Ruth bible study kelly minter12/27/2023 ![]() If you are new to this we encourage you to begin with a shorter book such as Colossians, James or Ruth. We believe there is great value in studying a book of the Bible as a whole, within a small group setting. In what ways do you believe God wants to be active in your life to achieve his plans and purposes? What might he require you to do? This suggests that God is working behind the scenes to achieve his plans and purposes. This child, Obed, later becomes the grandfather of King David. Have you had a situation when other people have been able to see God at work in your life? Have you had the experience of God changing a difficult situation in your life to a joyful one? The women of the village recognised God at work in Naomi’s life. Have you ever been tempted to take matters into your own hands and ignore God’s ways? What can we learn from the example of Boaz?Īt the end of the book, a son is born to Ruth and Naomi cared for him. He agreed to be Ruth’s kinsman redeemer and made sure he followed the process of Levirate marriage prescribed by God, even though it meant someone else may have been able to marry Ruth. In what other ways does Boaz act admirably? In what ways does he show faithfulness to God? Can you recall a time when you have benefited from someone else’s faithfulness to God?īoaz does not take advantage of Ruth when she comes to him at night. When Ruth gleans in Boaz’s field, he gave beyond what the law required of him (see Deuteronomy 24:19) and showed kindness to Ruth. Have you ever felt abandoned by God? How did you respond? What did God do in your situation? What was Ruth’s experience of gleaning? What could have gone wrong (Ruth 2:22)? Why do you think things went well for her? ![]() This practice was prescribed by the law as a method of providing for the poor in the land (Deuteronomy 24:19 Leviticus 19:9 23:22). When Ruth and Naomi arrive back in Bethlehem, Ruth pursues one of the few options available to her, gleaning. Why do you think she chose to go with Naomi? By travelling to Israel with Naomi she would have had the same few options, but also the stigma of being a despised foreigner in Israel. As a widow in Moab she had few options: she could beg, sell herself as a slave, become a prostitute or hope for a decent marriage. The widow Ruth also had to make difficult choices. What she right to think and feel like this? Was God against her? She blamed God for her sufferings (see Ruth 1:13, 20-21). She had lost her husband and her two sons. She had moved to a foreign country as a result of famine. This book introduces us to two vulnerable widows. What were your initial impressions of the book of Ruth? Their territory lay on the Eastern side of the Dead Sea. ![]() Moabites: The Moabites were descended from Lot’s son, Moab and had been long term enemies of the Israelites. The closest male relative would marry the widow to protect her and to provide children to carry on the family name. In the Covenant, God provided the Israelites with the practice of Levirate marriage in order to protect widows (Deuteronomy 25:5-10). Without a reliable source of income, they could find themselves homeless, poverty stricken and others within the community could take advantage of them. Widows: Widows were extremely vulnerable in the ancient world. In contrast, Ruth, Naomi and Boaz chose to act in faithfulness to each other and to God’s Covenant. It is set during the distressing era of the Judges, when the majority of the people turned away from God and His Covenant, and instead ‘the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes’ (Judges 21:25). The book of Ruth is a wonderful story of love and loyalty, in which God shows his love and faithfulness to people who are faithful to his Covenant.
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