Ruth A. After nearly ten years spent outside her land, Naomi returns to Bethlehem. She comes back a widow, bitter, fragile and desperate

Transcription

1 Ruth A After nearly ten years spent utside her land, Nami returns t Bethlehem She cmes back a widw, bitter, fragile and desperate Her family plt f land has been abandned fr nearly a decade It s prbably verrun with weeds It n lnger prduces an incme r even enugh t feed a widw In cntrast t her bitterness, the land is enjying a renewed strength In v.22 f chapter 1 we learned that it was the beginning f the barley harvest The barley harvest begins in April, s it s springtime After a perid f drught and famine, nce again the land is prducing and life is gd Except fr Nami and Ruth, wh must find a way t survive withut a prvider Despite being pr widws tgether, Nami and Ruth are actually quite different Nami is murning the lss f what she nce had And she has n prspect f recvery r s it wuld seem While Ruth is excited by knwing the Jewish Gd and the Jewish peple She had nthing by cmparisn in Mab, but nw she has access t smething far greater than earthly riches As we enter chapter 2, let s see hw these tw wmen respnd t their life in the land 2016 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

2 Ruth A 2 f 13 Ruth 2:1 Nw Nami had a kinsman f her husband, a man f great wealth, f the family f Elimelech, whse name was Baz. Ruth 2:2 And Ruth the Mabitess said t Nami, Please let me g t the field and glean amng the ears f grain after ne in whse sight I may find favr. And she said t her, G, my daughter. Ruth 2:3 S she departed and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers; and she happened t cme t the prtin f the field belnging t Baz, wh was f the family f Elimelech. Chapter 2 pens by intrducing us t the next majr character in the stry, Baz Baz is a kinsman, a relative f the family f Nami and a man f great wealth Apparently, Nami has traveled back t the general area f her family inheritance, prbably intentinally Thugh she is destitute and has n prspect f finding a husband, she is hping that her family will take pity n her As the saying ges, charity begins at hme The name Baz means swift strength r quickness which describes his readiness t serve He is called a kinsman, which is a technical term It desn t just mean he is a relative f Elimelech s The term kinsman describes smene wh is eligible accrding t the Law t perpetuate Elimelech s family line (mre n kinsman later) Finally, he s wealthy, which means he s the ideal candidate t assist tw pr widws S these tw wmen enter the land f Elimelech s family, and as they d they are fcused n basic needs Like Maslw s hierarchy predicts, the wmen must attend t fd and prtectin befre all else The need fr fd is bvius 2016 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

3 Ruth A 3 f 13 They have n surce f incme and they cannt prduce their wn fd ver night S they must find a way t eat t survive But secndly, they must find a surce f prtectin Just as tday, tw wmen living n the streets r in the fields were very vulnerable Can yu imagine hw terrified they must have felt in the middle f a dark night as they heard men mving t and fr? S Ruth being the yunger, takes the initiative In keeping with her prmise t Nami, she seeks t find a way t prvide fr bth f them And under their circumstances, the nly chice they had was t beg S Ruth asks Nami s permissin t glean frm the fields The Lrd in His mercy had made a prvisin fr widws and the pr under the Law The Lrd tld Israel t harvest their fields in a particular fashin s as t ensure the needy were able t find prvisin in an hnrable way Lev. 19:9 Nw when yu reap the harvest f yur land, yu shall nt reap t the very crners f yur field, nr shall yu gather the gleanings f yur harvest. Lev. 19:10 Nr shall yu glean yur vineyard, nr shall yu gather the fallen fruit f yur vineyard; yu shall leave them fr the needy and fr the stranger. I am the Lrd yur Gd. Harvesting grain is a multistep prcess First men tk lng sharp blades attached t lng ples and swung them thrugh the stalks f grain t cut them t the grund Then thers cllected the stalks int bundles Then the bundles were carried t a threshing flr where the fruit was separated frm the husks usually by treading f xen Finally the grain was winnwed t separate it frm the chaff 2016 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

