The Book of Ruth A Story of Love

Keys to Understanding Ruth § Law of the Levirate Marriage Deuteronomy 25: 5 -10 § Law of Gleaning Leviticus 19: 9 -10; Deuteronomy 24: 19, 21 § Law of Redemption Leviticus 25: 23 -31

Keys to Understanding Ruth Levirate Marriage - an ancient custom Marriage ordained by Moses, by which, when an Israelite died without issue, his surviving brother was required to marry the widow, so as to continue his brother’s family through the son that might be born of that marriage.

Keys to Understanding Ruth Law of Gleaning – a Levitical law that was Gleaning —in effect—a welfare system for widows and poor persons. The law required that only one pass be made though the fields—the remaining grain or fruit could be gleaned by the poor.

Keys to Understanding Ruth Law of Redemption – God owns the land Redemption of Israel—it is not to be permanently sold. This is a biblical law. If a person has to sell the rights to a land, and is too poor to buy it back, then his nearest kinsman has the obligation to buy it back from the current “leasehold owner”.

Story Outline – 1200 B. C. Time of the Judges The time of the Judges is a dark era in Israel’s history In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes (Judges 21: 25) Elimelech takes his family to Moab – famine in Bethlehem. 1: 1 -3 Elimelech (My Lord is King); his wife Naomi (Pleasant); and their sons Mahlon (Sickly), and Kellion (Tiny) Ruth 1 -2

Story Outline – 1200 B. C. Time of the Judges Elimelech takes his family to Moab – famine in Bethlehem. 1: 1 -3 Widowed Naomi returns to Bethlehem with Ruth, her daughter-in-law (a Gentile) – Orpah (Ruth’s sister-in law) chooses to stay in Moab. 1: 8 -12 / 1: 14 -17

Story Outline – 1200 B. C. Time of the Judges Ruth gleans in the field of Boaz – he notices her and shows kindness and interest. 2: 4 -8 2: 10 -12 Boaz secretly instructs his workers to help and protect her.

Ruth Meets with Boaz • 5 Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, "Whose young woman is this? " 6 So the servant who was in charge of the reapers answered and said, "It is the young Moabite woman who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. 7 And she said, "Please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves. ' So she came and has continued from morning until now, though she rested a little in the house. "

Ruth Meets with Boaz • 8 Then Boaz said to Ruth, "You will listen, my daughter, will you not? Do not go to glean in another field, nor go from here, but stay close by my young women. 9 Let your eyes be on the field which they reap, and go after them. Have I not commanded the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn. " 10 So she fell on her face, bowed down to the ground, and said to him, "Why have I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner? "

Ruth Meets with Boaz • 11 And Boaz answered and said to her, "It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before. 12 The LORD repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge. "

Ruth Meets with Boaz • 15 Boaz commanded his young men, saying, "Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her. 16 Also let grain from the bundles fall purposely for her; leave it that she may glean, and do not rebuke her. " 17 So she gleaned in the field until evening, and beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley (= 21 Litre or 89 cups). 18 Then she took it up and went into the city, and her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. So she brought out and gave to her what she had kept back after she had been satisfied.

Ruth Meets with Boaz • 19 And her mother-in-law said to her, "Where have you gleaned today? And where did you work? Blessed be the one who took notice of you. " So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked, and said, "The man's name with whom I worked today is Boaz. " 20 Then Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, "Blessed be he of the LORD, who has not forsaken His kindness to the living and the dead!" And Naomi said to her, "This man is a relation of ours, one of our close relatives. "

Ruth Meets with Boaz • 22 And Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, "It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his young women, and that people do not meet you in any other field. " 23 So she stayed close by the young women of Boaz, to glean until the end of barley harvest and wheat harvest; and she dwelt with her mother-in-law.

Ruth and Boaz Ruth Chapter 3 • Naomi begins to see something developing re: Ruth’s situation She advises Ruth to continue to seek shelter under Boaz as her kinsman-redeemer, according to the Law of Redemption. 3: 1 -5 1 Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, "My daughter, shall I not seek security for you, that it may be well with you? 2 Now Boaz, whose young women you were with, is he not our relative? In fact, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. 3 Therefore wash yourself and anoint yourself, put on your best garment and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 Then it shall be, when he lies down, that you shall notice the place where he lies; and you shall go in, uncover his feet, and lie down; and he will tell you what you should do. " 5 And she said to her, "All that you say to me I will do. "

Ruth and Boaz admires Ruth, and seeks to redeem the land (purchase it back) based on the Law of Redemption and also to marry her according to the Law of the Levirate Marriage.

Ruth and Boaz Ruth claims her right at the evening of the threshing, lays at Boaz’s feet. 3: 8 -13 (See Ezek 16: 7 - 8)

Ruth and Boaz So she answered, "I am Ruth, your maidservant. Take your maidservant under your wing, for you are a close relative. " 10 Then he said, "Blessed are you of the LORD, my daughter! For you have shown more kindness at the end than at the beginning, in that you did not go after young men, whether poor or rich. 11 And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you request, for all the people of my town know that you are a virtuous woman. (Ruth 3: 9 -11)

Happily Ever After Boaz promises to redeem Ruth; nearer kinsman complicates the picture, but cannot redeem Ruth, so Boaz redeems the land of her deceased husband (Mahlon) and gains a wife. 4: 1 -6 Boaz and Ruth have a son, Obed – Jesse – David: direct lineage of Christ. 4: 13 -17

Boaz and Christ Boaz as a kinsman redeemer, redeemed Ruth. He did not have any interest in the field, but for the hidden treasure, Ruth, he went and bought the whole field The Lord Jesus Christ is our Kinsman redeemer who redeemed us for Him Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field (Matthew 13: 44)

Ezekiel 16: 2 -8 As for your birth, on the day of your birth your cord was not cut and you were not washed in water to make you clean; you were not salted or folded in linen bands. No eye had pity on you to do any of these things to you or to be kind to you; but you were put out into the open country, because your life was hated at the time of your birth.

Ezekiel 16: 2 -8 And when I went past you and saw you stretched out in your blood, I said to you, Though you are stretched out in your blood, have life; And be increased in number like the buds of the field; and you were increased and became great, and you came to the time of love: your breasts were formed and your hair was long; but you were uncovered and without clothing. Now when I went past you, looking at you, I saw that your time was the time of love; and I put my skirts over you, covering your unclothed body: and I gave you my oath and made an agreement with you,