Thursday
Evening Bible Study
January
12, 2012
Introduction
Do people see Jesus? Is the gospel preached? Does it speak to the
broken hearted? Does it build up the church? Milk – Meat – Manna Preach for a
decision
The book of Ruth takes place sometime during the period of the Judges,
perhaps somewhere around 100 years before King David. Even though the period of
the Judges was a dark time in the history of Israel, the book of Ruth offers a
glimpse of hope and light.
As the book of Ruth
begins, a man from Bethlehem named Elimelech takes his family to Moab in order
to survive a famine that has hit the land. While in Moab, Elimelech dies, his two
sons marry Moabite
girls, and then the two
sons also die, leaving the mom, Naomi, and her two Moabite
daughter-in-laws.
When Naomi decides to go home to Bethlehem, one of the girls leaves, but Ruth goes with her. Ruth
teaches us the meaning of commitment:
(Ru
1:16–17 NKJV) —16 But Ruth said: “Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back
from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you
lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my
God. 17 Where you
die, I will die, And there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, If anything but death
parts you and me.”
When Naomi and Ruth arrive in Bethlehem, Ruth goes to work to support her
and her mother-in-law, gleaning in the fields. Gleaning was a practice in
ancient Israel where the poor were allowed to go into a field and pick up
whatever the harvesters didn’t gather as they harvested the crop. Just by
coincidence, Ruth ends up in the field of Boaz, a wealthy man who also happens to be a close
relative of Naomi. Boaz treats Ruth with kindness and suggests that she stay in
his field when she gleans.
(Ru 2:23 NKJV) So she stayed close
by the young women of Boaz, to glean until the end of barley harvest and wheat
harvest; and she dwelt with her mother-in-law.
Warren Wiersbe writes about the book of Ruth:
“The Book of Ruth reminds us that God is at work in our world, seeking
a bride and reaping a harvest; and we must find our place in His program of
winning the lost. The events in the Book of Ruth occurred during the period of
the Judges, a time not much different from our own day. If you focus only on
the evils of our day, you’ll become pessimistic and cynical; but, if you ask
God what field He wants you to work in and faithfully serve Him, you’ll
experience His grace, love, and joy.”
3:1-18 The
Threshing Floor
:1 Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, shall I not seek
security for you, that it may be well with you?
:1 security – manowach
– resting place, state or condition of rest, place; NAS “security”,
NIV “a home”, NLT “a permanent home”
:1 it may be well – yatab
– to be good, be pleasing, be well, be glad
:1 security …it may
be well
Lesson
Marriage is good
Naomi is going to work on getting Ruth married. And her concept of marriage is that it’s a
place of “security” and she will be “well”.
I know that for some of you, “marriage” is a difficult word. I know that
marriage can be painful and hard.
Sometimes a marriage doesn’t end up being what we thought it would be and
we want something else.
Illustration
A couple
had been married for 25 years and also celebrated their 60th
birthdays. During the celebration a fairy appeared and said that because they had been such
a loving couple all those years, she would give them one wish each. The wife
had always wanted to travel around the world. The fairy waved her wand and
boom! She had the
tickets in her hand. Then it was the husband’s turn. He paused for a moment,
then said slyly, “Well, I’d like to have a woman 30 years younger than me.” The fairy picked up her
wand and boom! He was 90.
I think we always get ourselves into trouble when we begin
to think that something outside of our marriage is better than what we have.
God’s idea of marriage is that it’s good.
(Ge 2:18
NKJV) And the Lord God said, “It is not good
that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.”
When Adam was alone, it was “not” good.
When God made Eve, it was “good”.
My point is not to give you the magic “fix” for difficulties in marriage,
but to remind you of what God’s design for marriage is. It is good.
Illustration
A young man saw an elderly couple sitting down to lunch at McDonald’s.
