Book of Ruth Bible Study!

[FaithWalker]

Ruth Chapter 1
Counting the Cost
by I Gordon
‘Doth that man love his Lord who would be willing to see Jesus wearing a crown of thorns, while for himself he craves a chaplet of laurel? Shall Jesus ascend to his throne by the cross, and do we expect to be carried there on the shoulders of applauding crowds? Be not so vain in your imagination. Count you the cost, and if you’re not willing to bear Christ’s cross, go away to your farm and to your merchandise, and make the most of them. Only let me whisper this in your ear, “What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul?”
Charles Spurgeon

Introduction

Interesting book Ruth. It’s an amazing story of commitment and dedication, trials and testing, deliverance and freedom. It’s got it all – well, apart from a nasty villain but we can’t ask for everything. Yet like other historical books in the Old Testament, I believe that the Holy Spirit has placed this book within the Bible for more than historical benefit. He has placed within the characters and story line, key elements and pictures that teach us today about our relationship with the true redeemer, Jesus Christ. Each of the four chapters gives us a glimpse of the progressive stages in our walk with the Lord as you can hopefully see through the following chapter names:

Chapter 1 - Counting the cost
Chapter 2 - Growing in grace
Chapter 3 - Rewards through refining
Chapter 4 - Fruits of freedom

As we enter into chapter 1, we see an interesting picture involving three different women. In Naomi, Ruth and Orpah we see a backslider, a new convert and a double-minded woman and from their lives we can learn about the following things –
- The perils of worldliness and sin
- The importance of preaching a ‘real’ gospel
- The steps of the prodigal in returning to the Lord
- The cost involved in following the Lord

Chapter 1 – Counting the cost

1:1-2 Now it came about in the days when the judges governed, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the land of Moab with his wife and his two sons. And 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, Ephrathites of Bethlehem in Judah. Now they entered the land of Moab and remained there.

The book of Ruth starts then, in the days of the judges , and in a time
of famine . Elimelech and his wife Naomi are living in Israel, Gods chosen land, yet we read that their eyes began looking to the prosperity in the world. Ever been there? The picture for us is clear and its one that we see often. It’s a picture of the Christian who, when times get hard, looks not to God but to what the world can provide. Ever been in that kind of famine? One where God doesn’t seem to care or notice the difficulty you are in and your thoughts turn to the provision and pleasure offered by the world? No? You will. God allows us into these situations to teach us that we live by faith and not by sight. Elimelech and Naomi were in such a situation and faced with running or trusting God, they chose the former and worse of the two options. It was a decision that would ultimately cost Elimelech and his two sons their lives. For we read that they left Bethlehem (which means ‘the place of bread’) in Judah (‘praise’) to go to Moab (which means ‘from father: what father?’) and in the meaning of Moab you gain an insight into Elimelech’s state of mind. As he doubts the love and fatherhood of God he steps out in willful disobedience to the word of God , striving forth in his own strength. Not that Elimelech had decided to take his family away from the land of Israel permanently. No way! This was only going to be a ‘sojourn’ – which means a brief stay. Not a great rebellion against God, but just a little dabble for a season in another land. Nothing wrong with that is there?

1:3-5 Then Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she was left with her two sons. And they took for themselves Moabite women as wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. And they lived there about ten years. Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died; and the woman was bereft of her two children and her husband.

Ten years! He probably thought he would go for a little sojourn to enjoy Moab for a season yet he never came out! What’s more it took his wife ten years to see that Moab promised much but delivered nothing . Those who leave the Lord today find the same thing. Though the world promises fame, fortune and happiness , nothing can come near the peace and hope that comes from knowing that you are right with the Lord. The prodigal son had to learn this the hard way, and once the money ran out he soon found himself lunching with pigs! Nope, Moab only produces death and its no coincidence that we read that Mahlon (sickly) and Chilion (pining) also meet their end there. We are however introduced to two new characters in Ruth (friendship) and Orpah (stiff-necked). Both of these ladies are well named, as we shall soon see.

1:6-10 Then she arose with her daughters-in-law that she might return from the land of Moab, for she had heard in the land of Moab that the LORD had visited His people in giving them food. So she departed 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. And 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. “May the LORD grant that you may find rest, each in the house of her husband.” Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept. And they said to her, “No, but we will surely return with you to your people.”

Finally a good decision is made. They are coming home for the Lord had visited his people in giving them food! That’s the truth! Though He had seemed far away and His provision was slow in coming (through human eyes) yet he had been aware all along of their situation and did provide when the time was right. We need to learn from this. Naomi did and we see her now, like the prodigal, ready to return home . It may have taken ten years but she had to return. If you have been a Christian long enough, you have no doubt seen those that have fallen away and gone back to Egypt so to speak. But I also think that if you have been a Christian even longer, you would have seen the true believers return from Egypt to God. That is always the nature of the true prodigal son . Here, God had bought her to the place where, stripped of her natural support, she would once again turn and look to the Lord God of Israel. Yet not alone, as both of her daughters in law respond to her by saying ‘we will surely return with you to your people.’ Wow! - two new gentile converts right? Um, half right.

