Rut Lesson 7

RUTH
LESSON #7

MEMORY VERSE: JOHN 1:12

CHAPTER 3 IN THE BOOK OF RUTH IS FREQUENTLY MISUNDERSTOOD USUALLY BECAUSE WE VIEW ITFROM THE POSITION OF OUR OWN MODERN CULTURE. HOPEFULLY, THIS LESSON WILL GET YOU TO VIEWIT FROM THE JEWISH CULTURE OF THAT TIME.

CHAPTER 2 OCCURRED IN THE SPRING AROUND THE TIME OF PASSOVER. HOWEVER CHAPTER 3 OCCURS50 DAYS LATER DURING THE TIME OF THE WHEAT HARVEST AND THE JEWISH FESTIVAL OF PENTECOST.

THE NEW TESTAMENT DAY OF PENTECOST IN ACTS 2 (WHEN GOD SENT THE HOLY SPIRIT TO LIVEINSIDE OF US), OCCURRED AT THE SAME TIME AS THE JEWISH FESTIVAL OF PENTECOST. THE WORDPENTECOST MEANS = 50 DAYS AND WAS ALWAYS CELEBRATED 50 DAYS AFTER THE PASSOVER.

READ RUTH 3:1-5 PREPARATION FOR THE MIDNIGHT MEETING

WE HAVE DISCUSSED THE JEWISH LEVIRATE MARRIAGE PRACTICE WHERE THE BROTHER-IN-LAW WASOBLIGATED TO MARRY THE WIDOW OF HIS BROTHER.

WE HAVE DISCUSSED THE OBLIGATIONS OF THE KINSMAN-REDEEMER TO REDEEM, OR BUY BACK, THELOST LAND OF HIS CLOSE RELATIVE AND TO MARRY THE WIDOW.

HOWEVER, WE HAVE NOT DISCUSSED JUST WHO BORE THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR INITIATING THISREDEMPTION.

IN OUR SOCIETY, IT IS THE MAN WHO USUALLY ASKS THE WOMAN TO MARRY HIM.

IN JEWISH SOCIETY, IT WAS THE WIDOW WHO WAS TO MAKE THE REQUEST THAT THEKINSMAN-REDEEMER FULFILL HIS OBLIGATIONS. IF A WIDOW DID NOT MAKE THE REQUEST, THEKINSMAN HAD NO OBLIGATION. REDEMPTION OF LAND AND THE RIGHT TO MARRY THE NEXT OF KIN WASTOTALLY IN THE HANDS OF THE WOMAN. EVEN IF A KINSMAN HAD A GREAT DESIRE TO FULFILL THESEOBLIGATIONS, HE COULD NOT UNLESS THE WIDOW REQUESTED IT. THIS JEWISH LAW, ESTABLISHED BYGOD, GIVES THE WOMAN A POSITION OF POWER AND AUTHORITY, WHY?

IT IS GOD’S PROTECTION FOR WOMEN AND THE FAMILY.

IN JEWISH CULTURE, THE FAMILY AND THE CONTINUATION OF THE FAMILY WERE THE MOSTIMPORTANT ASPECTS OF SOCIETY. INHERITANCE OF THE PROMISE LAND WAS TAKEN VERY SERIOUSLY.THE LAND MUST REMAIN WITHIN THE FAMILY AND THE TRIBE TO WHOM IT WAS ORIGINALLY GIVEN BYGOD. THE CONTINUATION OF THE FAMILY NAME AND THE POSSESSION OF THE LAND WERE THE STRENGTHOF EACH JEWISH TRIBE. IT WAS THROUGH WOMEN THAT THE FUTURE WAS SECURE IN THESE RESPECTS.THEREFORE, IT IS THE WOMAN WHO HAD THE GREATEST RESPONSIBILITY TO SEE THAT THE FAMILYCONTINUE.

DURING THE TIME BETWEEN CHAPTER 2 AND CHAPTER 3 OF THE BOOK OF RUTH, WE DO NOT SEE RUTHMAKING ANY REQUEST OR CLAIM ON BOAZ, EVEN THOUGH SHE LEGALLY HAD THE RIGHT TO DO SO. BOAZIS OBVIOUSLY INTERESTED IN RUTH, BUT HE CAN DO NOTHING. THEREFORE, IN CHAPTER 3, NAOMIINSTRUCTS RUTH HOW TO MAKE THE CLAIM.