He noticed that they had ordered one meal, and an extra drink cup. As he
watched, the gentleman carefully divided the hamburger in half, then counted
out the fries, one for him, one for her, until each had half of them. Then he
poured half of the soft drink into the extra cup and set that in front of his
wife. The old man then began to eat, and his wife sat watching, with her hands
folded in her lap. The young man decided to ask if they would allow him to
purchase another meal for them so that they didn’t have to split theirs. The
old gentleman said, “Oh no. We’ve been married 50 years, and everything has
always been and will always be shared, 50-50.” The young man then asked the
wife if she was going to eat, and she replied, “Not yet. It’s his turn with the
teeth.”
I like that. Not sure I’m ready
to share the teeth yet, I don’t think I could share a toothbrush still. But I’m working on it.
:2 Now Boaz, whose
young women you were with, is he not our relative? In fact, he is
winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor.
:2 winnowing …
threshing
Remember that Ruth and Naomi have shown up in Bethlehem at the beginning of
the barley harvest.
Winnowing and
threshing are a part of the process of taking what’s been harvested, and making
it usable for food.
Ancient farmers
didn’t have electric fans, they did the winnowing out in the open field,
tossing the grain up in the air to allow the wind to blow off the chaff while
the grain fell onto a pile.
:3 Therefore
wash yourself and anoint yourself, put on your best garment and go down
to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until
he has finished eating and drinking.
:3 wash … and
anoint
People didn’t take baths or showers every day. Naomi is encouraging Ruth to clean herself up
for Boaz.
:3 finished eating
and drinking
Naomi doesn’t want Ruth to bother Boaz until after he’s had his supper.
After all, guys can be pretty cranky if they haven’t had their supper!
:4 Then it shall be,
when he lies down, that you shall notice the place where he lies; and you shall
go in, uncover his feet, and lie down; and he will tell you what you should
do.”
:4 uncover his feet
Apparently the idea is simply that of gently waking Boaz up and letting him
know that Ruth was there.
Ruth is to let Boaz decide what comes next.
I think it’s nice that Ruth isn’t going to put Boaz on the spot in front of
others.
Lesson
Make a move
You never know what might happen unless you try.
I think that sometimes in relationships we have this idea that the other
person must be able to read
our minds and that we shouldn’t make a move to let someone know we’re
interested in them.
The difficult part is that sometimes the other person isn’t interested, and
that can be hurtful.
Loving people at all levels of relationship requires risk.
:5 And she said to
her, “All that you say to me I will do.”
:5 All that you say
…
Lesson
Wisdom and age
Sometimes older people know a thing or two, like this older couple learning
to use their computers web cam.
Actually, older
folks really do know a thing or two. And
if you watch the video carefully, you realize that these two still love each
other. We would do well to ask their
advice from time to time.
I think that’s one of the threads woven into this story. People in Ruth’s
day had a respect for their parents’ generation. They realized that these
people knew a little more than they did.
Illustration
Growing Opinions of Dad
4 years: My daddy
can do anything.
7 years: My dad
knows a lot, a whole lot.
8 years: My father
doesn't know quite everything.
12 years: Oh,
well, naturally Father doesn't know that, either.
14 years: Father?
Hopelessly old-fashioned.
21 years: Oh, that
man is out-of-date. What did you expect?
25 years: He knows
a little bit about it, but not much.
30 years: Maybe we
ought to find out what Dad thinks.
35 years: A little
patience. Let's get Dad's assessment before we do anything.
50 years: I wonder
what Dad would have thought about that. He was pretty smart.
60 years: My Dad
knew absolutely everything!
65 years: I'd give
anything if Dad were here so I could talk this over with him. I really miss
that man.
Ruth has this older gal who is giving her advice. She is willing to respect that advice.
:6 So she went
down to the threshing floor and did according to all that her mother-in-law
instructed her.
:7 And after Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was cheerful, he went
to lie down at the end of the heap of grain; and she came softly, uncovered his
feet, and lay down.
:7 he went to lie down
Boaz has worked hard all day, had a great meal, and goes off to sleep.
:7 at the end of the heap of grain
He’s the owner of the field. While the work is still being done, he sleeps
with the grain to protect it from thieves.
