The Bible Series Ruth

Sodom & Gomorrah… the very mention of them brings to mind a vivid picture of sin and evil… It also brings to mind how God dealt with such sin and evil.

Lot and his daughters and wife are allowed to flee, God spares them, but Lot’s wife looks back and God deals with her. They escape to the mountains and are staying in a cave. Lot’s daughters panic… Genesis 19:30-32; 36-38 record for us the disturbing details of the birth of a nation…

Genesis 19:30–32 NASB95

Lot went up from Zoar, and stayed in the mountains, and his two daughters with him; for he was afraid to stay in Zoar; and he stayed in a cave, he and his two daughters. Then the firstborn said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is not a man on earth to come in to us after the manner of the earth. “Come, let us make our father drink wine, and let us lie with him that we may preserve our family through our father.”

Genesis 19:36–38 NASB95

Thus both the daughters of Lot were with child by their father. The firstborn bore a son, and called his name Moab; he is the father of the Moabites to this day. As for the younger, she also bore a son, and called his name Ben-ammi; he is the father of the sons of Ammon to this day.

The relations with these descendants and Israel are mixed. We see times of struggle, and hostility, as well as times of coexisting together as we see in the book of Ruth. In the book of Deuteronomy 23:3-6 we see God deal strongly against the Moabite people as a nation…

Deuteronomy 23:3–6 NASB95

“No Ammonite or Moabite shall enter the assembly of the Lord; none of their descendants, even to the tenth generation, shall ever enter the assembly of the Lord, because they did not meet you with food and water on the way when you came out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you. “Nevertheless, the Lord your God was not willing to listen to Balaam, but the Lord your God turned the curse into a blessing for you because the Lord your God loves you. “You shall never seek their peace or their prosperity all your days.

This information concerning the Moabites is crucial for our understanding as we look at Ruth today. As we read in the opening verses of Ruth 1:1-4 we see an interesting relationship form between some individuals from Israel, the tribe of Judah, the city of Bethlehem…

Ruth 1:1–4 NASB95

Now it came about in the days when the judges governed, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the land of Moab with his wife and his two sons. The name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife, Naomi; and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem in Judah. Now they entered the land of Moab and remained there. Then Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she was left with her two sons. They took for themselves Moabite women as wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. And they lived there about ten years.

Before we dive into this fascinating and encouraging narrative of Ruth, I want to look at a “WORD” with you and unwrap its meaning:

REDEEMED

Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (Eleventh Edition) (Redeem)

to buy back: REPURCHASE

to free from captivity by payment of ransom

to release from blame or debt: CLEAR

to free from the consequences of sin

to REPAIR, RESTORE

to atone for

for a synonym see RESCUE—

REDEEMER: One who redeems… especially capitalized JESUS!

In the Old Testament the redeemer had to be related by BLOOD to those redeemed

The One who pays the price on behalf of one impoverished, with nothing, unable to pay themselves!!!

REDEMPTION: the act, process, or an instance of redeeming

REDEMPTIVE: bringing about redemption

The whole idea and concept of REDEEM is that there is one who is in a place HELPLESS, there is another who is able to intervene and do something… it is a selfless act full of grace and beautifully demonstrates mercy in vivid display…

The narrative of the book of Ruth illustrates this concept of REDEEMING LOVE in it’s 4 Chapters powerfully…

Overview of Ruth

Interestingly, similar to Esther, there is very little mention of God or God directly working… YET!!! As you look over this narrative we see His fingerprints, His divine working, His providence so very clearly…

Each chapter is set in a unique setting

In each chapter we see the dim picture grow clearer of a REDEEMER

Each setting builds on the previous chapter well…

Chapter 1

Note this is in the times of the Judges… yet we see a remnant remain faithful to God

This begins when God would have been disciplining the people with the famine

They leave for Moab for food, marriages happen, as does death!

Three women left alone… Naomi encourages the two young widows to go back to their homes as she returns to Bethlehem

Orpah returns but Ruth, a gentile Moabite woman states this Ruth 1:16

Ruth 1:16 NASB95

But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.

This is a powerful statement in itself of love and faithfulness, but look closer...

Ruth had seen something in Naomi, her sons and husband possibly, that drew her and attracted her to Naomi’s God!!!

Upon return we see the deep sorrow of Naomi as she returns to Bethlehem… Ruth 1:20-22

Ruth 1:20–22 NASB95

She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. “I went out full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has witnessed against me and the Almighty has afflicted me?” So Naomi returned, and with her Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, who returned from the land of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.

