Ruth 1-2
Notes
Transcript
Background and Introduction
Background and Introduction
What: narrative - historiographic short story; Could be a model for writing; Four chapters filled with elegance, drama, and theology
Who: not told
When: not told but using the context in it comparing it to scripture can be late 9th century maybe 10th
Why: start with the end in mind
Ruth 4:17 “17 And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.”
Ruth 4:22 “22 And Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David.”
later Israelites answering the grandchild’s question of how did the greatest king in the history of Israel get there
So the providence of God in raising up David to be king of Israel
Also hesed: translated lovingkindness. Hesed is one of those Hebrew words whose meaning cannot be captured in one English word.
This is a strong relational term that wraps up in itself an entire cluster of concepts, all the positive attributes of God—love, mercy, grace, kindness, goodness, benevolence, loyalty, covenant faithfulness;
and in short, that quality that moves a person to act for the benefit of another without respect to the advantage it might bring to the one who expresses it.
Dark days and heartbreak
Dark days and heartbreak
1 Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons. 2 And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehemjudah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there. 3 And Elimelech Naomi’s husband died; and she was left, and her two sons. 4 And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years. 5 And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband.
Ruth 1:1 “1 Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.”
literally when the judges judged
Bethlehemjudah also ties it back to judges
there was a famine in the land
"The persistent drought in Israel is primarily a result of the Mediterranean jet stream's deflection due to anomalous high-pressure systems over the Levant, causing rainfall to divert northward into Turkey instead of reaching Israeli terrain." -Claude
nope: Leviticus 26:14–15 “14 But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments; 15 And if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye break my covenant:”
Leviticus 26:18–22 “18 And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. 19 And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass: 20 And your strength shall be spent in vain: for your land shall not yield her increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruits. 21 And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins. 22 I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your high ways shall be desolate.”
Ruth 1:2 “2 And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehemjudah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there.”
Naomi can get a bad rap and she messed up later to be sure. Showing some grace to her though, all she did was submit and follow her husband to end up in Moab
Elimelech is how they got to Moab. There was a famine in Israel so he moved to Moab.
If he was as heavenly minded and upright as some in the church talk and act he would have absolutely listened to the Bible!
Psalm 33:18–22 “18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy; 19 To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine. 20 Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield. 21 For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name. 22 Let thy mercy, O LORD, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.”
Stayed put in Israel and waited on God!
Again, showing grace, as a husband and a dad I would do whatever I thought I had to in order to take care of my family!
Besides we know today he wasn’t the only one Genesis 12:10 “10 And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land.”
Ruth 1:3–5 “3 And Elimelech Naomi’s husband died; and she was left, and her two sons. 4 And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years. 5 And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband.”
People in general but for sure church folk have a tendency to ask “what did you do?”
John 9:2 “2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?”
Be careful though
John 9:3 “3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.”
3-5 does show us, though, there are consequences to our choices
his choice to go there led at least to his sons marrying Moabite daughters even if his and their death wasn’t judgement for not trusting
I go, you stay!
I go, you stay!
6 Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the LORD had visited his people in giving them bread. 7 Wherefore she went forth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters in law with her; and they went on the way to return unto the land of Judah. 8 And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go, return each to her mother’s house: the LORD deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me. 9 The LORD grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them; and they lifted up their voice, and wept. 10 And they said unto her, Surely we will return with thee unto thy people. 11 And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? are there yet any more sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? 12 Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have an husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should have an husband also to night, and should also bear sons; 13 Would ye tarry for them till they were grown? would ye stay for them from having husbands? nay, my daughters; for it grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD is gone out against me. 14 And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her.
Ruth 1:6 “6 Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the LORD had visited his people in giving them bread.”
“a potent low-pressure system from the Atlantic managed to disrupt the blocking high over the eastern Mediterranean, allowing moisture-laden air masses to sweep across North Africa and deliver torrential rainfall to the parched Israeli landscape."
nope she heard Yahweh had visited and gave
The pastor as he’s been preaching through Ruth on Wednesday nights, called Naomi a backslidden Christian. When I see “the had of the LORD is gone out against me” I can see her blaming God.
