Ruth 01
In many of the books you will look at they almost always have the same headings for Ruth .
1. Ruth Deciding
2. Ruth Serving
3. Ruth Resting
4. Ruth Rewarded
Naomin means “delightful”
Mara means “bitterness”
Naomi, the Returning Exile.
Ruth, the Foreigner
Boaz, the Native
The Return of Naomi and Ruth to Bethlehem-Judah
1 – 5 History of Elimelech’s household.
v 1-5. The events of Ruth are contemporary with Judges (Josephus says after Samson), a time when everyone did what was right in their own eyes. Such seems to be the case with Elimilech and his family. He moves from the land of promise in the time of adversity, and both his sons join in the spiritual decline by marrying outside the tribe of Israel. Malon means weakly and Chilion means pining, and all three men die away from their land. Naomi takes this as being the judgment of the Lord, v 13. When we come to our main characters, Naomi, and especially Ruth and Boaz, they choose to do right. Behind the scenes, it is the Lord who is the main actor in both Ruth and and Esther.
6 – 15 Naomi, living as a foreigner she thinks the wives of her sons are foreigner and will not fit in when she goes back to her land
v 6-10. Naomi gives credit to the Lord for the improved conditions in the home land. She enjoys the company of her daughters-in-law as they travel together, but as she thinks of their own welfare, she tries to persuade them to return to their own people. At first they both decline.
v 11-18. Naomi refers to the custom of younger sons raising up seed for a deceased brother when she reminds the girls that they would not be able to marry any offspring from her. Orpah then goes back on her pledge to go with Naomi, and in tears she returns to her old life and her old gods. Ruth apparently had become a true believer and insists on being true to Naomi and to the Lord. Ruth’s pledge in v 16,17 is one which every young bride should be able to pledge to her believing groom.
v 19-22. Naomi means My Delight, but in recognition of the judgment she feels God has brought upon her family, she wishes to be called Mara, or bitter, as the bitter waters of Moses’ day, Ex. 15:23. She now knows, if she didn’t before, that in spite of famine in the land when she left, she left the place of blessing “full” with family and inner peace. When she said that the Lord had testified against her, she does not mean that God had turned His back on her, but that He had shown by chastening that she had gone out of His will where she should not have gone. She acknowledges “_I_ went out”, but “the _Lord. brought me home”, v 21, but she does not see His purposes in these things till later.
Ruth 02
v 1. This verse gives several facts (in reverse order): A man named Boaz, his family ancestry, he was wealthy and he was related to Naomi’s husband.
v 2,3. Ruth was energetic and eager to supply both Naomi and her needs. She appears lucky to have ended up in Boaz’s field, but it was the providence of the Lord.
v 4--7. Although Boaz had an overseer, he personally stopped by, and had a good relationship with all the workers. He was quick to notice the alien woman among the usual gleaners, and his overseer reported who she was and how she happened to be there. His report included the fact that she was a diligent worker and only paused briefly in the shelter provided, where there was cool water to drink.
v 8-12. Boaz personally encouraged Ruth to continue gleaning in his fields, and warned his young men not to molest her. When she questioned why he would be so good to her, a foreigner, he told of the good report he had heard of her, and blesses her for her trust in the Lord. “Wings” or extremity, is the same word used for “skirt”, 3:9.
v 13-17. Ruth reveals her loneliness in expressing her appreciation, and Boaz makes her feel welcome with the others at the meal. Then he admonished his workers to let some grain fall on purpose for her. As a result, Ruth was able to glean just short of a bushel of barley, a week’s worth of labor in only one day.
v 18-23. Ruth not only brought the grain to Naomi, but also what was left over from her lunch. Naomi blessed the man who had provided so well even before she found out his name was Boaz, then she blessed him again. She realizes something Ruth did not know, that Boaz was one of her husband’s close relatives, and was aware he had the authority to redeem them. (There was another more closely related, 3:13.) Naomi instructed Ruth to abide by the offer by Boaz and glean only in his fields. Ruth continued through the barley harvest and also the wheat harvest which followed, all the while remaining faithful to Naomi.
Ruth 03
Naomi”s Stratagem
v 1-5. Now that harvest is over Naomi does some match making and has Ruth approach Boaz regarding being a kinsman redeemer according to Hebrew custom. Elimilech had allowed the land to lie fallow or had sold it, and a Jubilee had occurred reverting it back to Naomi. Also according to Levirite marriage laws, a brother or the nearest of kin was to marry a widow so that the first born child could perpetuate the name of the dead man. Naomi is well aware that the men of Bethlehem took turns winnowing on the threshing floor, then sleeping there at night to guard their grain. (The grain is beaten out of the stalks or tramped out by oxen, sometimes pulling a sledge. Then at the threshing floor or on a hill where there is a breeze, they separated the chaff.) Naomi instructs Ruth to make herself very presentable, under cover of darkness watch the post harvest celebrating, observe where Boaz lies down, then after a while lift the edge of his cover and lay by his feet until he awoke and told her what to do. Ruth readily agreed.
