LESSON 4.

RUTH: PROVIDENTIAL GRACE

While judges ends on a negative note, Ruth presents a positive story of lavish
grace and providence in the midst of tragic life circumstances. The story centers
around three primary individuals: Naomi, Ruth and Boaz. Ruth to be the main
character of the book. Ruth was a godly woman from the land of Moab. While
the law forbade her to be part of the nation of Israel, her story demonstrate that
God's mercy is extended to every nation. Ruth, like Rahab was a gentile and
both were ancestors of the Jewish Messiah. As with judges, while the book of
Ruth contains no internal evidence concerning the author. Jewish tradition
seems to attribute its authorship to Samuel. The attachment of the book of Ruth
to the book of Judges in the twenty- two book arrangement of the Hebrew Bible
implies common authorship or compilation of the two books supported by
Babylonian Talmud. There is no reason to reject the Jewish tradition that
Samuel was responsible for the whole, though admittedly there is no substantial
evidence to support it.

SITTING
The story of Ruth comes from the time of the judges. It opens as a Jewish
couple, Elimelech and Naomi are leaving Judah because famine has force them
to to look for food.They travel to Moab, a nation east if the Dead Sea. The
Hebrew names Elimelech and Naomi are rich in meaning.While Elimelech
means " My God is King" Naomi means "Pleasant." Ironically, many of
Naomi's life experiences were not pleasant but bitter. Elimelech died in Moab
along with their two sons who had married Moabite women. In fact when she
eventually returned to Israel, Naomi said " Dont call me Naomi ... call me
Mara" which means "bitter" (Ruth 1:20). However, the story of Naomi and Ruth
reveals that God is the Sovereign King over all and extends His mercy to all,
specifically to those who experience great suffering.

FROM MOAB TO BETHLEHEM (RUTH 1)

Ruth 1 describes Naomi's becoming a widow with no children. Naomi
encouraged her two daughter- in- law Orpah and Ruth to remain in Moab while
she prepared to return home. Although agreed and stayed with her people and
her gods (1:15) Ruth refused to leave Naomi. In her impassioned speech, she
pledged “Where you go I will go, and were you stay I will stay. Your people
will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I
will be buried"(1:16-17) Naomi consented, and Ruth accompanied her back to
Bethlehem.
IN BOAZ'S FIELD (RUTH 2)
After their return, Ruth went out to glean (gathers grain left by reapers) so that
she and Naomi would have something to eat. The Israelite law commanded the
harvesters to leave some grain around the edges of the field for the poor, the
widow and the non- Jews living among them, all of which described Ruth
(Lev.19:9-10; 23:23; Deut. 24:19) God's providence led Ruth to glean in the
field of Boaz, who was a relative if Naomi. He was the second in the
genealogical line as Ruth's kinsman- redeemer. The purpose of kinsman-
redeemer was to protect the interest of needy members of the immediate family
as well as other relatives.

Responsibilities included
1. Marrying a widow and providing an heir for a brother who had died. 2.
Redeeming or buying back land that a poor relative had sold to someone outside
the family.
3. Redeeming a relative who had been sold into slavery, and
4. Avenging the killing if a relative.

WITH BOAZ AT HIS THRESHING FLOOR. (RUTH 3)

Next describes Naomi's counsel to Ruth to express interest in marrying Boaz,
her kinsman- redeemer. As Boaz was sleeping at the threshing floor to protect
his crops, Ruth lay nearby, at his feet, to demonstrate that she wanted to marry
him. Boaz agreed by spreading the corner of his garment over her, a cultural
custom that symbolized his willingness to marry, protect, and care for her.

KINSMAN- REDEMPTION AND THE MESSIANIC LINE

Ruth 4 recounts the transaction of buying back the property Naomi had sold.
After meeting with the nearest kinsman- redeemer. Boaz bought the property
returned it to Elemelech's family, and married Ruth. Boaz and Ruth had a son
named Obed, who was the father of Jesse, who was the father of King David.
Through David, God established the lineage through which the Messiah and our
own Kinsman-Redeemer came. Thus through Jesus, God's mercy and grace in
Ruth's life extends all the way to believers today.