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The story of Ruth is “a silver star in an inky
sky” writes J.Sidlow Baxter.
Set against the turbulent era of the Judges (Ruth
1:1), it reveals that the lamp of Faith and Hope still burned bright in some
hearts. God always has His people as
shining lights in this world of darkness (Philippians 2:16).
* * * * * * * * * * *
Ruth
1:1 Now it came to pass in the days when the
judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of
Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and
his two sons.
2 And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the
name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion,
Ephrathites of Bethlehemjudah. And they came into the country of Moab, and
continued there.
3 And Elimelech Naomi’s husband died; and she was
left, and her two sons. 4 And
they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and
the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years. 5 And
Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two
sons and her husband.
6 Then she arose with her daughters in law, that
she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of
Moab how that the LORD had visited his people in giving them bread.
7 Wherefore she went forth out of the place where
she was, and her two daughters in law with her; and they went on the way to
return unto the land of Judah.
8 And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go,
return each to her mother’s house: the LORD deal kindly with you, as ye have
dealt with the dead, and with me. 9 The LORD grant you
that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed
them; and they lifted up their voice, and wept.
10 And they said unto her, Surely we will return
with thee unto thy people.
11 And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why
will ye go with me? are there yet any more sons in my womb, that they may be
your husbands? 12 Turn again, my daughters, go your
way; for I am too old to have an husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I
should have an husband also to night, and should also bear sons; 13 Would
ye tarry for them till they were grown? Would ye stay for them from having
husbands? Nay, my daughters; for it grieveth me much for your sakes that the
hand of the LORD is gone out against me.
14 And they lifted up their voice, and wept again:
and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her.
15 And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone
back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law.
16 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or
to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and
where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my
God: 17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there
will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part
thee and me.
18 When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to
go with her, then she left speaking unto her.
19 So they two went until they came to Bethlehem.
And it came to pass, when they were come to Bethlehem, that all the city was
moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi?
20 And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call
me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.
21 I went out full and the LORD hath brought me
home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the LORD hath testified
against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?
22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her
daughter in law, with her, which returned out of the country of Moab: and they
came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.
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Chapter 1:1-6 introduces us to an Israelite family …
who stray from God’s will.
1. The
Road from Bethlehem
When famine comes (v. 1), the family of Elimelech
head for Moab … an idolatrous, corrupt nation. Notice the momentum of the path
away from God – they went to “sojourn” (v. 1) … they “continued there” (v. 2) …
they “dwelled there” (v. 4).
Emilelech died there, as did his two
sons. And this left Naomi … and her two
Moabitish daughters-in-law (vs. 4-5).
Other Israelites … like Boaz, whom we meet in the
next chapter … had not forsaken Israel in time of famine. Sometimes God permits such calamities to
draw us closer to Himself … not to drive us from Him. He is able to meet our needs … if we stay in the place He has put
us instead of running away to Moab!
2. The
Return to Bethlehem
As they return to Israel Naomi encourages Ruth and
Orpah to return to Moab (v. 11). The
Hebrew law said that a widow of an Israelite was to be married by his next of
kin (Deuteronomy 25:5). But, says
Naomi, I am too old to have any more children (v. 12).
Orpah departs … but Ruth cleaves to her mother-in-law (v. 14). And thereby hangs an important spiritual truth!! In the reaction of these three women we have an illustration of the three classes of people in the eyes of God.
1 Corinthians 2:14-3:1 speaks of the “natural”
(unsaved) man, the “carnal” (worldly) believer, and the “spiritual” man. Note
the following:
(a) Orpah
… the “natural” one. She goes back to her old
gods (v. 15). She has NO TIME FOR GOD …
the true God Who made heaven and earth.
(b) Naomi
…the “carnal” one. Despite the fact that she is
an Israelite … one of the nation God has chosen to witness to the heathen … she
encourages her daughters-in-law to return to idolatrous Moab! She has NO
TESTIMONY FOR GOD!
Notice also her bitterness … blaming God for her
misfortune ... verse 20, Naomi means ‘pleasant’, Mara means ‘bitter’.
(c) Ruth
… the “spiritual” one. From now on, she says, the God of Israel will be my God. There is NO TURNING FROM GOD for Ruth (vs.
16-17).
Her ‘steadfast-mindedness’ is something all
Christians might well emulate (v. 18) (Philippians 1:27).
3. The
Rejoicing at Bethlehem
It is here that Ruth is about to meet her redeemer …
that ‘kinsman’ that was mentioned in Deuteronomy 25:5! He will meet her every need. This poor, despised Moabite lass will find
herself a part of the family of God.
