Some may have wondered at the selection of the Book of Ruth for our Advent study series this year. Of course, when you put the story of Ruth together with our fall theme of brokenness the segue makes sense. But how does Ruth fit with Christmas and the birth of the Messiah? I hope that the previous three Sundays have set the table for answering that question.
This week it’s on to chapter 4 and the climax of the story of Ruth. You may want to review your notes to see how God brings all the themes and sub-plots together in this final chapter. Let’s review:
It’s the time of the judges when nearly all of Israel is doing what’s right in their own eyes. Even a godly, wealthy, well-respected man whose name means “God is my King,” has trouble resisting the urge to do what’s right in his own eyes. For Elimelech it’s a “no brainer.” “The famine is fierce. It’s all over the land of Judah. What my wife and sons and I must do is leave the land of Judah to find food.” And where do they settle? In Moab, the most heinous place on earth for the Jew. The Moabites are the descendents of Lot’s incestuous relationship with his daughter (Genesis 19). For the Jew nothing good could come out of Moab. And for Naomi, that appears to be true. It’s in Moab that her son’s names are changed from Hebrew to Canaanite. It’s in Moab that her sons capitulate to pagan culture and marry Moabite women. It’s in Moab that Naomi’s husband and both sons die, leaving her in the center of the ancient triangle of need. She’s a widow, she’s childless, and she’s a stranger in a foreign land. In her pain and brokenness she hears that there is once again food in the land of Canaan, so she determines to head home. (This is pure providence on God’s part. Even in the depth of her darkness and brokenness God comes to her with a thought, “I should head home.”)
Once she arrives in Bethlehem (the House of Bread) she resists the friendly welcome of the townswomen. She renames herself from “beautiful” to “bitter” – Mara. She seems inconsolable. She is home with no more wealth and no more husband or sons. All she has is a foreign daughter-in-law, one who hails from Moab! And yet, it’s the beginning of the barley harvest (early spring).
So Ruth, “the sensitive friend,” says to her mother-in-law that she wants to go out in the fields and glean. It’s common for the poor to glean. God even makes provision for it in the Law of Moses. So Ruth heads out. It’s an extremely dangerous thing for a single, foreign woman to do. But remarkably she ends up in the field of Boaz. (God’s name is only mentioned twice in this book, but He’s all over it.) And there Boaz takes notice of her and imparts to her a crazy amount of grace.
When Ruth gets home and tells Mara about her day, Mara’s bitterness begins to show a slight sign of cracking. She blesses Boaz’s name. She recognizes his unbelievable kindness (heséd – a word used more than 1000 times in the Old Testament to describe God’s unconditional, steadfast love). So when Ruth heads out to glean the next day she is instructed to stay with the young women of Boaz’s field. And she obeys. In fact, after three months of gleaning Naomi determines to risk it. She and Ruth have been the recipients of profound grace and now, as is the case in every believer’s life, it’s time to walk in it. It’s time to put feet on their faith and send Ruth to their relative redeemer and lay herself down at his feet.
So Ruth steps out. She summons extreme courage. She heads to the threshing floor at midnight, (a place that’s off limits to all women, especially foreign women) and she lays herself at her redeemer’s feet. By uncovering his feet and laying herself down, Ruth is asking Boaz to marry her. He agrees, provided a closer relative chooses not to redeem her and Naomi.
Now think about all the parallels here to the story of Christmas. (1) We all are like Naomi – we all know what it’s like to be broken. (2) We all are like Ruth – a stranger to the people of God. (3) We all are hopeless without divine grace. (4) We all are starving to death. (5) God supplies for us a Boaz. (6) In our Boaz is supernatural strength. (7) He gives us heséd – unmerited grace. (8) In response to His grace we come and lay ourselves at His feet. (9) He pledges to marry us and make us to be His bride. But that’s not all – there’s chapter 4.
In preparation for Christmas Sunday you may wish to consider the following:
1. How quickly did Boaz act? Was Naomi right in Ruth 3:18?
2. What is the significance of sitting at the town gate?
3. Who is this closer relative that Boaz solicits? What is his name?
4. Why does Boaz gather ten elders as witnesses?
5. Why does this closer relative say, “Yes” initially and then back away?
6. What is the risk to taking Ruth as his wife?
7. What is the sandal ritual in verse 7 all about? (There’s another piece of the ritual that’s missing. Any idea what that might be?)
8. Why do the elders pronounce a blessing/prayer on Ruth in verse 11? (Note: She’s not there at the time.)
9. There are three elements to this blessing. Do they come true?
10. Why do the women bless Naomi upon the child’s birth? Do her blessings come true?
11. Why do they name the child?
12. What does the child’s name mean?
13. Why end the Book of Ruth with a genealogy?
14. Where does this same genealogy appear next in Scripture?
15. How does the Book of Ruth show us that God alone can heal all our brokenness?
16. How does the story of Ruth fit with Christmas?
See you on Christmas. P.S. God has a perfect gift for you and so do we!
