THROUGH THE BIBLE (Ruth)

By Bishop Elijah H. Hankerson III, BA, MA, DD

LESSON NOTES:

I.                  THE KEY TO UNDERSTANDING THE ENTIRE BIBLE. If you understand that the Bible is written to show us how humanity was created for God, fell into sin, was reconciled through Christ (who was the product of a family) and God will restore everything through His sacrifice on the Cross; then you have the message of the entire Bible.

2 Corinthians 5:17-21 ¹⁷Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. ¹⁸And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; ¹⁹To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. ²⁰Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. ²¹For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

II.                  THE AUTHOR OF RUTH. We have no idea. Just as with Judges, there is an ancient tradition that Samuel wrote it. But, we do not know. However, this is one of the books of history of the Bible.

III.            WHAT IS THE THEME OF RUTH? By far the kinsman redeemer. This was a law that if everything was lost, the closest male kinsman could get it all back. Obviously, Jesus is that male Kinsman that gets back everything humanity lost through the fall.

                         A.            ACCORDING TO THE LAW, A KINSMAND REDEEMER COULD HELP YOU GET BACK EVERYTHING THAT WAS LOST.

Leviticus 25:25-28

‘If a fellow countryman of yours becomes so poor he has to sell part of his property, then his nearest kinsman is to come and buy back what his relative has sold. Or in case a man has no kinsman, but so recovers his means as to find sufficient for its redemption, then he shall calculate the years since its sale and refund the balance to the man to whom he sold it, and so return to his property.
But if he has not found sufficient means to get it back for himself, then what he has sold shall remain in the hands of its purchaser until the year of jubilee; but at the jubilee it shall revert, that he may return to his property.

Leviticus 25:47-55

‘Now if the means of a stranger or of a sojourner with you becomes sufficient, and a countryman of yours becomes so poor with regard to him as to sell himself to a stranger who is sojourning with you, or to the descendants of a stranger’s family, then he shall have redemption right after he has been sold. One of his brothers may redeem him, or his uncle, or his uncle’s son, may redeem him, or one of his blood relatives from his family may redeem him; or if he prospers, he may redeem himself.
He then with his purchaser shall calculate from the year when he sold himself to him up to the year of jubilee; and the price of his sale shall correspond to the number of years. It is like the days of a hired man that he shall be with him. If there are still many years, he shall refund part of his purchase price in proportion to them for his own redemption; and if few years remain until the year of jubilee, he shall so calculate with him. In proportion to his years he is to refund the amount for his redemption. Like a man hired year by year he shall be with him; he shall not rule over him with severity in your sight. Even if he is not redeemed by these means, he shall still go out in the year of jubilee, he and his sons with him. For the sons of Israel are My servants; they are My servants whom I brought out from the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.

Deuteronomy 25:5-10

“When brothers live together and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the deceased shall not be married outside the family to a strange man. Her husband’s brother shall go in to her and take her to himself as wife and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her. It shall be that the firstborn whom she bears shall assume the name of his dead brother, so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel. But if the man does not desire to take his brother’s wife, then his brother’s wife shall go up to the gate to the elders and say, ‘My husband’s brother refuses to establish a name for his brother in Israel; he is not willing to perform the duty of a husband’s brother to me.’
Then the elders of his city shall summon him and speak to him. And if he persists and says, ‘I do not desire to take her,’ then his brother’s wife shall come to him in the sight of the elders, and pull his sandal off his foot and spit in his face; and she shall declare, ‘Thus it is done to the man who does not build up his brother’s house.’ In Israel his name shall be called, ‘The house of him whose sandal is removed.’

Numbers 5:5-8

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the sons of Israel, ‘When a man or woman commits any of the sins of mankind, acting unfaithfully against the Lord, and that person is guilty, then he shall confess his sins which he has committed, and he shall make restitution in full for his wrong and add to it one-fifth of it, and give it to him whom he has wronged. But if the man has no relative to whom restitution may be made for the wrong, the restitution which is made for the wrong must go to the Lord for the priest, besides the ram of atonement, by which atonement is made for him.

                         B.            THIS IS NOT REALLY A LOVE STORY ABOUT MARRIAGE. This is the story of how God preserved the ancestors of David, so that he could become king and of Christ, so that He would be the King of Kings.

Ruth 2:20

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.”

Ruth 3:1-4

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? Now is not Boaz our kinsman, with whose maids you were? Behold, he winnows barley at the threshing floor tonight. 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. 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.”

