Rut Lesson 10

RUTH
LESSON #10

MEMORY VERSE: ZECHARIAH 13:1

THE BOOK OF RUTH IS A PICTURE OF JESUS CHRIST, OUR KINSMAN-REDEEMER. WE HAVE SEEN HOWBOOZ REPRESENTS JESUS CHRIST, WHILE RUTH REPRESENTS THE NEW BORN-AGAIN BELIEVER OR THE NEWTESTAMENT CHURCH. THE “NEARER KINSMAN” REPRESENTED THE MOSAIC LAW THAT COULD NOTREDEEM.

WE HAVE NOT DISCUSSED NAOMI.

NAOMI REPRESENTS THE JEWISH PEOPLE IN HISTORY AND PROPHECY.

IN WHAT WAYS DO THE ACTIONS OF NAOMI REPRESENT THE ACTIONS OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE?

REMEMBER IN CHAPTER 1 NAOMI AND HER HUSBAND, ELIMELECH LEFT THE PROMISE LAND TO GO TOMOAB. WE TALKED ABOUT HOW THAT WAS OUTSIDE OF THE PERFECT WILL OF GOD. THEY DID NOT TRUSTGOD TO SUPPLY FOR THEM DURING A DIFFICULT TIME OF FAMINE.

THE JEWS THROUGH HISTORY ALWAYS HAD DIFFICULTY TRUSTING GOD TO SUPPLY FOR THEM. THEYFOUND IT EASY TO LEAVE GOD AND THEIR PROMISE LAND FOR WORLDLINESS AND IDOLATRY.

READ EZE 16:8-23.

IN CHAPTER 2 NAOMI RETURN S TO THE PROMISE LAND BECAUSE CONDITIONS IN THE PROMISE LANDHAVE IMPROVED.

THE JEWS THROUGH HISTORY PERIODICALLY WOULD RETURN TO GOD AND THE PROMISE LAND WHEN ITWAS BENEFICIAL. THEY ALWAYS SOUGHT THE BLESSINGS BUT NEVER REMAINED FAITHFUL.

AFTER 1900 YEARS OF BEING SCATTERED AROUND THE WORLD, THE JEWS RETURN ED TO THEIR OWNLAND IN 1948. BUT THEY RETURN ED DESOLATE, BITTER, AND ANGRY AGAINST GOD.

IN CHAPTERS 1- 2 RUTH, A GENTILE, FINDS GOD THROUGH NAOMI, A JEW.

THE GENTILE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH WAS ESTABLISHED ON A JEWISH MESSIAH, AND GENTILEBELIEVERS LEARNED HOW TO COME TO GOD THROUGH JEWISH SCRIPTURES AND A JEWISH MESSIAH.

IN CHAPTER 2 GOD PROVIDES FOR NAOMI THROUGH RUTH AND BOAZ.

MANY EVANGELICAL CHRISTIANS TODAY ARE A BLESSING TO THE JEWS WHO CONTINUE TO REMAINDISTANT TO GOD.

NOTICE IN THE BOOK OF RUTH THAT NAOMI NEVER MEETS BOAZ. SHE HEARS ABOUT BOAZ THROUGHRUTH.

TODAY WE HAVE JEWS WHO HEAR ABOUT JESUS CHRIST, THEIR REDEEMER, THROUGH THE GENTILECHURCH.

IN CHAPTER 3 IT IS RUTH WHO SEEKS REDEMPTION, NOT NAOMI.

IN NEW TESTAMENT TIMES, IT IS THE GENTILES WHO SEEK REDEMPTION THROUGH JESUS CHRIST,NOT THE JEWS. THE JEWS REJECTED THEIR MESSIAH AND THEREFORE OPENED THE WAY FOR THEGENTILES TO RECEIVE REDEMPTION. THEREFORE, REDEMPTION COMES TO THE GENTILES FIRST.

NOTICE THAT RUTH WAS NOT REDEEMED BY THE “NEARER KINSMAN” (THE LAW).

THE LAW SHUT THE GENTILES OUT, BUT GRACE THROUGH JESUS CHRIST ACCEPTED THE GENTILESJUST AS BOAZ ACCEPTED RUTH. (RUT 2:2,10)

IN CHAPTER 3 WE HAVE THE SCENE AT THE THRESHING FLOOR. THE HARVEST AND THRESHING FLOORARE SYMBOLIC OF JUDGMENT, SPECIFICALLY JUDGMENT ON THE JEWS.

