DISCIPLES OF JESUS MINISTRY

GLEANINGS IN RUTH

  

           

 

By IRENE McGOUGH

 

 

 

Rth 1:1 Now it came to pass, in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem, Judah, went to dwell in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons.

Rth 1:2 The name of the man was Elimelech, the name of his wife was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion--Ephrathites of Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to the country of Moab and remained there.

 

Elimelech A name often was chosen to describe a characteristic of its bearer. Elimelech means "my God is king" or "God is king."

 

Naomi derived from a common noun meaning favor, delight, loveliness, beauty, is one who is regarded as having "favor with God and man.

 

Rth 1:3 Then Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died; and she was left, and her two sons.

Rth 1:4 Now they took wives of the women of Moab: the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth. And they dwelt there about ten years.

 

 

Ruth appears to be a contracted form of a noun which in Hebrew means "companionship, friendship, fellowship.

 

Orpah  on the other hand is related to the Hebrew word for neck, used figuratively in the phrase "stiff necked or stubborn.

 

 

Rth 1:5 Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died; so the woman survived her two sons and her husband.

Rth 1:6 Then she arose with her daughters-in-law that she might return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the LORD had visited His people by giving them bread.

Rth 1:7 Therefore she went out from the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah.

Rth 1:8 And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go, return each to her mother's house. The LORD deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me.

Rth 1:9 The LORD grant that you may find rest, each in the house of her husband."

So she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept.

Rth 1:10 And they said to her, "Surely we will return with you to your people."

Rth 1:11 But Naomi said, "Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Are there still sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?

Rth 1:12 Turn back, my daughters, go--for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, if I should have a husband tonight and should also bear sons,

Rth 1:13 would you wait for them till they were grown? Would you restrain yourselves from having husbands? No, my daughters; for it grieves me very much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD has gone out against me!"

Rth 1:14 Then they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.

Rth 1:15 And she said, "Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law."

Rth 1:16 But Ruth said:

 

 

        "Entreat me not to leave you,

        Or to turn back from following after you;

        For wherever you go, I will go;

        And wherever you lodge, I will lodge;

        Your people shall be my people,

        And your God, my God.

Rth 1:17 Where you die, I will die,

        And there will I be buried.

        The LORD do so to me, and more also,

        If anything but death parts you and me."

Rth 1:18 When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she stopped speaking to her.

Rth 1:19 Now the two of them went until they came to Bethlehem. And it happened, when they had come to Bethlehem, that all the city was excited because of them; and the women said, "Is this Naomi?"

    So here we find a somewhat different story from the time of the Judges in Israel. The scenes in the book of Judges are black with crimes against God and man; treachery, brutal war, massacre, cities in ruins etc. Into these "Dark Ages" of Israel, the book of Ruth sheds a ray of light; hope, marital fidelity, social responsibility, rural tranquillity and a love for God .

    Archaeologists have discovered that the Ammonites and the Moabites were pagan to the worst degree. They have found a great many of their little images to Baal. False religion is not to enter into the congregation of the Lord. And how can one recognize false religion? “By their fruits ye shall know them.” The evidence was that they “met you not with bread and water” in that great and terrible wilderness, and they hired Balaam to curse Israel. (Thru the Bible with Vernon McGee)

 

Background:

Deu 23:3  No Ammonite or Moabite is to enter the congregation of GOD, even to the tenth generation, nor any of his children, ever.

    The Ammonites and Moabites were descended from the incestuous union of Lot with his daughter^.  

 

 

      Ruth was a Moabitess and her people worshipped false gods, they worshipped Chemosh and Baal, yet here we see this young peasant woman who was recently widowed by an Israelite  husband was not prepared to return to our land, having started on the journey with her mother – in - law Naomi and with her sister in law Oprah. Naomi presented a choice to both of the young women  to return to Moab, because their chances of remarrying would be improved. Oprah was prepared to go back to her former ways and worship the gods of her people, but Ruth had seen the superficiality of the life of the Moabites and worshipping their false gods and she was not going to hesitate, she would not go back, for the God of the Israelites had started to become her God  and she believed Him to be the only true God .   Ruth said to Naomi, "Don't force me to leave you; don't make me go home. Where you go, I go; and where you live, I'll live. Your people are my people, your God is my God.”

