Story begins in Bethlehem – there was a famine in the land in the day when the judges ruled
A man named Elimelech (meaning - God is King) The meaning of names were a glimpse into the character of the person:
Wife: Naomi (my sweetness) Sons: Mahlon (sickly) and Chilion (pining)
They left and went to Moab due to the famine in Bethlehem
Sons married Moabite women: Orpah (to break the neck of an animal, stiff necked) and Ruth (friend, companion)
(1) Within 10 years husband and sons were dead (2) Naomi hears that the famine is over in Bethlehem (3) Decides to go home
Read Ruth 1: 11-15
18 When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she stopped speaking
to her. 19 Now the two of them went until they came to Bethlehem. And it happened, when they had
come to Bethlehem, that all the city was excited because of them; and the women said, “Is this Naomi?”
20 But she said to them, “Do not call me Naomi;[a] call me Mara,[b] 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?” Naomi states that the hand of the Lord is against her and she encourages her daughter in laws to return to their land and false gods.
Naomi offended at God Isaiah 45:9 Woe to him who strives with his maker
*Don’t let offense move you out of the will of God!
Offended because someone you love died, offended because your spouse was unfaithful, offended because something didn’t happen the way you planned it – you’ve worked hard you think you should be seeing results by now, offended because you lost your job, offended because you are still sick in your body, offended because you’ve lost finances…
CAN I TELL YOU SOMETHING? GOD IS ALWAYS RIGHT! Job 9:4 God is wise in heart and mighty in strength. Who has hardened himself against Him and prospered?
*The Bible says that out of our bellies shall flow rivers of living water.
*When you walk in offense instead of walking in love you block the flow of the Spirit in your life. Example: drain pipe stopping up
Read Mara – bitter
Naomi returns and tells neighbors to call her Mara. She has gone from “my sweetness to bitter”
Chapter 2 The law of gleaning
Landowners reap on 1st pass – leave rest for widows and destitute
Ruth “happens” into the field of Boaz (a wealthy landowner)
FAVOR: Ruth’s reputation precedes her (2: vs. 10-12)
Boaz offers protection….leaves behind more for her on purpose
Ruth returns to Naomi with an abundance: Naomi tells Ruth that Boaz is a kinsman.
The law of redemption
a)Our culture: property sold we give a title to the new owner
b) Israel’s land was GRANTED to the tribes and to be kept in the family! Genealogies Very Important
c) If someone sold their property to pay a debt there had to be a provision made for the property to one day return to the original owner. A kinsman could redeem back the property
The law of the levirate marriage Ruth 3 (Naomi has a plan……………)
* Important to continue the family lineage. If a woman’s husband died and she had no sons she could ask her next of kin to marry her and give her children.
*Naomi tells Ruth to wash, perfume, best clothes, go to threshing floor at night, uncover Boaz’s feet and lie down at his feet.
The Threshing Floor
Place of ground where there was a strong prevailing wind. Grain tossed in air (the chaff was lighter so it would be carried downwind and the wheat would fall to the ground)
Owners would sleep near to protect their harvest!
Midnight Boaz wakes up startled……..
Vs. 9-12……..Cover with the hem of your garment (take under your wing)
Hem was the emblem of rank or authority 1. David cut hem of Saul’s garment
2. Woman afflicted 12 years with issue of blood touched hem of Christ’s garment
Boaz accepts Ruth’s offer, but there is a problem …there is one nearer kinsman (vs.12)
Boaz tells Ruth to let him handle it
Nearer Kinsman Ruth 4:4-6
a. was willing to buy back land for Naomi b. unwilling to marry Ruth
Types and Shadows seen within scripture
Naomi – Represents Israel who lost her land …….from Adam to Abraham there were 1,948 years. From Jesus death to the time Israel became a nation again was 1,948 years – May 14, 1948
Boaz – Represents our own kinsman redeemer, Jesus Christ. Boaz through an act of redemption returned Naomi (Israel) to her land
Ruth – Represents the Gentiles (Boaz takes Ruth the gentile as his bride).
The Nearer Kinsman - Represents the law. What the law could not do Jesus did.
Also, it was Ruth’s job to confront the nearer kinsman; however, Boaz stood in her place and took the burden upon himself.
Boaz purchased Ruth just as Jesus purchased us with his blood 2,000 years ago.
Lineage……
Ruth begat Obed
Obed begat Jesse
Jesse begat David
RUTH IS THE GRANDMOTHER OF KING DAVID
From the lineage of King David, Jesus Christ is born
Jesus born in Bethlehem (House of Bread)
John 6:35 I am the bread of life
Jesus our Kinsman Redeemer:
The Qualifications of a Kinsman:
1. Had to be kin Hebrews 2:13, 14 and again I will put My trust in Him and again:
Here am I and the children whom God has given me. 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.
Jesus had to take on flesh to become a kinsman. It was impossible for God to save us apart
from the incarnation of Christ. God could not die for us because He is eternal life and the source of
all life and eternal life cannot die. Only by being born as a man and taking on human flesh could He
experience death for us.
2. He had to be free himself: Jesus was the only man born free from sin. Jesus never sinned. He
was never in bondage or slavery. He was the only one qualified to become our kinsman redeemer.
3. He had to be able to pay the ransom price. Death of Christ was not the death of a mere man but was the death of God in the flesh. God died in our place. Only the death of such a one could be sufficient to save the world!
4. He had to be willing to pay the price. This is the most amazing truth of all! God loved us enough to send His son to die in our place.
He nullified death and bought us out of slavery and bondage. He rendered him (satan) powerless, who had the power of death over us.
Thy will be done….It is finished…the price is paid.
