Ruth and Boaz Woman of Excellence, Man of Honor a guided Bible study of Ruth and Proverbs 31 designed for teens Sherree G. Funk
2 RuthandBoaz:WomanofExcellence,ManofHonor, bysherreeg.funkcopyright 2009 ISBN978 0 9823137 2 5 ScripturetakenfromtheHOLYBIBLE,NEWINTERNATIONALVERSION,Copyright 1973,1978,1984byInternationalBibleSociety.Usedbypermissionof Zondervan.Allrightsreserved. PhotographsfromPictorialLibraryofBibleLands: Vol.2:SamariaandtheCenter Vol.4:JudahandtheDeadSea Copyright 2006,ToddBolen.www.Bibleplaces.comUsedbypermission. Cover:Originalphoto:BarleyFieldbyVictorSzalvay http://www.flickr.com/people/vs/ FromWikipedia,http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Barley_field 2007 02 22(large).jpgusedaccordingtothelicenseincreativecommons: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by sa/2.0/ BlackandwhitephotosdepictingscenesfromRuthwereshotinBethleheminthe 1930 s.theyarepartoftheg.ericandedithmatsonphotographcollection,prints &PhotographsDivision,LibraryofCongress,LC ppmsca 10167adjzzz. Formoreinformationonthecollectiongoto http://lcweb2.loc.gov/pp/matpchtml/matpcabt.html ThephotosusedinthisworkwereeditedbyToddBolen www.lifeintheholyland.comusedbypermission. Checkoutwww.Servingonelord.comtoorderadditionalcopiesofthisstudyorto contacttheauthor.shewouldlovetohearyourcommentsandfeedback. OtherstudiesbySherreeFunk: LydiaofPhilippi:BelieverintheLORD, 2008 ISBN978 0 9823137 0 1 Joshua:StrongandCourageous, 2008 ISBN978 0 9823137 1 8
Acknowledgments IamgratefultotheMondayNightBibleStudyatSt.Stephensforaskingmetowriteand teachthismaterial.thanks,connieruzichandgloriachan,mysmallgroup,andallyou sistersinchristforyoursupport. FortheblackandwhitephotosdepictingscenesfromthebookofRuth,Iamgratefulfor ToddBolenandhisincrediblework.TheseoriginalphotosfromtheAmericanColonyand MatsonPhotoServicedepictruralareasnearBethlehemthatcannolongerbeseentoday. Thanks,Todd,forsendingmethesepictures.Theyreallyenhancethisstudy. ConnieRuzich shelpfulediting,evenwhenshewasverybusywithherownprofessional work,isinvaluable.ben sgreatideasforcoversandhisartisticabilitiesarekeepingthings lively.thankssomuch,bothofyou.tothefolksatinstantpublisher.comwhohavebeenso helpfulwithprintingandbinding:youguysrock! Tothegrandmotherswholetmeusetheirpictures,thanksforsharingyourblessingswith allofus! IwouldliketodedicatethisbooktotheServingOneLordprayerteam.ThereisnowayI couldhavefinishedwritingthisstudysoquicklywithouttheireffectiveprayers.ithankyou foryourfaithfulsupport:theresabutler,sandralesher,annanddavewollman,and MarileeRuscitti.AndIammostgratefultoGodforhearingourprayers.Histimingis alwaysthebest. Abigthank youtomyhusband,jim,atruemanofhonor.andtoourglorioussovereign God,withoutwhomIcandonothing,Igiveyouthanksandpraise. ServingOneLORD, SherreeFunk 3
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Ruth and Boaz Woman of Excellence; Man of Honor Table of Contents Week One: SORROW UPON SORROW 7 Week Two: EMMANUEL. 19 Week Three: FALLING IN LOVE GRACE-FULLY 29 Week Four: BOLD AS A LION 39 Week Five: RESPECT 47 Week Six: BLESSINGS, BLESSINGS, BLESSINGS. 57 Week Seven: A CLASSIC WOMAN OF EXCELLENCE.. 65 Week Eight: GOD IS IN CONTROL 75 5
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Ruth and Boaz Woman of Excellence; Man of Honor Week One: SORROW UPON SORROW Welcome! I m glad you have decided to join me in taking a close look at Ruth and Boaz. These characters are not great warriors, missionaries or prophets, but their lives speak beautifully of love and honor, grace and blessing. Their love story is set in Bethlehem more than a thousand years before God s greatest love story: the birth of His son, Jesus. The book of Ruth, only four brief chapters, is packed with valuable lessons for young and old. Before you get started, write the names of those in your study group here, along with a short prayer that each one requests. If you are doing this study with a parent or mentor, write that person s name here along with a prayer for both of you as you begin. 7
As I begin writing this study of Ruth and Boaz, it is the season of Advent, that busy time leading up to Christmas in which we try to balance quiet reflection, worship, gift giving, and parties --- with the regular demands of school, work, and chores. One of my favorite advent songs is O Come, O Come Emmanuel. It starts like this: O Come, O Come Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here, Until the Son of God appear. If you ve heard it, you know it s a rather mournful song in a minor key, but it sets the dark stage for the light of the coming Messiah at Christmas. It speaks of captivity, mourning, loneliness, and exile --- four very human conditions. While the carol describes Israel s yearnings before the birth of Jesus, these same sorrows also color the beginning of the book of Ruth. As we will see, Naomi was lonely, stuck in a foreign land, mourning the death of close family members, becoming captive to the stronghold of bitterness. Yet God had plans to redeem Naomi and her family. The