Ruth

Salvation of Nations
Background
Historical: Israelites living in the Promised Land Judges ruled o king yet in Israel Religious Israels unfaithfulness loomed in the families leaving
Bethlehem but Gods covenant grace redeems the Jewish family and gathers the pagan into his people.
Judges 19, Judges 21:25
Messaged
Does this book tell a love story between Ruth and Boaz? We do not find Gods direct words or actions in the book. Whats the message of the
book? What is God doing in the book? See how the story develops a spiritual lesson with the interesting plot: beginning with a famine in
Bethlehem, the meaning of the Hebrew names, how Boaz redeems Naomis family as the kinsman redeemer, and how the story ends with a
family tree of the king David.
Jewel of Hebrew Narative Art
Among historical narratives in scripture, it is unexcelled in its compactness, vividness, warmth, beauty, and dramatic effectiveness- an
exquisitely wrought jewel of Hebrew narrative art.
Remarkable organization and symmetry: a chiastic structure
Begins with misfortune and death in 1:1-5(71 words) including some genealogical particulars
Return to Bethlehem
Meeting of Boaz
Boazs wish that the Lord should bless Ruth the center of the story
Finding a home for Ruth
Redemption contract made at the gate
Ends with birth and hope in 4:16-22(71 words) including a formal genealogy
Hebrew Names
Bethlehem- House of Bread
Elimilech- My God is King
Naomi- Pleasant

Later became Mara- Bitter

Mahlon- To Be Weak
Kilion- Failing
A situation in Bethlehem
Famine in Bethlehem
Elimelech, the Ephrathite, is leaving home with family in Moab.
Misfortune in Moab
All men died, leaving three widows. Ruth and Orpah were advised to stay in Moab for menuwchach(rest). Finding rest means finding security,
meaning matrimony. But the rest includes Moabites religion.
Ruths Reply (1:16-18)

Levirate marriage
Israelite law stated that an heirless widow can marry the brother of her dead husband and have children with him. In this way, a son can be born
to carry on the family name (Elimelechs name through a son born between Ruth and Boaz). This is the duty of the (). But Boaz is not bound by
the duty of the levirate marriage, since he is not the brother-in-law of Ruth!

Kinsman-Redeemer
When an Israelite is forced to sell his land for financial reasons, the closest relative acts as redeemer and buys the land so that it can remain in the
family. Naomis closer kinsman-redeemer agreed to buy the land (the duty of the kinsman-redeemer). But he did on want to fulfill the duty of
levirate marriage, meaning that he must marry Ruth, for he would lose his own estate to Ruths son.
Boaz volunteers to do the duties of the kinsman-redeemer and levirate marriage.
Settling down at the city gate, the place of judgment
Lev 25:23-55 explains what is to be done with the land: it should be bought back by the kinsman-redeemer.
Ending with birth of Obed and hope for the future
God rewarded human kindness by showing his own kindness.
4:13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. Then he went to her, and the Lord enabled her to conceive.
Genealogy of David

A beautiful story of redemption

The book used the word redemption 23 times.
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)

The story is situated among the disobedient people of Israel in the Promised Land.
The story reveals the story of marginalized woman, Naomi and Ruth (woman and pagan, but who confessed on the true God), who
dared with all their might to carry out on the family.
The story emphasizes Gods offering of redemption through Boaz, the kinsman-redeemer.
The story incorporates the pagan woman, Ruth, not only to be part of Gods people but also to become part of Christs genealogy.

When Gods people does not make the right confession, God uses pagan women to make a confession of God.