As much as any book in the Bible, this is a story told from a woman s perspective both Naomi and Ruth give evidence of women who trust God

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1 ROUTE 66 - RUTH A Love Story Dr. Jon McNeff, Senior Pastor October 31, 2012 Note: The following are the pastor s notes used in teaching this message. This is not a complete, word-for-word transcription of what was taught. These notes serve as a companion to the complete message, which is available by listening to the audio version. A classic love story foreign girl s husband dies she follows her mother-in-law back home two destitute women eking out a living in the fields a strong, handsome man rides to the rescue to marry her greater story God s love for all I. AUTHOR Ruth is only one of two books (Esther) in the Bible that is predominantly written about a woman Ruth is mentioned 12 times in the book Ruth means friendship author is unknown, though some suggest Samuel, since he didn t die (1 Samuel 25:1) until after he anointed David as King (1 Samuel 16:6-13) II. DATE Ruth 1:1 indicates the events of the book took place during the time of the judges Now it came about in the days when the judges governed, that there was a famine in the land. NASB (late 12 th century B.C.) but the book wasn t written until later two reasons 1)in Ruth 4:6-8 the author seems to feel compelled to explain customs which were no longer practiced 2) The short genealogy in Ruth 4:16-22 shows the family line extending to David, showing that the book was written some time during his reign since David is mentioned but not Solomon Working backward in time from the well known date of David s reign ( B.C.), the time period of Ruth would most likely be during the judgeship of Jair ( ) according to Judges 10:3 5). III. SETTING Simple yet moving story of a young Moabite woman named Ruth who converted to her mother-in-law s religion and returned to her country after both of their husbands died her ensuing romance with Boaz becomes a compelling picture of Christ s love for all people and the redemption of Gentiles Ruth 1:1 occurred in the days when judges ruled (Judges 2:16 19) Ruth bridges the time from the judges to David Occurred during a famine in the land Total time of the book covers years 1) Ruth 1:1 18, ten years in Moab 2) Ruth 1:19 2:23, several months (mid-april to mid-june) in Boaz s field 3) Ruth 3:1 18, one day in Bethlehem and one night at the threshing floor; and 4) Ruth 4:1 22, about one year in Bethlehem. 1 IV. THEMES As much as any book in the Bible, this is a story told from a woman s perspective both Naomi and Ruth give evidence of women who trust God A. Faithful living Ruth and Naomi are both seen as examples of faithful living in the book Naomi is left without a husband or two sons Makes a decision to return to Israel possibly realized the problems of living in a pagan culture Ruth 1:6 Then she arose with her daughters-in-law that she might return from the land of Moab, for she had heard in the land of Moab that the Lord had visited His people in giving them food. NASB blessed them in the Lord Ruth1:13 No, my daughters; for it is harder for me than for you, for the hand of the Lord has gone forth against me. NASB the hand of the Lord was hard, but she trusted in His sovereignty John MacArthur Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible, English Standard Version (Wheaton, Illinois, Crossway, 2010), 1

2 Also seen in Ruth marked contrast between Ruth and Orpah Ruth 1:15-16 Behold, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods; return after your sister-in-law. Chemosh was the god of Moab required child sacrifice (2 Kings 3:27). Ruth 1:16, 17 - 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. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may the Lord do to me, and worse, if anything but death parts you and me. NASB one of the most beautiful verses in the Bible pictures her final and complete conversion completely commits to Naomi s God Ruth s character is seen: Embracing God Turning her back on her foreign gods and family Trust going to a new land Desire to care for Naomi Hard work goes to work in the fields Obedience trusts Naomi s instructions in gleaning and in approaching Boaz Ruth 3:10 she did not go after young men, whether rich or poor NASB shows wisdom and values Ruth 3:11 you are a woman of excellence NASB Sounds very much like the woman of excellence in Proverbs 31 they share eight qualities Jewish tradition holds that King Lemuel s mother could have been Bathsheba, who taught these qualities to her son Solomon after learning of them through Ruth if so, Solomon could have penned the words in Proverbs 31: 1) Devoted to her family Ruth 1:15-18 Proverbs 31:10-12, 23 2) Delighted in her work Ruth 2:2 Proverbs 31:13 3) Diligent in her labor Ruth 2:7, 17, 23 Proverbs 31:14-21, 24, 27 4) Dedicated to godly speech Ruth 2:10, 13 Proverbs 13:26 5) Dependent on God Ruth 2:12 Proverbs 31:25b, 30 6) Dressed with care Ruth 3:3 Proverbs 31:22, 25a 7) Discreet with men Ruth 3:6-13 Proverbs 31:11, 12, 23 8) Delivered blessings Ruth 4:14, 15 Proverbs 31:28, 29, 31 2 B. The salvation of Gentiles Elimelech and his wife Naomi and their two sons, Mahlon and Chilion were Jews Elimelech means my God is King indicating a devout relationship with God of Israel Naomi means pleasant Mahlon = sickly Chilion = wasting away they left Israel and went to Moab because of a famine in the land. they remained there and the sons took wives from the Moabites against the law of God as early as Leviticus 21:14 God told His people to marry a virgin of your own people...so that he will not profane his offspring among his own people Deuteronomy 7:3-4 Furthermore, you shall not intermarry with them; you shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor shall you take their daughters for your sons. For they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods; then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you and He will quickly destroy you. NASB Elimelech went to sojourn in Moab live as an alien he didn t intend to stay there he was forced to because of the famine he died leaving Naomi with two daughters-in-law Orpah = neck and Ruth = friendship Moab perennial enemy of Israel formed when Lot s daughters got him drunk for the purpose of getting pregnant by their father the nations of Moab and Ammon were the results Moab harassed Israel for 18 years during the time of the judges (Judges 3:12-30; 1 Samuel 14) continued during David s rule (2 Samuel 8:2; 23:20; 1 2 Ibid. 2

