Welcome back to the weekly Wednesday Bible study. I began this weekly series to reach out to some of the kids I used to teach in Children's Church when we lived in Indiana. My family and I moved to Alabama August 1 and I really miss my kiddos! This Bible study is for any age group, and my best friend (who lives in Missouri) is also participating and has been enjoying the Bible study. If you want to do this series with a friend or small group, feel free! I am excited to have you all!
We are finishing the fourth and final chapter of the book of Ruth today. I hope you are joining the Bible study series this month. To get started, open your Bible to the Old Testament. Ruth is sandwiched between Judges and 1 Samuel. This is a small book, only four chapters, so it was a perfect book to study this month, since there are four Wednesdays!
Read through Ruth chapter four. Grab a notebook or journal and pen or pencil. Keep your Bible open as we read through the text together and discuss it. There are questions in each session. Use these questions for self-reflection or talking points. Feel free to leave me a comment, share on Facebook or Twitter, and let others know about this weekly study.
So let's get started!
The last study ended with Naomi telling Ruth to sit still and wait to see how things turn out with Boaz because Naomi was convinced Boaz would not delay to take care of the matter. I am sure Ruth was excited and maybe a little nervous. It does not indicate to us what she was feeling but we can think about how she felt and what was going through her mind. She had given up everything in her life, her family, her friends, her homeland, her language, and abandoned the idol worship to proclaim her allegiance to the one true God!
Boaz went to the gate to wait for the kinsman who was more closely related to Ruth and Naomi than he. As soon as Boaz sees him, he tells him to sit down with him. He is ready to get the matter settled. It does not say if Boaz was hopeful, excited, nervous, or all of the above, but this meeting with the near kinsmen would determine their future!
Question: What do you think Boaz is thinking as he waits for his relative? Do you think that Boaz had prayed about the meeting with his relative? What if the nearer kinsmen wants to redeem the land and marry Ruth?
He took ten elders of the city to sit in on their meeting. This is getting official! Boaz begins by explaining to the kinsmen that Naomi has moved back from Moab and she is selling a piece of land that was Elimelech's (Naomi's late-husband). This is according to the law found in Leviticus 25:25 If thy brother be waxen poor, and hath sold away some of his possession, and if any of his kin come to redeem it, then shall he redeem that which his brother sold.
Boaz informs his relative that the land is for sale and that he is the closest relative. He tells him if he wants to buy it, do so, but if not, let him know because he, Boaz, is next in line to redeem it. The relative says in front of the elders of the city that he will purchase it.
Question: How do you think Boaz is feeling now? Do you think his heart sank? All his hopes and dreams with Ruth are gone once this purchase is made. Do you think he wished he had not asked?
Boaz tells him that the day he buys the land, he also has to buy it from Ruth the Moabitess, because her husband is dead, and this will carry on the name. This changed everything. The kinsmen shakes his head. No, he cannot do that. He does not want to mess up his own inheritance so he says to Boaz, you go ahead and take it.
Question: Is this a plotted way of asking the man about buying the land? Do you think Boaz was intentional about including the marriage to Ruth with the land purchase now, or is it a desperate attempt to get one last chance to be Ruth's husband?
In verse 7, we get a background on the customary way of doing things at that time. In order to confirm something was being exchanged or redeemed, one man took off his shoe and gave it to his neighbor. This was a testimony in Israel at that time. So the kinsmen removes his shoe and tells Boaz to buy it for himself.
Boaz addresses the elders, and says that they are his witnesses on that day that he has purchased everything that was Elimelech's, Chilion's, and Mahlon's at the hand of Naomi. And in addition, he continues, he has taken Ruth from Moab, Mahlon's widow, to be his wife to raise up the name of the dead so that the name can continue. The ten elders agreed they are witnesses. And they blessed him. Ruth 4:11-12 And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. The LORD make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem: And let thy house be like the house of Pharez, whom Tamar bare unto Judah, of the seed which the LORD shall give thee of this young woman.
Question: How do you think Boaz feels? Do you think he is excited, relieved, overjoyed? Are you happy for Boaz and Ruth? What do you think about the shoe giving custom?
Boaz marries Ruth and she conceives! She had a son! Naomi is so happy. The women are calling Naomi blessed of the Lord. Remember how bitter she had been before? Now she is excited about this baby boy. The blessing in verse 14 is similar to the one in verse 7. The women of the city are like those surrounding Elizabeth in the New Testament when she had John. Luke 1:58 And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her. This is an exciting time for this family.
Question: Do you know who the baby is that Ruth had? Do you know that he has a great destiny? Can you imagine how Naomi is feeling? Do you have a special bond with someone like Ruth and Naomi have?
I love what the women tell Naomi in verse 15! They said your daughter-in-law loves you and is better to you than seven sons you could have given birth to. They see how good Ruth has been to Naomi. They see her sacrifice, her giving heart, her generosity, her hard-working ethic, and her love for Naomi. Truly Naomi lost a lot when her husband and her two sons died, but God blessed her with a new family in Ruth, Boaz, and the baby!
The baby is named Obed. Obed grows up, marries, and has a son of his own. Obed named his son Jesse. Jesse grow up, marries, and has sons of his own. Jesse's youngest son is named David. Perhaps you have heard of King David?
Question: Do you think Ruth ever thought she was going to be the great-great-grandmother to a king? Do you know that God has a great plan for your life, too? Can you imagine the great things your children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren will do? Do you think the faith of Naomi, Boaz, and Ruth contributed to David having a heart to praise God? My grandfather and grandmother strongly influenced me in my faith. How about you? Who has made your faith stronger by pouring into your life?
What a fun book in the Bible, right? God is an amazing, awesome, loving, Heavenly Father and it shows in this book. You can see how God kept His loving hands on Ruth through every step of her journey to a new land, serving a God she longed to know more of, and to be with a woman she respected, admired, and loved. God may be asking you to step out in faith with a health concern, a financial issue, a job search, a move, a wayward child, a marriage or relationship issue. Trust God. He has proven over and over again in His Word that He is loving, faithful, good, true, unchanging, and ever-present help in our time of need.
Thank you for joining me on this journey! I love the Word of God. It is a pleasure to delve into the scriptures with you. Next week we are going to study 1 John in the New Testament. I look forward to hearing from you all! Tomorrow I will have another blog post up. I am posting every single day this month. We are moving things into our new home, so the posts may not be up as early as I would like, but hopefully next week we will be all moved in and I can have a better routine!
I hope this has been encouraging for you and that something I shared has given you strength for your journey and light for your way. God bless you!
~Bridgett Owens
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