:7 lay down
Be careful that you don’t put any of our immoral modern ideas into what
she’s doing.
There is nothing impure happening here. Ruth is simply taking the covers
off of Boaz’s feet so he’ll get cold and wake up. She then lies down near his
feet.
She is not seducing Boaz, she is simply going to make a statement that she
is interested.
:8 Now it happened at midnight that the man was startled, and turned
himself; and there, a woman was lying at his feet.
:9 And he said, “Who are you?” So she answered, “I am Ruth,
your maidservant. Take your maidservant under your wing, for you are a close
relative.”
:9 Who are you?
It’s probably too dark for Boaz to tell who the woman is at his feet.
:9 under your wing
– kanaph – wing, extremity, edge,
corner, shirt
The word is used in a couple of ways.
It is used
to describe “wings” like the cherubim:
(Ex 25:20 NKJV) And the
cherubim shall stretch out their wings above, covering the mercy seat
with their wings…
It is used to
describe the edge of a garment:
(Nu 15:38 NKJV) “Speak to
the children of Israel: Tell them to make tassels on the corners of their
garments …
In Jewish wedding
ceremonies, sometimes a prayer shawl (Tallit) is used as a canopy under which
the couple stand during the ceremony.
One commentary states (JFB): To spread a skirt over one is, in the East, a
symbolical action denoting protection. To this day in many parts of the East,
to say of anyone that he put his skirt over a woman, is synonymous with saying
that he married her
Earlier, Boaz used similar language to describe how Ruth had followed
Naomi to Bethlehem and was now trusting in the Lord.
(Ru 2:12 NKJV) The Lord repay your work, and a full reward
be given you by the Lord God of
Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.”
Now Ruth is asking that she may trust in Boaz.
In a sense, she is asking Boaz to marry her.
:9 close relative
– ga’al – to redeem, act as
kinsman-redeemer
Ruth is reminding Boaz that he has an obligation to “redeem”.
For Ruth and Naomi’s situation, this will involve property and a wife.
The Property
(Le
25:23–25 NKJV) —23 ‘The land shall not be sold permanently, for the land is
Mine; for you are strangers and sojourners with Me.
No sale of property was to be considered permanent because
God was considered the real owner.
24 And in all the land
of your possession you shall grant redemption of the land.
Every time a sale took place, it was under the condition
that it could be bought back by the original owner.
25 ‘If one of your brethren becomes
poor, and has sold some of his possession, and if his redeeming relative
comes to redeem it, then he may redeem what his brother sold.
If you sold your land to someone outside the family, a
kinsman redeemer could by the land back at any time.
It seems that Elimelech and Naomi had already mortgaged
this property, and what Boaz is doing is buying it back from the one who
mortgaged it, like buying it from the bank.
The Girl
We talked last week about the “Levirite” law (Deut.
25). If a husband dies
before a baby is born, then the husband’s brother is supposed to marry the
widow and raise up a family in the dead brother’s name.
We are going to see this take place with Ruth, whose husband died without
an heir.
Lesson
The Redeemer
Jesus is our “close relative” who has come to “redeem”.
He will redeem property – that’s what’s going to happen during the
Tribulation when He comes to redeem the land sold by Adam.
He will redeem a bride – that’s us.
There are some very interesting parallels in this story with that of
how we, like Ruth, come to be married to our Redeemer, Jesus Christ.
She just “happened” to land in the Redeemer’s field (2:3)
The Redeemer saw that she was taken care of (2:15) – God’s continual
kindness towards us, drawing us
Wash thyself (3:3), washed in His Word.
Anointing (3:3), the Holy Spirit
Clean clothes (3:3), put off the flesh, put on the new man
Lie at His feet (3:7), submit to Jesus
:10 Then he said,
“Blessed are you of the Lord,
my daughter! For you have shown more kindness at the end than at the beginning,
in that you did not go after young men, whether poor or rich.
:10 you did not go after young men
This is what makes us think that Boaz was a bit older than Ruth.
Ruth could be in her twenties, Boaz perhaps in his forties.