book of Ruth is full of grace at every turn. And it has much to teach us about living as people of excellence and honor. Provoking the Lord to Anger The book of Ruth is set during the period of the judges, which began just one generation after the Israelites had entered the Promised Land. God had delivered their enemies into their hands in miraculous ways and had given them a godly leader in Joshua. Both Moses and Joshua had stressed repeatedly the need to trust God and follow His commands in the new land. In Joshua 24, in response to Joshua s challenge, the people declared, not once, but three times, We will serve the LORD. Read Judges 2: 6-15 to see what happened soon after their decision to serve the LORD. How old was Joshua when he died? How long did the people serve the LORD? After everyone who had helped conquer the Promised Land died, a new generation grew up. 8
What distinguished this generation from the previous one? (Judges 2:10) What did this new generation do? played loud music disobeyed parents and teachers served the Baals provoked the LORD to anger What happened? Why such a big generation gap? Whose fault was it that the people turned to worship other gods, forsaking the LORD who had done so much for them? While it is true that faith cannot be inherited, it is also true that each generation has a responsibility to tell the next about the mighty deeds of the LORD. Pass It On Read Psalm 78: 1-8. What does the psalmist say in verse 4? We will tell Regardless of your age, can you think of a couple of ways you could do this right now? This is very important. It is not enough to leave the faith journey of the children to chance. By telling the stories of God s work in our lives, we give the next generation a basis for believing. Of course they will have to choose to make their own personal commitment, but if we don t tell them about God, they could end up worshiping other gods, just as the Israelites did in the period of the judges. 9
Here Come the Judges! Who were these judges, you ask? There were many, but five major ones were Ehud, Deborah, Gideon, Jepthah and Samson. After settling into the Promised Land, the Israelites fell into cycles of forgetting God, worshipping idols, and assimilating the pagan cultures they were supposed to have driven out. As we read in Judges 2:15, the LORD would actually fight against them and defeat them at the hand of their enemies when they forsook (cool word, don t you think?) the LORD. Read Judges 2: 16-23. What happened whenever the LORD raised up a judge? And what happened whenever the judge died? So the political situation cycled between stability and chaos. A great summary of the culture during the time of the judges is found in the very last verse of the book. Read Judges 21: 25. What did everyone do? In what ways do you see this attitude in our world today? Before we get into the beautiful story of Ruth, I invite you to read one more passage from the book of Judges. At one point Eglon, king of Moab, attacked Jericho, the City of Palms. For a colorful but violent story, read Judges 3: 12-30. You will see how, with the Lord s help, the left-handed judge Ehud was able to make Moab subject to Israel for 80 years. Which part of the story is remarkably graphic? 10
Now, based on that story, how would you describe relations between Israel and Moab during this period of about 100 years and probably for decades beyond? very friendly hostile trusting tense cooperative suspicious Keep this in mind as we get into the story of Ruth. Moving to Moab The story of Ruth and Boaz begins with a nice little Bethlehem family going on a trip to Moab. They had to travel < To Bethlehem Hills of Moab Dead Sea more than sixty miles to the opposite side of the Dead Sea to get there. 11
Read Ruth 1: 1-2. List the family members below: Husband Wife Sons: and What was the reason for their trip? Do we know how long they lived in Moab? Do we know their ages? Do we know if there were other families who moved to Moab? Do we know who was in power at the time-- the Moabite King or the judges of Israel? We are told very little about these people. As the story unfolds, we will learn more about them by their behavior, but right now we only know they moved to Moab because of a famine at home. What was the father s name again? If his name means God is King, would that tell you anything about him? Or about his parents? What could you assume from his name? Do you think maybe Elimelech was a faithful man living in the midst of an anything goes culture? Tragedy Strikes Read Ruth 1: 3-5. A lot happens in these three verses. What happens to Elimelech? and who marries whom? marries and marries (refer to Ruth 4: 10 for help) Then what happens to Mahlon and Kilion? So who is left?, and. We do not know how or why these three men died. Disease? Accident? Military battle? Murder? Was their death sudden or following a time of illness? We simply are not told. Think about Naomi for a moment. If you had been in her sandals, what would have been some of your feelings? 12