3 Chronicles 18:2) Because of Moab s idolatrous worship of Chemosh (1 Kings 11:7, 33; 2 Kings 23:13) and its opposition to Israel, God cursed Moab (Isaiah 15 16; Jeremiah 48; Ezekiel 25:8 11; Amos 2:1 3) Yet God chose to save Ruth and use her in the Messianic line also featured Perez (Genesis 38) Isaiah 55:4-5 Behold, I made him a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander for the peoples. Behold, you shall call a nation that you do not know, and a nation that did not know you shall run to you, because of the Lord your God, and of the Holy One of Israel, for he has glorified you. C. Women as co-heirs Second, Ruth demonstrates that women are co-heirs with men of God s salvation grace cultural practice was to regard women as a piece of furniture a devout Jew would thank God every morning that you have not made me a Gentile, a slave, or a woman the Bible reverses this process: Women are included as virtuous in the Old Testament Ruth, Esther, woman of Proverbs Women were the first to carry the message of Jesus to the disciples even though women were not allowed to give testimony in a court of law 1 Peter 3:7 Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered. D. God s providential care Erickson describes providence as the continuing action of God by which he preserves in existence the creation which he has brought into being, and guides it to his intended purposes for it. 3 Thomas Oden describes it as God is guiding all creatures, inorganic and organic, animal and rational creation, toward a purposeful end that exceeds the understanding of those being provided for. 4 In the near sense God provided for a foreign woman through the unintended supervision of her Jewish mother-inlaw when both of their husbands died and they had to return to her homeland upon returning the law of kinsman redeemer was applied and God provided a husband, a child, and honor in the community On a larger scale the last word in Ruth is David indicates that God s ultimate plan was to purposefully introduce a foreign element into the lineage of the Messiah in this light God s providential hand is seen in the famine, the death of the husbands, Ruth s conversion, the return to Israel, the provision of a kinsmen redeemer, and the birth of Obed, the grandfather of David E. The Messianic line Ruth 4:18-22 provides the Messianic line: Perez Genesis 38 the son of Tamar and Judah Judah had three sons, Er, Onan, and Shelah God killed Er because of his wickedness Onan wouldn t take his wife Tamar so God killed him Judah promised her to Shelah when he grew up years later Tamar heard him coming to shear his sheep saw Shelah as a man and realized that Judah hadn t followed through she dressed up as a prostitute Judah came in and she asked him what he will pay he offered a goat she asked for a pledge his signet, cord, and his staff he left and sent a servant the next day with the goat there was no temple prostitute there three months later he heard that his daughter-in-law was pregnant he ordered, Let her be stoned! she revealed her possession of the signet, cord, and staff Genesis 38:26 She is more righteous than I since I did not give her my son Shelah. twins were born Zerah s hand came out first red thread tied around it to designate he was first but his twin brother Perez ( breach or pushing through ) pushed ahead of him and came out first red thread and name seem to indicate something significant about his line The son of Ruth and Boaz is Obed, the grandfather of David through a Moabite 3 Erickson, Christian Theology (repr., 1984, Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2007), Thomas Oden, The Living God: Systematic Theology (Peabody: Prince 1998), 1:

4 F. The gospel The gospel is clearly prefigured in the presence of the kinsman-redeemer picture first seen in Leviticus 25 where a redeemer was obligated to buy the land of one who had to sell it to provide for his family the chief function of a redeemer was to buy the land that his brother (or other closest family member) had been forced to sell to provide for his family Boaz is a redeemer for Ruth go el in Hebrew redeem, avenge, revenge, ransom, do the part of a kinsman. 5 - this could also be translated as blood redeemer original meaning was to protect the life and property of a relative if a kinsman was killed, the redeemer was duty bound to take revenge redeemers are thought of as full brothers since Hebrews were basically an agricultural culture the principle mostly extended to land if a brother or kinsman had to sell his land for whatever reason, the redeemer had the obligation to buy it back so the man wouldn t end up in abject poverty this came to have extreme meaning when Israel went into captivity and lost her land of the 33 usages of redeemer in Old Testament, 19 occur in Isaiah where they look to God as the redeemer of their land. 6 Boaz serves as redeemer to Ruth picture of Christ in New Testament Galatians 3:13, 14 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us for it is written, Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. NASB New Testament word exagaradzo the agora was the public marketplace the word meant to buy out of the marketplace V. INTERPRETIVE CHALLENGES A. Is Ruth historical? Ruth is truly historical: Compatible with Judges and 1 and 2 Samuel Kinsman redeemer principle is also rooted in history in Leviticus 25 The names of Ruth 4 also are accurate for the line of David B. Does Ruth imply immorality? The throwing of the garment over the feet of Boaz was a common Near Eastern custom indicating a request for protection it did not have moral overtones Ezekiel 16:8 pictures Jehovah doing this as His garment over Israel the moral tone of both Ruth and Boaz argue against any immorality C. Does Ruth imply polygamy? The Levirate principle of Deuteronomy 25:5, 6 would not implicate a man who was already married the relative closer than I NASB in Ruth 3:12 obviously opted out of purchasing Ruth because I would jeopardize my own inheritance. i.e. if he took Ruth and she had children, then they would receive anything she owned because of her previous husband Boaz wasn t concerned about that probably because he wasn t married D. Does Ruth violate injunction against inter-marriage? If Israel was prohibited from intermarriage, then didn t this marriage violate that law? The nations or people to whom marriage was prohibited were those possessing the land that Israel would enter (Exodus 34:16; Deuteronomy 7:1 3; Joshua 23:12) which did not include Moab (cf. Deuteronomy 7:1). 5 R. Laird Harris, Gleason Archer Jr., and Bruce K. Waltke, eds., "300 " in Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, (Chicago: Moody Press, 1999), Ibid. 4

5 Further, Boaz married Ruth, a devout proselyte to Jehovah (Ruth 1:16 17) not a pagan worshiper of Chemosh Moab s chief deity (cf. later problems in Ezra 9:1, 2 and Nehemiah 13:23 25). VI. THE STORY Overview: In the period of the judges, Elimelech, Naomi, and their sons leave Bethlehem because of a famine to sojourn in Moab (see map). Naomi s husband, Elimelech, dies there. Mahlon and Chilion, the sons, marry Moabite women, Ruth and Orpah. Ten years later the sons die too, leaving no children. Naomi is bereft of family (Ruth 1:1 5). Learning that the famine in Israel is over, she decides to return to Bethlehem; Orpah stays behind, but Ruth accompanies Naomi (Ruth 1:6 22). At harvest time, Ruth goes to glean in a field that happens to belong to Elimelech s relative, Boaz (Ruth 2:1 23). Naomi knows he is an eligible kinsman-redeemer. Following Naomi s daring plan, in a midnight encounter at the threshing floor Ruth boldly asks him, as a redeemer, to marry her (Ruth 3:1 18). After a closer kinsman refuses to take Ruth, Boaz redeems all the property of the deceased and marries Ruth (Ruth 4:1 12). They have a son, Obed, who becomes the grandfather of King David (Ruth 4:13 22). 7 A. Ruth s resolve - Ruth 1: Her Background, Ruth 1: Her Choice, Ruth 1: Her Arrival in Bethlehem, Ruth 1:19 22 Ruth 1:19 Naomi returns ten years after leaving women recognize her Is this Naomi? where s her husbasnd? her boys? she looks older Who is that with her? Ruth 1:20 Do not call me Naomi (pleasant), call me Mara (bitter). B. Ruth s redemption Ruth 2: Her boss Ruth 2:1 Now Naomi had a kinsman of her husband, a man of great wealth, of the family of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz. NASB Naomi was not completely bereft she was aware of a kinsman of her husband he was of the family of Elimech so he must have been a close relative possibly brother or cousin He was a man of great wealth lit. a man of valor integrity His lineage is given in Ruth 4:18-22 ten generations given spanned eight centuries from birth of Perez in 1800 B.C. to David in 1040 B.C. Perez is first one mentioned in Ruth 4:11-12 after Boaz had committed to redeeming the inheritance of Elimelech and his son Mahlon, the people witnessed it and said, We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman, who is coming into your house, like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you act worthily in Ephrathah and be renowned in Bethlehem, and may your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring that the Lord will give you by this young woman. Story of Perez is in Genesis 38:1 30 Judah has three sons first one, Er, takes named Tamar Er is wicked and God kills him to fulfill Levirate marriage (Genesis (Deuteronomy 25:5-10), his brother Onan was to marry her he refused, God killed him Judah promises her the youngest one, Shelah when he grows up Judah fails to do this Tamar hears about this and lures Judah into her tent by posing as a prostitute gets pregnant by him to fulfill the obligation of family to her he is caught Genesis 38:26 says, She is more righteous than I. child born is Perez became main ancestor of Ephrathites in 7 Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008),

