Ruth Works in Boaz’s Fields

Things are getting better for Naomi and Ruth.

Naomi is recognizing God’s kindness in the life of her family.

Ruth 2:17-23 NLT
Ruth Works in Boaz’s Fieldsbr¹⁷ So Ruth gathered barley there all day, and when she beat out the grain that evening, it filled an entire basket. ¹⁸ She carried it back into town and showed it to her mother-in-law. Ruth also gave her the roasted grain that was left over from her meal.
¹⁹ “Where did you gather all this grain today?” Naomi asked. “Where did you work? May the Lord bless the one who helped you!”
So Ruth told her mother-in-law about the man in whose field she had worked. She said, “The man I worked with today is named Boaz.”
²⁰ “May the Lord bless him!” Naomi told her daughter-in-law. “He is showing his kindness to us as well as to your dead husband. That man is one of our closest relatives, one of our family redeemers.”
²¹ Then Ruth said, “What’s more, Boaz even told me to come back and stay with his harvesters until the entire harvest is completed.”
²² “Good!” Naomi exclaimed. “Do as he said, my daughter. Stay with his young women right through the whole harvest. You might be harassed in other fields, but you’ll be safe with him.”
²³ So Ruth worked alongside the women in Boaz’s fields and gathered grain with them until the end of the barley harvest. Then she continued working with them through the wheat harvest in early summer. And all the while she lived with her mother-in-law.

Examine the Scriptures

Ruth Works in Boaz’s Fields
Ruth 2:17-23 NLT
¹⁷ So Ruth gathered barley there all day, and when she beat out the grain that evening, it filled an entire basket. ¹⁸ She carried it back into town and showed it to her mother-in-law. Ruth also gave her the roasted grain that was left over from her meal.

Repeated from the last lesson.

• • • Ruth worked all day and into the evening.

• • • Ruth made sure Naomi’s needs were being met.

¹⁹ “Where did you gather all this grain today?” Naomi asked. “Where did you work? 

• Naomi knew Ruth could not have gleaned an entire basket of grain in one day under normal conditions. 

May the Lord bless the one who helped you!”

• Naomi prayed a blessing on the person who had been so generous to Ruth before she knew who he was. 

So Ruth told her mother-in-law about the man in whose field she had worked. She said, “The man I worked with today is named Boaz.”

• Ruth told her mother-in-law that she had worked in the field of Boaz.

²⁰ “May the Lord bless him!” Naomi told her daughter-in-law.

• Naomi repeated her blessing on Boaz.

“He (God) is showing his kindness to us as well as to your dead husband. 

• At the end of chapter one, Naomi saw nothing ahead but the loneliness, abandonment, and helplessness of widowhood.

^1:13 … Things are far more bitter for me than for you, (Naomi’s comment to her two daughters-in-law.)

• • • • Naomi felt like her situation was “far more bitter” than Orpah’s or Ruth’s situation.

^{1:13 continued} because the Lord himself has raised his fist against me.” 

• • • Naomi believed that the Lord had caused her to suffer and the Almighty had sent tragedy upon her. 

^1:20 “Don’t call me Naomi,” she responded. “Instead, call me Mara, for the Almighty has made life very bitter for me. ²¹ I went away full, but the Lord has brought me home empty. Why call me Naomi when the Lord has caused me to suffer and the Almighty has sent such tragedy upon me?”

• • • Naomi was sure her problems were all God’s fault.

• • • Naomi was feeling “empty” and depressed.

• • • Naomi saw nothing ahead but the loneliness, abandonment, and helplessness of widowhood.

Naomi now sees hope for a better future.

• Naomi was now beginning to feel God’s kindness on her family.

Note: Our relationship with God should not be based on “feelings”.

That man is one of our closest relatives, one of our family redeemers.” 

Naomi saw the potential for good to come from this situation.

• This situation combines two Israelite customs. “That man is one of our closest relatives, one of our family redeemers.”

One of our closest relatives
and
One of our family redeemers.

The Family Redeemer

In the book of Ruth, the phrase “family redeemer” has a specific, technical meaning. Elsewhere, the underlying Hebrew term go’el is translated “nearest relative”.

According to the law, family redeemers had three main responsibilities in Israel:

1. 1. 1. Leviticus 25:23-34 stipulates that if an Israelite became so poor that he had to sell his land, a family member was to pay off the debt so the land would remain in the family. If no relative could purchase the land and the seller was unable to buy it back, the land still reverted to the seller or his heirs in the jubilee (fiftieth) Year. Two examples of family redeemers buying land for their relatives are Boaz (4:1-12) and Jeremiah (Jer32:6-15).

1. 1. 2. Similarly, if an Israelite became so poor he had to sell himself into debt-slavery, a family
         redeemer was to buy his relative from service to a non-relative (Lev 25:35-55). The poor Israelite would pay off his debt by working for his relative, who could be expected to treat him better than a stranger would.

1. 1. 3. The family redeemer was to pursue justice for an Israelite killed by another’s hand, under conditions described in Numbers 35:9-34.

The concept of the family redeemer reminds us that God is the true owner of all things,
and he commands us to love our neighbor as ourselves. The NT presents Jesus as the perfect family redeemer, buying us from slavery to sin and death.

Source: NLT Study Bible-Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

Close relative.

Boaz was a close relative, but more than that he was a kinsman-redeemer of property and persons.  He could act as a levir, a Latin term for brother-in-law.  Boaz could redeem by fulfilling the levirate law, which required a brother of a deceased man to marry his widow and raise a son to his name (Deuteronomy 25:5-10).