v 6,7. Ruth did exactly as Naomi had said. This would be morally taboo today, but in their culture, and knowing the moral quality of Boaz, this was absolutely proper.
v 8,9. Boaz awoke at midnight, startled that a woman was at his feet, and asked her identity. In Ruth’s reply, the word “skirt” is the same as the word wings in 2:12. The custom simply means “spread your protection over me.” In doing this she was informing the kinsman of his right, and moreover her request, that he take the legal steps to perform his responsibility.
v 10-13. We don’t know the age of Boaz, but he was pleased that she was content to follow the custom of Hebrew marriage, rather than take up with some of the younger men. He blesses her for her faithful love. He also relieves her of any moral concern by citing her reputation for being a virtuous woman. She is the only one in the Bible specifically called a virtuous woman. He cites a problem. There is a kinsman closer than he. That might be Elimelech’s brother, whereas Boaz might be a nephew or cousin. He promised her that in the morning he would contact the other kinsman, and if he refused, Boaz would accept.
v 14,15. It would have been unsafe for her to have walked home in the night, so they both arose while it was pre dawn when no one could recognize her. He cautioned her not to let it be known she was there, because of gossip. It is important that though we do nothing wrong, we must avoid even the appearance of evil, 1 Thess. 5:22. He poured about a bushel of barley into her cloak and probably placed it on her head for her to take to Naomi. This was an assurance to Naomi that she would be cared for.
v 16-18. Naomi’s words, “Who art thou?” can be understood, “How did you fare, my daughter, are you a bride elect or not?” Naomi lovingly called Ruth her daughter, and advised her to sit and wait, because Boaz would not be at rest till the matter was resolved. This is understandable if we simply put ourselves in his place with that kind of proposal. It is important, but may be difficult, to “sit still” while we wait on the Lord.
Ruth 04
The Marriage of Ruth and Boaz, and the Re-establishment of Naomi
v 1-5. Boaz immediately contacted the closer kin and they met with ten elders of the city at the city gate, the customary place of doing legal business. This may be in keeping with the requirement that 10 men were required in order to have a Jewish synagogue in a town. Boaz first mentioned the real estate, and the man was willing to redeem it. Then Boaz added that he would also have to raise children by Ruth.
The literal meaning of “kinsman” is “one who has the right to redeem”. Therefore, it is sometimes translated “kinsman-redeemer”. Here is a picture of our own salvation. 1 The kinsman must be a relative. 2 He must be willing to redeem 3 He must have the price of redemption. Christ became a relative when He took on human flesh as a baby, an angel could not do that. He was willing to do what was necessary to redeem us. He paid the price in His own precious blood when He died for us, which no man could, because man could only die for his own sins. Naomi told Ruth to “sit still for Boaz will not rest until he has finished this thing”, 3:18. When we come to Christ we can say in our hearts, “Sit still for God has finished our redemption”.
v 6-8. When marriage to Ruth was mentioned in accordance to the Levirite law, Deut. 25:5-10, the man declined, with the excuse at least, that he didn’t want to mar his own inheritance. Some suggest he saw that Boaz really wanted Ruth, but more likely it was a selfish motive. When a man declined his duty, the woman could pluck off his shoe and spit in his face. Boaz was eager to accept the duty, so that insult was not done here. Josephus thinks Ruth did this, but he has no proof. The custom of removing a shoe by the one declining, and him only, had a figurative purpose. It was an indication that he had no more right to walk on that land. Only the one who redeemed it had the right to walk on it. Though he may tempt us, Satan has no more right, only Christ has the right to a believer.
v 9-12. The transaction was duly witnessed by the elders as well as all others who stood by at the gate. They added a blessing that it should be a fruitful marriage, even as the original mothers of all Israel were blessed. They took it a step further in Boaz’s own family line, by taking it clear back to Judah and Tamar. They had no idea how famous he would be in Bethlehem by the birth of Christ there.
v 13-17. After a son was born, the women also extended a blessing that his name would be famous, not knowing he would be the line from which Christ was born. They could all see the great relationship between Ruth and Naomi, and now Naomi had the joy of taking care of a grandson. We wouldn’t be too happy about neighbor women naming our child, but Obed, “serving”, was appropriate. At his birth he became a close kinsman-redeemer for Naomi, thus completely restoring her from the emptiness she had in Moab, and as he grew older he would have the responsibility of caring for her.
v 18-22. This is an abbreviated genealogy David, the ancestor of Christ, starting with Judah’s son Perez. It is interesting that Boaz’s mother was Rahab the harlot, Matt. 1:5. It has been said that every prayer in the book of Ruth is answered in the book of Ruth. God worked quietly and providentially to change a nation and produce a Savior.
