Rut Lesson 8

RUTH
LESSON #8

MEMORY VERSE: PSALM 27:14

NAOMI HAD TAUGHT RUTH EXACTLY WHAT SHE MUST DO TO CLAIM BOAZ AS HER KINSMAN-REDEEMER.NAOMI TOLD HER TO LIE AT BOAZ’ FEET AFTER THE HARVEST CELEBRATION, AND TO PUT HISCLOAK OVER HER FEET.

WE DISCUSSED HOW THIS WAS NOT AN IMMORAL ACT BUT A LEGAL CLAIM ACCORDING TO THE CULTUREOF THAT TIME.

SYMBOLICALLY SHE WAS SUBMITTING TO BOAZ BY PUTTING HERSELF AT HIS FEET.

SYMBOLICALLY SHE WAS PUTTING HERSELF UNDER HIS AUTHORITY BY PUTTING THE HEM OF HISCLOAK OVER HER.

IS THIS THE WAY ALL CLAIMS FOR A KINSMAN-REDEEMER WERE MADE?

NO. A WOMAN DID NOT HAVE TO EVEN APPROACH THE MAN. SHE ONLY HAD TO GO TO THE CITY GATEWHERE THE COURT WAS HELD AND INFORM THE CITY ELDERS OF HER CLAIM.

IN THE BOOK OF RUTH WE SEE A VERY PERSONAL, ROMANTIC CLAIM. WHY?

BECAUSE BOAZ REPRESENTS JESUS CHRIST AS A PREFIGURE, AND RUTH REPRESENTS THE BELIEVER,WE SEE THAT OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST IS A VERY PERSONAL ONE BASED ON LOVE. IT ISNOT SIMPLY A LEGAL CLAIM WITHOUT THE INVOLVEMENT OF EMOTIONS AND THE PERSONALITY.

READ RUTH 3:7-18

THE REACTION OF BOAZ:

BOAZ AWAKES SURPRISED AND FRIGHTENED.

REMEMBER THAT THE MEN ARE THERE SLEEPING AROUND THE HARVESTED GRAIN TO PROTECT IT FROMROBBERS.

THE PRIMARY ENEMY DURING THOSE DAYS OF THE JUDGES WAS THE MIDIANITES WHO WOULD STEALTHE HARVEST AT NIGHT.

WHEN RUTH TELLS HIM SHE WANTS HIM TO BE HER KINSMAN-REDEEMER, HE IS OVERJOYED. (10)

HE RECOGNIZES THE HAND OF THE LORD IN GUIDING HIS LIFE.

HE IS HAPPY BECAUSE HE LOVED RUTH FROM WHEN HE FIRST SAW HER.

HE IS SURPRISED AT HER CLAIM BECAUSE HE THOUGHT RUTH WOULD PICK A YOUNGER MAN.

HOW OLD IS BOAZ?

THE BIBLE DOES NOT SAY EXACTLY. BECAUSE HE IS REFERRED TO AS A KINSMAN TO NAOMI’SHUSBAND, ELIMELECH, HE IS PROBABLY AROUND NAOMI’S AGE.

THEN COULDN’T NAOMI CLAIM BOAZ AS HER KINSMAN-REDEEMER? YES, SHE COULD, BUTREMEMBER THAT NAOMI HAS PASSED THE AGE OF CHILD BEARING. THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF THEKINSMAN-REDEEMER FOR A WIDOW WAS TO HAVE CHILDREN ON BEHALF OF HER DEAD HUSBAND.

REMEMBER THAT IT IS THE WOMAN WHO MUST MAKE THE CLAIM. NAOMI DECIDED IT WAS TOO LATE INLIFE FOR HER, SO SHE ENCOURAGES RUTH TO MAKE THE CLAIM.

THE POTENTIAL PROBLEM:

WITH EVERY GOOD STORY, JUST WHEN YOU SEE SITUATIONS WORK OUT WELL FOR THE HERO AND THEHEROINE, A PROBLEM ALWAYS ARISES. WHAT IS THE POTENTIAL PROBLEM IN THE LIVES OF RUTH ANDBOAZ THAT COULD RUIN EVERYTHING? (12)

BOAZ TELLS RUTH THAT THERE IS A KINSMAN WITH A CLOSER RELATIONSHIP.

WHY IS THIS A PROBLEM?

THE KINSMAN WITH THE NEAREST RELATIONSHIP MUST BE GIVEN THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY TO ACT ASKINSMAN-REDEEMER.

HOW DID BOAZ KNOW THERE WAS SOMEONE CLOSER WHEN EVIDENTLY NAOMI AND RUTH DID NOT?

HE HAD PROBABLY ALREADY CONSULTED THE RECORDS OF THE FAMILY GENEALOGY BECAUSE HE LOVEDRUTH. HE HOPED THAT IT WOULD BE HE WHO WAS THE NEAREST RELATIVE.