Ruth had more good news. 

²¹ Then Ruth said, “What’s more, Boaz even told me to come back and stay with his harvesters until the entire harvest is completed.”

• God’s timing: Ruth and Naomi arrived in Bethlehem at the time when work was available for Ruth.

²² “Good!” Naomi exclaimed. “Do as he said, my daughter. Stay with his young women right through the whole harvest.

Naomi is excited.

• Naomi wants to make the best of this opportunity.

Naomi doesn’t want Ruth to minimize the chance of a good thing that is coming her way. 

You might be harassed in other fields, but you’ll be safe with him.” 

This most likely was not Naomi’s primary motive for Ruth to continue working in Boaz’s fields. 

²³ So Ruth worked alongside the women in Boaz’s fields and gathered grain with them until the end of the barley harvest. Then she continued working with them through the wheat harvest in early summer.

• Ruth continued working in Boaz’s fields through the wheat harvest in early summer.

This was about 2 months of labor.

And all the while she lived with her mother-in-law. 

To be continued.

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Ruth Meets Boaz

Boaz turns out to be a very special man with many outstanding character qualities.

Ruth 2:1-17 NLT
Ruth Meets Boaz
Ruth Works in Boaz’s Field
¹ Now there was a wealthy and influential man in Bethlehem named Boaz, who was a relative of Naomi’s husband, Elimelech.
² One day Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go out into the harvest fields to pick up the stalks of grain left behind by anyone who is kind enough to let me do it.”
Naomi replied, “All right, my daughter, go ahead.” ³ So Ruth went out to gather grain behind the harvesters. And as it happened, she found herself working in a field that belonged to Boaz, the relative of her father-in-law, Elimelech.
⁴ While she was there, Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters. “The Lord be with you!” he said.
“The Lord bless you!” the harvesters replied.
⁵ Then Boaz asked his foreman, “Who is that young woman over there? Who does she belong to?”
⁶ And the foreman replied, “She is the young woman from Moab who came back with Naomi. ⁷ She asked me this morning if she could gather grain behind the harvesters. She has been hard at work ever since, except for a few minutes’ rest in the shelter.”
⁸ Boaz went over and said to Ruth, “Listen, my daughter. Stay right here with us when you gather grain; don’t go to any other fields. Stay right behind the young women working in my field. ⁹ See which part of the field they are harvesting, and then follow them. I have warned the young men not to treat you roughly. And when you are thirsty, help yourself to the water they have drawn from the well.”
¹⁰ Ruth fell at his feet and thanked him warmly. “What have I done to deserve such kindness?” she asked. “I am only a foreigner.”
¹¹ “Yes, I know,” Boaz replied. “But I also know about everything you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband. I have heard how you left your father and mother and your own land to live here among complete strangers. ¹² May the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge, reward you fully for what you have done.”
¹³ “I hope I continue to please you, sir,” she replied. “You have comforted me by speaking so kindly to me, even though I am not one of your workers.”
¹⁴ At mealtime Boaz called to her, “Come over here, and help yourself to some food. You can dip your bread in the sour wine.” So she sat with his harvesters, and Boaz gave her some roasted grain to eat. She ate all she wanted and still had some left over.
¹⁵ When Ruth went back to work again, Boaz ordered his young men, “Let her gather grain right among the sheaves without stopping her. ¹⁶ And pull out some heads of barley from the bundles and drop them on purpose for her. Let her pick them up, and don’t give her a hard time!”
¹⁷ So Ruth gathered barley there all day, and when she beat out the grain that evening, it filled an entire basket. 

Examine the Scriptures

Ruth 2:1-17 NLT
Ruth Meets Boaz
Ruth Works in Boaz’s Field

¹ Now there was a wealthy and influential man in Bethlehem named Boaz, who was a relative of Naomi’s husband, Elimelech.

• Boaz was a wealthy and influential man.

Boaz was a relative of Naomi’s husband.

(Boaz was qualified to be a family redeemer for Naomi and Ruth.  This will be discussed in more detail in the next lesson.)

Boaz had a reputation for being both wealthy and influential.

The name Boaz means “in him is strength”

The Hebrew words describing Boaz means “a man of valor”

Boaz exhibited many outstanding character qualities.

• Boaz is listed in the genealogies of Jesus in Matthew and Luke.

Luke 3:32 NLT
³² David was the son of Jesse.
Jesse was the son of Obed.
Obed was the son of Boaz.
Boaz was the son of Salmon.
Salmon was the son of Nahshon.

Matthew 1:5 NLT
⁵ Salmon was the father of Boaz (whose mother was Rahab).
Boaz was the father of Obed (whose mother was Ruth).
Obed was the father of Jesse.

Since biblical genealogies sometimes skip generations, it’s possible that Rahab was Boaz’s grandmother or great-grandmother. 

² One day Ruth the Moabite

“the Moabite” a foreigner (more about this later)

said to Naomi, “Let me go out into the harvest fields to pick up the stalks of grain left behind by anyone who is kind enough to let me do it.”

• Ruth took the initiative to support herself and her mother-in-law.

• Apparently, Ruth knew the Mosaic Law.