6 Bethlehem the witnesses of Boaz time were saying that God can even redeem the line of Perez as he had the line of Jacob through Rachel and Leah 2. Her work This was the time of the barley harvest Ruth 2:22 coincided with seven weeks between Passover and Feast of Weeks this was seven weeks of hard, intense labor Ruth 2:2, 3 And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I shall find favor. And she said to her, Go, my daughter. So she set out and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers, and she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the clan of Elimelech. Ruth shows initiative in taking care of mother-in-law love and hard work Ruth 2:7 she worked from early morning with no rest Mosaic law provided for gleaning harvesters were told to leave the corners of the field after the first cutting for poor, especially widows, orphans, and strangers in the land (Leviticus 19:9, 10; 23:22; Deuteronomy 24:19-21) 3. Her results a. Noticed by Boaz Ruth 2:5 - Whose young woman is this? b. Protected by Boaz Ruth 2:8-13 Ruth 2:8-9 Now, listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but keep close to my young women. Let your eyes be on the field that they are reaping, and go after them. Have I not charged the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink what the young men have drawn. She asks, Ruth 2:10, 11 - Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner? But Boaz answered her, All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told to me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before. c. Provided for by Boaz Ruth 2:14-16 He watches out for her: Provides lunch Tells his servants to let her glean wherever she wants, even among the sheaves and leave some sheaves out for her to glean Note his character: Observant noticed her in touch with his crew of workers Compassion took an interest Gracious not a bigot knew she was a foreigner Influential had resources could keep her in his fields Godly man Ruth 2:12 The Lord repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge! acknowledged her dependence on God he noticed her heart d. Reports to Naomi Ruth 2:17-23 Brings home food Where did you glean? Naomi learns it was Boaz the women began to understand God s sovereign hand one of our redeemers (closest relatives) the kinsman-redeemer theme is the central theme of 6