4 Ruth A 4 f 13 In Leviticus, the Lrd directed that thse cllecting the grain frm the field shuld be intentinally slppy As the men cut dwn the stalks, the typically swung the sickle in a circular fashin, cutting arcs f grain with each pass As they reached the crner f the land, their swing wuld typically leave behind a triangular patch f uncut standing grain The Law tld Israel t leave thse triangles behind in the field The pint was t leave smething fr the stranger r needy The stranger referred t anyne sjurning in the land f Israel wh did nt have wnership in the land Smene like Ruth And the needy referred t anyne in Israel wh was in need due t unfrtunate circumstances like widwhd Smene like Nami It s interesting that the Lrd cmmanded the peple t leave the grain standing He didn t say harvest everything but then give a dnatin t the needy Instead, He cmmanded that the needy be given pprtunity t t harvest fr themselves The pint was t make sure the needy and the stranger didn t suffer the humiliatin f taking a handut Instead, they were permitted t harvest fr themselves They had the dignity f wrking fr what they received Even as they harvested frm smene else s field In a sense, they were hired wrkers fr the day and they were receiving the fruit f their wn labr This is exactly what Ruth is hping t d, and she appears t knw this custm in Israel, prbably because Nami has explained it t her We can safely assume that Nami discussed her plans with Ruth during their jurney back t Israel 2016 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

5 Ruth A 5 f 13 She wuld have tld Ruth that they might be able t survive if they can find a land wner willing t bey Leviticus 19 This is n small step f faith, because remember this is the time f Judges It was pssible, and maybe even likely, that the Jews in that day wuld have ignred the law and denied Nami and Ruth their prvisin in the Harvest Because everyne did what was right in their wn eyes anyway Back in v.2 Ruth asks Nami if she can begin the gleaning and Nami gives her agreement She prbably asked permissin because she was taking a risk Ruth is taking a risk in ging ut int the fields by herself And Nami is taking a risk by letting her g and remaining alne in the fields But they have t separate if they are ging t survive S Ruth sets abut fllwing the reapers in the field As a Mabitess, Ruth bviusly knws n ne in Israel ther than Nami S as she ges frm field t field, she has n idea where she is headed She gleans fr a while in ne lcatin and mves n when she runs ut f pprtunity This is hard wrk, all day in the fields, expsed t the sun and withut water But by the prvidence f the Lrd, Ruth finds her way t the field f Baz Frm Ruth s pint f view, this is just anther field The writer says in v.3 that she happened int Baz s field But the writer desn t mean it s an accident r that it wasn t accrding t Gd s purpse 2016 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

6 Ruth A 6 f 13 On the cntrary, the writer means Ruth herself didn t knw what she was ding But Gd certainly knew As she sets abut wrking in the field, the master f the field cmes n the scene Ruth 2:4 Nw behld, Baz came frm Bethlehem and said t the reapers, May the Lrd be with yu. And they said t him, May the Lrd bless yu. Ruth 2:5 Then Baz said t his servant wh was in charge f the reapers, Whse yung wman is this? Ruth 2:6 The servant in charge f the reapers replied, She is the yung Mabite wman wh returned with Nami frm the land f Mab. Ruth 2:7 And she said, Please let me glean and gather after the reapers amng the sheaves. Thus she came and has remained frm the mrning until nw; she has been sitting in the huse fr a little while. Baz cmes t his field frm Bethlehem As he enters his estate, he immediately takes ntice f the yung wman gleaning in her land The timing f Baz s arrival further testifies t the Lrd s hand in all these circumstances On the very day that Ruth happens int Baz s field, Baz happens t arrive back frm Bethlehem Every detail f the stry is pinting us t the Lrd at wrk As Baz returns hme he greets his servants by saying May the Lrd be with yu T which they reply the same What d we make f this simple exchange? Yu may nt even take ntice f it but dn t verlk it Remember, this stry is set in the time f Judges In this day and age, the peple f Israel were nt thinking f the Lrd, generally speaking We saw that clearly when we studies the bk f Judges 2016 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

7 Ruth A 7 f 13 S t have a man during this time greeting even his servants in this way tells us smething abut his character Baz is a gdly man whse mind is directed tward the Lrd and His will This detail by itself is a striking cntrast with everything else we ve seen in the time f Judges The hypcrite will display his piety nly befre men f privilege r wealth r pwer Because in ding s, they seek t make an impressin and curry favr t sme advantage The rest f the time, they revert t their true nature, lrding ver the pr and taking advantage f the weak But a truly gdly man r wman f Gd will practice their gdliness befre even the lwest f the culture As James tells us: James 1:27 Pure and undefiled religin in the sight f ur Gd and Father is this: t visit rphans and widws in their distress, and t keep neself unstained by the wrld. James says that true religin...true wrship f Gd...is seen in serving the underprivileged Like widws and rphans wh have nthing t give us in return fr ur investment in them...grups that cnvey n status upn us Why take time t invest in their lives? Because yu lve Gd S when Baz turns his attentin t Ruth, a pr Mabite widw gleaning in his field, we see him practicing true, undefiled religin And this detail tgether with his greeting tells us Baz is a truly gdly man He is gdly befre his servants And he takes pprtunities t serve the less frtunate arund him This is just the srt f man Nami and Ruth need 2016 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