1:11-13 But Naomi said, “Return, my daughters. Why should you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? “Return, my daughters! Go, for I am too old to have a husband. If I said I have hope, if I should even have a husband tonight and also bear sons, would you therefore wait until they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters; for it is harder for me than for you, for the hand of the LORD has gone forth against me.”

Arrrggghh Naomi! Why didn’t she just tell them that if you come back to Israel and the God of Israel then all their problems would be gone and everything would be coming up roses? Isn’t that what you say to people who are interested in coming to the Lord? Doesn’t it go something like ‘Gods loves you and wants to bless you. Ask him into your life and he will sort out your problems!’ Isn’t that what it means to share the gospel? Not likely! What Naomi did was tell them the truth and gave them the opportunity to count the cost of having the Lord God of Israel as their God. Jesus expects nothing less .

1:14-18 And they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. Then she said, “Behold, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or turn back 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. “Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may the LORD do to me, and worse, if anything but death parts you and me.” When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her.

Orpah left. Decided it wasn’t for her! She had promised to come back with Naomi earlier but when she learnt of what it may be like she decided to do the 180 degrees and go back to her own people. And sadly this is what happens with many so-called Christians today. They come to the Lord (well, they come to the front of the stage) but where are they a few days later? No one ever sees them again. Or they may stay for a while, springing up quickly like the word says, yet when persecution or hardship comes they leave the faith for a life more comfortable (Matt 13:3-9, 20-21). But not our Ruth. In Ruth we have an awesome picture of a true conversion. Even when others are leaving around her Ruth states in utter dedication and commitment “Do not urge me to leave you or turn back 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. “Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may the LORD do to me, and worse, if anything but death parts you and me.” That has got to be one of the greatest utterances of commitment in the entire Old Testament! Having counted the cost Ruth was willing to give up all that she knew and loved to follow Naomi, and Naomis’ God. What is the quality of the commitment that Jesus asks of us today? Notice I didn’t ask about the quantity of our commitment, but the quality. This is what Jesus is interested in. Jesus said that those that want to follow Him must take up their cross. So what does it mean to carry your cross? Obviously it speaks of death. Not many endured the cross and lived! Well, none actually. But death to what? Two things come to mind – death to your right to control your own life and death to your own ability to live the Christian life . We will see both of these attitudes displayed further in the book of Ruth. This is the ‘quality’ commitment to the Lord Jesus that He requires.

Vs 19-22 So they both went until they came to Bethlehem. And it came about when they had come to Bethlehem, that all the city was stirred because of them, and the women said, “Is this Naomi?” And she said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.“I went out full, but the LORD has brought me back empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the LORD has witnessed against me and the Almighty has afflicted me?” So Naomi returned, and with her Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, who returned from the land of Moab. And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.

So they make it back to Bethlehem but Naomi (which means ‘pleasant’) doesn’t want to be called that anymore. She prefers to now be called Mara, which means ‘bitter’. Nice name! We can understand her sorrow for she has lost both her husband and her sons but there is no point in blaming God! It’s a hard lesson to learn that backsliding and running off to the world never produces anything but death and though the Lord has called her back, yet she comes back empty handed. It’s the same for us. We can never expect to bring back anything productive from our sojourn into Moab! If we are true sons of God then the Lord will bring us back to Himself, but its not usually pleasant. Above all things, the Lord desires a relationship with us and his chastening and discipline, Hebrews tells us, is for our good because He loves us. (Heb 12:5-11). Naomi may have come back empty and in bitterness, but that is not how things would end. Having returned she would once again soon see the blessing of the Lord. It is also appropriate that they should return at the beginning of the barley season, as this was the season of firstfruits . Though bitter they would soon see new life!

[FaithWalker]

Ruth Chapter 2
Growing in Grace
by I Gordon

Introduction

Having dedicated herself to the God of Israel, Ruth, in chapter 2, begins to grow in her relationship and dedication to Boaz. In Ruth we see the attitude and character of one in whom God is pleased. And through humility and dependence Ruth begins to grow in grace. This chapter also displays the gracious provision and protection that comes from Boaz. Among other things, this chapter shows us:
- how to live with the Lord’s grace as your foundation
- the one requirement for the protection and provision of God
- the type of character that pleases the Lord

Chapter 2- Growing in grace

2:1 NOW Naomi had a kinsman of her husband, a man of great wealth, of the family of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz.