Leviticus 19:9-10 NLT
⁹ “When you harvest the crops of your land, do not harvest the grain along the edges of your fields, and do not pick up what the harvesters drop. ¹⁰ It is the same with your grape crop—do not strip every last bunch of grapes from the vines, and do not pick up the grapes that fall to the ground. Leave them for the poor and the foreigners living among you. I am the Lord your God. 

Leviticus 23:22 NLT
²² “When you harvest the crops of your land, do not harvest the grain along the edges of your fields, and do not pick up what the harvesters drop. Leave it for the poor and the foreigners living among you. I am the Lord your God.” 

Deuteronomy 24:19-22 NLT
¹⁹ “When you are harvesting your crops and forget to bring in a bundle of grain from your field, don’t go back to get it. Leave it for the foreigners, orphans, and widows. Then the Lord your God will bless you in all you do. ²⁰ When you beat the olives from your olive trees, don’t go over the boughs twice. Leave the remaining olives for the foreigners, orphans, and widows. ²¹ When you gather the grapes in your vineyard, don’t glean the vines after they are picked. Leave the remaining grapes for the foreigners, orphans, and widows. ²² Remember that you were slaves in the land of Egypt. That is why I am giving you this command. 

This was a way that God used to provide food for the poor.

Ruth was aware of her options.

Two widows living by themselves. 

Naomi replied, “All right, my daughter, go ahead.” 

Naomi supported Ruth’s initiative. 

³ So Ruth went out to gather grain behind the harvesters. 

And as it happened, she found herself working in a field that belonged to Boaz, the relative of her father-in-law, Elimelech. 

“as it happened”

• The events in this story are not mere chance.

Two factors:

God’s providence was at work in Ruth’s life.

Ruth took the initiative to “get a job”.

• God works through ordinary choices to provide for those who trust Him.

Boaz, a relative of her father-in-law, is clearly God working in this occurrence.

The phrase “a relative” repeated here for the second time.

⁴ While she was there, Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters. “The Lord be with you!” he said.
“The Lord bless you!” the harvesters replied. 

Note Boaz’s relationship with his harvesters.

A blessing indicating that faith in God was active in the life of Boaz and the lives of his harvesters.

• Faith in God was active in the life of Boaz and the lives of his harvesters. 

⁵ Then Boaz asked his foreman, “Who is that young woman over there? Who does she belong to?”

Boaz noticed Ruth.

⁶ And the foreman replied, “She is the young woman from Moab who came back with Naomi. 

The foreman was informed. 

⁷ She asked me this morning if she could gather grain behind the harvesters.

• Ruth had asked for permission to work the fields.

She has been hard at work ever since, except for a few minutes’ rest in the shelter.”

• Ruth was a diligent worker.

2 Thessalonians 3:10 NLT
¹⁰ Even while we were with you, we gave you this command: “Those unwilling to work will not get to eat.” 

⁸ Boaz went over and said to Ruth, “Listen, my daughter.

Boaz: 45-52 years old.

• At this point in the story, Boaz treated Ruth as he would treat a daughter.

Ruth 3:10 NLT
¹⁰ “The Lord bless you, my daughter!” Boaz exclaimed. “You are showing even more family loyalty now than you did before, for you have not gone after a younger man, whether rich or poor.

Stay right here with us when you gather grain; don’t go to any other fields. Stay right behind the young women working in my field. ⁹ See which part of the field they are harvesting, and then follow them.

Boaz was kind to Ruth from the time he first met her.

Boaz invited Ruth to continue working in his fields.

This could mean 4 months of work harvesting both the barley and wheat crops. 

I have warned the young men not to treat you roughly.

Boaz protected Ruth from being mistreated by the young men.

And when you are thirsty, help yourself to the water they have drawn from the well.”

The special treatment continued.

Ruth would not have to draw her own water. (Which was often the case.) 

¹⁰ Ruth fell at his feet and thanked him warmly.

A common gesture of humility.

“What have I done to deserve such kindness?” she asked. “I am only a foreigner.” 

• Ruth was surprised by the favor or acceptance she was receiving from this important man since she was a foreigner and a stranger.

Deuteronomy 23:3-6 NLT
³ “No Ammonite or Moabite or any of their descendants for ten generations may be admitted to the assembly of the Lord. ⁴ These nations did not welcome you with food and water when you came out of Egypt. Instead, they hired Balaam son of Beor from Pethor in distant Aram-naharaim to curse you. ⁵ But the Lord your God refused to listen to Balaam. He turned the intended curse into a blessing because the Lord your God loves you. ⁶ As long as you live, you must never promote the welfare and prosperity of the Ammonites or Moabites.

She asked, “What have I done to deserve such kindness?”

Ruth was a recipient of grace and she was grateful.

• Ruth asked, “What have I done to deserve such kindness?”

¹¹ “Yes, I know,” Boaz replied. “But I also know about everything you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband. I have heard how you left your father and mother and your own land to live here among complete strangers.  

Boaz had heard about Ruth.

News travels fast in small towns.

• Initially, the special treatment from Boaz to Ruth was because of everything she had done for her mother-in-law Naomi.

¹² May the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge, reward you fully for what you have done.”

Somehow Boaz recognized that Ruth had come to the place in her life where she was truly trusting in God for all of her needs.

Boaz prayed that God would reward Ruth as repayment for the kindness she had displayed toward her mother-in-law.

Psalm 17:8 NLT David
⁸ Guard me as you would guard your own eyes.
Hide me in the shadow of your wings.

Psalm 36:7 NLT David
⁷     How precious is your unfailing love, O God!
All humanity finds shelter
in the shadow of your wings. 