8 Ruth A 8 f 13 Baz s servant ges n t explain that Ruth was the Mabite related t Nami and she had asked t glean in the field Mrever the servant explains that this wman has been wrking in the day She arrived early and she wrked hard thrugh the httest part f the day And nly nw she has taken refuge fr a time in the huse The servant s reprt f Ruth tells us smething abut Ruth s character Ruth was a wman f high character Thugh she was destitute and seeking the genersity f strangers, nevertheless she maintained a desire t bless thers She wrked hard fr her supprt She didn t expect her assistance t simply fall int her lap as if she was entitled She recgnized that the law made prvisin fr her but nly if she wrked Ruth s character is the perfect cmpliment t Baz Baz is an example f smene wh displays gdliness in times f plenty He was blessed with much and yet he apprached the needs f thers with cmpassin as a service t Gd And n the flip side Ruth was in need yet she sught fr assistance with an attitude f industriusness and faithful service Her gdliness was evident in her desire t bless thers in return fr their charity, as Paul said t the Thessalnians: 2Th. 3:10 Fr even when we were with yu, we used t give yu this rder: if anyne is nt willing t wrk, then he is nt t eat, either. 2Th. 3:11 Fr we hear that sme amng yu are leading an undisciplined life, ding n wrk at all, but acting like busybdies. 2Th. 3:12 Nw such persns we cmmand and exhrt in the Lrd Jesus Christ t wrk in quiet fashin and eat their wn bread. 2Th. 3:13 But as fr yu, brethren, d nt grw weary f ding gd Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

9 Ruth A 9 f 13 2Th. 3:14 If anyne des nt bey ur instructin in this letter, take special nte f that persn and d nt assciate with him, s that he will be put t shame. 2Th. 3:15 Yet d nt regard him as an enemy, but admnish him as a brther. S Ruth s disciplined, hardwrking attitude is evidence f her gdly character And this is an attractive quality fr Baz But Baz s interest in Ruth ges beynd her attractiveness He wuld have als been intrigued by her rigins Yu may remember Baz s mther, Rahab She was als a Gentile wman wh fund refuge in the Gd f Israel Rahab gave assistance t the spies f Israel as they entered the land under Jshua S they spared her life and welcmed her int the peple f Gd We can say that Rahab like Ruth was attached t Israel by Gd s grace, and in that way she came t knw Gd In fact, Rahab is in the line t the Messiah And s Baz is a Jewish man prspering amng the peple f Gd because smene granted a Gentile wman mercy And s as he lks upn anther Gentile wman, ne with admirable qualities, he must have been thinking abut his wn family S Baz gives his servant particular instructins Ruth 2:8 Then Baz said t Ruth, Listen carefully, my daughter. D nt g t glean in anther field; furthermre, d nt g n frm this ne, but stay here with my maids. Ruth 2:9 Let yur eyes be n the field which they reap, and g after them. Indeed, I have cmmanded the servants nt t tuch yu. When yu are thirsty, g t the water jars and drink frm what the servants draw. Ruth 2:10 Then she fell n her face, bwing t the grund and said t him, Why have I fund favr in yur sight that yu shuld take ntice f me, since I am a freigner? 2016 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

10 Ruth A 10 f 13 Ruth 2:11 Baz replied t her, All that yu have dne fr yur mther-in-law after the death f yur husband has been fully reprted t me, and hw yu left yur father and yur mther and the land f yur birth, and came t a peple that yu did nt previusly knw. Ruth 2:12 May the Lrd reward yur wrk, and yur wages be full frm the Lrd, the Gd f Israel, under whse wings yu have cme t seek refuge. Ruth 2:13 Then she said, I have fund favr in yur sight, my lrd, fr yu have cmfrted me and indeed have spken kindly t yur maidservant, thugh I am nt like ne f yur maidservants. Baz appraches Ruth as she sits in the huse and calls her my daughter The term is a tender way t address the yung widw She is vulnerable and prbably cncerned that smene might take advantage f her But nw the master f the huse cmes t her and calls her daughter In this cntext, the term means a maidservant, a wman emplyed as a servant S Baz is placing Ruth under his prtectin in his huse He tells her she is t remain in his huse, fllwing his gleaners as they wrk his fields She need nt lk elsewhere fr a prvisin, because Baz will endure that she finds all she needs in his hme It s a prmise f prvisin Secndly, he assures Ruth that n ne will tuch her, that is n ne will harm her This is the first anti-sexual harassment plicy and it s fund in the Bible Baz prbably wasn t expecting his servants t attack Ruth in the field, thugh that did happen t wmen like Ruth It s unlikely that a gdly man like Baz wuld have emplyed such men in the first place 2016 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