And isn’t that a picture of the New Testament gospel? Like Ruth we were “afar off” (Ephesians
2:12-13. Read it!), but our Redeemer
has brought us into fellowship.
**Note: The
Hebrew word used for Ruth’s redeemer, “Goel”, translated “kinsman” (2:20) is
the same word translated “redeemer” in Job 19:25.
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Ruth 2
1 And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty
man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz.
2 And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me
now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall
find grace. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter.
3 And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field
after the reapers: and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging
unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech.
4 And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said
unto the reapers, The LORD be with you. And they answered him, The LORD bless
thee.
5 Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over
the reapers, Whose damsel is this?
6 And the servant that was set over the reapers
answered and said, It is the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of
the country of Moab:
7 And she said, I pray you, let me glean and gather
after the reapers among the sheaves: so she came, and hath continued even from
the morning until now, that she tarried a little in the house.
8 Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my
daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide
here fast by my maidens:
9 Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap,
and go thou after them: have I not charged the young men that they shall not
touch thee? and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that
which the young men have drawn.
10 Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to
the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou
shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?
11 And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath
fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the
death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and
the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not
heretofore.
12 The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward
be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to
trust.
13 Then she said, Let me find favour in thy sight,
my lord; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken
friendly unto thine handmaid, though I be not like unto one of thine
handmaidens.
14 And Boaz said unto her, At mealtime come thou
hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat
beside the reapers: and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and was
sufficed, and left.
15 And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz
commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and
reproach her not:
16 And let fall also some of the handfuls of
purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not.
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Ruth, the young Moabite widow, has come to Bethlehem with Naomi, her Israelitish mother-in-law. And she goes forth to glean in a field … which turns out to belong to a certain BOAZ (v. 3).Let’s learn some lessons about this man who is not only an ancestor of the Lord Jesus (Matthew 1:5), but also an illustration of Him.
1. His
Relationship … a “kinsman”! That means that he can ‘redeem’ all that Elimelech’s
family had lost (Deuteronomy 25:5).And for Jesus to be able to redeem us He had
to become our Kinsman … flesh and blood like us (Hebrews 2:14).
2. His
Position …
Boaz was in charge of the field … like our Lord
Jesus is Lord of the Harvest.
3. His
care
Boaz protects Ruth from evil (v. 9), and provides
good fellowship for her (v. 8).
4. His
Knowledge … verse 11
And our Lord knows all about us … and our needs.
5. His
Communion … verse 14
They feast together … with “bread and wine” (RSV) …
a reminder of the basis of our fellowship with our Lord.
6. His
Provision … verses 15-16
The Mosaic Law instructed the Hebrews not to deter
the poor and the widow from gleaning in their fields. Read Deuteronomy 24:19-20.
Boaz goes one better and tells his workers to drop a few “handfuls of
purpose” for Ruth (v. 16). That’s love!
And our Jesus “daily loadeth us with benefits” too (Psalm 68:19).
7. His
Initiative … verse 8
It is Boaz who starts off the whole relationship …
and we, likewise, love Him, because He first love us! (1 John 4:19.)
……………………………………………
** Our
Reaction? Let it be like Ruth’s …
verse 10….
“Then she
fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have
I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I
am a stranger?”
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THE WOMAN
WHO GOT HER
MAN!
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Ruth 3:1 Then Naomi
her mother in law said unto her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee,
that it may be well with thee?2 And now is not Boaz
of our kindred, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he winnoweth barley to
night in the threshingfloor.3 Wash thyself
therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to
the floor: but make not thyself known unto the man, until he shall have done
eating and drinking.4 And it shall be, when he
lieth down, that thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie, and thou shalt
go in, and uncover his feet, and lay thee down; and he will tell thee what thou
shalt do. 5 And
she said unto her, All that thou sayest unto me I will do.
6 And she went down unto the floor, and did
according to all that her mother in law bade her. 7 And
when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at
the end of the heap of corn: and she came softly, and uncovered his feet, and
laid her down. 8 And it came to pass at midnight,
that the man was afraid, and turned himself: and, behold, a woman lay at his
feet.
9 And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am
Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou
art a near kinsman.
10 And he said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, my
daughter: for thou hast shewed more kindness in the latter end than at the
beginning, inasmuch as thou followedst not young men, whether poor or rich.
11 And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to
thee all that thou requirest: for all the city of my people doth know that thou
art a virtuous woman.
12 And now it is true that I am thy near kinsman:
howbeit there is a kinsman nearer than I.