:11 And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you
request, for all the people of my town know that you are a virtuous
woman.
:11 a virtuous
woman – chayil – strength,
efficiency; ability
The word is also found in:
(Pr 12:4
NKJV) An excellent wife is the
crown of her husband, But she who causes shame is like rottenness in his
bones.
(Pr 31:10 NKJV) —10 Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is
far above rubies.
Lesson
Faithfulness can help the past
Though Ruth initially was known as “the young Moabite woman” (2:6),
she has proved her faithfulness through her hard work to the point where
everyone knew her integrity.
Sometimes we acquire a bad reputation. Sometimes we deserve a bad
reputation because we’ve done things to hurt others. Sometimes we haven’t done
a thing, but people just don’t like us.
Sometimes hard work, faithfulness, and diligence pays off.
Boaz promises Ruth that he will do his best to take care of her.
:12 Now it is true
that I am a close relative; however, there is a relative closer than I.
:12 a relative
closer
Boaz is a guy who follows the rules.
The other relative is technically ahead of Boaz in the “line” of fellows to
redeem the property and marry Ruth.
Boaz is more concerned about doing things right than getting things done
quickly.
Note: Boaz’s response here is kind of interesting. Even though he’s
told himself that he was too old for her, he’s apparently pursued the idea
enough to have looked into it and has come across the problem of the other
relative.
:13 Stay this night,
and in the morning it shall be that if he will perform the duty of a
close relative for you—good; let him do it. But if he does not want to perform
the duty for you, then I will perform the duty for you, as the Lord lives! Lie down until morning.”
Before Boaz can take a step to be Ruth’s “redeemer”, he has to allow the
other relative a chance to redeem the family. But if the other fellow doesn’t
want to follow through, then Boaz promises that he will “redeem” Ruth and her
family.
:14 So she lay at his feet until morning, and she arose before one could
recognize another. Then he said, “Do not let it be known that the woman came to
the threshing floor.”
Boaz doesn’t want rumors started or people to get the wrong idea about what
has been happening. He doesn’t want the gossip mill going crazy.
:15 Also he said, “Bring the shawl that is on you and hold it.” And
when she held it, he measured six ephahs of barley, and laid it
on her. Then she went into the city.
:15 he measured six
ephahs of barley
The word “ephah” is not in the Hebrew text.
If this were six ephahs, it would be about 180 pounds of grain – a bit too
much to carry in her shawl.
NLT has “six scoops” – some suggest it’s a “seah” (1/3 of an ephah), which would bring the total to 60 pounds of grain –
still a hefty load.
:16 When she
came to her mother-in-law, she said, “Is that you, my daughter?” Then
she told her all that the man had done for her.
:16 Is that
you, my daughter?
Some translations have this coming out as, “How did it go my daughter”?
But actually, the New King James is translating this exactly as the Hebrew.
Perhaps what Naomi is saying is, “Are you still Ruth the Moabitess, or are you
the prospective Mrs. Boaz?”
:17 And she said,
“These six ephahs of barley he gave me; for he said to me, ‘Do not go
empty-handed to your mother-in-law.’ ”
Boaz was sending a message to Naomi that he was VERY interested in Ruth.
:18 Then she said, “Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter
will turn out; for the man will not rest until he has concluded the matter this
day.”
:18 sit still
– yashab – to dwell, remain, sit
Naomi hears what Ruth has told her and is convinced that Boaz is going to
act.
Lesson
Patience
There’s a time for action, as when Ruth followed Naomi’s advice and went to
Boaz at night.
But there’s also a time to be patient and wait.
A man rushed
into the doctor’s office and shouted, “Doctor! I think I’m shrinking!!” The
doctor calmly responded, “Now, settle down. You’ll just have to be a little
patient.”
Actually we often need to be VERY patient.
We need to learn when to let go of things and let God take care of them.
(Ps 37:4–7
NKJV) 4 Delight
yourself also in the Lord, And He
shall give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall
bring it to pass. 6 He shall bring forth your righteousness as
the light, And your justice as the noonday. 7 Rest in
the Lord, and wait
patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of
the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.