 Naomi advanced good reasons why her daughters-in-law had no prospect of establishing a home if they remained with her

(1) She was too old to bear sons whose duty it would be to enter a levirate marriage with them.

Deu 25:5  When brothers are living together and one of them dies without having had a son, the widow of the dead brother shall not marry a stranger from outside the family; her husband's brother is to come to her and marry her and do the brother-in-law's duty by her.

(2) Even if Naomi were to be married again and were capable of bearing sons, the young widows could not be expected to "wait until they were grown.

 

 So Ruth was ready to pledge her allegiance to the covenantal God of Israel, for He was now her God even if it meant she would never remarry. So God took this woman a Gentile from the Moabite tribe and because her heart was right made her one with Israel.

 

Rth 1:20 But she said to them, "Do not call me Naomi;^[1] call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.

Rth 1:21 I went out full, and the LORD has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the LORD has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?"

Rth 1:22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. Now they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.

 

Naomi had been the favoured or lovely one. She returned to Bethlehem in a broken state, an "empty" childless widow She felt that God  had dealt so bitterly with her that her present condition would be more aptly described if people called her "Mrs. Bitter.” But she did not realize that she was an important player in God’s plan and His hand was on her and hers. Ruth returned with her and God’s plan for her was to establish her as the great grandmother of David and as an ancestor of Jesus.

Rth 2:1 There was a relative of Naomi's husband, a man of great wealth, of the family of Elimelech. His name was Boaz.

Rth 2:2 So Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, "Please let me go to the field, and glean heads of grain after him in whose sight I may find favor."

And she said to her, "Go, my daughter."

 

The law made provision for the poor and needy.

 

Lev 19:9  "When you harvest your land, don't harvest right up to the edges of your field or gather the gleanings from the harvest.

Lev 19:10  Don't strip your vineyard bare or go back and pick up the fallen grapes. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am GOD, your God.

 

 

Rth 2:3 Then she left, and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers. And she happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.

 

Rabbinic tradition calls Boaz the nephew of Elimelech. “Boaz” probably means “in him is strength.”  Ruth and Naomi did not know until the end of the day that Ruth’s benefactor was a close relative. Ruth appeared accidentally as it were in Boaz’s fields, but this was not just happenstance, it was God ordained. If this had not happened  and Ruth and Boaz had not met they would never have married, and Jesus would never have been born in Bethlehem.  I believe Ruth would have asked God to guide her when she stepped out that day. Don’t You?

 

Rth 2:4 Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said to the reapers, "The LORD be with you!"

 

  Isn’t this a wonderful interchange of words between Boaz the boss and his workers. He greets them with “God be with you.” 

 

Rth 2:5 Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, "Whose young woman is this?"

 

      Now Boaz notices someone new,  a young woman he has never seen before and he has to know where she came from, for from first sight this woman has intrigued him.

 

Rth 2:6 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.

Rth 2:7 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."

 

 The foreman was half apologetic about the Moabitess gleaning in the fields  and I believe this is part of the reason he makes sure Boaz knows that she is a hard worker.

 

  Boaz had obviously been impressed by Ruth, impressed by her willingness to work, her loyalty to her mother-in- law, her faith in God and also he was attracted to her as a woman. He being a close kinsman knew all about the recent death of her husband. Boaz not only invites her to stay in the field, but he also puts around her his cloak of protection. He says, “I have now given orders that you can come into this field, and that you will not be hurt or harmed in any way.” It was very dangerous for a woman in Ruth’s position—a widow, a stranger, a woman from Moab. She was likely to have insult upon insult heaped upon her. And not only that but she would not be safe. And Boaz, recognizing that, immediately places God’s hedge of protection around her v12. It seems Boaz as a servant of the Lord was also going to look after her and offer his protection.