Lets just pause a while to examine this new character we are now introduced to. Boaz, we are told, was a relative of Naomi and his lineage is traced back to Perez, a son of Judah. As a relative he would qualify as a kinsman redeemer (but more on that later…) We are also told that he was a man of great wealth which was a phrase meaning that he possessed the finest of qualities. Who could this man be a picture of? Is there a Jewish redeemer from the tribe of Judah, who possesses the finest of qualities? Um, can’t think of one… seriously, no prize for guessing that Boaz is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ.

2:2-3 And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, “Please let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after one in whose sight I may find favor.” And she said to her, “Go, my daughter.” So she departed and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers; and she happened to come to the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech.

God in his mercy to the foreigners, widows and the poor instituted laws that governed the harvesting of produce to ensure that no one went empty handed. Leviticus 19:9-10 clearly said that the reapers of the harvest were to leave the corners of the field and the gleanings of the harvest for those in need. Ruth then, as a gentile, went out to glean and she just happened to do so in the field belonging to Boaz. Thousands of fields to choose from and she got lucky. It just happened! It was pure coincidence right? What about you? How did you just happen to meet Jesus, of whom Boaz is a type? Coincidence? I think not! Behind the scenes God drew Ruth to Boaz’s field because He had plans to use Ruth for His purpose. It’s exactly the same for us today. God is still in the business of drawing people and setting up opportunities for them to meet His Son!

2:4-7 Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem and said to the reapers, “May the LORD be with you.” And they said to him, “May the LORD bless you.” Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?” And the servant in charge of the reapers answered and said, “She is the young Moabite woman who returned with Naomi from the land of Moab. “And she said, ‘Please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves.’ Thus she came and has remained from the morning until now; she has been sitting in the house for a little while.”

We come now to the first meeting of Boaz and Ruth and we get a glimpse of Ruth’s character that pleased Boaz. As we have previously mentioned, under God’s law Ruth had a right to glean and gather after the reapers. However Ruth did not enforce her rights but came by grace asking ‘please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves’. If we are ever going to know the Lord further we also need to learn to come to Him by grace. We cannot come to the Lord claiming our rights or presenting our good works as something that he must repay us for. No, the throne of grace is open and available to those who see that grace is the only way open for them to come. We also see Boaz attitude towards Ruth. The first thing he says is ‘whose young woman is this?’ I once read in a commentary on Ruth that a very, very, very loose translation on this verse would be ‘well, where in the world has she been that I haven’t seen her before!’ Told you it was loose – but it’s good!

2:8-9 Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen carefully, my daughter. Do not go to glean in another field; furthermore, do not go on from this one, but stay here with my maids. “Let your eyes be on the field which they reap, and go after them. Indeed, I have commanded the servants not to touch you. When you are thirsty, go to the water jars and drink from what the servants draw.”

Now it wouldn’t have been easy being a widow on your own in those days. In fact, it could be quite dangerous. But Ruth had no reason to fear with Boaz. What was Boaz’s response to Ruth’s approach by grace? It was one of provision. He would provide the field for her to glean in, water to drink when she was thirsty and protection from anyone harming her. Amazing! Yet he has one command – stay in his field! In other words, look to him and he will provide. Just don’t go off into other fields even if they look good. The Lord also has promised that he will provide our needs with the same condition of looking to Him. Naomi had to learn this lesson the hard way down in Moab earlier when she had doubted the provision of God and wandered off, back to the world. But Ruth was single-minded and dedicated – firstly to Naomi and her God, but soon she would show that same dedication to Boaz.

2:10 Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground and said to him, “Why have I found favor in your sight that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?”

Ruth is shaking her head - ‘I don’t get it. I just do not get it! Why are you so kind to me? I’m a Moabite!’ She was amazed. Moab was the son of an incestuous relationship between Lot (who was drunk) and his oldest daughter and as a nation the Moabites were Israel’s enemy, having opposed Israel when she came out of Egypt. So why was Boaz so kind? Well, in the natural it was probably because he was pretty keen on Ruth! But what about the spiritual? Have you come to the point in your Christian life where you just have to stop and shake your head in disbelief at the grace of God? You’ve seen what you are like in your own nature, yet you still find yourself blessed by God. That’s is why grace is so amazing.

2:11-13 And Boaz answered and said to her, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband has been fully reported to me, and how you left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and came to a people that you did not previously know. “May the LORD reward your work, and your wages be full from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge.” Then she said, “I have found favor in your sight, my lord, for you have comforted me and indeed have spoken kindly to your maidservant, though I am not like one of your maidservants.”