Psalm 57:1 David
¹ Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy!
I look to you for protection.
I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings
until the danger passes by.

Psalm 61:4 NLT David
⁴ Let me live forever in your sanctuary,
safe beneath the shelter of your wings! 

Psalm 91:4 NLT (anonymous)
⁴ He will cover you with his feathers.
He will shelter you with his wings.
His faithful promises are your armor and protection.

Matthew 23:37 NLT
Jesus Grieves over Jerusalem
³⁷ “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me.

Soon Boaz would be used by God to answer his own prayer. 

¹³ “I hope I continue to please you, sir,” she replied. “You have comforted me by speaking so kindly to me, even though I am not one of your workers.”

• Ruth continued to respond in humility.

She mentioned her gratitude for his kind words.

¹⁴ At mealtime Boaz called to her, “Come over here, and help yourself to some food. You can dip your bread in the sour wine.” So she sat with his harvesters, and Boaz gave her some roasted grain to eat. She ate all she wanted and still had some left over.

• Boaz continued his kindness to Ruth.

He invited her to eat the food provided for himself and his harvesters.

This was very generous.

Generally, gleaners, like Ruth, had to fend for themselves.

It was very unusual for someone like Ruth to get some of the food that was intended for the harvesters. 

¹⁵ When Ruth went back to work again, Boaz ordered his young men, “Let her gather grain right among the sheaves without stopping her. ¹⁶ And pull out some heads of barley from the bundles and drop them on purpose for her. Let her pick them up, and don’t give her a hard time!”

• Boaz went far beyond what was required by the Mosaic Law.

He instructed his workers to deliberately drop handfuls of barley stalks for Ruth to gather. 

¹⁷ So Ruth gathered barley there all day, and when she beat out the grain that evening, it filled an entire basket. 

• Ruth worked all day and into the evening.

An entire basket was a lot of barley.

Commentators believe this would amount to about half a bushed, likely weighing about 30 to 40 pounds, and would be food for many days.  

¹⁸ She carried it back into town and showed it to her mother-in-law. Ruth also gave her the roasted grain that was left over from her meal.

• Ruth made sure Naomi’s needs were being met.

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Naomi and Ruth Return to Bethlehem

The famine in Judah is over.

Naomi and her daughters-in-law are getting ready to leave Moab to return to Naomi’s homeland.

Dialog is the primary device used by the author.  85 verses in the book of Ruth.  59 verses contain dialog.

Ruth 1:6-22 NLT
Naomi and Ruth Return to Bethlehem
⁶ Then Naomi heard in Moab that the Lord had blessed his people in Judah by giving them good crops again. So Naomi and her daughters-in-law got ready to leave Moab to return to her homeland. ⁷ With her two daughters-in-law she set out from the place where she had been living, and they took the road that would lead them back to Judah.
⁸ But on the way, Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back to your mothers’ homes. And may the Lord reward you for your kindness to your husbands and to me. ⁹ May the Lord bless you with the security of another marriage.” Then she kissed them good-bye, and they all broke down and wept.
¹⁰ “No,” they said. “We want to go with you to your people.”
¹¹ But Naomi replied, “Why should you go on with me? Can I still give birth to other sons who could grow up to be your husbands? ¹² No, my daughters, return to your parents’ homes, for I am too old to marry again. And even if it were possible, and I were to get married tonight and bear sons, then what? ¹³ Would you wait for them to grow up and refuse to marry someone else? No, of course not, my daughters! Things are far more bitter for me than for you, because the Lord himself has raised his fist against me.”
¹⁴ And again they wept together, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye. But Ruth clung tightly to Naomi. ¹⁵ “Look,” Naomi said to her, “your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods. You should do the same.”
¹⁶ But Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. ¹⁷ Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us!” ¹⁸ When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she said nothing more.
¹⁹ So the two of them continued on their journey. When they came to Bethlehem, the entire town was excited by their arrival. “Is it really Naomi?” the women asked.
²⁰ “Don’t call me Naomi,” she responded. “Instead, call me Mara, for the Almighty has made life very bitter for me. ²¹ I went away full, but the Lord has brought me home empty. Why call me Naomi when the Lord has caused me to suffer and the Almighty has sent such tragedy upon me?”
²² So Naomi returned from Moab, accompanied by her daughter-in-law Ruth, the young Moabite woman. They arrived in Bethlehem in late spring, at the beginning of the barley harvest.

Examine the Scriptures

Ruth 1:6-22 NLT
Naomi and Ruth Return to Bethlehem

⁶ Then Naomi heard in Moab that the Lord had blessed his people in Judah by giving them good crops again.

• The famine in Judah was over.

• The Lord blessed his people in Judah by giving them good crops again.

So Naomi and her daughters-in-law got ready to leave Moab to return to her homeland. 

Naomi was going home.  She was leaving Moab, an idolatrous land, and was going back to Judah, the land of promise.

60-75 miles away.
7-10 days of travel.

Naomi was reversing her direction and was going back home (like repentance).

• Naomi had good reasons to return to Bethlehem.
• Naomi had friends, family, and property in Bethlehem.

Friends:

Ruth 1:19 NLT
¹⁹ So the two of them continued on their journey. When they came to Bethlehem, the entire town was excited by their arrival. “Is it really Naomi?” the women asked.

Family:

Ruth 2:1 NLT
¹ Now there was a wealthy and influential man in Bethlehem named Boaz, who was a relative of Naomi’s husband, Elimelech.