7 Ruth God provided a social system that kept families intact and prevented poverty even in the face of incompetence and failure three men had died women are left vulnerable to poverty and often sexual advances the Old Testament law provided that a family could redeem: A family sold into slavery (Leviticus 25:47-49) Land that had been sold under economic hardship (Leviticus 25:23-28) The family name by virtue of a Levirate marriage (Deuteronomy 25:5-10) This earthly picture pictures the reality of God the Redeemer doing a greater work (Psalm 19:14; 78:35; Isaiah 41:14; 43:14) by reclaiming those who needed to be spiritually redeemed out of slavery to sin (Psalm 107:2; Isaiah 62:12). Thus, Boaz pictures Christ, who as a Brother (Hebrews 2:17) redeemed those who: 1) were slaves to sin (Romans 6:15 18); 2) had lost all earthly possessions/privilege in the fall (Genesis 3:17 19); and 3) had been alienated from God by sin (2 Corinthians 5:18 21). Boaz stands in the direct line of Christ (Matthew 1:5; Luke 3:32). This turn of events marks the point where Naomi s human emptiness (Ruth 1:21) begins to be refilled by the Lord. Her night of earthly doubt has been broken by the dawning of new hope (cf. Romans 8:28 39). Naomi further notes the possibility of unwanted sexual advances by strangers outside the family in a different field C. Ruth s request Ruth 3: Naomi s plan Ruth 3:1-4 Naomi s natural desire for Ruth s future realized the implications of meeting Boaz the plan she concocts isn t devious it is taking full advantage of the law yet recognizes it all depends of Boaz s heart She knew he would be working late Ruth 3:3 Wash therefore and anoint yourself, and put on your cloak and go down to the threshing floor, but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. nothing wrong with a little enticement! Ruth 3:4 Then go and uncover his feet and lie down, and he will tell you what to do. a proposal of marriage it is possible that Boaz was the age of Naomi if he were a brother to Elimelech could have been if he were that old, he would never have proposed marriage to a young woman but this could have also been simply a way to advance the agenda with a man who was an eligible bachelor uncover his feet two possible pictures here 1) the picture of placing herself under his keeping seen as a picture of God s covenant to Israel in Ezekiel 16:8 2) second picture taken from Levirate law on remarriage of a widow (Deuteronomy 25:7-10), it was the responsibility of the woman to initiate a marriage with the next of kin Deuteronomy 25:7-10 And if the man does not wish to take his brother s wife, then his brother s wife shall go up to the gate to the elders and say, My husband s brother refuses to perpetuate his brother s name in Israel; he will not perform the duty of a husband s brother to me. Then the elders of his city shall call him and speak to him, and if he persists, saying, I do not wish to take her, then his brother s wife shall go up to him in the presence of the elders and pull his sandal off his foot and spit in his face. And she shall answer and say, So shall it be done to the man who does not build up his brother s house. And the name of his house shall be called in Israel, The house of him who had his sandal pulled off. it s possible Ruth was figuratively pulling the sandal off his feet in an attempt to let him know that she was demanding her rights as a widow to marry him of course, he had already given pretty clear indication he was somewhat smitten with her and the fact that she came to him all dressed up would be a pretty big clue too Ruth was simply obeying the law a kinsman redeemer had two responsibilities 1) Buy back any family property that had changed hands under the stewardship of the deceased; 2) If he was available, he was to marry a childless widow to raise up children in her dead husband s name Nothing immoral here would have been completely out of character for both of them 2. Ruth s obedience Ruth 3:5-9 7

8 Goes to Boaz and does as Naomi suggested he notes her character Ruth 3:10 You have made this last kindness greater than the first in that you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich. Ruth 3:11 I will do for you all that you ask, for all my fellow townsmen know that you are a worthy woman. 3. Boaz willingness Ruth 3:10-18 His character: Honesty Ruth 3:12 And now it is true that I am a redeemer. Yet there is a redeemer nearer than I. Willingness to obey the law Ruth 3:13 Remain tonight, and in the morning, if he will redeem you, good; let him do it. But if he is not willing to redeem you, then, as the Lord lives, I will redeem you. Lie down until the morning. Moral virtue demanded there be no sign of immorality Ruth 3:14 So she lay at his feet until the morning, but arose before one could recognize another. And he said, Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor. she lay at his feet not with him she arose before one could recognize another she didn t even want to face him in the light he wanted to protect her from gossip Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor. D. Ruth s reward Ruth 4: A husband Ruth 4:1-12 Ruth 4:1 Now Boaz had gone up to the gate and sat down there. this was the forum for official public business the redeemer, of whom Boaz had spoken, came by. So Boaz said, Turn aside, friend; sit down here. And he turned aside and sat down. the friend was known by Boaz (Ruth 3:12), though his name is not mentioned possibly an older brother or cousin or uncle Ten men (Ruth 4:2) are called upon to witness a transaction no legal requirement Deuteronomy 17:6; 19:15 indicates two or three witnesses were required for judicial proceedings greater number of ten may have been the total gathering of the elders who gathered for the transaction of business ten later became the number associated with starting a synagogue The transaction being negotiated between Boaz and the redeemer here is explained in Leviticus 25:23-28 land could be sold at any time for a negotiated price this depended on the value of the land and the proximity to the Year of Jubilee (every 49 years) Leviticus 25:23 the land shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine NASB show biblical value of personal property the idea of communal property violates Scripture people tend to take better care of their own property they care for it and work it in a way that better provides for their family because of their own initiative lacking in communal land or rented property Leviticus 25:25 If your brother becomes poor and sells part of his property, then his nearest redeemer shall come and redeem what his brother has sold. Problem the other guy says, I will redeem it. land only Ruth 4:5 Boaz honestly counters, 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. his reply in Ruth 4:6 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. - He was unwilling to have the family portfolio split between his existing children and the potential offspring of a union with Ruth. 2. A son Ruth 4: A lineage Ruth 4:

9 LESSONS TO LEARN: 1. God is sovereign over all 2. Salvation is for all people 3. Jesus is the unique plan of God 4. We have been bought and paid for 9