IV.            WHAT DOES THE NAME RUTH MEAN? A friend. And that is truly what Ruth was to her mother in law Naomi.

V.                  THE PURPOSE OF RUTH. When we left off in Judges, the nation of Israel was bouncing from leader to leader for close to 400 years. All these leaders were from various tribes. There was the need for some kind of stability to the new nation.

Ruth provides the background of the eventual royal family of the nation. This is the lineage of the future king. This is the lineage of the King of Kings. Ruth is an historical book.

                   A.                  THE STORY OF RUTH OCCURS DURING THE TIME OF THE JUDGES.

Ruth 1:1 

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.

                   B.                  IT WAS PROPHESIED 800 YEARS BEFORE THAT JUDAH WOULD BE THE ROYAL TRIBE. So in spite of all of the judges coming from other tribes and in spite of the eventual selection of Saul (from the tribe of Benjamin as King), God has His mind set on a future king from the tribe of Judah.

Genesis 49:10 ¹⁰The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

 

Ruth 4:18-22 New International Version (NIV)

¹⁸ This, then, is the family line of Perez:

Perez was the father of Hezron,

¹⁹ Hezron the father of Ram,

Ram the father of Amminadab,

²⁰ Amminadab the father of Nahshon,

Nahshon the father of Salmon,

²¹ Salmon the father of Boaz,

Boaz the father of Obed,

²² Obed the father of Jesse,

and Jesse the father of David.

                   C.                  THIS IS THE HERITAGE OF THE KING OF KINGS; OUR REDEEMER.

Revelation 5:5 ⁵Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals."

Luke 1:32 ³²He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The LORD God will give him the throne of his father David,

2 Samuel 7:16 ¹⁶Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.'"

Isaiah 9:7 ⁷Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.

    VII.                        MAIN CHARACTERS IN RUTH.

                                                 A.            NAOMI.

Ruth 1:1-22 

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. 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. They went into the country of Moab and remained there. But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. They lived there about ten years, and both Mahlon and Chilion died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband. ...

Ruth 4:3 

Then he said to the redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land that belonged to our relative Elimelech.

Ruth 4:14-17 

Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel! He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.” Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her lap and became his nurse. And the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

                                                 B.            RUTH.

Ruth 1:4 

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

Ruth 1:14 

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

Ruth 2:2 

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.”

                                                 C.            BOAZ.

Ruth 2:1-23 

Now Naomi had a relative of her husband's, a worthy man of the clan of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz. 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.” 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. And behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem. And he said to the reapers, “The Lord be with you!” And they answered, “The Lord bless you.” Then Boaz said to his young man who was in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?” ...

Ruth 3:1-18 

Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, should I not seek rest for you, that it may be well with you? Is not Boaz our relative, with whose young women you were? See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. Wash therefore and anoint yourself, and put on your cloak and go down to the threshing floor, but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. But when he lies down, observe the place where he lies. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down, and he will tell you what to do.” And she replied, “All that you say I will do.” ...

Ruth 4:1-6 English Standard Version (ESV)

4 Now Boaz had gone up to the gate and sat down there. And behold, the redeemer, of whom Boaz had spoken, came by. So Boaz said, “Turn aside, friend; sit down here.” And he turned aside and sat down. ² And he took ten men of the elders of the city and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down. ³ Then he said to the redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, is selling the parcel of land that belonged to our relative Elimelech. ⁴ So I thought I would tell you of it and say, ‘Buy it in the presence of those sitting here and in the presence of the elders of my people.’ If you will redeem it, redeem it. But if you will not, tell me, that I may know, for there is no one besides you to redeem it, and I come after you.” And he said, “I will redeem it.” ⁵ Then Boaz said, “The day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the widow of the dead, in order to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance.” ⁶ Then the redeemer said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I impair my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption yourself, for I cannot redeem it.”

Ruth 4:13 

So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. And he went in to her, and the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son.

VIII.                        NAOMI WAS A BITTER WOMAN BUT RUTH STOOD BY HER SIDE.

Ruth 1:5, 8, 14-21.

⁵ And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband.

⁸ And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go, return each to her mother's house: the Lord deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me.

¹⁴ And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her.

¹⁵ And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law.

¹⁹ So they two went until they came to Bethlehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Bethlehem, that all the city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi (pleasant)?

²⁰ And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara (bitter): for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.