Naomi is a picture of Israel in dispersion and returning to the Lord by Millennium.
Ruth is a picture of Gentiles redeemed by Christ, the Church, the Bride of Christ
Boaz is a picture of Christ, a kinsman, willing to redeem, and paying the price.
Ruth Summary key points
Ruth Deciding, Serving, Restomg. Rewarded
What mistakes made in 1st six
v 16,17 proper if he is saved or?
Gleaning. Skirt wings protection
Redeemer is Kin, Willing, Price
Only Christ qualified to redeem
If agreed,, no need to spit in face
Unworthy removed own shoe.No longer had right to walk on land
Since Christ redeemed us Satan tempts, has no more right to us
Boaz - Christ
Naomi - Restored Israel
Ruth- Gentiles and Church
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In the early 90's I started studing the bible by taking colleger courses, because I believe the Lord wanted me to become a pastor in a Nazarne Church. My goal has changed with all my studies. I have read and compared numerous translations and commentaries in my many years of studying the bible. Some of these authorities disagree with each other. I come across information on studies and classes that I have taken 15 to 20 years before and I have no documentation of where it came from. Plus I have given away or returned many books for college classes that I have taken. So if I have failed to give someone the credit that is due them I ask for their forgiveness. The following is a list of translations and commentaries that I still have and use.
ANSWERS to 200 of Life's Most Probing Questions by Pat RobertsonOUR ETERNAL HOME by Richard W. Dehaan,
PROPHECY STUDY BIBLE by Tim Lahaye
READER'S DIGEST JESUS AND HIS TIMES by the Readers Digest Association Inc,
REFLECTING GOD STUDY BIBLE By Zondervan Corporation;
SAINT JOSEPH EDITION OF THE NEW AMERICAN BIBLE by Catholic Book Publishing Co.
SEVEN KEYS TO FAMILY POWER by Billy Joe Daugherty,
SIX HOURS ONE FRIDAY by Max Lacado,
THE AMPLIFIED BIBLE by the Zondervan Corporation;
THE BATTLE BELONGS TO THE LORD by Jocyce Meyer,
THE BIBLE PROMISE BOOK by Babbour Publishing Inc,
THE BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER by Charles Mortimer Guilbert
THE BOOK OF HOPE by Tyndale House Publishiers, Inc,
THE BORN AGAIN CATHOLIC by Albert H. Boudreau,
THE CASE FOR CHRIST by Lee Strobel,
THE CATHOLIC ANSWER BOOK by Peter MJ Stravinsiasi
THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BIBLE KNOWLEDGE by Mark D. Taylor;
THE DAY CHRIST DIED by Jim Bishop,
THE GREAT BIBLE QUESTION AND ANWERS BOOK by Playmore Inc
THE HOME BIBLE STUDY COURSE by Dr. Harold L. Wilmington;
THE KING JAMES BIBLE ARCHAIE WORDS DEFIND by David W. Daniel
THE KING JAMES BIBLE COMPANION by David W. Daniels;
THE KING JAMES STUDY BIBLE by Thomas Nelson Publishers,
THE LAYMAN’S BIBLE DICTIONARY by George W. Knight and Rayburn W. Ray;
THE LAYMAN’S PARALLEL NEW TESTAMENT by Zondervan Bible Publisher
THE LAYMAN'S LIST by Calance Stucup
THE MESSAGE BIBLE by Eugone H. Peterson,
THE NEW AMERICAN BIBLE by World Catholic Press;
THE NEW AMERICAN BIBLE Saint Joseph Edition;
THE NEW STRONG’S EXHAUSTIVE CONCORDANCE OF THE BIBLE by James Strong LL. D S.T.D.;
THE RISKS AND REWARDS OF INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE by Cardinal Francis Arinze
THE TRINITY by Rose Publish
THE VERY FIRST ESTER by Paul L. Maier,
THE WAY CATHOLIC LIVING BIBLE by Tyndale House Publishers;
UNCHRISTIAN by David Kennan and Gabe Lyon
UNDERSTANDING GOD’S LOVE by Ronald Greib
VINE’S EXPOSITORY DICTIONARY OF OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT WORDS By W. E. Vine;
WHAT’S SO SECRET ABOUT THE RAPTURRE? By Christian Record Services, INC
WHEN GOD WINKS AT YOU by Tomas Nelson
WILLMINGTON’S GUIDE TO THE BIBLE by Dr. H.L. Willmington,
WOMAN OF FAITH STUDY BIBLE by Zschech/Heillsong
YESTERDAY TODAY AND FOREVER by New Leaf Press
YOU WERE BORN FOR THIS by Anthony Wilhen
08/19/2011