13 Tarry this night, and it shall be in the
morning, that if he will perform unto thee the part of a kinsman, well; let him
do the kinsman's part: but if he will not do the part of a kinsman to thee,
then will I do the part of a kinsman to thee, as the LORD liveth: lie down
until the morning.
14 And she lay at his feet until the morning: and
she rose up before one could know another. And he said, Let it not be known
that a woman came into the floor.
15 Also he said, Bring the vail that thou hast upon
thee, and hold it. And when she held it, he measured six measures of barley,
and laid it on her: and she went into the city.
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INTRODUCTION
In this portion of Scripture we find Ruth proposing
to Boaz …
and it
wasn’t even a leap-year!
Slippery
ice, ..very thin,
Pretty
girl .. tumbled in.
Boy
on bank .. heard her shout
Jumped
right in ..pulled her out.
Now
she’s his … very nice …
But
she had to .. break the ice!
And that’s what our heroine is doing in these
verses. Let’s learn some DANGER SIGNALS as we study …
1. BEWARE
OF SWALLOWING EVERYTHING YOU READ
And that even applies to so-called religious
literature. W. Neil, for example, in
his Bible Commentary, suggests that the Book of Ruth was penned to oppose the
teachings of Ezra. A British Israelite
writer denies that Ruth was a Moabite (National Message, October,
1985). We need to study what the Bible
says and not be led astray by false teachers (2 Timothy 2:15).
2. BEWARE
OF MISTAKING HUSKS FOR BARLEY
Ruth “beat out” her gleanings to rid them of the
husks (2:17). And those who hear
sermons week after week need to emulate her.
Take away that which is vital for spiritual food … forget the husks.
Some folk remember the preacher’s jokes and miss the
meat of the Word. Beat out that which
you glean.
3. BEWARE
OF LISTENING TO MAN’S VOICE INSTEAD OF GOD’S
Boaz … the picture of our Redeemer … advises Ruth to
abide by his “young men” (2:21).
But notice what Naomi says … remembering that she is
an illustration of the back-slidden believer … “with his maidens…” (v. 22).It
seems to me that Boaz is giving Ruth pride of place, in among the male reapers
rather than among the female gleaners.
Listening to man rather than God always results in
second-best.
Notice how Moses was commanded to build the
Tabernacle in Exodus 25-29 … and how those same chapters are repeated in Exodus
35-39 … as he carries out God’s instructions to the minutest detail.** Read Exodus 40:16.
4. BEWARE
OF ISOLATING THE TEXT FROM THE CONTEXT
The entire Word of God is written for us …
but not all of it is written to us.
The custom recorded here of Ruth lying at the feet
of Boaz is not an example for young ladies in our day! (3:7.)
But in the days of the Judges this was a common
custom. There is nothing immoral about
it. Likewise we need to “rightly divide
the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).
Old
Testament laws are not binding on Christians ( unless they are repeated in the
New Testament). For example, there is
no need for us to observe the Jewish Sabbath … or any of the Jewish Feasts, for
that matter.
* Some statements of Scripture are poetic (eg,
Isaiah 55:12. Trees do not have
hands! It is not to be interpreted
literally.)
*Some statements are symbolic … as in Revelation
13. No-one expects a literal Beast with
seven heads and ten horns to arise.
*And some statements … whilst literally true … are
to be understood in their contemporary setting and not imposed upon believers
today. Such is the custom of Ruth at
the feet of Boaz (3:7) and, in the next chapter, the exchanging of a shoe as a
business transaction (4:7-8).
5. BEWARE OF LETTING YOUR GOOD BE EVIL SPOKEN OF … (Romans 14:16.)
Despite the fact that there was nothing evil about
Ruth’s action … it could be the cause for evil-speaking. So Boaz sends her away early in the morning
(v. 14). We must give no occasion to
the enemies of the gospel to point an accusing finger. Note the word “appearance” in 1
Thessalonians 5:22.
6. BEWARE
OF SERVING WITHOUT SITTING
Compare 2:17 with 3:14-15. In the first instance Ruth’s own efforts result in 25 lbs of
barley (and a lot of hard work!), whereas lying at the feet of her redeemer results
in 50 lbs of barley … freely given!
Compare Mary of Bethany who was more effective in
her spiritual walk because she took time to sit at the Master’s feet.
Have
Thine own way, Lord, have Thine own way …
Hold
o’er my being absolute sway;
Fill
with Thy Spirit ’till all can see
Christ
only, always, living in me! (by A. Pollard)
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ALL’S WELL THAT
ENDS WELL
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Ruth 3:16 And
when she came to her mother in law, she said, Who art thou, my daughter? And
she told her all that the man had done to her.17 And
she said, These six measures of barley gave he me; for he said to me, Go not
empty unto thy mother in law.