²¹ I went out full and the Lord hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the Lord hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?

A.             SHE HAD JUST HAD THREE FUNERALS!!!!

B.             IN BIBLE STUDIES WE OFTEN ABOUT RUTH AND HOW SHE MET BOAZ AND HAD A CHILD; and how she became an ancestor of King David, but what about Orpah?

1.               RUTH’S LOYALTY PAID OFF.  She became the great-grandmother of David the King. And there are seventeen verses in the Bible that describe Jesus, our Savior, as the son of David.

2.   BUT WHAT HAPPENED TO ORPAH? (Because she DID NOT want to leave Naomi).

                                                               a.SHE WENT BACK TO HER PEOPLE.

                                                               b.HER PEOPLE WERE THE MOABITES.

                                                                                          i.                        THEY WERE DYSFUNCTIONAL. The Moabites were descendants of Lot (the nephew of Abraham) through his daughters: "Thus both the daughters of Lot were with child by their father.

Genesis 19:30-38 New International Version (NIV)

³⁰ Lot and his two daughters left Zoar and settled in the mountains, for he was afraid to stay in Zoar. He and his two daughters lived in a cave. ³¹ One day the older daughter said to the younger, “Our father is old, and there is no man around here to give us children—as is the custom all over the earth. ³² Let’s get our father to drink wine and then sleep with him and preserve our family line through our father.”

³³ That night they got their father to drink wine, and the older daughter went in and slept with him. He was not aware of it when she lay down or when she got up.

³⁴ The next day the older daughter said to the younger, “Last night I slept with my father. Let’s get him to drink wine again tonight, and you go in and sleep with him so we can preserve our family line through our father.” ³⁵ So they got their father to drink wine that night also, and the younger daughter went in and slept with him. Again he was not aware of it when she lay down or when she got up.

³⁶ So both of Lot’s daughters became pregnant by their father. ³⁷ The older daughter had a son, and she named him Moab; he is the father of the Moabites of today. ³⁸ The younger daughter also had a son, and she named him Ben-Ammi; he is the father of the Ammonites of today.

                                                                                      ii.They were immoral. 

Numbers 25:1-3. New Living Translation (NLT).

1 While the Israelites were camped at Acacia Grove, some of the men defiled themselves by having sexual relations with local Moabite women. ² These women invited them to attend sacrifices to their gods, so the Israelites feasted with them and worshiped the gods of Moab. ³ In this way, Israel joined in the worship of Baal of Peor, causing the Lord’s anger to blaze against his people.

3.               ORPAH WENT BACK TO HER GODS.

a.               CHEMOSH WAS THE GOD OF THE MOABITES? 

                                                                                                i.               HE WAS A DESTROYER. Chemosh was the national god of the Moabites. His name meant "destroyer," "subduer," or "fish god."

                                                                                      ii.                        HE WAS A MURDERER.  Chemosh was worshipped at “high places.”  What does that mean?  It means places of sacrifice.  The Moabites and Ammonites sacrificed children to their gods. There is some confusion about how this was done, but, apparently, the idol was hollow, and the arms were outstretched in such a position that when a child was placed in the arms, it rolled into the gaping mouth of the idol and into a fire inside the idol, where the child burned to death.

4.               WHAT WOULD MAKE YOU LEAVE GOD AND GO BACK TO THIS FOOLISHNESS?

                                                               a.                        Out of Naomi's bitterness; she caused a person to leave the LORD and go back where she came from!

         IX.                        JESUS: A CONTRAST TO NAOMI

A.             NAOMI’S PAIN PUSHED PEOPLE AWAY. Jesus used His pain to draw people (If I be lifted up…will draw all men…).

B.             IN SPITE OF JESUS’ SUFFERING, HE DID NOT ALLOW BITTERNESS TO SET IN. Instead He used His pain to draw people!!!!!

       X.                              JESUS IS THE KINSMAN REDEEMER. He did not become bitter. But, He gave His life to redeem us from our sins.

   XI.      PRAYER FOR SALVATION. As we close, if you have not received this Jesus pray this simple prayer:

"Father, I know that I have sinned against You. Please forgive me. Wash me clean. I promise to trust in Jesus, Your Son. I believe that He died for me—He took my sin upon Himself when He died on the cross. I believe that He was raised from the dead. I surrender my life to Jesus today.

"Thank You, Father, for Your gift of forgiveness and eternal life. Please help me to live for you. In Jesus' name, Amen."