 

 

 

Rth 2:8 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.

Rth 2:9 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."

Rth 2:10 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?"

Rth 2:11 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.

Rth 2:12 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."

Rth 2:13 Then she said, "Let me find favor in your sight, my lord; for you have comforted me, and have spoken kindly to your maidservant, though I am not like one of your maidservants."

 

     Does this not remind you of what our Heavenly Father has done for us?  In fact He has taken us as believers who were once afar off and adopted us into His family, we were undeserving sinners yet through the blood of Jesus we have been brought into that place where He calls us His own.

 

Rth 2:14 Now Boaz said to her at mealtime, "Come here, and eat of the bread, and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar." So she sat beside the reapers, and he passed parched grain to her; and she ate and was satisfied, and kept some back.

 

We see here Boaz is interested in Ruth, he falls for her the moment he sets eyes on her.

 

Rth 2:15 And when she rose up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, "Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her.

Rth 2:16 Also let grain from the bundles fall purposely for her; leave it that she may glean, and do not rebuke her."

Rth 2:17 So she gleaned in the field until evening, and beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley.

Rth 2:18 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.

Rth 2:19 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."

 

    God’s favour was on Ruth and Naomi, God had a plan for her and we see here how through Boaz’s favour she was blessed.

 

Rth 2:20 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."

 

    Now Ruth finds out that Boaz is in fact one of her husband’s relatives- one of the kinsman covenant redeemers.

 

      The Hebrew goel, or “kinsman-redeemer,” is the second law that is so strange to us because we do not have anything that corresponds to it. But it was God’s provision for taking care of His people. You see, God gave the Law for a land and for a people. The Mosaic system was a marvellous system for that day and for that land.
Ruth went into the right field, this was no accident , God guided her footsteps, for this man was a near kinsman. In the Book of Ruth we see the law of the kinsman-redeemer in operation. Now you do not always see the Mosaic system in operation in Israel, but this little book highlights for us the law of the kinsman-redeemer, Also God took care of the poor in an unusual way. God would permit them to go into the fields and the vineyards and glean after the owner had sent his reapers and gatherers through one time.

 

  Rth 2:21 Ruth the Moabitess said, "He also said to me, "You shall stay close by my young men until they have finished all my harvest."'

Rth 2:22 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."

Rth 2:23 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.

 

       Naomi’s counsel as an older, wiser woman, her mother- in-law who is also familiar with the customs of her people, is sensitively responded to by Ruth and she takes heed of her advice, she stuck closely to Boaz’s young women, working only in his fields.

 

 

 

Rth 3:1 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?

 

      Naomi is surely an example to us, her thoughts go to her daughter in law who is still a fairly young woman and her security, she does not selfishly think of her own widow hood  but is concerned and shows love and affection for her daughter in law who has been so tragically, fairly recently widowed. The objective is to find rest” forRuth. In seeking a mānôa, “place of rest,” derives from the same root as mĕnûâ in 1:9 and speaks of the security and tranquility that women in Israel longed for and expected to find in the home of a loving husband.

 

 

H4494

מנוח

mânôach

maw-no'-akh

    From H5117; quiet, that is, (concretely) a settled spot, or (figuratively) a home: - (place of) rest.

 

 

Rth 3:2 Now Boaz, whose young women you were with, is he not our relative? In fact, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor.

 

Naomi says, “This man Boaz is your kinsman-redeemer. You have a right to claim him. In fact, Ruth, you must claim him as your kinsman-redeemer. I want you to go up to the threshing floor tonight and let him know.”

 

Rth 3:3 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.

 

 Surely this is a picture of what happens when a believer comes to Christ.

 

1)   WASHED- in the blood of the Lamb – the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin.

