So today I wanted to feel a good sense of accomplishment, as if I were really getting somewhere in the process of reading through the whole Bible, even though today is Day 1. I accomplished this by choosing to read completely through one of the smaller Old Testiment books. The name of a woman sounded good, so I chose Ruth, which only has 4 short chapters. Here we go, let's dive right into Ruth.
Chapter 1: Naomi & Ruth
In Bethlehem, there was a man named Elimelech and his wife, Naomi. They had two sons, Mahlon and Kilion. It became hard for them to live in Bethlehem because of a shortage of food, so they moved to Moab. In Moab, Mahlon and Kilion married two locals named Orpah and Ruth. After 10 years in Moab, Mahlon and Kilion died. Naomi heard that the Lord had brought food to Bethlehem again, and decided to return there, bringing her daughters-in-law, as they were part of her household now. On the road to Bethlehem, even though she knew she would be dreadfully lonely without them, Naomi told Orpah and Ruth to go back to their families in Moab. They refused, they did not want to leave Naomi alone. Finally Naomi convinced Orpah to go home. Ruth said her home was with Naomi and where Naomi went, she would follow. Where Naomi died, Ruth would die and be buried.
When they reached Bethlehem, the people were overjoyed to have Naomi home. She told them to call her Mara because the Lord had taken all she loved and left her bitter.
Chapter 2: Ruth Meets Boaz
We are told of a man named Boaz in Bethlehem who is a relative to Naomi through her husband, Elimelech. Boaz is said to be a man of standing (what I imagine to mean Upper Class) as he owns fields of barley and wheat and has servant women who harvest them. He also has men working in his fields.
Without men to provide for them, I imagine Naomi was worried about how they would get by. So she ordered Ruth to follow the servant women's job in the fields and pick what was not taken so they had something to eat.
Ruth worked a field that was owned by Boaz. When Boaz showed up to the fields, he asked who she was. His foreman told him about Ruth. She begged Boaz to let her stay and gather the left overs and discarded barley. He told her to stay in his fields, and he told all of his men not to touch her. (In any other man's field, I imagine that the men who worked it would have the right to find Ruth stealing the left over part of the harvest, and possibly harm her.) He told her that she could drink the water that was provided.
Boaz liked Ruth as a person because of her goodness to Naomi and the fact that he knew she was a child of God. He invited her to eat lunch with him until she was full and had left overs. That day, she went home with a whole bunch of barley and the left overs from lunch. She told Naomi of Boaz and Naomi told Ruth that Boaz was a relative. She told Ruth to stay only in his fields, and Ruth did so.
Chapter 3: Ruth & Boaz @ the Threshing Floor
Naomi wanted to find a new man and a home for Ruth to be taken care of. She told Ruth to go to Boaz at the threshing floor.
(According to Wikipedia, a threshing floor is a specially flattened surface made either of rock or beaten earth where a farmer would thresh the grain harvest. The threshing floor would either be owned by an entire village or a single family. It would be located outside of the village in a place exposed to wind. Here is a picture to help you imagine the story setting:
Also, threshing is the process of loosening the edible part of cereal grain from the chaff that surrounds it. It is done by beating the grain using a flail on a threshing floor. Here is a picture of a flail so you can imagine the process:
Naomi told Ruth to wait until Boaz had eaten and drank and laid down. Then she was to uncover his feet and lay at them. (I guess it was her doing him a pleasant, comforting, caring service & in doing so, offering herself to him.) Boaz woke to find Ruth at his feet. She explained herself saying that she had chose him because he was a kinsman-redeemer.
(Explanation of kinsman redeemer: If a poor person who was forced to sell part of his property or himself into slavery, his nearest of kin could step in and buy back what his relative was forced to sell. [Leviticus 25:48.] The kinsman redeemer was a rich benefactor, or person who frees the debtor by paying the ransom price.)
(What this means is that by the misfortune of the death of her husband and sons, Naomi could not provide for herself and Ruth and she was forced to sell some or all of their property, possibly themselves. As someone of relation, Boaz had the chance to keep that from happening, and paying the debt himself.)
He blessed her and acknowledged her kindness that she had chosen him over any younger man. He wanted to do what was right and told her that there was another kinsman-redeemer that was closer relation to her than he was. He said that he would talk with the other man, and if that man did not accept the offer, that Boaz himself would.
He sent her on her way in the early morning because they did not want anyone in the village to know that she had been there (that would look bad, especially if the other kinsman accepted the offer).
He loaded her shawl with barley and sent her back to Naomi. Naomi told her to be patient and that Boaz would not rest until the matter was resolved.
Chapter 4
Boaz Marries Ruth
Boaz met with the other kinsman-redeemer and also brought elders from the town. He gave the man the chance to buy the land. The man agreed.
Once Boaz told him that in order to buy the land he would have to receive Ruth as his wife. The man refused and gave his blessing for Boaz to do so.
Boaz, in front of the elders, redeemed the land and therefore took Ruth as his wife.
The Geneology of David
The Lord enabled Ruth to conceive. He enables us when He wills there to be life. The women praised the Lord. Though the Lord takes away, he gives again. He provides for us always.
The women of the town said to Naomi ," May he become famous throughout Israel."
When the elders watched Boaz redeem the land and Ruth as his wife, they said to him, " May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah who together built up the house of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem."
Boaz + Ruth
\_____/
\/
Obed
\/
Jesse
\/
David
Perez->Hezron->Ram->Amminadah->Nahshon->Salmon->Boaz->Obed->Jesse->David
-> means "father of"
So as you can see from my outline. The blessings from the elder men to Boaz, and the women of the village to Naomi came through. David was a Ruth & Boaz's great-grandson. David was King. Jesus was a decendent of David. Tah-dah, famous!