18 Then said she, Sit still, my daughter, until
thou know how the matter will fall: for the man will not be in rest, until he
have finished the thing this day.
Ruth 4:1 Then
went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold, the kinsman of
whom Boaz spake came by; unto whom he said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit
down here. And he turned aside, and sat down.2 And
he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye down here. And they
sat down.
3 And he said unto the kinsman, Naomi, that is come
again out of the country of Moab, selleth a parcel of land, which was our
brother Elimelech's:4 And I thought to advertise
thee, saying, Buy it before the inhabitants, and before the elders of my
people. If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it: but if thou wilt not redeem it, then
tell me, that I may know: for there is none to redeem it beside thee; and I am
after thee. And he said, I will redeem it.
5 Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of
the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the
dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance.
6 And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for
myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: redeem thou my right to thyself; for I
cannot redeem it.
7 Now this was the manner in former time in Israel
concerning redeeming and concerning changing, for to confirm all things; a man
plucked off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbour: and this was a testimony in
Israel.
8 Therefore the kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for
thee. So he drew off his shoe.
9 And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the
people, Ye are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech's,
and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's, of the hand of Naomi.10 Moreover
Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to
raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead
be not cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place: ye are
witnesses this day.
11 And all the people that were in the gate, and
the elders, said, We are witnesses. The LORD make the woman that is come into
thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel:
and do thou worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem:12 And
let thy house be like the house of Pharez, whom Tamar bare unto Judah, of the
seed which the LORD shall give thee of this young woman.
13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and
when he went in unto her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bare a son.14
And the women said
unto Naomi, Blessed be the LORD, which hath not left thee this day without a
kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel.15 And
he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age:
for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven
sons, hath born him.16 And Naomi took the child,
and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it.
17 And the women her neighbours gave it a name,
saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the
father of Jesse, the father of David.
18 Now these are the generations of Pharez: Pharez
begat Hezron,19 And Hezron begat Ram, and Ram begat
Amminadab,20 And Amminadab begat Nahshon, and
Nahshon begat Salmon,21 And Salmon begat Boaz, and
Boaz begat Obed,22 And Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse
begat David.
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INTRODUCTION
As the story draws on to its happy ending a number
of interesting lessons present themselves to us.
1. A
Lesson in Prophecy
Just as Elimelech and his family forsook God and
went to Moab … and that resulted in a Gentile being brought into the fellowship
of God’s people … and resulted also in blessings for Naomi … so the ‘fall’ of
the Jews resulted in the gospel going to the Gentiles and blessings upon those
Jews who believed also. Read Romans
11:11-15 in a modern translation.
2. A
Lesson in Security
Boaz finished what he began … as Naomi said he would
(3:18). And our Redeemer will finish what He began … as Paul says He will
(Philippians 1:5-6).
3. A
Lesson in Futility
If Boaz is a picture of the Lord Jesus … and Ruth a
picture of the believer … who is represented by the “nearer
kinsman”? (4:1; 3:12.) Perhaps it is a reminder that we
cannot save one another. I am unable to
save you. “No man can redeem his
brother” (Psalm 49:7).
But Jesus has the right to do so … He became our
kinsman … and He has the ability to do so … and He was willing to do so. Just
like Boaz …
It is FUTILE to seek any other Redeemer.
4. A
Lesson in Archaeology
The discovery of 20,000 clay tablets at Nuzi in
Mesopotamia in 1925 confirms the Bible account of the Levirate law (the duty of
the next of kin to marry the widow and redeem the property, Deuteronomy 25:5),
and also the curious custom of giving a shoe when a transaction was conducted
(Ruth 4:7). Again the spade of the archaeologist confirms the Bible story!
5. A
Lesson in Genealogy
Why does the book close by tracing the genealogy of
David back to Pharez? (Ruth 4:18-22.)
Because Pharez was illegitimate … and no descendant
of an illegitimate child could enter into full Israelite standing until the
tenth generation! Deuteronomy
23:2. (The awful story of Pharez’s
birth is found in Genesis 38.)
David was an acceptable king of Israel because he
was ten generations removed from Pharez. Count ’em …
6. A
Lesson in Matrimony
** Boaz
marries Ruth because she has come to trust in the God of Israel (Ruth 2:12).
The marriage of a believer and an unbeliever is
condemned throughout the Bible.
** Notice
also that in the wedding ceremony (4:7-10) it is Boaz who is in the
limelight. Ruth is not mentioned. And
at the great Marriage Supper of the Lamb it will be Jesus Who commands the
attention of every eye.
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