4:1-12 Redemption
:1 Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there; and behold, the close
relative of whom Boaz had spoken came by. So Boaz said, “Come aside, friend,
sit down here.” So he came aside and sat down.
:1 the gate
This is the entrance of the city. It
served as the place where an open marketplace would be set up. It also served as the center of the local government – the “elders”
or leaders of the city would hang out there and people would go there to
conduct business.
:1 the close
relative – ga’al – to
redeem, act as kinsman-redeemer
This is the relative that has first place before Boaz to redeem the family.
He would be Boaz’s relative as well.
:1 Come aside,
friend
The Old King James
has, “Ho, such a one!”.
In Rabbinic writings, this was the phrase used for a “John Doe”.
We know this is the “close relative”, but we don’t know his name.
His name is kept from us on purpose. He lost his chance to be forever known
as a redeemer in Israel, and so his name is not recorded.
He didn’t take his chance.
Lesson
No risk, no name
Sometimes you have to risk a little.
Sometimes you have to step out of your comfort zone.
Illustration
When the army of Israel was being
threatened by a nine-foot tall giant named Goliath, a call went out for someone
to go head-to-head in battle. For forty
days the challenge was made, and no one stepped forward. Until the day when a young man came to visit
his brothers. When he found out about
the challenge, he jumped at the chance.
What was his name? David. Why do we know his name? Because he didn’t play it safe.
Illustration
“It is not the
critic who counts, not the person who points out where the doer of deeds could
have done better. The credit belongs to the person who is actually in the
arena; whose face
is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and
comes up short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the devotions,
and spends himself or herself in a worthy cause; who at best knows in the end the triumph of high
achievement; and at the worst, at least fails while daring greatly; so that his
or her place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither
victory or defeat.” - Theodore Roosevelt
:2 And he took
ten men of the elders of the city, and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down.
:2 ten men of the elders
Two or three witnesses were enough to witness an agreement, but it was
usual to gather ten elders if the matter was really, really important such as
with a marriage, divorce, or purchase of property.
:3 Then he said to the close relative, “Naomi, who has come back from the
country of Moab, sold the piece of land which belonged to our brother
Elimelech.
:4 And I thought to inform you, saying, ‘Buy it back in the presence
of the inhabitants and the elders of my people. If you will redeem it,
redeem it; but if you will not redeem it, then tell me, that I
may know; for there is no one but you to redeem it, and I am
next after you.’ ” And he said, “I will redeem it.”
When Boaz brings up the subject of purchasing the land, the other relative
is willing to do his part…
:5 Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi,
you must also buy it from Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to
perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance.”
:5 On the day you
buy the field
Boaz goes on to say that there’s more to the deal than buying some
land. There’s a young gal that comes
with the land.
Lesson
Treasure in the field
The relative wants the field, but not the girl.
I don’t think Boaz really wants the field. He wants the girl.
He is willing to buy the field in order to get the girl. This reminds me of
a parable of Jesus –
(Mt 13:44 NKJV) “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field,
which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he
has and buys that field.
Jesus
thinks you are a treasure. He purchased the whole world with His blood in order
to get you.
:6 And the close
relative said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I ruin my own
inheritance. You redeem my right of redemption for yourself, for I cannot
redeem it.”
:6 I cannot redeem it
It is thought that this relative may have already been married with
children of his own. If he takes Ruth and has children by her, there would be
another child to divide his inheritance among. Or, perhaps his wife didn’t like the idea of
him taking another wife! Perhaps the man didn’t think he wanted to have to take
care of two poor widows. Perhaps he didn’t want to be associated with a
Moabitess. Perhaps he was afraid that if he married Ruth the Moabitess, he’d
die like Mahlon.
Whatever his excuse was, he missed
out on the treasure.
:7 Now this was
the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging,
to confirm anything: one man took off his sandal and gave it to the
other, and this was a confirmation in Israel.
