Ruth Day 10: 2:8-13

8-9: “Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Now, listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but keep close to my young women. Let your eyes be on the field that they are reaping, and go after them. Have I not charged the young men not to touch you? When you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink what the young men have drawn.”’

Boaz recognizes that Ruth is a relative and seeks to care for her. There is no mention of him being attracted to her by her beauty (as some may say), but instead he notices her diligence and character. He looks out for her by telling her to stay in his field near the women who work for him.

10: Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favor in our eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?”

Ruth expected people to be indifferent towards her because she is not from Israel, but instead has received kindness from Boaz.

11-12: But Boaz answered her, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told ot me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before. The Lord repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!”

As mentioned earlier, Boaz has taken notice of Ruth because of her actions. She may or may not have been extremely beautiful, we are not told. We are told, however, that she cared for her mother-in-law and left everything behind. She worked diligently and was kind. Those qualities are what drew Boaz to notice her, although we are not told whether his interest was just familial or something more. Boaz also asks God to give her a reward because she has taken refuge under Him.

13: Then she said, “I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, for you have comforted me and spoken kindly to your servant, though I am not one of your servants.”

Ruth is very grateful for Boaz’s kindness towards her.

God is looking out for us, even when it seems hopeless. Ruth was determined to care for her mother-in-law and found herself in the field of a relative of Naomi’s. This relative, Boaz, took notice of her and after hearing all she had done, decided to take the extra step and keep watch over her. We can learn that our actions speak to those around us, even when we don’t realize it. Ruth was doing what she knew was right and God allowed Boaz to take notice. This paved the way for what happens in the rest of the book.

Semi cheesy/serious side note: if you are looking for your Boaz (as people like to say), instead of focusing on your beauty, focus on your actions. What are you doing to glorify God? Although Ruth probably wasn’t that familiar with God at this point, her actions to care for her mother-in-law by leaving all behind and choosing to follow Him regardless of what happens, honors God. Ultimately our Boaz is Jesus Christ who is the perfect one who died for our sins and made us whole. He came to us and rescued us regardless of who we were or what we have done and made us His. Whether God chooses to gift you with marriage or not, Jesus is our Boaz.

Ruth Day 9: 2:1-7

1: “Now Naomi had a relative of her husband’s, a worthy man of the clan of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz.”

Introducing the newest main character. The prince charming, the rescuer, the source for all those “where is my Boaz” memes. (That last line should be read with a twinge of sarcasm.) On a serious note, Boaz is first introduced. His connection to Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, is an important factor that will come into play later in the chapter. The first thing we learn about Boaz is that he is a relative of Naomi’s husband. The second thing we learn is that he is a worthy man. The third thing we learn is that he is specifically from the clan of Elimelech (Naomi’s husband). The last thing we learn is his name: Boaz.

2: “And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after him in whose sight I shall find favor.” And she said to her, “Go, my daughter.”’

We are reminded in this chapter that Ruth is a Moabite, not an Israelite. She asks Naomi to glean ears of grain which is what those in need often did in order to provide food for themselves. When the reapers would gather up the harvest, some was inevitably left behind and people were able to gather it and keep it for themselves. It was a way to provide for the poor. Naomi gives Ruth permission to go.

3: “So she set out 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 clan of Elimelech.”

I’ve read through this book so many times, but this is the first time that I’ve noticed that the whole field didn’t belong to Boaz. “She happened to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz.” We are reminded that Boaz is a relative of Elimelech.

4: “And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem. And he said to the reapers, “The Lord be with you!” And they answered, “The Lord bless you.”’

Boaz came from the city to his part of the field. His greeting to the reapers shows his faith. Boaz is a worthy man and a man of God.

5: “Then Boaz said to his young man who was in change of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?”

Boaz notices Ruth working in the fields. A funny quote I’ve heard, but I don’t remember where I’ve heard it, is “Boaz saw Ruth working not twerking.” I find it interesting that he even noticed her, because it wasn’t uncommon for women to gather after the reapers.

6-7: “And the servant who was in charge of the reapers answered, “She is the young Moabite woman, who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. She said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves after the reapers.’ So she came and she has continued from early morning until now except for a short rest.”’

Again, we are reminded that Ruth is a Moabite. The servant knows that she had returned with Naomi. She requested to glean and has excellent work ethic. She shows diligence in her work even though it is tedious.

