Ruth 3

If we could look at the story at hand, we see a great love story that is based not on any physical lust or thing that most modern day love stories are based on. Here we have Ruth and Boaz, who worked together and had a good view of each other. Boaz looked upon Ruth with purity and respect. 

In this chapter we see more and more of their love story unfolding.

At the threshing floor

We see that the mother-in-law, Naomi instructing Ruth on how to get her man. She tells Ruth to go to the threshing floor. The threshing floor is where the grain would be gathered and separated from the stalk of the wheat. Boaz was there finishing up the work and keeping watch over the grain so it would not be stolen. This was very much a custom during this time. Ruth went and slept at his feet which again was another custom during this time of showing her interest in marrying Boaz. Boaz was at least a generation older than Ruth and he would not pursue her out of respect of her age. There was nothing wrong in this situation because it was not physical. She was showing that she desired to marry him. 

Boaz was awoken and was pleased in her interest because, this is cool because it was not because she too hot to trot or anything like that. He liked her kindness and that she was virtuous. She had a good reputation among the town and was a lady who lived for purity. Proverbs 31 talks about a virtuous woman and when we read this, this should be your desire for a godly wife. 

Everything Ruth did was glorifying to God. She did not give into immorality. She wanted to stay within the family (remember she is not a Jew and was a Moabite). She also was being obedient to the Levirite redemption of Boaz. I encourage every young lady to desire to please the Lord more than some guy. I encourage every young lady to know that God should be their first love and he will bring the right person for you. It is when you start looking to please people and man that you compromise. Ruth did not compromise and knew God was allowing Boaz to be her husband but it was all in his time.

Redeemer

The word redeemer is found a lot through these 4 chapters of Ruth. A redeemer was someone related by blood that would take care and settle disputes for the widow. The redeemer would pay for the proper provisions for the family as well as buy off or pay any debts. The redeemer was one who was willing to take full responsibility for the family that needed a redeemer because on their own they could not handle it. It is so great to see Boaz as the redeemer for Ruth but also the greater picture is seeing Jesus as our redeemer. Jesus serves as our redeemer as he was born as a man showing the blood relationship to us (Galatians 4:4-5) Christ is a necessary resource just like Boaz was one who gave willingly to Ruth for her protection and well being (1st Corinthians 6:20). And lastly Christ paid the debt for us by being willing to buy us (1st John 3:16). How cool is that to see that Jesus serves as our redeemer. He disputed our case before God. We were enemies of God and now we are friends of God. Thank you Jesus for being our redeemer.

Ruth 1

We are in a new book called Ruth. There are many great things this book of the Bible covers and first and foremost we see God as our redeemer and how God even is redeemer for the Gentile and the Jew. Christ comes from the lineage of Ruth who was a Moabite. Moabites were enemies to Israel. The great focus is Jesus is pictured as our redeemer and that is exactly what Christ did; he redeemed us from sin by paying the high price of death on a cross.

Background:

The author of Ruth was Samuel. This book takes place during the time of Jair who was judge over Israel (Judges 10). There are 85 verses in Ruth and the Rabbis would read Ruth during Pentecost. Israel during this time is having a famine so a man named Elimelech (whose name means “my God is my King”) took his wife and two sons to Moab to get away from the famine. While they were there, the two sons married some Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth. They lived in Moab in 10 years and Elimelech died as well as the two sons. Naomi the mom was left with two daughter in laws. 

Naomi heard that Bethlehem was getting over the famine and tried to have the daughter’s in law move back with their parents and move on with their life. Two times she asked and they both said no until Orpah realized that Naomi was right but Ruth clung to Naomi. Naomi asked Ruth one more time to go back home and move on with her life but Ruth would not.

In verses 16-17 we see her commitment to Ruth by saying, “For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people will be my people, and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. ” She was willing to leave everything behind. She knew that the God of Israel was the true God and that she was ready to leave the Moabite way of life. 

Naomi’s attitude=Sad

There is a lot to focus on in this chapter as well as some great theological learning points but the one I would like to focus on would be Naomi. Her name in Hebrew means “pleasant.” In verses 19-22 we see Naomi return with Ruth to Bethlehem but when the town starts talking to Naomi she responds with, “Do not call me Naomi anymore, call me Mara.” Mara in Hebrew means, “Bitter” and that is exactly what Naomi became bitter because she lost her husband and her two sons. Naomi was grounded in knowing that God is in control with all things but she still was not hopeful, she was actually distressed. 

I have to ask myself, how would I be in that situation? If I lost my wife and my children, how would I be? How would you handle yourself? One thing that I have seen in my life is how certain people handle trials in their life. Some people become devastated by something that is small and minor and some people are more than conquerors in trials that I could only imagine what they are like.

I have seen people struggle over death but they have a peace and lean on the Lord and are in encouragement to me and my wife. I have seen people with cancer that have a joy and outlook on life that puts me to shame. I also have some people go through life and become bitter at everyone and everything and they are miserable. The comfort that I have as a Christian is that I know that I will face trials but that I am not alone. I know that I do not need to turn bitter but instead turn to the strength that is found in the Lord. James 1:2 even tells me how to handle trials and why I go through them. My outlook in life can be, I used to be pleasant but now I am bitter or I was pleasant and even more so, I have joy in the Lord. I look at the examples that we have at church and Pastor Greg and just say, God is our strength and the answer to such situations, may I learn to lean on Him more and more.

Adam sent me this link which has a video of Ruth Chapter 1, enjoy www.marshillchurch.org/media/redeemingruth/gods-hand-in-our-suffering