Amazed at Boaz kindness to her, Ruth asks why he had been so kind. What we discover is that Boaz knew all about Ruth and her commitment before she knew anything about him! He knew of her heart and the sacrifice she had made to follow Naomi and the Lord. This again pictures the Lord Jesus who knew all that we are even before we have begun to know him. It also shows us that it is not necessary to blow our own trumpet before God or man. Not before God because he is already entirely aware of all that we do and will reward us appropriately; or before man because it’s not likely that he’s at all interested! Isn’t it refreshing when you see people who are committed and faithful to the Lord, behind the scenes, where no one but the Lord is watching? Ruth was like this. What she did was done out of love and devotion and not in trying to make a name for herself. It’s the little Pharisee in each of us that wants to be seen as something great before man. In Ruth we see a lethal combination. Someone who is dedicated and loyal without trying to draw attention to herself, as well as humble and dependant upon grace in her relationship with Boaz.

2:14 And at mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come here, that you may eat of the bread and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar.” So she sat beside the reapers; and he served her roasted grain, and she ate and was satisfied and had some left.

So is Boaz keen or what? J. Vernon McGee points out in his book that this is the first time that He has met Ruth and Boaz has already asked her out to lunch! He’s not slow that man! And we read that ‘she ate and was satisfied and had some left’. Is this not the result of anyone that truly meets and experiences the Lord Jesus Christ? She wasn’t disappointed as his kindness extended beyond what she expected and as we are soon to see, coming to Boaz by grace would yield more unexpected results. This begs the question – Are you satisfied? Are you satisfied with Jesus? If not, then have you learned to live by grace and seen all that God has graciously provided to us as sons of God?

2:15-16 When she rose to glean, Boaz commanded his servants, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not insult her.” And also you shall purposely pull out for her some grain from the bundles and leave it that she may glean, and do not rebuke her.”

By the law Ruth had a right to glean among the corners of the field. By grace Boaz pulled grain from the bundles for her, and she was even given the right to glean among the sheaves. Not just mercy, but grace! Boaz had gone beyond what was called for by the law and had generously blessed her. You might expect that because of his mercy God would find a way to forgive us, but through the cross He goes way beyond that and gives us a gift of righteousness. You may expect that God would forgive us our sins and leave it at that, but He went way beyond that giving us full rights as His sons. This is why grace is so amazing and will be talked about even in the ages to come.

2:17 So she gleaned in the field until evening…

This little verse does however provide us with the second warning of the chapter. Well, maybe not so much a warning as a checkpoint for your Christian life. The first was in verse 8 where we saw that Boaz would provide but she needed to stay in His field. Here, in verse 17, we see Ruth’s response to the graciousness of Boaz. Did she take his grace for granted? Did she say ‘wow, it’s all given to me. I might as well put my feet up for the day and do my gleaning when it is cool at night.’ No, her attitude is the correct response, as she let his grace become the motivation for her hard work in the field all day! We too can learn from Ruth in this.

2:17-19 So she gleaned in the field until evening. Then she beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley. And she took it up and went into the city, and her mother-in-law saw what she had gleaned. She also took it out and gave Naomi what she had left after she was satisfied. Her mother-in-law then said to her, “Where did you glean today and where did you work? May he who took notice of you be blessed.” So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked and said, “The name of the man with whom I worked today is Boaz.”

At the end of the day she was left with an ephah of barley! Amazing aye? Ok, I’m sure you, like me, have no idea how much an ephah is, so I looked it up and it’s 22 litres. This would be enough to feed both herself and Naomi for about 10 days. No wonder Naomi was surprised and had to know where she had got this! Naomi didn’t praise Ruth even though Ruth had obviously been working hard and deserved some praise. But the thing is, the fruit of Ruth’s labor couldn’t simply be explained in terms of Ruth’s diligence. ‘Whose field were you in?’ is Naomi’s first comment. Has that happened to you? Has what you have received from the Lord been so obvious that others just have to know where you got it? Did people notice the difference in you when you first met the Lord that they just had to know what could account for such a change? If not then I guess the other question is, have you, like Ruth, been sharing with others what the Lord has imparted into your life? What the Lord gives us is obviously for our benefit, but he also wants us to be able to share that with others for the edification of all. Ruth was faithful in this and may our testimony, like hers, be of the man that has caused all this to happen.

2:20 And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, “May he be blessed of the LORD who has not withdrawn his kindness to the living and to the dead.” Again Naomi said to her, “The man is our relative, he is one of our closest relatives.”