I see it and maybe, but I still see a faithful wife who followed her husband and now has no choice to go back to her people and to Yahweh of Israel
Ruth 1:9 “9 The LORD grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them; and they lifted up their voice, and wept.”
Yahweh shows hesed even to Moabites
Roth’s covenant
Roth’s covenant
15 And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law. 16 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: 17 Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me. 18 When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her.
Ruth 1:15 “15 And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law.”
Numbers 21:29 “29 Woe to thee, Moab! thou art undone, O people of Chemosh: he hath given his sons that escaped, and his daughters, into captivity unto Sihon king of the Amorites.”
not enough to call this the moment Ruth was saved, but she does covenant with Naomi to go with her to whatever Yahweh had for Naomi. She at least knew Naomi and Yahweh was a better choice than Moab and Chemosh
Ruth 1:19-21
Ruth 1:19-21
19 So they two went until they came to Bethlehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Bethlehem, that all the city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi? 20 And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. 21 I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the LORD hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?
We don’t know if “moved about them” or stirred is buzzed or murmured but either way it was an event for Naomi to be back
“Is this Naomi” her name meant “pleasantness or delight” and the the question makes you think either they’re asking “why would she come back” or “look what Moab did to her, don’t even look like her any more”
She’s bitter, but if you’re honest, who wouldn’t be?
Ruth 1:22
Ruth 1:22
22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her, which returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.
1 And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband’s, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz. 2 And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter. 3 And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech. 4 And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, The LORD be with you. And they answered him, The LORD bless thee. 5 Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this? 6 And the servant that was set over the reapers answered and said, It is the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab: 7 And she said, I pray you, let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves: so she came, and hath continued even from the morning until now, that she tarried a little in the house.
vs 2 she goes looking for grace
vs 2 “and her hap was to light on” literally in Hebrew “her chance chanced upon” not luck, providence and the author is pointing it out
vs 4 “The LORD bless thee” hesed will be throughout the rest of the story
8 Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens: 9 Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them: have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn. 10 Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger? 11 And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore. 12 The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust. 13 Then she said, Let me find favour in thy sight, my lord; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid, though I be not like unto one of thine handmaidens.
14 And Boaz said unto her, At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers: and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left. 15 And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not: 16 And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not.
17 So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out that she had gleaned: and it was about an ephah of barley. 18 And she took it up, and went into the city: and her mother in law saw what she had gleaned: and she brought forth, and gave to her that she had reserved after she was sufficed. 19 And her mother in law said unto her, Where hast thou gleaned to day? and where wroughtest thou? blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee. And she shewed her mother in law with whom she had wrought, and said, The man’s name with whom I wrought to day is Boaz. 20 And Naomi said unto her daughter in law, Blessed be he of the LORD, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her, The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen. 21 And Ruth the Moabitess said, He said unto me also, Thou shalt keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my harvest. 22 And Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter in law, It is good, my daughter, that thou go out with his maidens, that they meet thee not in any other field. 23 So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and dwelt with her mother in law.
Conclusion
Conclusion
God’s providence: God is continually involved with all created things in such a way that he (1) keeps them existing and maintaining the properties with which he created them; (2) cooperates with created things in every action, directing their distinctive properties to cause them to act as they do; and (3) directs them to fulfill his purposes. -Grudem Systematic Theology
Bethlehem: house of bread
John 6:35 “35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”
Matthew 26:26–28 “26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. 27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; 28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”
The book of Ruth depicts how God providentially works through a foreign widow's loyal love to bring about the lineage of David, foreshadowing Christ who would redeem his people through similar loyal love. In Ruth's redemption by Boaz as her kinsman-redeemer, we see a powerful typology of how Christ would later redeem his bride, the Church, through his sacrificial love.
