Bible

Today’s visit to the Bible room leads us into one of the greatest, true love stories ever written. The brief story of Ruth, a woman in the lineage of Jesus, is a perfect picture of unconditional love spread throughout the Holy Bible.

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Ruth

Introduction to Ruth:

Writer: Jewish tradition says Samuel wrote this book, however, it remains as ‘unknown.’

Scope: A true story, this book, named for its title character, conveys a profound message of genuine love in action.  The setting is early in the turbulent era of the judges in Israel, described in the preceding sessions. This account of one family’s cross-cultural relationships is a metaphor for the Devine love, forgiveness, and redemption that would be ushered in by a carpenter’s son just forty miles up the road a few years later.

Chapter 1. Love

Famine in Judah forces a man to move his family to find food:

• Elimelech looks for food in neighboring Moab to the east;
• He moves with his family, then dies soon after;
• His sons marry Moabite women:  Orpah and Ruth.
• Both sons die, Naomi is left with her two daughters-in-law;
• Later, food supplies improve over in Judah: Naomi decides to go back home to Judah;
• Orpah and Ruth decide to leave Moab, move with Naomi to Judah;
• On the road, Naomi reconsiders, suggests the women should go back, stay in their own homeland;
• Sorrowful, weeping, Orpah decides to stay back in Moab;
• Ruth commits to stay with her mother-in-law: She tells her:
• “Wherever you go, I will go, and
• wherever you lodge, I will lodge.
• Your people shall be my people, your God, my God. 
• Where you die, I will die,
• and there will I be buried.” v. 16-17 (NKJV)
• Naomi and Ruth together continue on to Bethlehem;
• The barley harvest is beginning in Judah.

Chapter 2. Redeemer

A relative of Elimelech, Boaz is well known in Judah:

• Ruth suggests she will go glean some grain left in a field by the harvesters;
• Turns out the field belongs to Boaz;
• He inquires of his workers about the woman in the field;
• He tells Ruth to stay in his field, drink his water;
• Ruth questions why he would favor a foreigner as her;
• He tells her he has heard about her and Naomi;
• Gives her his blessing and God’s blessing;
• Ruth thanks Boaz;
• He invites her to have lunch with them;
• He tells his men to leave extra grain laying in the field.
• She gives Naomi a report of her day, worked Boaz’s field.
• Boaz is Naomi’s relative: he is a kinsman-redeemer.

(Note: Kinsman-redeemer is a male relative who takes the role of redeemer in various situations: e.g. to redeem land that has been sold unwisely; to redeem a relative who has been sold into slavery; to marry the wife of a deceased brother in order to redeem the line of inheritance.)

Chapter 3. Promise

Naomi encourages Ruth to visit Boaz at the threshing floor:

• Naomi wants to see progress in their relationship;
• Ruth visits the threshing floor, lies at Boaz’s feet;
• Boaz tells her she has a nearer relative to be her kinsman-redeemer, unless he refuses;
• Boaz promises:  If her nearer relative refuses, he will step in and take the role.
• Ruth gives a full report to Naomi, tells her of the promise;
• Naomi tells her to wait until the next day.

Chapter 4. Redemption

The next day the nearer kinsman-redeemer decides to back out:

• Boaz buys from Naomi the land previously owned by her late husband, Elimelech, and his two sons;
• Boaz takes Ruth, the woman from Moab, to be his wife;
• Redemption is complete.
• She will bear children to carry on the line of inheritance:
• Her son will be named Obed.
• His son will be named Jesse.
• His son will be named David (future King of Israel.)
• Note: For those readers who are just starting to read the Holy Bible, the lineage of Boaz and Ruth leading to the birth of Jesus can be found in the book of Matthew, chapter 1, in the New Testament. We will read that chapter in the future.

END OF THE BOOK OF RUTH