Property:

Ruth 4:3 NLT
³ And Boaz said to the family redeemer, “You know Naomi, who came back from Moab. She is selling the land that belonged to our relative Elimelech.

⁷ With her two daughters-in-law she set out from the place where she had been living,

and they took the road that would lead them back to Judah. 

• Both of the daughters-in-law were loyal to their mother-in-law and were willing to move to Judah.

(Verse 10 “We want to go with you to your people.”) 

⁸ But on the way, Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back to your mothers’ homes.

• Naomi believed that she had to leave her daughters-in-law in Moab because she thought that would be best for them.

The prospects of a Moabite female remarrying in Israel would be slight.

• Ruth and Orpah had good reasons to remain in Moab. 

And may the Lord reward you for your kindness to your husbands and to me.

• Naomi blessed her two daughters-in-law.

Naomi viewed both Orpah and Ruth as kind individuals in light of the way they treated their husbands and her.

The three women had a good relationship with each other.

Since they had married Israelite men they were under God’s covenant. 

 ⁹ May the Lord bless you with the security of another marriage.”

Naomi asked that God would bless them with another husband.

At this point in time marriage was security for a woman.

• In the ancient Near East a woman without a husband, especially a widow, was very venerable.

It is clear that Naomi loved her two daughters-in-law and wanted what she thought was best for them. 

Then she kissed them good-bye, and they all broke down and wept. 

¹⁰ “No,” they said. “We want to go with you to your people.” 

¹¹ But Naomi replied, “Why should you go on with me? Can I still give birth to other sons who could grow up to be your husbands? 

Deuteronomy 25:5-10 NLT
⁵ “If two brothers are living together on the same property and one of them dies without a son, his widow may not be married to anyone from outside the family. Instead, her husband’s brother should marry her and have intercourse with her to fulfill the duties of a brother-in-law. ⁶ The first son she bears to him will be considered the son of the dead brother, so that his name will not be forgotten in Israel.

¹² No, my daughters, return to your parents’ homes, for I am too old to marry again. And even if it were possible, and I were to get married tonight and bear sons, then what? ¹³ Would you wait for them to grow up and refuse to marry someone else? No, of course not, my daughters! 

• Naomi knew that she was too old to provide her daughters-in-law with new husbands. (She was probably over 50.) 

Things are far more bitter for me than for you,

• Naomi felt like her situation was “far more bitter” than Orpah’s or Ruth’s situation.

because the Lord himself has raised his fist against me.” 

• Naomi believed that the Lord had caused her to suffer and the Almighty had sent tragedy upon her. 

Looking ahead to verses 20-21

²⁰ “Don’t call me Naomi,” she responded. “Instead, call me Mara, for the Almighty has made life very bitter for me. ²¹ I went away full, but the Lord has brought me home empty. Why call me Naomi when the Lord has caused me to suffer and the Almighty has sent such tragedy upon me?” 

¹⁴ And again they wept together, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye.

• Orpah did exactly what her mother-in-law asked her to do.

She does what makes sense from a human perspective.

Nothing more is said about Orpah in the book of Ruth.

But Ruth clung tightly to Naomi.  

An expression of loyalty and devotion. 

¹⁵ “Look,” Naomi said to her, “your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods. You should do the same.” 

This does not seem to be the best advice she could have given.

¹⁶ But Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back.

• Three times Naomi had encouraged Ruth to return to her people.

Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. ¹⁷ Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us!” 

• Ruth chose life with Naomi over her family, her national identity, and her religious idolatry.

Ruth chooses a path that doesn’t make sense humanly speaking, and God will honor her for her loyalty to him and to her mother-in-law.

Ruth chose the people of Israel (your people) and the God of Israel (your God).

• Ruth was making a complete break from her past despite Naomi’s encouragement to do otherwise.

Ruth’s commitment was for life.

Ruth invoked judgment from Israel’s God if she were to break her commitment of loyalty to her mother-in-law.

• Ruth was turning away from idols to serve the living and true God.

¹⁸ When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she said nothing more.

¹⁹ So the two of them continued on their journey. When they came to Bethlehem, the entire town was excited by their arrival. “Is it really Naomi?” the women asked.

• Many changes had taken place in Naomi’s life from the time she left Bethlehem until the time she returned home.

²⁰ “Don’t call me Naomi,” she responded. “Instead, call me Mara, for the Almighty has made life very bitter for me. ²¹ I went away full, but the Lord has brought me home empty. Why call me Naomi when the Lord has caused me to suffer and the Almighty has sent such tragedy upon me?”

Naomi’s grief and depression (verse 13) continued.

Instead of being called Naomi (sweetness or pleasantness) she wanted to be called Mara (bitterness).

• Naomi was sure her problems were all God’s fault.

Naomi was feeling “empty” and depressed.

• Naomi saw nothing ahead but the loneliness, abandonment, and helplessness of widowhood.

²² So Naomi returned from Moab, accompanied by her daughter-in-law Ruth, the young Moabite woman. They arrived in Bethlehem in late spring, at the beginning of the barley harvest.

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Introduction:

The Book of Ruth

Introduction to the Book of Ruth

Elimelech Moves His Family to Moab

Author unknown (possibly Samuel)

The date of the writing is uncertain (shortly before or during David’s reign.)

The book is named for a Gentile woman. (Ruth and Esther are the only two books in the Bible named for women.

