A Lamp Unto My Feet Bible Study Website
RETURN TO SYLLABUS
RUTH, A LOVE STORY
LESSON #1
INTRODUCTION
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
WHEN:
OUR STORY BEGINS DURING THE TIME OF THE JUDGES IN ISRAELS HISTORY (DURING THEBOOK OF JUDGES). THE ISRAELITES HAD COME OUT OF SLAVERY IN EGYPT WITH MOSES, WANDERED INTHE WILDERNESS FOR A GENERATION, ENTERED THE PROMISE LAND AND CONQUERED IT WITH JOSHUA. ASTHEY SETTLED DOWN IN THEIR NEW LAND, JUDGES RULED OVER DIFFERENT REGIONS OF THE LAND.THESE JUDGES MADE GOVERNMENTAL DECISIONS AND SETTLED DISPUTES ACCORDING TO THE MOSAIC LAW.HOWEVER, THIS WAS A TIME OF LAWLESSNESS (IN SOME WAYS SIMILAR TO THE AMERICAN “OLDWEST”). EVERYONE DID WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS RIGHT IN HIS OWN EYES. (JDG 21:25). THESEARE THE DARKEST YEARS IN THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL. ISRAEL WAS NOT A UNIFIED NATION BUTREGIONS OF SEPARATE TRIBES EACH CONTROLLED BY JUDGES. SPIRITUALLY IT WAS A TIME WHENPEOPLE FOLLOWED GOD FOR AWHILE, THEN GRADUALLY FORGOT ABOUT GOD AND FELL INTO APOSTASY,IMMORALITY, AND IDOLATRY. FOREIGN ENEMIES WOULD COME AND ATTACK THEM. THEN THEY WOULD CRYOUT TO GOD FOR HELP. GOD WOULD HELP THEM, BUT THE PEOPLE WERE FICKLE, AND THE CYCLE WOULDBEGIN AGAIN. IN THE BOOK OF JUDGES, THAT CYCLE OF FORGETTING GOD, CRYING TO GOD FOR HELPIN TROUBLE, AND THEN AGAIN FORGETTING GOD IS REPEATED SEVEN TIMES. DO YOU KNOW PEOPLE LIKETHAT?
THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO ONLY WANT GOD IN THEIR LIVES WHEN THEY ARE IN TROUBLE AND NEEDHELP. SOME CHRISTIANS ARE ONLY “FAIR WEATHER” CHRISTIANS WHILE OTHER CHRISTIANSARE ONLY “FOUL WEATHER” CHRISTIANS. THESE PEOPLE WERE “FOUL WEATHER”CHRISTIANS.
GOD WANTS US TO BE FAITHFUL TO HIM IN BOTH “FAIR” WEATHER AND”FOUL” WEATHER.
WHO:
THE BOOK OF RUTH IS ABOUT A YOUNG FOREIGN GIRL WHO PROBABLY LIVED AT THE SAME TIME ASTHE JUDGE GIDEON
(JDG 6:11-16). HOWEVER, RUTH LIVED IN THE COUNTRY OF MOAB. THE MOABITES WEREDESCENDANTS OF LOT AND ONE OF HIS DAUGHTERS. (GEN 19:36-37) THE MOABITES WERE CONSTANTENEMIES OF THE ISRAELITES THROUGH THE BOOK OF JUDGES AND DURING KING DAVIDS REIGN.ALSO, THE MOABITES WERE IDOLATERS. THEY WORSHIPED THE GOD CHEMOSH, WHO REQUIRED CHILDSACRIFICE.
WHERE:
OUR LOVE STORY BEGINS IN THE COUNTRY OF MOAB, SITUATED ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE DEAD SEANEXT TO ISRAEL.
WRITTEN BY:
THE AUTHOR IS UNKNOWN. THE JEWS BELIEVE IT WAS SAMUEL. HOWEVER, EZRA AND KING HEZEKIAHARE SOMETIMES ALSO SUGGESTED AS THE AUTHOR.
THE MAJOR PROBLEM WITH BELIEVING IT WAS SAMUEL IS THAT SAMUEL DIED BEFORE DAVIDACTUALLY BECAME KING. IT IS POSSIBLE, BUT NOT LIKELY THAT HE WOULD WRITE OF RUTHSSON, OBED, BEING DAVIDS GRANDFATHER (4:17,22)
WRITTEN TO:
IT WAS WRITTEN TO THE JEWS PERHAPS TO SUBSTANTIATE DAVIDS GENEALOGY FROM THETRIBE OF JUDAH AND HIS RIGHT TO THE THRONE.
THE ORTHODOX JEWS READ FROM THIS BOOK EVERY YEAR DURING THE HOLIDAY OF THE FEAST OFPENTECOST. THE FEAST HONORS THE GIVING OF THE MOSAIC LAW ON MT. SINAI TO MOSES. IT ISCELEBRATED DURING HARVEST TIME AND THE OFFERING OF FIRST FRUITS OF THE HARVEST (EXO23:16). RUTH WAS BETROTHED TO BOAZ DURING THIS FESTIVAL.
DATE:
IT WAS PROBABLY WRITTEN DURING THE TIME DAVID WAS ANOINTED TO BE KING BY SAMUEL BEFORETHE DEATH OF KING SAUL; PRIOR TO 1010 BC WHEN DAVID ACTUALLY BEGAN TO RULE AS KING. OTHERSSAY IT WAS WRITTEN AS LATE AS 950 BC.
PURPOSE AND THEMES:
PURPOSE:
WHILE GOD IS NOT OFTEN MENTIONED IN THE BOOK OF RUTH, YOU ARE CONSTANTLY AWARE OF HISGUIDING PRESENCE. THEREFORE, ONE PURPOSE OF THE BOOK IS TO SEE GOD WORKING IN THE EVERYDAY LIVES OF INSIGNIFICANT PEOPLE. GOD ACHIEVES HIS PURPOSE THROUGH THE FAITHFULNESS OFPEOPLE.
THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS TO READ AND STUDY THIS BOOK.
1. YOU CAN READ AND STUDY ISRAELS CUSTOMS BY LOOKING AT THE BOOK AS A PAGE OUT OFISRAELS HISTORY.
2. YOU CAN READ IT AS A BEAUTIFUL LOVE STORY.
3. YOU CAN STUDY IT AS AN ALLEGORY WITH AN IMPORTANT STORY OF CHRIST AND HIS BRIDE, THECHURCH, BEHIND THE LOVE STORY OF RUTH.
4. YOU CAN STUDY IT IN LIGHT OF ESTABLISHING A LOVE RELATIONSHIP:
A. BETWEEN A MAN AND A WOMAN
B. BETWEEN FAMILY MEMBERS
C. BETWEEN CHRIST AND THE CHURCH
D. BETWEEN CHRIST AND THE CHRISTIAN
5. YOU CAN STUDY IT THEOLOGICALLY FROM THE STANDPOINT OF BOAZ, A PREFIGURE OF JESUSCHRIST, OUR REDEEMER.
6. YOU CAN STUDY THE PROPHETIC ASPECTS.
WE ARE GOING TO STUDY THE BOOK FROM ALL THE ABOVE PERSPECTIVES. THEREFORE, OURMAIN PURPOSE IS TO FULLY UNDERSTAND THE BOOK IN ALL ITS VARIED ASPECTS.
THEMES:
THERE ARE 2 MAJOR THEMES IN THE BOOK:
1. ESTABLISHING A LOVE RELATIONSHIP.
2. THE DEMONSTRATION OF WHAT IT MEANS TO HAVE A KINSMAN-REDEEMER.
THESE 2 THEMES HAVE THE SAME UNDERLYING CHARACTERISTIC: FAITHFULNESS–HUMAN AND DIVINEFAITHFULNESS.
KEY WORDS:
REDEEM
REDEEMER
REDEMPTION
KINSMAN-REDEEMER
SOME FORM OF THE WORD REDEEM IS USED 20 TIMES IN THIS BOOK
MAKING IT A VERY IMPORTANT CONCEPT AND THE BASIS OF OUR MAIN THEME.
KINDNESS (hesed) = LOYALTY
OUTLINE:
I IN THE LAND OF MOAB (CHAPTER 1)
A. TRAGEDY AND EMPTINESS (1:1-5)
B. SEEKING A HOME BY FAITH (1:6-22)
II IN THE FIELDS OF BOAZ (CHAPTER 2)
A. SEEKING PROVISIONS (2:1-3)
B. GODS PROVIDENCE (2:4-17)
C. THANKFUL EXPRESSION OF JOY (2:18-23)
III ON THE THRESHING FLOOR OF BOAZ (CHAPTER 3)
A. SEEKING A PLAN FOR REDEEMING LOVE (3:1-5)
B. A CLAIM FOR REDEMPTION (3:6-9)
C. A PLEDGE OF REDEMPTION (3:10-15)
D. ANTICIPATION OF REDEMPTION (3:16-18)
IV IN THE HEART AND HOME OF BOAZ (CHAPTER 4)
A. RECEIVING THE REWARDS OF AN ACCOMPLISHED REDEMPTION (4:1-13)
B. THE GENEALOGY OF AN ULTIMATE REDEMPTION (4:14-21)
SOURCES:
RUTH: THROUGH THE BIBLE COMMENTARY SERIES BY J. VERNON MC GEE.
THE BIBLE KNOWLEDGE COMMENTARY BY DALLAS SEMINARY FACULTY; JOHN F. WALVOORD AND ROYB. ZUCK, EDITORS.
THE ROMANCE OF REDEMPTION (TAPE) BY CHUCK MISSLER.
SHEPHERDS NOTES: RUTH, ESTHER BY DAVID SHEPHERD
COURAGE AND SUBMISSION BY STANLEY COLLINS.
MISC. NOTES
HOMEWORK
RUTH 1:1-10
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.
PREPARATION FOR RUTH 1:1-10
READ RUTH 1:1-10
LOOK AT THE NAMES MENTIONED IN THESE FIVE VERSES AND CONSIDER THEIR MEANINGS:
ELIMELECH, A JEW = “MY GOD IS KING” OR “GOD IS MY KING”
NAOMI, A JEW = “PLEASANT” OR “MY JOY”
MAHLON, A JEW = “UNHEALTHY” OR “SICKLY”
CHILION, A JEW = “PUNY”, WASTING” OR “PINING”
ORPAH, A MOABITE = “A FAWN, YOUTHFUL FRESHNESS” OR “BACK OF THENECK”
RUTH, A MOABITE = “FRIENDSHIP” OR “COMPANION”
BECAUSE NAMES IN THE BIBLE ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO TELL US ABOUT CHARACTER, AND USINGWHAT YOU ALREADY KNOW ABOUT ISRAELS HISTORY IN THIS TIME PERIOD, HOW WOULD YOUDESCRIBE THE CHARACTER OF ELIMELECHS FAMILY?
WHAT DO YOU THINK WAS ELIMELECHS PERSONAL LEVEL OF FAITH?
HOW DO YOU KNOW?
WHAT DO YOU THINK WAS NAOMIS LEVEL OF FAITH? HOW DO YOU KNOW?
WHAT WAS THE RELATIONSHIP LIKE BETWEEN NAOMI AND ELIMELECH?
WHAT EXAMPLES OF FAITHFULNESS DO YOU SEE IN THESE VERSES?
MEMORY VERSE: PSALMS 62:8