2)   ANOINTED with the Holy Spirit

3)   CLOTHING- we are clothed in new garments of righteousness

4)   GET DOWN – We humble ourselves recognising our need before God, recognize that we are sinners and bow down before Him . We have to go down before we get up as new creations in Him, clothed in righteousness.

 

Rth 3:4 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."

 

    The Lord Jesus offers us the free gift of salvation, he tells us to come unto Him and we will find rest, He wants to be our kinsman redeemer but we have to accept this gift from Him. We need to claim Him as our Kinsman Redeemer.

 

Rth 3:5 And she said to her, "All that you say to me I will do."

 

Now we find that Ruth wants to establish a permanent relationship with Boaz..

 

 Rth 3:6 So she went down to the threshing floor and did according to all that her mother-in-law instructed her.

 

      There was nothing improper about what Ruth was doing, she was not seducing Boaz, the threshing floor was a public place where families lay.  The threshing floor plays a part in God’s redemptive plan for mankind.

 

 

2Sa 24:18 And Gad came that day to David and said to him, "Go up, erect an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite."

2Sa 24:19 So David, according to the word of Gad, went up as the LORD commanded.

 

 

2Ch 3:1 Now Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the LORD had appeared to his father David, at the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

The location where Solomon built the first permanent Temple for God to meet with His
people Israel was on the top of mount Moriah on the site of the threshing floor. The Presence  or Glory of God abides with His people in the temple. God still abides with His people on the threshing floor in the Temple of the Holy Spirit.

 

    1Co 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?

 

 

Rth 3:7 And after Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was cheerful, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain; and she came softly, uncovered his feet, and lay down.

Rth 3:8 Now it happened at midnight that the man was startled, and turned himself; and there, a woman was lying at his feet.

 

So Boaz felt the cold—his covers had been pulled off his feet . He sat up, reached down, and felt around down there, and found a woman was at his feet.

 

Rth 3:9 And he said, "Who are you?"

So she answered, "I am Ruth, your maidservant. Take your maidservant under your wing, for you are a close relative."

 

Ruth is saying, “I want you as my kinsman-redeemer, and I want to tell you so.”

Rth 3:10 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.

Rth 3:11 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.

 

Boaz wants to immediately claim her as his wife, for this is what he has longed to hear. He really goes into action now because the way is clear and he is free to move; she has claimed him. Our Lord and Saviour too Longed for us to come home to Him and there was rejoicing in heaven on that day that we came home to Him.

 If that is yet a decision anyone reading this still has to make, you need to know that He loves you and longs for you to come home to him, this is the reason that He died to bring you into relationship with Himself and His Father, that you might be secure in the knowledge of your sins forgiven and come to know Him as your Kinsman – Redeemer.

He calls her a virtuous woman, what a compliment!

 

Pro 31:10 Who can find a virtuous wife?
For her worth is far above rubies.

Virtuous Godly women are hard to find, so when you find one her worth is worth more than all earthly treasures.

 

Rth 3:12 Now it is true that I am a close relative; however, there is a relative closer than I.

Rth 3:13 Stay this night, and in the morning it shall be that if he will perform the duty of a close relative for you--good; let him do it. But if he does not want to perform the duty for you, then I will perform the duty for you, as the LORD lives! Lie down until morning."

 

There was a brother of Elimelech, an uncle of Ruth’s first husband who was the closest relative, whereas Boaz was probably a cousin of her first husband .Boaz is saying here, “I want to be your kinsman-redeemer, but first I’ll have to see how this other man feels about you.”

Boaz is not sure what he will do if the other man wants to act as kinsman, but he has a plan that he’s going to follow which he hopes will eliminate the other kinsman.

 

 

Rth 3:14 So she lay at his feet until morning, and she arose before one could recognize another. Then he said, "Do not let it be known that the woman came to the threshing floor."

 

The reason for this is fairly obvious. He did not want this other kinsman of Emilech to know, because if he had any ideas about claiming Ruth as his wife, this would be something that would cause him to eliminate Boaz immediately. Boaz wants to handle this case himself, and he moves into the situation.

