Ruth:Hope For Troubled Times

Chapters 3 and 4

“Ruth and Boaz are Married”

Announcements

Judges and RuthWe

ekDate Topic

1 07 Dec 11 Overview – Judges and Ruth

2 14 Dec 11 Israel’s Success and Failure: Judges 1:1-2:5

3 21 Dec 11 Oppression and Deliverance: Judges 2:6-3:31

4 28 Dec 11 Deborah, Gideon: Judges 4-6

5 04 Jan 12 Gideon’s Success and Failure: Judges 7:1-10:5

6 11 Jan 12 Jephthah the Judge: Judges 10:6-12:15

7 18 Jan 12 Samson and His Exploits: Judges 13-14

8 25 Jan 12 Samson and Delilah: Judges 15-16

9 01 Feb 12 Auditorium

10 08 Feb 12 A Levite and His Concubine: Judges 17-19

11 15 Feb 12 The War with Benjamin: Judges 20-21

12 22 Feb 12 Ruth and Naomi Return to Bethlehem: Ruth 1-2

13 29 Feb 12 Ruth and Boaz are Married: Ruth 3-4

Today’s Objectives•Provide historical background and timeline for this weeks

lesson•Review historical maps of Israel and the region•Finish chapter 2, read Ruth chapters 2 and 3•See how Naomi contrived to win Boaz’s consent to marry

Ruth•Learn how Boaz cleared away the one obstacle to his

marriage with Ruth•Learn how God bless the marriage•Appreciate how God remains in control and faithfully

watches over His people

Historical Background• Unsure who wrote the book of Ruth• Written around 970-930 B.C. and covered the period

from 1150-1100 B.C.–Collapse of the Hittite empire 1180 B.C.–Period of three Judges - Gideon (1162-1122 B.C.),

Abimelech (1122-1119 B.C.) and Tola (1119-1096 B.C.)

–Ramses II (the Great) had conquered Moab• Depressing period in Israel’s history–Great famine in the land (see Ruth 1:1)–Spiritual compromise was the norm of Israel–God sends powerful oppressors to counter spiritual

compromise

Characters in Ruth• Elimelech– Native of Bethlehem of Judah– Moves to Moab with his wife Naomi– Dies in Moab

• Naomi– Mother-in-law of Ruth– Travels back to Bethlehem with Ruth

• Ruth– Moabite– The daughter-in-law of Naomi – First married to Mahlon, who dies, then Boaz– Becomes an ancestor of Jesus (Matt 1:5) through Obed

Moab

•Ruth gleans and then threshed the grain–3/5’s of a bushel (2:17)–Naomi very pleased (2:18-19)–Naomi learns that the field belonged to Boaz (2:20)•Naomi explains to Ruth that Boaz is a relative–Ruth is unaware of the connection–Naomi calls Boaz, “one of our kinsman-redeemers” (2:20)

•Naomi encourages Ruth to continue in Boaz’ fields–Safety (2:21-22)–Ruth continues working in the fields throughout the harvest (2:23)

Naomi Learns of Boaz’s Kindness (2:17-23)

Kinsman-Redeemer• Found in Ruth 2:20, 3:12, 4:14• Person who would help out a needy relative• Law made provisions for a kinsman-redeemer– Buy back the family land that had been sold (Lev

25:25)– Buy back a family member who had been sold as a

slave (Lev 25:47-49)– Avenge the death of a murdered relative (Num 35:19)– Marry a childless widow of a deceased brother (Deut

25:5-10)

Boaz Welcomes the Marriage (3:1-13)• Naomi’s sense of responsibility to Ruth– Home and security (3:1)– Naomi hatches a plan (3:2-4)– Tells Ruth to go to the threshing floor and lie down with him

• Ruth complies– Goes to the threshing floor, does as Naomi instructs (3:7)– Boaz wakes up (3:8)– Ruth asks Boaz to spread his garment over her (3:9)

• Boaz agrees to care for her– Agrees to become her kinsman-redeemer (3:11)– However, another kinsman-redeemer is closer (3:12-13)

Naomi Learns of the Progress (3:14-18)

• Ruth departs from Boaz early in the morning– Avoid being recognized (3:14)– Boaz gives her grain (3:15)

• Ruth returns back to Naomi– Ruth relates the story back to Naomi (3:16)– Shows Naomi the grain (3:17)– Naomi tells Ruth that Boaz is “hooked”

(3:18)– The matter would be settle that day

Boaz Confronts a Potential Rival (4:1-12)• Boaz goes to the city gate– Seeks out the closer kinsman-redeemer (4:1)– To seek resolution to Naomi’s property

• Boaz brokers a solution– Takes ten elders at witnesses (4:2)– Brings up the issue of Naomi’s land and asks him to redeem

it and he agrees (4:3-4)– Upon his agreement, Boaz expounds on the requirements

and he decides that it might endanger his estate (4:5-6)– Kinsman-redeemer gives the rights to Boaz (4:7)– Boaz announces the agreement to those gathered at the gate

(4:8-11)

• Boaz and Ruth marry–Ruth becomes pregnant, gives birth to a son (4:13)–Son becomes Naomi’s kinsman-redeemer (4:14)

•New purpose for living• Provide for her in her old age

–Son named Obed or “servant” (4:17)

• Women offer a tribute to Ruth–Better than seven sons (4:15)

• Genealogy from Perez to David (4:18-22)–Abbreviated – doesn’t include everyone, only 10 people–10 individuals listed, being symbolically significant

• Genealogy shows that God is in control

Genealogy of David (4:13-22)

• Perez–One of two twin boys born after their mother, Tamar,

posed as a prostitute to trick her father-in-law, Judah, into sleeping with her (Gen 38, 46:12, 1 Chr 2:3-4)–Founder of the clan of Judah (Num 26:20)

• Amminadab–Father-in-law of Aaron (Ex 6:23)

• Nahshon–Assisted Moses in taking a census (Num 1:7)

• Salmon–Husband of Rahab (Matt 1:5)

• King David

Genealogy of David (4:18-22)

Review•Provided an historical background and timeline for this

weeks lesson•Reviewed historical maps of Israel and the region•Finished chapter 2, read Ruth chapters 2 and 3•Saw how Naomi contrived to win Boaz’s consent to marry

Ruth•Learned how Boaz cleared away the one obstacle to his

marriage with Ruth•Learned how God bless the marriage•Appreciated how God remains in control and faithfully

watches over His people