The word relative here is from the Hebrew word geol, meaning ‘kinsman-redeemer’. The responsibilities of the kinsman redeemer had been clearly defined in God’s law and included marrying a childless widow to raise up children in her dead husbands’ name. (Deut 25-10) The redeemer had to be a blood relative. Here we see the need for Jesus to be born on earth, being made in the likeness of man (Phil 2:7) so that he could qualify as our redeemer. Through the incarnation, God became ‘a blood relative’ and through his death on the cross the price was paid for the redemption of the world! Roy Hession, in his book ‘Our nearest kinsman’ states three things that were needed for someone to actually become your redeemer. Firstly they needed to have the right to redeem and as has been previously mentioned this was given to the closest relative. Secondly they needed the ability to redeem. Could they pay the price? It would be useless if the redeemer was as poor as the one being redeemed because he wouldn’t be able to care for the person needing redemption. Finally, they needed to be willing to redeem. Would they take on the responsibility that came with being the redeemer? Jesus Christ more than adequately looked after all three requirements! He had the right to redeem as our relative, becoming flesh and blood as we are. He was able to pay the price as he had lived his whole life without sin. And finally, and thankfully, he was willing to redeem even though it meant going to the cross. Thank You!

2:21-23 Then Ruth the Moabitess said, “Furthermore, he said to me, ‘You should stay close to my servants until they have finished all my harvest.’” And Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, “It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his maids, lest others fall upon you in another field.” So she stayed close by the maids of Boaz in order to glean until the end of the barley harvest and the wheat harvest. And she lived with her mother-in-law.

The last point in this chapter is the even greater position that Boaz gave Ruth. Firstly he was gracious in pulling out bundles of grain for her to glean in. But he went further than that and allowed her to glean for the whole season right next to his actual workers. So you had the workers who were paid to glean for Boaz and then there was Ruth, working right along side them and everything she grabbed she was allowed to keep for herself! She didn’t plant the wheat or play any part in ensuring that it there was adequate growth. She simply got to reap the benefits for herself! A good picture of our inheritance in Christ, where we shall surely benefit in the age to come because of His work on our behalf.

[FaithWalker]

Ruth Chapter 3
Rewards through Refining
by I Gordon

‘Anyone can sing in the day. When the cup is full and wealth rolls in abundance around him, any man can sing the praises of a God who gives a plenteous harvest… but no man can make a song in the night by himself… Songs in the night come only from God; they are not in the power of man.’
Charles Spurgeon

Introduction

Chapter three takes us into the next stage of our Christian lives. We have seen the commitment of Ruth in her determination to follow the true God. We have also seen her grow in her relationship with Boaz, consistently relying upon his grace. This chapter is all about the three R’s – reading, writing, and arithmetic. Um, no, it’s about refining, rest and rewards. As a Christian grows, their faith has got to be tried and refined. Our faith is of little use to anyone until this has happened. But this chapter doesn’t leave us there, as it also shows us the rest and fruit that is produced in such a time. So among other things we can learn the following from this chapter:
- the process the Lord uses in bringing us closer to Himself
- what the true rest of God is
- where fruit and growth in your Christian character comes from

Chapter 3 – Rewards through refining

3:1-2 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? “And now is not Boaz our kinsman, with whose maids you were? Behold, he winnows barley at the threshing floor tonight.

Chapter 3 starts then with the next step in drawing closer to the Lord. Ruth had known the provision of Boaz, and had ‘sought refuge under the wings of the God of Israel’ as Boaz himself had earlier stated. We have also seen her working in Boaz’ field and seen his gracious commitment to her in return. But Naomi had a greater vision for Ruth. She could see something better for Ruth than just being a worker in Boaz’s field. She could see Ruth fully redeemed, loved, and honoured as a wife. So Naomi becomes a matchmaker! But it wasn’t going to be easy and would involve Ruth placing herself at the feet of Boaz, totally reliant upon his will. As we go on in our Christian life, there are times also when we must also be found at the threshing floor , where he is . It is a time of testing and refining, and just as the threshing floor was used to separate the true grain from the chaff so these times in our life are used to refine and purify our faith in Him. But as we shall see, through this testing she would learn what it is to rest in him, and his provision would be greater than in any time before!

3:3 “Wash yourself therefore, and anoint yourself and put on your best clothes, and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking.”

We see then that which is needed in preparing ourselves at this time. Three things are given for Ruth to do – wash herself, anoint herself, and put on her best clothes! Each of these acts are quite common in the Old Testament and each is interpreted for us in the New Testament.
1) Wash yourself – is being washed with the water of the word as Eph 5:26 tells us. It means examining ourselves by the word and allowing it to govern our attitudes, motives and desires. In times of testing the word of God is a light unto our path, giving us hope to persevere.
2) Anoint yourself – always speaks of the enabling of the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 5:18 tells us to be filled (or controlled) by the Holy Spirit and this is crucial in times of refining when our natural reaction is to be anything but controlled!
3) Put on your best clothes – speaks of a righteous life. Revelation 19:8 says ‘It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen… for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.’ This is only possible to the extent that we’ve got the first two tasks in place.