Today’s lesson:

Ruth 1:1-5 NLT
Elimelech Moves His Family to Moab
¹ In the days when the judges ruled in Israel, a severe famine came upon the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah left his home and went to live in the country of Moab, taking his wife and two sons with him. ² The man’s name was Elimelech, and his wife was Naomi. Their two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in the land of Judah. And when they reached Moab, they settled there.
³ Then Elimelech died, and Naomi was left with her two sons. ⁴ The two sons married Moabite women. One married a woman named Orpah (or pa), and the other a woman named Ruth. But about ten years later, ⁵ both Mahlon and Kilion died. This left Naomi alone, without her two sons or her husband.

Examine the Scriptures

Ruth 1:1-5 NLT
Elimelech Moves His Family to Moab

¹ In the days when the judges ruled in Israel,

The story of Ruth took place around 1100 BC

The Judges ruled from the death of Joshua (1376 B.C.) to the beginning of Saul’s reign. (about 1050 BC) 300+ years

Some commentators think that this was during the reign of Gideon others say Jair.

Judges 17:6 NLT
⁶ In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.

Life in Israel:

Each tribe looked out for its own interests.

Discord existed between the tribes.

Many of the original inhabitants had not been driven out of the area and still maintained control of large tracts of land.

The Israelites were influenced by the idolatry of Canaan and the surrounding countries.

Judges 2:11 NLT
¹¹ The Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight and served the images of Baal.

Judges 3:7 (ditto)

Judges 8:33 (ditto)

Judges 10:6 NLT
The Ammonites Oppress Israel
⁶ Again the Israelites did evil in the Lord’s sight. They served the images of Baal and Ashtoreth, and the gods of Aram, Sidon, Moab, Ammon, and Philistia. They abandoned the Lord and no longer served him at all.

God punished His people each time they turned to idols. When they repented, God raised up judges to deliver them. But during times of peace, Israel fell in love with idols again. Notice the cycle that the Israelites kept repeating.
Sin – slavery – sorrow – salvation

• The story of Ruth took place somewhere around 1100 BC when judges ruled in Israel. 

a severe famine came upon the land.

Famines were not uncommon in the ancient world.

God acting in judgement on His sinning people. (?)

Genesis 47:13 NLT
Joseph’s Leadership in the Famine
¹³ Meanwhile, the famine became so severe that all the food was used up, and people were starving throughout the lands of Egypt and Canaan.

Famine occurred early in the lives of Abraham (12:10) and Isaac (26:1).
Famine was a devastating catastrophe in an agrarian society.  It was often accompanied by starvation, disease, or war that brought adversity at many levels of society. Famines had far-reaching results in price inflation, robbery, social exploitation, agricultural collapse, migration, and even cannibalism.

• Famines were not uncommon in the ancient world. 

So a man from Bethlehem in Judah left his home

Main characters:

Elimelech was married to Naomi.

Elimelech and Naomi had two sons, Mahlon and Kilion (A Hebrew family).

Orpah and Ruth were Moabites

Boaz 

Bethlehem (a place where significant events of Biblical history takes place).
5 miles south of Jerusalem

Naomi and Ruth will move back to Bethlehem

Both David and Jesus were born in Bethlehem.

and went to live in the country of Moab,

Elimelech was forced to move his family to a foreign land.

• Elimelech moves his family from Bethlehem in Judah to Moab.

(View this on a map)

The Moabites were the decedents of Lot’s oldest surviving daughter.

Genesis 19:30-36 NLT
Lot and His Daughters
³⁰ Afterward Lot left Zoar because he was afraid of the people there, and he went to live in a cave in the mountains with his two daughters. ³¹ One day the older daughter said to her sister, “There are no men left anywhere in this entire area, so we can’t get married like everyone else. And our father will soon be too old to have children. ³² Come, let’s get him drunk with wine, and then we will have sex with him. That way we will preserve our family line through our father.”
³³ So that night they got him drunk with wine, and the older daughter went in and had intercourse with her father. He was unaware of her lying down or getting up again.
³⁴ The next morning the older daughter said to her younger sister, “I had sex with our father last night. Let’s get him drunk with wine again tonight, and you go in and have sex with him. That way we will preserve our family line through our father.” ³⁵ So that night they got him drunk with wine again, and the younger daughter went in and had intercourse with him. As before, he was unaware of her lying down or getting up again.
³⁶ As a result, both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their own father. 

Moab was the son of the older daughter.

Ben-Ammi was the son of the youngest daughter.

These sons became the founders of the Moabites and the Ammonites, nations that often warred against Israel.

God is amazing and uses WHOEVER He chooses to use! 

taking his wife and two sons with him. ² The man’s name was Elimelech (My God is King), and his wife was Naomi (pleasant). Their two sons were Mahlon (sick) and Kilion (pining). 

They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in the land of Judah.

Inhabitants of Ephrath (Ephratah or Ephratha) another name for Bethlehem.

Micah 5:2 NLT
A Ruler from Bethlehem
²  But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
are only a small village among all the people of Judah.
Yet a ruler of Israel,
whose origins are in the distant past,
will come from you on my behalf.

And when they reached Moab, they settled there. 

³ Then Elimelech died, and Naomi was left with her two sons.  

• Elimelech dies, leaving Naomi in a foreign land without a husband. 

Note: In verse one we read, “a severe famine came upon the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah left his home”. 