God is only mentioned in a greeting, but we can see His hand of providence at work here. First, he leads Ruth to the land of her mother-in-law’s relative to glean. Then He causes Boaz to take notice of Ruth. We’ll notice more of God’s providence in this situation as we continue through this chapter.

Whether we be stay-at-home moms, students, have a full time job, or anything in between, we need to be diligent in what we do. God notices and He will give us strength and rest when we need it.

Ruth Day 8: Overview of Chapter 2

Chapter two covers how Ruth and Boaz meet. It is also the first mention of a kinsman redeemer.

Here is a summary of the chapter:

Boaz intro (vs. 1)
Ruth goes to glean fields (vs. 2-3)
Boaz returns (vs. 4)
Boaz inquires of Ruth (vs. 5-7)
Boaz speaks to Ruth (vs. 8-9)
Ruth thanks Boaz (vs. 10)
Boaz praises Ruth and God (vs. 11-12)
Ruth thanks Boaz again (vs. 13)
Ruth eats with Boaz (vs. 14)
Boaz instructs reapers (vs. 15-16)
Ruth gleans (vs. 17)
Naomi sees gleanings (vs. 18-19)
Kinsman redeemer (vs. 20)
Ruth relays Boaz’s instructions (vs. 21)
Naomi agrees (vs. 22)
Summary (vs. 23)

Verses one through twenty-two take place over a single day. Verse twenty-three covers about a three month period. The barley harvest is from April until May and the Wheat harvest is from May until June.

Things to think about as you read through this chapter:

What kind of person is Boaz?
What does Boaz first notice about Ruth?
What do you think Naomi means by redeemer in verse twenty?
What do we learn about Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz in this chapter?
What do we learn about God in this chapter?

I challenge you to read through all of chapter two today in preparation for the rest of the week.

Ruth day 7: Summary

For the last post for this chapter, we’re going to answer some questions. First, I’d like you to think through the questions and figure out the answers on your own. Don’t worry, I’ll have an answer key at the end.

What happened during the chapter?
What did we learn about Naomi?
What did we learn about Ruth?
What did we learn about God?
How can we apply what we’ve learned to our lives?

I hope you’ve enjoyed this study! Over the next week we’ll learn more about another important character named Boaz. If you have any questions about this chapter, or the upcoming chapters, please comment or email me at rerouted.blog@gmail.com.

Answer Key: (Answers may vary – they don’t need to be exact)

What happened during the chapter?
Elimelech, Naomi, Mahlon and Chilion move to Moab because of a famine in Bethlehem.
Elimelech dies.
Mahlon and Chilion marry Moabite women.
Mahlon and Chilion die.
Naomi hears the famine is over and decides to return to Bethlehem.
Naomi urges her daughters-in-law to return to their families.
Orpah leaves, but Ruth stays.
Ruth and Naomi return to Bethlehem.
Naomi changes her name to Mara.
It is the beginning of the barley harvest.
What did we learn about Naomi?
She changed her name from “pleasant” to “bitter”
She feels as if she is alone
She cares for her daughter-in-law
What did we learn about Ruth?
She cares for Naomi.
She’s willing to give up everything to stay with Naomi
What did we learn about God?
Although the circumstances seem dreary, God has set His plan in motion.
God is working through the tragedy to bring about something great.
How can we apply what we’ve learned to our lives? (yours does not have to be the same answer as mine)
God is always with us, even when we don’t see Him. He is always planning something that we cannot expect.
We are never truly alone.
God works through our sadness and pain.

Ruth Day Six: 1:19-22

Verse Nineteen: “So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they came to Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them. And the women said, “Is this Naomi?”’

So the women continued on their journey to Bethlehem. The way this verse is worded makes be believe that they had started traveling before Naomi told them to return to their families. It fits with verses six and seven where they say “she arose [] to return from the country of Moab” and “so she set out form the place where she was [] and they went on the way…”

Verses 20-21 “She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went away full, and the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi when the Lord has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?”’

Naomi’s name means “my pleasantness” whereas Mara means “bitter.” Naomi no longer sees her life as pleasant because of the calamity that has befallen her. She still focuses on what has been taken from her rather than what has been given to her.

Verse 22: “So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabite her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.”