THE JEWISH CUSTOMS ON THE THRESHING FLOOR:

THE THRESHING FLOOR WAS A FLAT, CIRCULAR, HARD, CLAY SURFACE ON THE TOP OF A HILLSURROUNDED BY ROCKS. AFTER THE GRAIN WAS CUT, THEY TOOK IT TO THE THRESHING FLOOR. OXENDRAWING A SLED TRAMPLED THE GRAIN. EVERY AFTERNOON THE WIND BLEW UNTIL EVENING OR LATER.WORKERS TOSSED THE GRAIN IN THE AIR WITH A TOOL. THE GOOD GRAIN FELL ON THE THRESHINGFLOOR AND THE CHAFF BLEW AWAY. THEY CONTINUED TO DO THIS UNTIL THE WIND STOPPED. THEN THEYCELEBRATED THE RELIGIOUS FESTIVAL SINGING PSALMS AND THANKING GOD FOR THE HARVEST. ALL THEFAMILIES CAME TO THE THRESHING FLOOR FOR THAT CELEBRATION. AFTER THE CELEBRATION, THE MENREMAINED AT THE THRESHING FLOOR TO PREVENT THEFT OF THE HARVESTED GRAIN. THEY SLEPT IN ACIRCLE AROUND THE GRAIN WITH THEIR HEADS TOWARD THE GRAIN. THIS IS THE SCENE WE SEE INCHAPTER 3.

RUTH’S PREPARATIONS FOR THE CELEBRATION:

NAOMI IS DISAPPOINTED THAT RUTH HAS NOT MADE ANY CLAIM ON BOAZ. THEREFORE, AS A GOODJEWISH MOTHER-IN-LAW, SHE TAKES CONTROL OF THE SITUATION. SINCE ALL MARRIAGES WEREARRANGED BY PARENTS IN THOSE DAYS, THIS IS NOT UNUSUAL. IN VERSE 1 NAOMI SAYS,”…SHALL I NOT SEEK REST FOR THEE”. IN OTHER WORDS SHE IS TELLING RUTH HOW TOCLAIM BOAZ AS HER KINSMAN-REDEEMER.

THE WORD “REST” IN THIS CONTEXT MEANS = WELL BEING IN MARRIAGE (SEE RUTH1:9).

RUTH IS A FOREIGNER. SHE IS MODEST AND DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO MAKE THE CLAIM ON BOAZ. HEIS AN IMPORTANT, WEALTHY MAN, AND HE IS MUCH OLDER THAN RUTH.

TO PREPARE FOR THE CELEBRATION, THERE ARE FOUR THINGS NAOMI TELLS RUTH TO DO:

1. SHE MUST WASH HERSELF.

2. SHE MUST ANOINT HERSELF.

3. SHE MUST CHANGE HER CLOTHES FROM WIDOWS CLOTHES TO NEW CLOTHES.

4. SHE MUST WAIT UNTIL AFTER THE CELEBRATION TO MAKE HER CLAIM. (4)

VERSE 4 MAY SEEM TO US TO BE AN IMPROPER ACTION BUT YOU MUST REMEMBER THAT THETHRESHING FLOOR IS A PUBLIC PLACE AND BOAZ IS NOT ALONE. NAOMI WOULD NOT TELL RUTH TO DOSOMETHING IMMORAL.

SHE MUST PUT HER FEET NEXT TO HIS FEET PULLING THE HEM OF HIS CLOAK OVER HER FEET.

THE HEM OF THE GARMENT IS VERY SIGNIFICANT. THE HEM OF THE GARMENT CONTAINED AMAN’S SEAL OR LEGAL STAMP OF AUTHORITY WITH WHICH HE SIGNED LEGAL DOCUMENTS. HE WOULDPRESS THE HEM OF HIS GARMENT IN SOFT WAX TO MAKE THE IMPRESSION OF HIS SEAL. A MAN COULDDIVORCE A WIFE BY CUTTING OFF THE HEM OF HER ROBE. REMEMBER DAVID REMOVED THE HEM OFSAUL’S ROBE IN 1SAMUEL 24 INDICATING THAT HE CUT OFF HIS AUTHORITY AND IDENTITY.REMEMBER THAT A WOMAN TOUCHED THE HEM OF JESUS’ ROBE FOR HEALING IN MAT 14:36.