3:4-5 “And it shall be when he lies down, that you shall notice the place where he lies, and you shall go and uncover his feet and lie down; then he will tell you what you shall do.” And she said to her, “All that you say I will do.”

Ruth had to cast herself at Boaz’ feet! She didn’t know what would happen next or what his reaction would be but she just knew that she needed to be where he was and this meant the threshing floor! Ever felt like that? You’re going through a time of testing and all you can do is through yourself down at the Lords feet not really knowing what will happen next? To us it seems like a huge risk but to the Lord it is the very place He wants us to be.

3:6-7 So she went down to the threshing floor and did according to all that her mother-in-law had commanded her. When Boaz had eaten and drunk and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain; and she came secretly, and uncovered his feet and lay down.

Unsure of how events would transpire, Ruth followed Naomi’s advice and went down to the threshing floor. Notice also that the threshing floor, the place of trial that refines our faith, is down! It’s a place where, as John the Baptist testified, ‘I must decrease and He must increase’. It’s easy to talk about but never nice in reality. Maybe it means coming and acknowledging to the Lord that you have been failure as a Christian, a failure as a husband, or a failure as a mother. When God creates, He starts with nothing, and creates something. And when God makes a ‘somebody’, He always starts with nobodies! But it always starts by laying yourself down in humility at His feet.

3:8 And it happened in the middle of the night that the man was startled and bent forward; and behold, a woman was lying at his feet.

The middle of the night! You’ve got to be kidding? I mean, it probably doesn’t sound long for us, but here was Ruth, laying at Boaz’s feet, thinking ‘will He marry me? Will he redeem me? Oh hurry up and wake up!’ It would have been a long wait for Ruth, believe me! How long it can be also when you find yourself on the threshing floor, in the midst of a trial. And often, God seems asleep or at least oblivious to the whole ordeal. But He isn’t, and there will always come a time when Boaz awakes and though it takes longer usually than we would like, there will always come the time when God hears and acts on your cry. What would have been best for Ruth during this time? Well, to rest and much as possible and worry as lest as possible. And it is the same for you. So would laying her life and hopes at Boaz’s feet pay off?

3:9-12 And he said, “Who are you?” And she answered, “I am Ruth your maid. So spread your covering over your maid, for you are a close relative.” Then he said, “May you be blessed of the LORD, my daughter. You have shown your last kindness to be better than the first by not going after young men, whether poor or rich. And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you whatever you ask, for all my people in the city know that you are a woman of excellence.”

You bet it would! Pay off that is. Boaz was amazed at her commitment, faith and kindness stating that she was a woman of excellence . Not only did she show commitment to Naomi but also she had now shown that same commitment to Boaz. Does it not also please the Lord Jesus when we choose to seek after Him instead of wealth or other worldly pleasures? I once read a quote that said you can test whether you love God by whether you seek after Him or His gifts. Boaz was pleased with Ruth’s choice and responds by the same words that Jesus said more than any other – ‘do not fear!’ Now what about you? Do you feel that you’re currently taking a beating down at the threshing floor, wondering how circumstances will turn out? If so, have you laid the result before Jesus and rested at His feet? Have you washed yourself in the word and allowed the Lord Jesus Christ to speak those words ‘Do not fear!’ into your life? May we continue to turn away from our problem and also hear those words from the Lord. Notice also that he said ‘I will do whatever you ask… for you are a woman of excellence.’ That is his response once we have put ourselves into this position at His feet.

3:12-14 “And now it is true I am a close relative; however, there is a relative closer than I. “Remain this night, and when morning comes, if he will redeem you, good; let him redeem you. But if he does not wish to redeem you, then I will redeem you, as the LORD lives. Lie down until morning.” So she lay at his feet until morning and rose before one could recognize another; and he said, “Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.”

Boaz, like the Lord Jesus Christ, is willing to redeem her but there is a closer relative than Boaz! Who would have the first choice to redeem you before the Lord? ‘Tis a mystery but we will have to save that for chapter four. But for now what is important is the Lord’s response to someone trusting and looking to Him. After telling Ruth not to fear the next thing he says is for her to remain resting for the night. The rest! She had to rest on the threshing floor knowing that Boaz would look after her! The picture couldn’t be any clearer for us. Testing and trials will come for the refining of our faith but what the Lord is after is that attitude which places the problem at the feet of Jesus, remaining restful in the midst of the trial.

3:15-18 Again he said, “Give me the cloak that is on you and hold it.” So she held it, and he measured six measures of barley and laid it on her. Then she went into the city. And when she came to her mother-in-law, she said, “How did it go, my daughter?” And she told her all that the man had done for her. And she said, “These six measures of barley he gave to me, for he said, ‘do not go to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’” Then she said, “Wait, my daughter, until you know how the matter turns out; for the man will not rest until he has settled it today.”