 

Rth 3:15 Also he said, "Bring the shawl that is on you and hold it." And when she held it, he measured six ephahs of barley, and laid it on her. Then she went into the city.

 

Boaz makes Ruth a very generous gift.

 

Rth 3:16 When she came to her mother-in-law, she said, "Is that you, my daughter?"

Then she told her all that the man had done for her.

Rth 3:17 And she said, "These six ephahs of barley he gave me; for he said to me, "Do not go empty-handed to your mother-in-law."'

Rth 3:18 Then she said, "Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will turn out; for the man will not rest until he has concluded the matter this day."

 

Boaz would be determined, she had made a move towards him and now he would not stop until he knew for sure she was his. He was going to take care of this case. Ruth could rest in this man Boaz for he would indeed redeem her.

In Jesus we have a Savior in whom we can rest, and know that He’s our Redeemer. What a wonderful gift He is to us today! He has performed all the work of redemption. He like Boaz when longed for us to come to Him, He loved us and when we made that first move towards Him, He just had to have us come to that place of surety and rest in the knowledge of Him.

 

Rth 4:1 Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there; and behold, the close relative of whom Boaz had spoken came by. So Boaz said, "Come aside, friend,  sit down here." So he came aside and sat down.

 

The gate served as the courthouse where the court convened. Bethlehem in Ruth’s day was the  kind of place where everybody came in or went out. Boaz went to the gate for two reasons. It was where court convened, and he was going to take this other kinsman to court. The second reason is that he knows the other man will come in or out of that gate sooner or later that day. So he went to the gate, sat down, and waited there for him. Now I do not know how long he waited—it probably seemed a long time to Boaz—but finally the man he wanted to see came by. This man was a kinsman to Ruth and was nearer than Boaz although we so not know the specifics of that relationship, but he may very well have been a brother of Elimlech.

Rth 4:2 And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, "Sit down here." So they sat down.

 

These ten men were elders,and they were the ones who constituted the judges. This is the courthouse, and court’s now in session.

 

Rth 4:3 Then he said to the close relative, "Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, sold the piece of land which belonged to our brother Elimelech.

 

  The term brother used here in the original Hebrew mean’s close relative, they were not both brother’s of Elimelech. Nut notice how he opens this conversation by mentioning the land.

 

Rth 4:4 And I thought to inform you, saying, "Buy it back in the presence of the inhabitants and the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if you will not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know; for there is no one but you to redeem it, and I am next after you."'

 

And he said, "I will redeem it."

 

The interesting thing is that this other kinsman responds in the affirmative. He says, “I will redeem it.” Apparently he was a generous men, and he was willing to perform the part of a kinsman in this connection.

 

Rth 4:5 Then Boaz said, "On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also buy it from Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to perpetuate  the name of the dead through his inheritance."

Rth 4:6 And the close relative said, "I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I ruin my own inheritance. You redeem my right of redemption for yourself, for I cannot redeem it."

 

Now aside from the fact that Ruth was a Moabitess, I believe that this other kinsman had pronably already married and was now widowed. It’s quite possible that he had grown children the age of Boaz, and that his children were married. His property already would be allotted to his children. To marry this woman of Moab would jeopardize everything that he owned. He would be risking everything by marrying Ruth and bringing her into the congregation of the Lord. Very candidly, this other kinsman probably was right in what he said, that he could not redeem the property and Ruth because his own inheritance would be marred. Then he tells Boaz, “You go ahead and take my right of redemption to yourself if this is what you want to do.”

 

Rth 4:7 Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging, to confirm anything: one man took off his sandal and gave it to the other, and this was a confirmation in Israel.

Rth 4:8 Therefore the close relative said to Boaz, "Buy it for yourself." So he took off his sandal.

 

The Gospel has put shoes on our feet for now our feet are shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.  Because we have been redeemed we can now wear gospel sandals and take the message to the people out there in our communities or wherever the Lord takes us.