THE TRIBULATION PERIOD WILL BE A TIME OF JUDGMENT ON THE JEWS FOR THEIR REJECTION OFCHRIST. IT WILL PUT PRESSURE ON THEM TO TURN TO GOD. WHERE IS NAOMI DURING THE TIME OFHARVEST? SHE IS FAR FROM BOAZ, HER REDEEMER. (ISA 26:19-20) (JER 30:7)

WHERE IS RUTH DURING THE HARVEST TIME? SHE IS AT THE FEET OF BOAZ.

THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH WILL BE AT THE FEET OF JESUS IN HEAVEN DURING THE TRIBULATIONPERIOD BECAUSE THE CHURCH WILL GO THROUGH THE RAPTURE BEFORE THE TRIBULATION..

AT THE END OF CHAPTER 3 BOAZ SENDS A SYMBOLIC MESSAGE TO NAOMI THAT HE WILL NOT RESTUNTIL REDEMPTION IS COMPLETE.

THE MESSAGE TO THE JEWS IS THAT REDEMPTION WILL NOT BE COMPLETE UNTIL JEWS ARE ALSOREDEEMED BY JESUS CHRIST.

READ ROM 10:1-3 ZEC 12:10 ZEC 13:1 ZEC 14:9

NATIONALLY THE JEWS STILL HAVE NOT COME TO CHRIST BUT WAIT FOR THE SECOND COMING.THEREFORE, WE SEE THE BOOK OF RUTH END IN CHAPTER 4 WITHOUT REDEMPTION FOR NAOMI.

READ RUTH 4:11-22 A PROPHETIC BLESSING

THE PEOPLE OF BETHLEHEM WERE WITNESSES OF BOAZ’S REDEMPTION PROMISE.(11)

“THE LORD MAKE THE WOMAN (RUTH)…LIKE RACHEL AND LEAH…AND BE FAMOUS INBETHLEHEM.”

RACHAEL AND LEAH WERE THE 2 WIVES OF JACOB. IT WAS THROUGH THESE TWO WOMEN AND THEIRMAIDS THAT WE HAVE THE 12 TRIBES OF ISRAEL. (GEN 29-30)

THE WORD “EPHRATHAH” MEANS = “FRUITFUL” AND IS SYNONYMOUS WITH THECITY OF BETHLEHEM.

THEREFORE, THE BLESSING IS THAT SHE WOULD HAVE MANY CHILDREN AND HER DESCENDANTS WOULDBE WELL KNOWN.

RUTH GAVE BIRTH TO A CHILD WHO APPEARS IN THE GENEALOGY OF JESUS CHRIST WITH DAVID.

“MAY YOUR HOUSE BE LIKE THE HOUSE OF PHAREZ, WHOM TAMAR BARE UNTO JUDAH.”(12)

ON THE SURFACE, THIS PHRASE DOES NOT SEEM LIKE A BLESSING BUT SEEMS MORE LIKE A CURSE.

JESUS CHRIST WAS SUPPOSED TO COME THROUGH THE TRIBE OF JUDAH. THEREFORE, A CHILD FROMJUDAH’S FIRSTBORN SON, ER, WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO THIS GENEALOGY. HOWEVER, BECAUSETHIS SON, ER, WAS EVIL, GOD CAUSED HIS DEATH WITHOUT GIVING TAMAR THAT IMPORTANT SON.BECAUSE OF THE LAW OF LEVIRATE MARRIAGE, TAMAR MARRIED THE NEXT SON. HE WOULD NOT GIVETAMAR THAT SON, SO GOD CAUSED HIS DEATH. JUDAH, HER FATHER-IN-LAW TOLD HER TO WAIT UNTILHIS NEXT SON WAS OLD ENOUGH TO MARRY. HOWEVER JUDAH WOULD NOT FULFILL HIS PROMISE.THEREFORE, TAMAR TRICKED JUDAH INTO THINKING SHE WAS A PROSTITUTE AND JUDAH CAUSED HER TOBE PREGNANT WITH TWINS. HER SON PHAREZ APPEARS IN THE GENEALOGY OF JESUS CHRIST AND HESETTLED IN BETHLEHEM (1CHR 2:5, 50-54).

TAMAR TOOK SERIOUSLY THE PURPOSE OF THE LEVIRATE MARRIAGE SO THAT GOD WOULD HAVE ABLOOD LINE FOR JESUS CHRIST. GOD WAS ANGRY WITH JUDAH AND HIS SONS WHO DID NOT TAKESERIOUSLY THEIR OBLIGATIONS.