Perhaps you thought of some of these: sorrow, grief, loneliness, despair, anger, and bitterness. I can hardly imagine how awful it would be to lose a child, but to lose both sons and husband would be almost unbearable. Mourning Look up these three words in a dictionary and jot down the definitions: Mourning Grief Bereavement Have you ever lost a close family member or friend? Or perhaps a beloved pet? Try to recall for a minute how you felt when you knew this person or animal had died. What effect did this death have on your life-- a) on the surface? b) in a deeper sense? The death of a loved one feels like an empty hole. Someone who was close to you is suddenly not there. You can almost hear their voice, see their face, yet they are gone. Perhaps you stare blankly, going through the motions of life as usual, but not fully aware of anything around you. Maybe you feel sort of dead yourself, or at least emotionless. Maybe you have regrets about something you said or didn t say. Maybe you feel somewhat relieved after watching this person suffer extensive illness, pain, or painful treatments. You may be shocked if this death came to a young person. You may feel abandoned if this person cared for you or provided for you. We are told there are several stages of grief, and we are wise to journey carefully through them as we mourn. 13
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said: Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. (Matthew 5: 4) There are many Biblical examples of mourning. Jacob thought Joseph had been killed when his other sons brought him the coat covered in blood. Read Genesis 37: 31-35. What things did Jacob do? tore his clothes wept put on sackcloth refused to be comforted Jacob believed his son, his favorite son, was dead. This is probably the greatest grief, outliving one s own child. Jacob grieved for years. Yet he was eventually blessed to see Joseph alive when the family moved to Egypt. And when Jacob died, Joseph mourned for his father. (Genesis 50: 1-3) When Moses died on Mt. Nebo, the Israelites grieved for thirty days. (Deuteronomy 34: 8) David mourned the death of Saul, his enemy, and Jonathan, his best friend. (2 Samuel 1: 11-12) David also mourned the death of his son Absalom whom he loved in spite of what he had done. (2 Samuel 18: 33) Mourning is natural and necessary. Grief is a place. It is a place we must travel to and through after any significant loss. But we need to be careful of getting stuck there. Loneliness All right, I know this chapter is not winning any awards for its sunny cheerfulness. You may be saying enough already! But we want to understand Naomi and explore what her heart was feeling so that the rest of this story has the right impact. So please stick with me. Loneliness. When I asked my 22-year old daughter to describe a time she felt most lonely, she talked about Hurricane Gustav. Living in Baton Rouge, Louisiana at the time, she had planned to come home to Pennsylvania for Labor Day weekend when her boss insisted that she stay to help the office prepare for the storm and its effects. Most of the news about Gustav centered on New Orleans, because since Katrina, the rebuilt 14
levees were a major concern. The damage in Baton Rouge, 70 miles away, was severe but largely unreported. Her home s power was out for nine days. She spent several nights in her office, which had a generator. She was stressed. She was lonely. She kept calling her dad and me, wanting to quit and just come home. We listened, wondering if she might have a nervous breakdown. She survived, but when she was loneliest, she wanted her family. She wanted to talk to someone who loved her, someone who could listen to her story and help her process the experience. Try to recall a time when you were very lonely. What were the circumstances? Who did you miss the most and why? We can well imagine the loneliness of Naomi. The people she cared most about, the people who loved her most, were dead. Sure she had acquaintances. She had daughters-in-law. She may have had some friends. Yet she was steeped in loneliness. Exile What is worse than having an accident of some sort in a foreign country? I remember a time I was traveling in France with my mother when her luggage was stolen from the train. I didn t know much French, but I was told to find my way to the police station to file a report. This took a lot of time, and we never did get the suitcase back. Being a foreigner did not help. Everything was a challenge. Imagine Naomi handling the funeral details in Moab after the deaths of her husband and two sons. She had no kin there as far as we know. Look up the word exile in a dictionary and jot down the definition. 15
