum of money.
•The alienated thing might be property, an animal, or the legal freedom of a person.
Redeemer
•“Thus Lev. 25.25 that if a man is forced to sell some portion of his property because he has fallen into debt, his next of kin is under obligation to repurchase it for him.” Ruth 4.4-6 is an excellent example.” The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible
Naomi’s Land
•Naomi had a piece of land from her husband.
•It was probably a part of a field that had common ownership.
•She wanted to sell it.
The Redeemer’s Rights
•Naomi had to sell it to her redeemer.
•The first redeemer in line was someone other than Boaz.
•Boaz was next in line for redemption rights.
The First Redeemer’s Decision
•Boaz links the sale of the land to taking extending the name of the family.
•The implication is that the purchaser would have to marry Ruth to provide a descendant for Mahalon, son of Elimelech and Naomi.
The First Redeemer Declines
•He would have to give up his land in order to buy the land from Naomi.
•If he married Ruth, the son or descendant would inherit both pieces of property.
•This would also mean a “double financial burden” of buying a field and supporting a widow.
Boaz Buys the Land
•Ancient custom: to take off your sandal and hand it to the person who is buying property is to show the transfer is made and it is legally valid.
Ancient Custom
•“The custom itself, which existed among the Indians and the ancient Germans, arose from the fact that fixed property was taken possession of by treading upon the soil, and hence taking off the shoe and handing it to another was a symbol of the transfer of a possession or right of ownership.” Keil-Delitzsch
Boaz and Ruth Marry
•Out of their marriage a son is born (Obed).
•Obed is the father of Jesse.
•Jesse is the father of David.
•From the line of David came the birth of Jesus, the Christ.
•Matthew gives the genealogy. Matt. 1.5-16
A
•“This is a story with a sad beginning and a happy ending.” The Way of a Man with a Maid. Clarence Macarteny
Typology
•Things of the Christian faith are symbolized or prefigured in the OT.
Using Typology
•Naomi: type of
•Oraph: degenerate-unbelieving heathen
•Ruth: regenerate-believing heathen. The NT Gentiles who came to faith in Christ.
•Boaz: the redeemer-the Lord Jesus Christ