THE FACT THAT TAMAR’S SON PHAREZ WAS ILLEGITIMATE CAUSED PROBLEMS IN THE BLOODLINE.

DEU 23:2 SAYS THAT AN ILLEGITIMATE SON CAUSES THE BLOOD LINE TO BE DISINHERITED FOR 10GENERATIONS.

DID YOU EVER WONDER WHY KING SAUL, ISRAEL’S FIRST KING, DID NOT COME FROM THETRIBE OF JUDAH BUT FROM THE TRIBE OF BENJAMIN?

KING SAUL WAS CHOSEN BECAUSE THE CURSE ON THE BLOODLINE OF JUDAH STILL REMAINED. WHENDAVID, FROM THE TRIBE OF JUDAH, BECAME KING, HE WAS THE FIRST GENERATION CLEAR OF THECURSE.

THE BOOK OF RUTH IS A PROPHECY THAT DAVID’S HOUSE WOULD AGAIN BE THE BLOOD LINE OFJESUS CHRIST. IN FACT, THE GENEALOGY AT THE END OF THIS BOOK IS THE ONLY SOURCE THAT LINKSDAVID TO THE TRIBE OF JUDAH.

IN OTHER WORDS, THE PROPHECY HAS A SUBTLE WARNING: RUTH AND BOAZ ARE TO TAKE SERIOUSLYTHEIR OBLIGATIONS TO CONTINUE THE BLOODLINE THAT WOULD RESULT IN JESUS CHRIST.

THE PROPHETIC BLESSING TO NAOMI (14-16):

AFTER THE BIRTH OF RUTH’S FIRST CHILD, OBED, THERE IS ANOTHER PROPHECY (14) BUTTHIS ONE IS GIVEN TO NAOMI AND IS VERY SIGNIFICANT.

THE PROPHECY IS THAT NAOMI HAS NOT BEEN LEFT WITHOUT A KINSMAN-REDEEMER AND THAT THENAME OF THIS REDEEMER WOULD BE FAMOUS IN ISRAEL.

OF COURSE THE FULFILLMENT OF THIS PROPHECY IS JESUS CHRIST WHO WILL BE THEKINSMAN-REDEEMER TO THE JEWS AT HIS SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.

THIS KINSMAN-REDEEMER WILL BE A RESTORER OF LIFE IN YOUR OLD AGE. (15)

IT IS JESUS CHRIST WHO PROMISES ETERNAL LIFE TO ALL WHO RECEIVE HIM AS THEIR REDEEMERAND ESPECIALLY TO THE JEWS AT THE END OF THE AGE.

THE CHILD, OBED, AND THE GENEALOGY (18-22)

OBED MEANS = SERVANT OR WORSHIPER

THIS CHILD WOULD BE A SERVANT TO NAOMI, AND HE WOULD WORSHIP GOD. THIS CHILD WOULD BE ARESTORER OF LIFE TO NAOMI WHOSE FAMILY HAD DIED IN MOAB. THIS CHILD WOULD BE THEGRANDFATHER OF KING DAVID.

THE MOABITES WERE NOT SUPPOSED TO ENTER THE CONGREGATION OF THE LORD TO THE TENTHGENERATION (DEU 23:3), BUT THE BOOK OF RUTH ENDS WITH A 10 GENERATION GENEALOGY THAT ENDSWITH DAVID.

WITH THE DISQUALIFICATION OF A KING FROM THE LINE OF JUDAH BECAUSE OF TAMAR FOR 10GENERATIONS, AND THE DISQUALIFICATION OF A MOABITE IN THE CONGREGATION OF THE LORD FOR 10GENERATIONS, WE SEE THAT GOD’S TIMING IS PERFECT WHEN DAVID IS MADE KING OF ISRAEL.

EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE DISCUSSED THE WHOLE BOOK OF RUTH, WE HAVE NOT FINISHED WITH IT.THERE ARE STILL SOME VERY IMPORTANT POINTS TO DISCUSS THAT WE WILL CONSIDER IN OUR NEXTLESSON.

HOMEWORK

RUTH–CONCLUSION

THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.

APPLICATION OF RUTH 4:11-22

HOW DOES THE WORKING OF THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD THAT WE SEE IN THE BOOK OF RUTHENCOURAGE YOU IN YOUR LIFE TODAY?

PREPARATION FOR RUTH–CONCLUSION

THINK ABOUT THE STORY OF RUTH.

IN WHAT WAYS DOES RUTH’S ACTIONS TELL US HOW TO HAVE A CLOSE PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPWITH JESUS CHRIST?

MEMORY VERSE: EPH 3:19