One final thought as we close out the chapter. In her early relationship with Boaz, Ruth had worked all day in Boaz’ field and beat out 22 litres of barley. Here, after being at the threshing floor, Boaz gives Ruth a gift of six measures, which according to the Bible Knowledge Commentary was six seahs or 46 litres! Have you found that in your own life? Have you noticed that hard times produce far more growth in your character than any amount of normal daily living. We may not like it but it is true. If you have been a Christian long enough I'm sure you can look back at specific difficult times and testify that that was when you truly learnt more about the character and faithfulness of the Lord. We may read our books and hear our sermons for years but we only truly know something once that knowledge has been tested. May we like Ruth, desire to go deeper, learning to rest and lay all at the feet of Jesus.

1 Peter 1:3-9 seems appropriate here.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.

[FaithWalker]

Ruth Chapter 4
Fruits of Freedom
by I Gordon

Introduction

This chapter is all about redemption, which, according to the New Bible Dictionary means ‘deliverance from some evil by payment of a price.’ For the Christian, our positional redemption is completely past tense – we have been redeemed. Done and dusted, nothing will ever change that. Jesus has purchased us from our place of slavery to sin, Satan and the world. But as we live our lives on earth, there is also an ongoing practical redemption in which, having been freed from the penalty of sin, we are still being delivered from the power of sin. Ruth in this chapter finds herself in the same predicament. There is a conflict over where her redemption will come from and in picture form I believe that this chapter answers questions about our deliverance as well. So this chapter in Ruth’s life can help us learn:

- Where our ongoing redemption comes from
- What the purpose of the law is
- What part the law now plays in our Christian life
- How freedom leads to fruitfulness

Chapter 4 – Fruits of freedom

4:1-2 NOW Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there, and behold, the close relative of whom Boaz spoke was passing by, so he said, “Turn aside, friend, sit down here.” And he turned aside and sat down. And he took ten men of the elders of the city and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down.

Chapter 4 starts then, with this mysterious close relative. Boaz is willing to redeem Ruth but the first option to do so is granted to this ‘other man’. Ruth loves Boaz and has pledged her life to him, yet there is still a struggle over where her redemption will come from. Ever felt like this? Have you felt the conflict over where your deliverance comes from? If so then you may know who the closer relative is a picture of. If the book of Ruth pictures our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, then who is it that has a chance to redeem us before the Lord does? I believe that the closer relative is a picture of the law and this should become clear through the verses to come.

4:3-4 Then he said to the closest relative, “Naomi, who has come back from the land of Moab, has to sell the piece of land which belonged to our brother Elimelech. “So I thought to inform you, saying, ‘Buy it before those who are sitting here, and before the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if not, tell me that I may know; for there is no one but you to redeem it, and I am after you.’” And he said, “I will redeem it.”

There are only two ways Boaz says that Elimelech’s property (and that which comes with it – namely Ruth) can be redeemed. Either the closer relative or Boaz has to redeem Ruth and no other options are available! It’s the same with us. There are only two ways of being redeemed and bought back to God – either you believe in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ in dying for you on the cross or you live in total obedience to the law of God, not breaking one commandment your whole life! Now which one shall I choose? But I believe the picture in the book of Ruth is speaking of more than just our initial salvation. There is also the ongoing process in our Christian lives where we must continually look at where our redemption comes from. Does our ongoing deliverance from the power of sin come from our best efforts to keep Gods law or is it also by trusting in the Lord Jesus as we did when we first met Him? We will look at this question but for now let’s just remind ourselves of the response of the closer relative. ‘I will redeem it’ he responds and he fully intends to do what he says! This is a great picture of the law of God. There is nothing wrong with the law of God. It is perfect and holy and if it could redeem us it would . There’s only one small tiny problem that prevents this from happening, and here she comes!

4:5-6 Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also acquire Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of the deceased, in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance.” And the closest relative said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I jeopardize my own inheritance. Redeem it for yourself; you may have my right of redemption, for I cannot redeem it.”

Come on. Make up your mind! First its ‘I will redeem it’, and now it’s ‘I cannot redeem it’. What’s the problem? Well, Ruth is, and of course, you are. The closer relative is happy to be the redeemer until Ruth comes on the scene! Does this not answer the question as to who our ongoing redeemer will be? The law in itself is perfect, portraying the character of God, but it cannot free us from the power or penalty of sin. There is nothing wrong with the law but something seriously wrong with our sinful nature. There was only one who would redeem Ruth and that is Boaz. Likewise there is only one who is our redeemer and that is the Lord Jesus . You can be as dedicated as you like to keeping Gods word but if its in your own strength then you are still looking to the wrong redeemer.