 

Eph 6:15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

 

Rth 4:9 And Boaz said to the elders and all the people, "You are witnesses this day that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's, from the hand of Naomi.

Rth 4:10 Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, I have acquired as my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance, that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brethren and from his position at the gate.  You are witnesses this day."

 

   We who were once enstranged Gentiles , those who were afar off have been purchased as the redeemed as the actual bride of Christ.

 

Joh 3:29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled.

 

Act 2:38 Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Act 2:39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call."

 

 

1 Pe 2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

1Pe 2:10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

 

       We have been redeemed by our dear bridegroom  Christ Jesus and now we who were once in darkness like Ruth have a revelation of the true God, Jesus paid the price for our sins by the blood that He shed for us, now we like Ruth becoming Boaz’s wife, have become His bride, the bride of Christ and the promise of salvation which He has given us are for us and our children, and our children’s children and for all whom the Lord calls and respond  with an affirmative “yes.”

 

Rth 4:11 And all the people who were at the gate, and the elders, said, "We are witnesses. The LORD make the woman who is coming to your house like Rachel and Leah, the two who built the house of Israel; and may you prosper in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem.

Rth 4:12 May your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring which the LORD will give you from this young woman."

 

And what amazing offspring that was - Ruth was the great- grandmother of David. Boaz was the great- grandfather of David. Both were part of the ancestral line of Jesus.

Mat 1:5 Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse,

Mat 1:6 and Jesse begot David the king.

 

Rth 4:13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife; and when he went in to her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bore a son.

Rth 4:14 Then the women said to Naomi, "Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without a close relative; and may his name be famous in Israel!

Rth 4:15 And may he be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has borne him."

Rth 4:16 Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her bosom, and became a nurse to him.

Rth 4:17 Also the neighbor women gave him a name, saying, "There is a son born to Naomi." And they called his name Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David.

 

Naomi needed a kinsman to carry on the line of Elimelech. Now it was being carried on through Boaz and Ruth. This child Obed is Naomi’s grandson and he is precious to her.

 

 

Rth 4:18 Now this is the genealogy of Perez: Perez begot Hezron;

Rth 4:19 Hezron begot Ram, and Ram begot Amminadab;

Rth 4:20 Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon;

Rth 4:21 Salmon begot Boaz, and Boaz begot Obed;

Rth 4:22 Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David.

         The geneology here is what connects David to the tribe of Judah. I used to skip by genealogies when I was young because I had little understanding of their purpose, now though I can see the reason and purpose behind them, and those genealogies in the Old Testament and in the New Testament give us an understanding of the line of Christ.

 

Through Jesus Christ our lives can be changed just as Ruth’s was.

Ruth went from…
* Loneliness to love.
* Emptiness to wealth.
* Bondage to freedom.
* Worry to peace.
* Disgrace to glory.
* Fear to assurance.
Jesus is our Redeemer- We needed to want to be redeemed. Ruth had to want to be redeemed. She went to the person who qualified to be her redeemer, who could pay the price, and who would pay the price. For us, that is Jesus.

 

  PRAYER: Lord I thank you for paying the price for my sins, for redeeming me, I thank you for the amazing love that you pour into me, I love you Lord, you took my brokenness and made me whole , thank you for the freedom that I have in you, thank you for the wonderful peace that you give me, even in the midst of turmoil.  Praise You Lord that I who was once in darkness am now part of your glorious bride.In your precious Name Lord Jesus I pray. Thank you Lord, Thank you Father for sending Jesus. AMEN.

 

 

Kinsman-Redeemer
O.T. Qualification	Christ’s Fulfillment
1. Blood Relationship	Gal. 4:4, 5; Heb. 2:16, 17
2. Necessary Resources	1 Cor. 6:20; 1 Pet. 1:18, 19
3. Willingness to Buy	John 10:15–18; 1 John 3:16
4. Willingness to Marry	Rom. 7:4; 2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 5:25–32; Rev. 19:7

 

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