BOAZ ENCOURAGES RUTH:

1. HE TELLS RUTH NOT TO BE AFRAID, THAT ALL WOULD WORK OUT WELL BECAUSE SHE HAS A GOODREPUTATION IN THE CITY. (11)

2. HE TELLS RUTH TO WAIT FOR THE NIGHT TO PASS AND ALL WOULD BE RESOLVED IN THEMORNING. (12)

IF THE OTHER MAN WOULD NOT FULFILL HIS OBLIGATION, BOAZ WOULD DO IT HAPPILY.

NOTICE BOAZ DOES NOT SEND HER HOME IMMEDIATELY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. IT WOULD NOTBE SAFE FOR HER TO WALK HOME ALONE. HE MUST STAY WITH HIS MEN IN THE FIELD TO PROTECT THEGRAIN. TO PROTECT HER, HE KEEPS HER THERE WITH HIS MEN UNTIL THE MORNING.

DURING THE TIME OF THE JUDGES, HIGHWAY ROBBERY WAS VERY COMMON. IN FACT, PEOPLE OFTENAVOIDED TRAVELING ON THE MAIN HIGHWAYS BECAUSE OF IT.

THE SCENE IN THE MORNING: (14-17)

RUTH AWAKES BEFORE IT IS FULLY LIGHT. THEN BOAZ SENDS HER HOME.

WHY DOES BOAZ SAY, “LET IT NOT BE KNOWN THAT A WOMAN CAME INTO THE FLOOR.”(14)

THIS VERSE, TOO, IS OFTEN MISUNDERSTOOD. TO US IN OUR CULTURE, IT WOULD APPEAR THATTHEY HAD DONE SOMETHING IMMORAL AND DID NOT WANT ANYONE TO KNOW ABOUT IT.

HOWEVER, YOU MUST REMEMBER THAT ALL NIGHT SHE AND BOAZ ARE NOT ALONE. THE MEN WHOWORKED FOR BOAZ ARE WITH THEM.

THEREFORE, WHO MUST NOT KNOW ABOUT THE PRESENCE OF RUTH AT THE THRESHING FLOOR?

THE OTHER KINSMAN. BOAZ DOES NOT WANT THE OTHER KINSMAN TO KNOW RUTH’S PREFERENCE,AND IF HE IS TO BE HER KINSMAN-REDEEMER, THERE MUST NOT BE ANY GOSSIP ABOUT HER PRESENCEAT THE THRESHING FLOOR DURING THE NIGHT.

THE GIFT THAT SPOKE LOUDER THAN WORDS: (15)

THE 6 MEASURES OF GRAIN THAT BOAZ GIVES RUTH IS VERY SIGNIFICANT:

1. IT PROTECTS HER REPUTATION AS SHE WALKS BACK INTO THE CITY SO EARLY IN THE MORNING.

2. IT IS TO BE A SIGN TO NAOMI.

NOTICE THAT WHEN RUTH RETURN S HOME, NAOMI ASKS HER, “WHO ART THOU, MYDAUGHTER?”

NAOMI KNEW IT WAS HER DAUGHTER-IN-LAW. SHE IS ASKING IF SHE HAS A NEW RELATIONSHIP WITHBOAZ. IN OTHER WORDS, “ARE YOU STILL RUTH, THE MOABITE, OR WILL YOU BE THE WIFE OFBOAZ?”

REMEMBER THAT WHEN BOAZ AWAKENED TO FIND RUTH AT HIS FEET, HE ASKED HER WHO SHE WAS.(9)

SHE DID NOT SAY, “I AM RUTH, THE MOABITE”. INSTEAD SHE SAID, “I AM RUTH,THEY HANDMAID.” SHE WAS MAKING THE CLAIM TO A NEW IDENTITY.

RUTH TELLS NAOMI THAT BOAZ SENT 6 MEASURES OF GRAIN TO NAOMI. (17)

THIS IS THE GIFT THAT SPOKE LOUDER THAN WORDS:

A JEWISH MOTHER-IN-LAW WOULD UNDERSTAND THE SYMBOLISM (18).=

SIX DAYS GOD CREATED THE WORLD AND EVERYTHING IN IT, BUT ON THE 7TH DAY GODRESTED. THEREFORE,

BOAZ IS TELLING NAOMI THAT HE WILL NOT STOP WORKING ON THE REDEMPTION UNTIL IT ISACCOMPLISHED. RUTH ONLY HAS TO WAIT.

APPLICATION AND DISCUSSION

WHAT DO WE LEARN ABOUT OUR KINSMAN-REDEEMER FROM THIS CHAPTER?

1. THE BELIEVER MUST MAKE THE CLAIM TO RECEIVE JESUS CHRIST AS HIS KINSMAN-REDEEMER.

A. SUBMIT TO HIS AUTHORITY, AND

B. OBEY HIM

2. WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF VERSE 18?