:8 Therefore the close relative said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself.”
So he took off his sandal.
:8 took off his
sandal
It sounds as by Ruth’s day, this had just become a goofy custom, but we’ve
seen with the Levirite Law that there was a little more to it.
(Dt
25:8–10 NLT) —8 The elders of the town will then summon him and talk with him. If
he still refuses and says, ‘I don’t want to marry her,’ 9 the widow must walk
over to him in the presence of the elders, pull his sandal from his foot, and
spit in his face. Then she must declare, ‘This is what happens to a man who
refuses to provide his brother with children.’ 10 Ever afterward in Israel his family will be
referred to as ‘the family of the man whose sandal was pulled off’!
The idea of taking a shoe
off seems to be that of reducing a person to the status of a slave. It was to
be a humiliation (along with the spit in the face).
When a man refused to raise up offspring for his dead brother, it was
humiliating.
:9 And Boaz
said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses this day that
I have bought all that was Elimelech’s, and all that was Chilion’s and
Mahlon’s, from the hand of Naomi.
:10 Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, I have acquired as
my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance, that the
name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brethren and from his
position at the gate. You are witnesses this day.”
:10 the widow of
Mahlon – here’s where we find out which brother Ruth had been
married to. She was married to the “sick” one (Mahlon means “sick”).
:10 I have acquired
Lesson
Redemption
Definition of Redemption: To set free from bondage by paying a price
Prerequisite for redemption: Bondage
Ruth and Naomi were in bondage with debt.
We were under bondage to sin and need a redeemer.
(Jn 8:34 NKJV) Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits
sin is a slave of sin.
Qualifications for a redeemer
a. He has to be
a “near kinsman”. Jesus took on human flesh in order to become our “near
kinsman”.
(Heb 2:14–15 NKJV) —14 Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He
Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of
death, that is, the devil, 15 and release those who through fear of
death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
b. He has to be
willing to pay the price. Unlike the anonymous “relative”, Jesus WANTS
to pay the price for us.
(Heb 12:2 NKJV) looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith,
who for the joy
that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat
down at the right hand of the throne of God.
c. He has to be able to pay the
price
It’s not just enough to be “willing”, but you have to be
“able” to pay the price. Is there enough
money in the account?
(1 Pe 1:18–19 NKJV) —18 knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like
silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from
your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and
without spot.
Illustration
A beggar stopped a
lawyer on the street in a large southern city and asked him for a quarter. Taking a long, hard look into the man’s
unshaven face, the attorney asked, “Don’t I know you from somewhere?” “You
should,” came the reply. “I’m your
former classmate. Remember, second
floor, old Main Hall?” “Why Sam, of
course I know you!” Without further question the lawyer wrote a check for
$100. “Here, take this and get a new
start. I don’t care what’s happened in
the past, it’s the future that counts.” And with that he hurried on.
Tears welled up in
the man’s eyes as he walked to a bank nearby. Stopping at the door, he saw
through the glass well-dressed tellers and the spotlessly clean interior. Then he looked at his filthy rags. “They
won’t take this from me. They’ll swear that I forged it,” he muttered as he
turned away.
The next day the
two men met again. “Why Sam, what did you do with my check? Gamble it away? Drink it up?”
“No,” said the beggar as he pulled it out of his dirty shirt pocket and
told why he hadn’t cashed it. “Listen,
friend,” said the lawyer. “What makes
that check good is not your clothes or appearance, but my signature. Go on, cash it!”
When it comes to redemption, it’s not up to us to be good enough to be
forgiven. It’s up to Jesus having enough
to pay our debt.
How can I be
redeemed?
(Ru 3:9
NKJV) —9 And he
said, “Who are you?” So she answered, “I am Ruth, your
maidservant. Take your maidservant under your wing, for you are a close
relative.”
Just as Ruth
asked Boaz to be her redeemer, ask Jesus to be yours. He is near, willing, and able.
Lesson
Final redemption
As we’ve been seeing through our study in the book of Revelation, the
Tribulation is a process of redemption.