THEREFORE, RUTH IS MAKING A LEGAL CLAIM. TO MAKE THIS CLAIM, RUTH MUST PUT HERSELFUNDER THE LEGAL AUTHORITY OF BOAZ (UNDER THE HEM OF HIS GARMENT) AND IN SUBMISSION TO HIM(AT HIS FEET).

YOU CAN SEE THAT VERSE 4 REFERS TO A VERY SYMBOLIC ACTION WITH LEGAL CONSEQUENCES. (EZE16:8)

THERE ARE SPIRITUAL PARALLELS IN THESE 4 ACTIONS REQUIRED OF RUTH.

HOW DO THESE 4 THINGS RELATE TO THE CHRISTIAN AND HIS RELATIONSHIP TO CHRIST?

1. WASH (2COR 7:1)

2. ANOINT (1JOHN 2:20,27)

3. CHANGE GARMENTS (ISAIAH 61:10)

4. MAKE A CLAIM (ROM 10:9-11 GAL 4:4-5)

APPLICATION:

RUTH SUBMITTED TO NAOMI’S INSTRUCTIONS. SHE AGREED TO MAKE THE CLAIM EXACTLY ASNAOMI TOLD HER.

AS BELIEVERS IN JESUS CHRIST, WE MUST CLAIM JESUS PERSONALLY AS OUR LORD ANDSAVIOR. IT IS USUALLY SOMEONE ELSE WHO TELLS US HOW TO DO THAT (SOMEONE LIKE NAOMI). WEMUST REMEMBER THAT SALVATION IS NOT AUTOMATIC. YES, JESUS CHRIST DIED FOR ALL SINNERS(THAT’S ALL PEOPLE), BUT ALL PEOPLE DO NOT HAVE ETERNAL SALVATION. WE ARE NOT ALLREDEEMED BY OUR KINSMAN-REDEEMER, JESUS CHRIST. ONLY THOSE WHO PERSONALLY CLAIM JESUS ASTHEIR SAVIOR HAVE BEEN REDEEMED.

RUTH WAS NOT REDEEMED BY BOAZ UNTIL SHE CLAIMED HIM PUBLICALLY. BOAZ HAD DONEEVERYTHING HE COULD FOR RUTH, BUT HE COULD NOT CLAIM HER.

IN THE SAME WAY, WE NEED TO CLAIM JESUS. JESUS DID EVERYTHING HE COULD FOR US WHEN HEDIED PUBLICALLY, BUT HE CANNOT AUTOMATICALLY CLAIM US BECAUSE THAT WOULD VIOLATEGOD’S PRECIOUS GIFT OF FREEWILL. WE MUST CLAIM HIM BY SUBMITTING OURSELVES TO HISAUTHORITY. NOTICE THAT RUTH CLAIMED BOAZ PUBLICALLY. WE MUST CLAIM JESUS PUBLICALLY.

HOW DO WE CLAIM JESUS PUBLICALLY?

1. BY TELLING OTHERS HE IS OUR SAVIOR.

2. BY PUBLIC BAPTISM.

IF YOU WANT A CLOSER RELATIONSHIP TO THE LORD, YOU MUST DO THESE SAME 4 ACTIONS:

YOU MAY BE LIKE RUTH WHO RECEIVED JEHOVAH AS HER GOD IN CHAPTER 1. YOU MAY HAVE SEENGOD PROVIDE FOR YOU AND GUIDE YOU AS HE DID FOR RUTH IN CHAPTER 2.

BUT YOU MAY NEVER HAVE CLAIMED HIM PUBLICALLY. IN OTHER WORDS, YOU MAY HAVE REMAINED A”CLOSET CHRISTIAN” AND WONDERED WHY GOD HAS NEVER SEEMED VERY CLOSE AND PERSONALTO YOU. PRAY ABOUT MAKING A PUBLIC CLAIM OR PUBLIC PROFESSION OF YOUR FAITH!!