Elimelech left his home in Bethlehem because of the famine.  We can assume that he intended to return to Bethlehem after the famine in the land ended.

• We can assume that Elimelech intended to return to Bethlehem after the famine in the land ended.

⁴ The two sons married Moabite women.

Hebrew men marrying Moabite women.

Marrying a Moabite did not violate Mosaic Law, (marrying a Canaanite was forbidden) however marrying foreign women often proved to be unwise (learn a lesson from Solomon).

• Elimelech’s sons marry Moabite women.

One married a woman named Orpah (stubborn), and the other a woman named Ruth friendship). But about ten years later, ⁵ both Mahlon and Kilion died.

• Both Mahlon and Kilion die leaving Naomi, Orpah, and Ruth without husbands.

Note: Ruth had been barren for years in Moab before her husband Mahlon died.

• God’s sovereignty is jumping off the pages in this story. 

This left Naomi alone, without her two sons or her husband.

At this point in the story Naomi is sad, discouraged, and without hope, having lost her husband and two sons.

If the family name were to carry on, there had to be an heir.  But having no sons, Naomi was left without hope.   Her Moabitess daughters-in-law offered her no apparent means to an heir.

• At this point in the story Naomi is sad, discouraged, and without hope, having lost her husband and two sons.

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We are coming to the end of Genesis.

The end of another era of Biblical history.

A lesson in a lesson.

A lesson of forgiveness and reconciliation.

Genesis 50:14-26 NLT

The End of Another Era of Biblical History

A lesson of forgiveness and reconciliation.

¹⁴ After burying Jacob, Joseph returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had accompanied him to his father’s burial. ¹⁵ But now that their father was dead, Joseph’s brothers became fearful. “Now Joseph will show his anger and pay us back for all the wrong we did to him,” they said.
¹⁶ So they sent this message to Joseph: “Before your father died, he instructed us ¹⁷ to say to you: ‘Please forgive your brothers for the great wrong they did to you—for their sin in treating you so cruelly.’ So we, the servants of the God of your father, beg you to forgive our sin.” When Joseph received the message, he broke down and wept. ¹⁸ Then his brothers came and threw themselves down before Joseph. “Look, we are your slaves!” they said.
¹⁹ But Joseph replied, “Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you? ²⁰ You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. ²¹ No, don’t be afraid. I will continue to take care of you and your children.” So he reassured them by speaking kindly to them.
The Death of Joseph
²² So Joseph and his brothers and their families continued to live in Egypt. Joseph lived to the age of 110. ²³ He lived to see three generations of descendants of his son Ephraim, and he lived to see the birth of the children of Manasseh’s son Makir, whom he claimed as his own.
²⁴ “Soon I will die,” Joseph told his brothers, “but God will surely come to help you and lead you out of this land of Egypt. He will bring you back to the land he solemnly promised to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.”
²⁵ Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath, and he said, “When God comes to help you and lead you back, you must take my bones with you.” ²⁶ So Joseph died at the age of 110. The Egyptians embalmed him, and his body was placed in a coffin in Egypt.

Examine the Scriptures

Genesis 50:14-26 NLT

The End of Another Era of Biblical History

A lesson of forgiveness and reconciliation.

¹⁴ After burying Jacob, Joseph returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had accompanied him to his father’s burial. 

 ¹⁵ But now that their father was dead, Joseph’s brothers became fearful.

A lesson in a lesson.

A lesson of forgiveness and reconciliation.

• Joseph’s brothers were experiencing feelings of guilt for their sinful behaviors

and

they underestimated the genuineness of Joseph’s forgiveness and affection for them. 

“Now Joseph will show his anger and pay us back for all the wrong we did to him,” they said.

Had Joseph forgiven his brothers?

The brothers were “guilt-ridden” (consumed with guilt).

The brothers did not feel forgiven.

• Joseph’s brothers did not feel forgiven and expected Joseph to “pay them back” for all the wrong they had done to him.

¹⁶ So they sent this message to Joseph: “Before your father died, he instructed us ¹⁷ to say to you: ‘Please forgive your brothers for the great wrong they did to you—for their sin in treating you so cruelly.’

If Jacob, in fact, said this he too underestimated the genuineness of Joseph’s forgiveness and affection for them.

Discuss:
Reconciliation
Forgiveness (is not a feeling)

People often confuse forgiveness with reconciliation, as if they were the same thing. They aren’t. Reconciliation is the final step in the forgiveness process, but it might not happen. Forgiveness can take place without reconciliation taking place. It takes two people to reconcile, but only one to forgive.

Reconciliation – restore broken relationships.

• Forgiveness and reconciliation are not the same things.

• Forgiveness is not a feeling.

So we, the servants of the God of your father, beg you to forgive our sin.”

• Joseph’s brothers begged Joseph to forgive their sin.

When Joseph received the message, he broke down and wept. 

Why did Joseph weep?  I believe Joseph wept because his brothers had not experienced the forgiveness he had intended to extend to them.

Forgiveness is
a conscious, deliberate decision to release feelings of resentment or vengeance toward a person or group who has harmed you, regardless of whether they actually deserve your forgiveness. … Forgiveness does not mean forgetting, nor does it mean condoning or excusing offenses.

Understanding God’s forgiveness.

1 John 1:9 NLT
9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

Hebrews 8:12 NLT
12 And I will forgive their wickedness,
and I will never again remember their sins.”

Forgive as God forgave.