The events take
place at the “gates” (the throne room of God) before the elders
Instead of ten elders, there are twenty-four to witness the transaction.
Jesus is “worthy”
to open the scroll – He is a near kinsman, He is willing, and He has the
ability to pay the price.
:11 And all the
people who were at the gate, and the elders, said, “We are
witnesses. The Lord make the
woman who is coming to your house like Rachel and Leah, the two who built the
house of Israel; and may you prosper in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem.
:12 May your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah,
because of the offspring which the Lord
will give you from this young woman.”
:11 like Rachel and
Leah
This was the usual bridal blessing. Rachel and Leah were the two wives of Jacob,
Israel. These people were all descendants of Israel. Rachel was Jacob’s barren
wife, who eventually was blessed of the Lord with children. Ruth had been
married, but had not yet had children.
:11 Ephrathah
– meaning “fruitful”, another name for the town of Bethlehem (Gen. 35:19).
:12 Perez … Tamar
The people of Bethlehem were also descendants of Judah.
Tamar was the
daughter-in-law of Judah (Gen. 38). Her story is the first example of the
Levirite Law. When her husband died and
the brother-in-law refused to help, and he died, she ended up disguising
herself as a prostitute and became pregnant from Judah himself.
She ended up bearing twins (Perez and Zerah). The people are descended from her.
She took the Levirite thing seriously.
4:13-17 Ruth
marries Boaz
:13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife; and when he went in to her,
the Lord gave her conception, and
she bore a son.
:14 Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day
without a close relative; and may his name be famous in Israel!
:14 the women said
to Naomi
Lesson
Women blessing women
I like the example here. Women in the book of Ruth are NOT unimportant.
They are what the book is all about.
Here the women pronounce a blessing on Naomi.
Remember how Naomi had come back to Bethlehem:
(Ru
1:20–21 NKJV) —20 But she said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the
Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. 21 I went out full, and the Lord
has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has testified against me, and the
Almighty has afflicted me?”
Now the women are gathered around her and “blessing” her.
They are reminding Naomi that God has not forgotten her.
:15 And may he be
to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your
daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has borne
him.”
:15 a restorer of
life
Lesson
Restoration
Many of you have gone through tremendous difficulty. Some have gone through great loss. God can restore.
(Joe 2:25
NKJV) “So I will restore to you the years
that the swarming locust has eaten…
Think of the
life of Joseph in the Bible. He lost his
family and his home when his brothers sold him as a slave into Egypt. He lost his reputation and his job when his
boss’ wife tried to seduce him and he refused.
He could have lost hope when the baker and the cupbearer forgot about
him after he interpreted their dreams.
But there came
a day when it was all worthwhile. God
brought restoration. You see it in the
naming of his children:
(Ge 41:51–52 NKJV) —51 Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: “For God has made
me forget all my toil and all my father’s house.” 52 And the name of
the second he called Ephraim: “For God has caused me to be fruitful in the land
of my affliction.”
Be patient. Let God work.
:15 better to you
than seven sons
Lesson
Don’t miss the treasures
Naomi had come back to Bethlehem as a bitter woman.
And now her neighbors are reminding her that she has had a treasure with
her all along – Ruth.
If it weren’t for Ruth, Naomi would be in a pickle. Boaz offered to marry
Ruth, NOT Naomi.
Are there treasures in your life that you’ve been ignorant of? Are there
people around you that you’ve taken for granted?
:16 Then Naomi
took the child and laid him on her bosom, and became a nurse to him.
:17 Also the neighbor women gave him 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.
:17 Obed
– “serving”
4:18-22 David’s
Family
:18 Now this is the genealogy of Perez: Perez begot Hezron;
:19 Hezron begot Ram, and Ram begot Amminadab;
:20 Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon;
:21 Salmon begot Boaz, and Boaz begot Obed;
:22 Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David.
There was apparently 380 years
between Salmon and David. Apparently not everyone is listed in the genealogy.
This shows us
that the whole point of this story was to show us a peek into the lineage of King David.