11 Ruth A 11 f 13 But just in case anyne were inclined t take advantage f Ruth s vulnerability, Baz has put everyne n ntice nt t even think abut it The main pint f his cmment was t reassure Ruth It s a prmise f prtectin Finally, Baz says Ruth is t draw water with the servants Access t water in the ht, dry lands f Judah was f particular imprtance Smene like Ruth wuld have been frced t find water in pen pls, r perhaps a stream if ne were available Such water was likely t be dirty and water-brne sickness was an ever-present cncern fr the pr Or if she culd access a well, she wuld have t d the difficult wrk f drawing up water fr herself But Baz sets thse cncerns aside by assuring Ruth she drink the clean well water in the jars filled by Baz s servants Nt nly will she have ready access t water, but she will have it withut the backbreaking wrks usually required Mre imprtantly, she has fresh living water that wn t run ut and wn t make her sick It s a prmise f privilege Baz has stepped int the desperate life f a Gentile widw with prmises f prvisin, prtectin and privilege, and it stuns Ruth She bws in respect t Baz and asks hw culd this happen t me? Specifically, she asks why she has fund favr in Baz s eyes The Hebrew wrd fr favr is chen, which can als be translated grace Ruth asks why did yu shw me such underserved kindness? Baz answers her by explaining what he has heard Ruth s testimny has preceded her 2016 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

12 Ruth A 12 f 13 He says I knw what yu did fr Nami and her family He knws she has sacrificed her family and way f life t help her mther-in-law, Nami, wh was a relative f Baz s family This act f sacrifice alne wuld have been wrthy f sme recmpense But Baz was even mre impressed by Ruth s cmmitment t the jin herself t a peple and a Gd she didn t knw He pints t Ruth s chice t seek refuge under the wings f the Gd f Israel And Baz says may the Lrd reward her fr her faith In ther wrds, Baz is acting n behalf f the Lrd t bring the rewards that belng t any child f Gd by faith Finally, Ruth cmes t understand that Baz was serius She acknwledges that she has received grace and is amazed t have it She has been cmfrted by these acts f kindness And she embraces her new psitin as a maidservant in the hme Nevertheless, Ruth is cnscius that she isn t like the ther maidservants She s mindful that she is an utsider wh has been brught int the hme Her recgnitin is humility And by her humility she magnifies the master s mercy and kindness Baz s chice t favr Ruth with the privileges f a maidservant was all the mre remarkable when we remember that Ruth was a stranger The Lrd has united a gdly Jewish master with a gdly Gentile wman in the midst f an ungdly culture and dne it by means f grace It desn t take much effrt fr us t see urselves in this stry As we drive deeper in t this stry, we ll cme t understand that Baz pictures Christ in many ways 2016 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.

13 Ruth A 13 f 13 But already we can recgnize that Baz s favr bestwed upn Ruth is a beautiful representatin f Christ s grace given t us We were strangers t Gd, wrking in the field f the wrld, just getting by We weren t lking fr the Lrd But then ne day the Lrd tk ntice f us He came t us, intrduced by His servant The unnamed servant in this stry is a picture f the Hly Spirit In fact, when a servant remains unnamed in scripture, it s ften intended t picture the Hly Spirit wrking behind the scenes In this case, the servant brught Baz and Ruth tgether But ntice the spirit brught Christ t Ruth, nt the ther way arund And then as Christ cmes t us by way f His Spirit, He brings us His grace Where befre we were strangers, Christ nw jins us t the huse f Gd, making us His servants He prmises prvisin nw and in the kingdm He prmises us prtectin frm the penalty f ur sin and the pwer f death And He grants us privilege as adpted sns and daughters He gives us living water He des all these things fr us befre we even pened ur muth t acknwledge Him Befre we bwed befre Him, befre we called Him Lrd He was lifting us up and grants us His favr And we see all this represented beautifully in the stry f Baz and Ruth But what f Nami? And hw d these events fit int ur secnd stry f Israel and the Church? We ll explre that next week 2016 Verse By Verse Ministry Internatinal ( May be cpied and distributed prvided the dcument is reprduced in its entirety, including this cpyright statement, and n fee is cllected fr its distributin.