This verse pretty much sums up what has happened. Naomi returns with Ruth from Moab to Bethlehem. It also gives a time frame for their arrival. The barley harvest begins in April and ends in May.

Naomi believes that God has left her and that her life is no longer pleasant. Trials can be painful, but God never abandons us even when it seems hopeless.

Ruth Day Five: 1:15-18

Verse Fifteen: “And she , “See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.”’

From an evangelism standpoint, I’m a little disappointed in Naomi encouraging them to return to their gods, but from a practical standpoint Naomi believes it to be better for them to remain with their own people.

Verse Sixteen: “But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people and your God my God.”

This is a brave thing for Ruth to say. She is willing to go with Naomi to a foreign land. She is willing to follow her wherever she goes. To stay wherever she stays. She is giving up her own cultural identity for Naomi’s people and giving up her gods for Naomi’s God.

Verse Seventeen: “Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.”’

Ruth further elaborates her dedication. She not only will stay with Naomi until Naomi passes, Ruth will stay until she herself dies. She is willing to give up everything to go with Naomi. This is similar to what Christians are called to do. We are called to give up everything to follow Christ. He may not actually ask us to abandon everything, but we must be willing to.

Verse Eighteen: And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more.”

Naomi could see that Ruth would not be persuaded to leave her side. Naomi would not be completely alone like she had been feeling. Not only was God there unseen, but Ruth was visibly by her side.

Even when things seem dark, God brings people into our lives who will stay. Even if there is no one present at the moment, we are never truly alone. We never travel our sorrows alone because we always have God by our side.

“Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me. Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me.” – Psalm 23:4

Ruth Day Four: 1:10-14

Verse Ten: “And they said to her, “No, we will return with you to your people.”’

They are willing to go with Naomi to a foreign land.

Verse Eleven: “But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters, why will you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb that they may become your husbands?”

It was a tradition in Israel from the widow to marry her deceased husband’s brother if they had not children. That child would be considered the child of the deceased husband and therefore carry on his family line.

Verses Twelve – Thirteen: “Turn back, my daughters; go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, even if I should have a husband this night and should bear sons, would you therefore wait till they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, for it is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me.”’

Naomi once again references the tradition and points to the fact that they would have to wait until the children were old enough to marry which would be at least sixteen years, probably longer. (I have to admit that I do not know what the marrying age for males was during this time.) Also, Naomi still sees all of these events as God turning against her. Her situation has some resemblance to that of Job. Naomi seems to be looking out for their wellbeing.

Verse Fourteen: “Then they lifted up their voices and wept again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.”

Orpah decides to heed her mother-in-law’s advice whereas Ruth has decided to stay by her side. We’ll read about Ruth’s response tomorrow.

These verses are still in the midst of the trial and Naomi is providing the best advice that she can think of. God, however, has a plan and this pain will turn into joy. When He seems distant or to be working against us, He is actually right beside us. He is growing us and teaching us and preparing us for His great plan.

Ruth Day 3: 1:6-9

Verse Six: “ Then she arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the fields of Moab that the Lord had visited His people and given them food.”

The reason that Naomi and her family had left Bethlehem in the first place was because of the famine. After ten years, Naomi learns that God has provided food.

Verse Seven: “So she set out from the place where she was with her two daughters-in-law, and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah.”

This verse reiterates the previous verse and points to the location of her return. Verse one mentioned how they were from Bethlehem in Judah. Naomi is returning home to her people and seems to be bringing her daughters-in-law with her.

Verses Eight-Nine: “But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother’s house. May the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. The Lord grant you may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband!” Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept.”

Naomi seems to realize that it is better for her daughters-in-law to return to their families. From the context, they are young enough to remarry and go on with their lives in the land of Moab. They need not remain widows. In that way, they would be taken care of into their old age.

They care for each other, as Naomi tries to persuade them to remain for their benefit and the young women weep at her suggestion. Naomi also mentions how they have been kind to her.

We see that God has removed the famine from the land of Judah at that particular time just as He had allowed it to come at a previous time. His plan, as will be seen as we read through more of the book, brings a Gentile woman, not originally part of the Israelite people, into the genealogy of Jesus. By doing this, God also shows His plan for all people to be saved. Jesus didn’t come just to save the Israelites, but to save all peoples who repent and believe.