Sometimes people are sent into exile as punishment. Sometimes people go willingly for business reasons, for health reasons, for pleasure, for religious reasons, to escape something, or to hide from something the list goes on. In its most basic definition, exile means away from home, away from familiar faces and places. Have you ever been in exile? Did you go willingly, or were you forced? What were some of your feelings about it? So Naomi was afflicted with all three of these conditions: mourning, loneliness, and exile. She was overwhelmed. It is no wonder that she fell into the next condition: bitterness. Bitterness When things happen that we don t understand, especially sad or tragic things, it is easy to feel victimized. When we feel we have been treated badly, it is easy to start blaming others. We may even start blaming God for our situation. That is what happened to Naomi. Read Ruth 1: 20-21. Whom does Naomi hold responsible for her bitter life? her parents the Moabites the doctors the LORD Unfortunately this kind of bitterness takes a person captive. It acts like a prison. It holds us inside a tiny cell where pain, mourning, loneliness, and alienation are written in GIANT LETTERS on the walls. We feel helpless, unable to see anything good in the situation, unable to trust God, unable to believe anyone cares. 16
If you know anyone who is stuck in one of the stages of grief, or who is becoming bitter, use the words of this hymn as a prayer. Fill in the first of the following blanks with the name of someone who is mourning or may be falling captive to bitterness. Fill in the second blank with the place they are stuck. O come, O come Emmanuel, and ransom captive, who mourns in lonely exile. Grief and loneliness are unavoidable feelings after a great loss. But we don t have to be taken captive by bitterness. Emmanuel, GOD WITH US, is the answer. The song goes on: Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel will come to thee, O Israel! 17
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Ruth and Boaz Woman of Excellence, Man of Honor Week Two: EMMANUEL Friends are wonderful, aren t they? They make us laugh, they cheer us up if we re sad, they are fun to be around. Think of a time recently when you had an enjoyable time with a good friend. I m guessing you talked and laughed and time passed quickly. Maybe you didn t want the togetherness to end. I have some friends whose company I thoroughly enjoy. When we get talking, we go on and on, even if we re talking long-distance on the phone. I am really thankful for my friends. Last week we saw how Naomi was depressed over her losses. What she really needs is a good friend, right? Return to Bethlehem Read Ruth 1: 6-18. Why did Naomi decide to move back to the land of Judah? Who was in the traveling party at first? Naomi Orpah Ruth Boaz At first It seems that Naomi was OK with the daughters-in-law tagging along. It s interesting that we don t know much about how Ruth and Orpah were handling their grief. We know nothing about their Moabite families. We only see their desire to care for Naomi, who is rather consumed with bitterness over her losses. Imagine the three women huddling along by the shore of the Dead Sea, leading a camel or two, heading toward the Jordan River where they will cross over into Israel. The road is dusty. Their conversation is difficult, because no matter what the girls want to talk about, Naomi is always depressed. She just seems to wallow in self-pity. Then 19
suddenly Naomi stops, turns to Orpah and Ruth and says, Go back, each of you, to your mother s home. (verse 8) The young women are stunned. They didn t see this coming. Naomi must have been thinking about this for a few miles at least. She blesses them with this: May the LORD show kindness to you as you have shown to your dead and to me. Then she speaks yet another blessing: May the LORD grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband. They were shocked. Here was their mother-in-law, suddenly caring about them and asking the LORD to bless them. They cried tears of joy. This made them love Naomi all the more. There are group hugs and kisses all around, but Ruth and Orpah do not wish to turn their backs on Naomi. They both repeat, in verse 10, that they will continue with their mother-in-law. Then Naomi insists, taking a different angle. Why does Naomi think it is pointless for the young women to stay with her? (verses 11-13) Does this tell you anything about Naomi s self-esteem? If so, what? It seems that Naomi cannot believe that these girls are simply loving her. She seems to think they have ulterior motives. Her bitterness has colored even her own selfimage. And when she looks at them trying to comfort her, she breaks down again in a wave of self-pity in verse 13: It is more bitter for me than for you, because the Lord s hand has gone out against me! What happens next is hard to explain but worth contemplating. Read verse 14 again. The two young women take two different paths. What does Orpah do? Would you agree that she was being obedient to Naomi? Was she leaving in anger? Do you think she was doing what God wanted her to do? There is no comment about Orpah anywhere else in the Bible. There is neither criticism nor praise of her action. We are left to draw our own conclusions. 20