Ephesians 4:32 NLT
32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

• I believe Joseph wept because his brothers had not experienced the forgiveness he had intended to extend to them.

¹⁸ Then his brothers came and threw themselves down before Joseph. “Look, we are your slaves!” they said.

Genesis 37:5-8 NLT
⁵ One night Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it, they hated him more than ever. ⁶ “Listen to this dream,” he said. ⁷ “We were out in the field, tying up bundles of grain. Suddenly my bundle stood up, and your bundles all gathered around and bowed low before mine!”
⁸ His brothers responded, “So you think you will be our king, do you? Do you actually think you will reign over us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dreams and the way he talked about them. 

Genesis 44:12-16 NLT
¹² The palace manager searched the brothers’ sacks, from the oldest to the youngest. And the cup was found in Benjamin’s sack! ¹³ When the brothers saw this, they tore their clothing in despair. Then they loaded their donkeys again and returned to the city.
¹⁴ Joseph was still in his palace when Judah and his brothers arrived, and they fell to the ground before him. ¹⁵ “What have you done?” Joseph demanded. “Don’t you know that a man like me can predict the future?”
¹⁶ Judah answered, “Oh, my lord, what can we say to you? How can we explain this? How can we prove our innocence? God is punishing us for our sins. My lord, we have all returned to be your slaves—all of us, not just our brother who had your cup in his sack.” 

• Joseph’s brothers recognized the reality of the relationship (roles) that existed between themselves and their brother.

1 Corinthians 12 – One Body with Many Parts 

¹⁹ But Joseph replied, “Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you? 

Forgiveness never includes revenge.

Romans 12:19 NLT (17-21)
¹⁹ Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say,
“I will take revenge;
I will pay them back,”
says the Lord.

• Forgiveness can never include revenge.

²⁰ You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. 

He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. 

Another example of God’s sovereignty.

Esther 4:13-14 NLT
¹³ Mordecai sent this reply to Esther: … ¹⁴ Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?”

Ephesians 2:10 NLT
¹⁰ For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. 

Psalm 139:16 NLT
¹⁶ You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
before a single day had passed.

²¹ No, don’t be afraid. I will continue to take care of you and your children.” 

So he reassured them by speaking kindly to them. 

• Joseph reassured his brothers that he had forgiven them of their sin against him.

Genesis 45:4-11 NLT
⁴ “Please, come closer,” he said to them. So they came closer. And he said again, “I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into slavery in Egypt. ⁵ But don’t be upset, and don’t be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place. It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives. ⁶ This famine that has ravaged the land for two years will last five more years, and there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. ⁷ God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors. ⁸ So it was God who sent me here, not you! And he is the one who made me an adviser to Pharaoh—the manager of his entire palace and the governor of all Egypt.
⁹ “Now hurry back to my father and tell him, ‘This is what your son Joseph says: God has made me master over all the land of Egypt. So come down to me immediately! ¹⁰ You can live in the region of Goshen, where you can be near me with all your children and grandchildren, your flocks and herds, and everything you own. ¹¹ I will take care of you there, for there are still five years of famine ahead of us. Otherwise you, your household, and all your animals will starve.’” 

• Joseph recognized God’s role (God’s sovereignty) in the events of his life.

The Death of Joseph

²² So Joseph and his brothers and their families continued to live in Egypt. Joseph lived to the age of 110. ²³ He lived to see three generations of descendants of his son Ephraim,

Great-great grandchildren

and he lived to see the birth of the children of Manasseh’s son Makir, whom he claimed as his own.

Great-grandchildren

A sign of God’s blessing.

Psalm 128 NLT
¹ How joyful are those who fear the Lord—
all who follow his ways! …
⁵ May the Lord continually bless you …
⁶ May you live to enjoy your grandchildren.

 Proverbs 17:6 NLT
⁶ Grandchildren are the crowning glory of the aged; …

 Proverbs 3:5-6 

• Joseph experienced God’s blessings in his old age.

²⁴ “Soon I will die,” Joseph told his brothers, “but God will surely come to help you and lead you out of this land of Egypt. He will bring you back to the land he solemnly promised to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.”

Genesis 17:8 NLT
⁸ And I will give the entire land of Canaan, where you now live as a foreigner, to you and your descendants. It will be their possession forever, and I will be their God.”

• Joseph understood the promises God had made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 

²⁵ Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath, and he said, “When God comes to help you and lead you back, you must take my bones with you.”  

Besides being a physical place (the land of Canaan), the Promised Land is a theological concept. In both the Old and New Testaments, God promised to bless his faithful followers and bring them into a restful place. Faith and faithfulness are the conditions of entering the Promised Land (Hebrews 11:9). 

²⁶ So Joseph died at the age of 110. 

Joseph’s death signified the end of his generation and of the patriarchal age.  From this point forward, God dealt with Israel as a nation. 

The Egyptians embalmed him, and his body was placed in a coffin in Egypt. 

Joseph’s body was kept in Egypt as a pledge of hope for the slaves awaiting the Promised Land.

Exodus 13:19 NLT
¹⁹ Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the sons of Israel swear to do this. He said, “God will certainly come to help you. When he does, you must take my bones with you from this place.” 

Joshua 24:32 NLT
³² The bones of Joseph, which the Israelites had brought along with them when they left Egypt, were buried at Shechem, in the plot of land Jacob had bought from the sons of Hamor for 100 pieces of silver. This land was located in the territory allotted to the descendants of Joseph.

• Joseph’s dying wishes were carried out.

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