Ruth Day Two: 1:1-5

Verse One: “In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land, and a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons.”

History:

The time of the judges is accounted for in the book prior to Ruth, appropriately named Judges. During the book of Judges, the people of Israel would follow God for a period of time, usually when a judge was alive, and then as soon as that judge died, they would go back to doing what was evil in God’s eyes. This cycle repeats throughout the book of Judges and is the background for the events in the book of Ruth.

Now Moab was a group of people whom God had warned the Israelites not to mingle with. They worshiped idols and false gods and God knew that they would turn the Israelites against Him. Not only were they not supposed to mingle with the Moabites, but they weren’t supposed to marry them either.

Interesting fact: Bethlehem would be the hometown of king David later in the Old Testament and would also be the birthplace of Jesus in the New Testament.

Verse Two: “The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah.”

The geographical location is important because the future king is supposed to come from the tribe of Judah. Remember this when we go over chapter four. Judah is one of the twelve tribes of Israel and the land of Israel was broken up between the twelve tribes. Bethlehem is a city in Judah.

According the the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Ephrathites were people who were from Ephrath, which was often associated with Bethlehem. It is possible that it is a family name of importance in Bethlehem (502).

Verse Three: “But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons.”

Elimelech’s name means, “my God is king.” His death means Naomi needs to rely on her sons to care for her. Her sons need to marry in order to bear children, hence the next verse.

Verse Four: These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. They lived there about ten years.”

As stated earlier, the Israelites were not supposed to marry the Moabites. Some didn’t care quite as much since everyone did what was right in their own eyes during this time period, but there was still a stigma about it which will appear later on.

What is also interesting is that neither Orpah nor Ruth had any children during this time. We are not told when exactly they were married during the ten year time span, but it is an interesting note. It shows how God was preparing for what comes in the later chapters.

Verse Five: “and both Mahlon and Chilion died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband.”

Naomi was left without the means to be cared for. This does not mean that she couldn’t take care of herself, but in this society, the men worked and provided for the women. When the parents would get too old, the children would care for them. From Naomi’s point of view, her future is very bleak.

Interestingly, Mahlon and Chilion both mean “sickly.”

From what we know of the book of Ruth, we can see that God works to achieve His glory. In the moment, however, it can seem hopeless. That is how Naomi probably felt at the end of this section and it is shown at the end of the chapter when she changes her name.

Ruth has just entered the story. Naomi has lost almost everything. This is only the beginning of God’s wonderful plan. When life seems hopeless or like trials will never end, we can remember that God isn’t finished yet. The trials grow us and strengthen us. They bring us closer to Him. “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning” – Psalm 30:5.

Ruth Day One: Overview of Chapter One

Chapter one of Ruth covers Naomi and her family leaving Judah for Moab during a famine, the death of the men, and the return of Naomi joined by Ruth.

Here is a more detailed outline of chapter one:

Famine in the land (vs. 1)
Moved to Moab (vs. 1-2)
Elimelech dies (vs. 3)
Two sons take Moabite wives (vs. 4)
Sons died (vs. 5)
Famine over (vs. 6)
Begin the return to Judah (vs. 6-7)
Naomi tells her daughter-in-laws to return to their families (vs. 8-9)
Daughter-in-laws refuse (vs. 10)
Naomi implores them (vs. 11-13)
Orpah leaves, Ruth stays (vs. 14)
Naomi implores Ruth (vs. 15)
Ruth’s response (vs. 16-17)
Naomi relents (vs. 18)
Travel to Bethlehem (vs. 19)
Naomi changes her name (vs. 20-21)
Summary of their travel (vs. 22)

A lot happens in the first chapter of the book. It covers a span of about ten years, according to verse four.

During the time of Ruth, men took care of the women. When Naomi’s husband and sons died, and she had no grandchildren, she then had no one to care for her. Ruth and Orpah were young enough to be remarried so Naomi saw that it was better for them and their future if they did so.

Ruth’s response to remain with Naomi shows a strong care for her. She was willing to give up her own personal security in order to care for Naomi. She also showed that she was willing to follow the God of Israel rather than the idols of Moab.

Read chapter one and see what you glean from it. Here are some questions to think about:

What do we learn about Naomi?
What do we learn about Ruth?
What do you think about Naomi’s words in verse 21?
Do you have any questions from chapter one?