Mara means bitter… oh how we are so susceptible to allowing life’s struggles, pain, and sorrows to instill bitterness in us… But it is harvest time and that means provision...

Chapter 2

This chapter reveals the sweet heart and rich character of Ruth. She goes out to pick up leftovers from the harvesters to get food.

Now Ruth just so “happens” to glean from the field of Boaz… a close relative.

Boaz… a man of character himself notices Ruth

He cares for her

Protects her, don’t let anyone harm her

Feeds her and provides water

Admires her strength of character

Don’t go to other fields

Look at this man… Ruth 2:14-16

Ruth 2:14–16 NASB95

At mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come here, that you may eat of the bread and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar.” So she sat beside the reapers; and he served her roasted grain, and she ate and was satisfied and had some left. When she rose to glean, Boaz commanded his servants, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not insult her. “Also you shall purposely pull out for her some grain from the bundles and leave it that she may glean, and do not rebuke her.”

Naomi is thrilled and informs Ruth that this man is a close relative…

Chapter 3

Naomi gives Ruth in this chapter some interesting instructions… Naomi desired that Ruth have someone to care for her for the long term.

Ruth gets dressed up nice

Ruth sneaks into the threshing floor at night and lays at his feet (HUMILITY)

Ruth request that he lay his blanket over her… i.e. will you marry me? Ruth 3:9-11

Ruth 3:9–11 NASB95

He said, “Who are you?” And she answered, “I am Ruth your maid. So spread your covering over your maid, for you are a close relative.” Then he said, “May you be blessed of the Lord, my daughter. You have shown your last kindness to be better than the first by not going after young men, whether poor or rich. “Now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you whatever you ask, for all my people in the city know that you are a woman of excellence.

He sends her back home assuring her he will do what is needed and provides once again sending her home with grain

I think here that Ruth is seeking love, hope, security… not fully aware that all that and so much more would be in store with REDEMPTION!!!

Chapter 4

This is such a powerful chapter… Boaz waste not time!

He meets with the closer kinsman and calls for witnesses Ruth 4:3-6

Ruth 4:3–6 NASB95

Then he said to the closest relative, “Naomi, who has come back from the land of Moab, has to sell the piece of land which belonged to our brother Elimelech. “So I thought to inform you, saying, ‘Buy it before those who are sitting here, and before the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if not, tell me that I may know; for there is no one but you to redeem it, and I am after you.’ ” And he said, “I will redeem it.” Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also acquire Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of the deceased, in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance.” The closest relative said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, because I would jeopardize my own inheritance. Redeem it for yourself; you may have my right of redemption, for I cannot redeem it.”

Interesting… as the closer relative he had the greater responsibility

He desired an inheritance, a name for himself not another… and today we have NO CLUE WHO this man was!

There was a beautiful blessing and almost prophetic message as the people rejoiced over the REDEMPTION process!!!

As the writer closes this narrative you see where the emphasis is… Ruth 4:13-17

Ruth 4:13–17 NASB95

So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife, and he went in to her. And the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed is the Lord who has not left you without a redeemer today, and may his name become famous in Israel. “May he also be to you a restorer of life and a sustainer of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.” Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her lap, and became his nurse. The neighbor women gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi!” So they named him Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.

There is something greater coming… something is unfolding as the pages are closed on this story

Where there was sorrow and bitterness we now see joy and hope…

Let’s close today looking briefly at our redeemer and remembering Him...

Our Redeemer

God may not have been mentioned much in this book but we see Him active in the day to day life of His people for His glory and His purposes… He is daily CARING for His own!

For those who had a hard week… struggling with regrets, circumstances, hurts, or failures of the past…

“if only you knew pastor.”… well, God does know, God does care, God has REDEEMED

bought you with His blood

freed you and I as captives to sin

His blood releases you and I from the debt of our sins

We are free from the consequences of sin

He has restored us to Himself!

His blood atoning for our sin

WE ARE RESCUED… We NEEDED redeemed, We were helpless to redeem ourselves,

As a kinsman redeemer He would come as a man in the flesh… BREAD body beaten for us

As a kinsman redeemer He would shed His blood, pay for & atone our sin… CUP poured out for us

Naomi, Ruth, Boaz… even King David would look ahead for the redeemer who would come