4:7-10 Now this was the custom in former times in Israel concerning the redemption and the exchange of land to confirm any matter: a man removed his sandal and gave it to another; and this was the manner of attestation in Israel. So the closest relative said to Boaz, “Buy it for yourself.” And he removed his sandal. Then Boaz said to the ten elders and all the people, “You are witnesses today that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon. “Moreover, I have acquired Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, to be my wife in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance, so that the name of the deceased may not be cut off from his brothers or from the court of his birth place; you are witnesses today.”

So the closer relative couldn’t redeem. The sandal came off and that was that! So too the law cannot redeem us. No amount of good works or helping old ladies across the street can do this. It doesn’t save us from the penalty of sin or from the power of sin. But we see here the willingness of Boaz to do this! This again pictures our Lord Jesus, ‘in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of our sins.’ (Col 1:14) But I want to note one other thing here. There were ten elders who were called to witness two things – firstly they witnessed that the closer relative couldn’t redeem , and secondly, they witnessed that Boaz could. Simple really. These ten elders are a picture I believe of the ten commandments that also tell us these two very things – they witness that the law itself cannot save but they also witness of the one who can. The New Testament tells us that ‘before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ (by witnessing that only he could save us) that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law. Gal 3:23-24.

4:11-13 And all the people who were in the court, and the elders, said, “We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, both of whom built the house of Israel; and may you achieve wealth in Ephrathah and become famous in Bethlehem. “Moreover, may your house be like the house of Perez whom Tamar bore to Judah, through the offspring which the LORD shall give you by this young woman.” So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife, and he went in to her. And the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son.

Free! Ruth is finally free to marry Boaz and we read that not long after ‘the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son.’ For years Ruth had been barren, but having come into this new relationship with Boaz, we see the blessing of God and the fruitfulness of Ruth! Psalm 127:3 says ‘Behold, children are a gift of the LORD; the fruit of the womb is a reward.’ This is also true of us. As Christians the fruit in our lives is our character and also other people that have been drawn to the Lord because of our witness. Now what about you? Would you currently say that you are fruitful or barren ? Are you living trusting in God to produce the life he requires or striving forth in a vain attempt to do what only He can do? Also look at this verse from Boaz’ point of view. He was not a young man so imagine how thrilled he would have been to now have someone to share his life with. Probably as thrilled as Jesus is in sharing his life with you! The union of marriage is the closest thing we have on earth to symbolize our relationship with the Lord and its challenging to think that as the bride of Christ, the Lord wants to be involved with the whole of our lives. Imagine Ruth getting married and but avoiding Boaz or not really allowing him into her life. That wouldn’t do now would it? Wouldn’t fit the story! Neither should it fit ours.

4:14-15 Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed is the LORD who has not left you without a redeemer today, and may his name become famous in Israel. “May he also be to you a restorer of life and a sustainer of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.”

‘May his name become famous in Israel’. Now there’s an understatement! How famous did the Lord become? Well famous enough to be the most influential man to have ever lived. Famous enough to have our calendar split from before and after His birth . And if we still needed convincing of Boaz’ or Jesus’ intentions I believe we have got it in this verse. Not only is he pictured here as a redeemer but also as a restorer of life. Wasn’t that the two exact reasons why Jesus came? Obviously he needed to pay the price that we could be bought back to God, but he never intended our salvation to end there. Jesus said that following about why he came – ‘I have come that they may have life!’ The life of the creator back within His creation so that finally, through dependence upon God we may live a life pleasing to Him!

Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her lap, and became his nurse. And the neighbour women gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi!” So they named him Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David. Now these are the generations of Perez: to Perez was born Hezron, and to Hezron was born Ram, and to Ram, Amminadab, and to Amminadab was born Nahshon, and to Nahshon, Salmon, and to Salmon was born Boaz, and to Boaz, Obed, and to Obed was born Jesse, and to Jesse, David.

Everyone likes a story with a happy ending and that’s what we’ve got here!
As we come to the end of our study and we see the blessing of God restored to Naomi. Naomi has gone from a bitter back-slidden woman, to a blessed and famous mother in Israel. It started with bitterness, but it ends with a smiling and blessed Naomi. We have also seen the life of the humble and dedicated Ruth totally turned around. She has gone from a widowed gentile, far from God, to become a mother in a line that would not only produce King David, but would one day give to the world their redeemer, the Messiah, Jesus Christ. But this story (as hopefully you have by now gathered) is not only about Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz. It is also about our relationship with Jesus Christ. It is about our full redemption and what Jesus can do with us. You may be like Naomi once was, bitter at God, or Ruth, far from the knowledge of the true God. Even if you are as far away as these two were, this story shows us that God can turn things around and make something, out of nothing. And God loves to make a ‘somebody’, out of a ‘nobody.’