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2 Contents

Ruth at a Glance ...... 4

Study Introduction ...... 6

Bible Reading Plan ...... 11

Sep 20: 1 ...... 12

Sep 27: ...... 24

Oct 4: and 4 ...... 34

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4

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Introduction

This fall, First Southern Baptist Church will be studying the . Pastor

Keith will preach through Ruth on Sunday mornings, and our Connection Groups will investigate and discuss the message and meaning of Ruth. Although the Book of Ruth has 4 chapters, this

Bible study booklet covers 3 weeks with chapters 3 and 4 being scheduled together on the final week. This booklet is designed to aid both your personal study of Ruth and also to facilitate our

Connection Group discussions.

The book of Ruth showed the the blessings that obedience could bring. It showed them the loving, faithful nature of their God. This book demonstrates that God responds to His people’s cry. He practices what He preaches, so to speak. Watching Him provide for and Ruth, two widows with little prospects for a future, we learn that He cares for the outcasts of society just as He asks us to do (Jeremiah 22:16; James 1:27).

Throughout our study of Ruth, our hope is that we all grow to see the with greater appreciation and to love God with greater passion. As we seek to apply the messages of Ruth, we will discover how the Bible impacts our everyday lives and how we can bear witness for Christ in our communities. The prayer of your First Southern pastoral staff is that this study is rewarding to you spiritually and also vital to your understanding of the charge we have to live out our faith in ways that glorify Christ in the world in which we live.

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How to Use This Guide

Each study begins with some key verses and key principles for each passage, followed by a devotional introduction to prepare our hearts and minds. The Study Guide section includes four components specifically designed to help us engage the text of Ruth in personal study and

Connection Group discussion according to the HEAR method of Bible study:

• Highlight: Read the passage and become familiar with its contents.

• Explain: Based on your reading, discover what the passage means in its context.

• Apply: Understand how the meaning of the passage affects your life.

• Respond in Prayer: Ask God to help you put the Bible passage into practice in

your life and relationships.

Work on these exercises at any time throughout the week. Some may find it helpful to work through the exercises in sections—such as two or three blocks of 15 or 20 minutes each, while others may want to study the whole passage in a single hour-long sitting. Whichever approach you choose to take, please answer the Study Guide questions before your Connection Group meeting on Sunday morning. Some Connection Groups might wish to discuss their answers to the Bible study questions together. To maximize our study of God’s Word and the impact it can have on our lives, we encourage everyone to work through all questions in each of the weekly studies. Connection Group leaders may choose to focus on some questions more than others. In 7

addition to the resources in this booklet, we also encourage you and your Connection Group to take full advantage of the following Ruth-specific resources.

Bible Reading Plan

Encounter God by reading His Word every day during this study series. In order to help us make daily Bible reading a priority, we have provided a daily Bible reading plan. Our reading plan covers one chapter a week, and our scheduled readings allow us to read Ruth in its entirety during the four weeks of this study. It is important to read and re-read the assigned passages each time they are scheduled. God does a wonderful work in our hearts and in our lives by His Holy Spirit and through the reading of His Word. In addition, we learn by repetition. This reading plan also features other biblical references with thematic or particular connections to Ruth, for example, selections from the , , and Proverbs. Join your brothers and sisters in Christ at First

Southern Baptist Church as we encounter God each day through this Bible reading plan.

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Note to Connection Group Leaders

This Bible study curriculum is designed to help you as you encourage those in your respective groups to read the Bible during the week, engage the Holy Spirit as they consider God’s words and message, and spend time with the Lord in prayer. Our hope is that this curriculum is also helpful to you, as the Connection Group Leader, as you facilitate group discussion on Sunday mornings.

1. As you facilitate group discussion, you might choose to simply and prayerfully ask if participants might like to share their answers to chosen questions in order to begin a group discussion.

2. Alternatively, you might choose to facilitate discussion over the scheduled passage without asking participants to share their answers at all. This way, participants understand that their answers to the questions are considered to be private.

3. If your group prefers a lecture-style lesson, feel free to maintain that delivery style, knowing that your participants have studied the passage during the week, sought to understand the message and the meaning of the text, and have spent time with God regarding the implications and impact of the passage on their faith.

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H. HIGHLIGHT

Read through the Scripture and write down your observations.

• What are the main points of the text?

• Are there any repeating words or phrases? • What questions do you have over what you read?

E. EXPLAIN

Based on your reading, discover what the passage means in its context. • Summarize what the author is saying to his audience. • What does this passage show you about God?

• What does this verse show you about man?

A. A. APPLY

Understand how the meaning of the passage affects your life. • What encouragement can you take from the passage? • What is one change that you need to apply to your life? • How does the passage strengthen your faith?

R. RESPOND

Pray God’s Word back to Him using the A.C.T.S. method.

• Adoration: Praise God for something you learned about Him. • Confession: Confess any sin or lack of obedience. • Thanksgiving: Give God thanks for the truths learned. • Supplication: Ask God for help.

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Bible Reading Plan

Sep 20 – :1-5 Sep 21 – Prov. 3:5-10 Sep 22 – Ruth 1:6-18 Sep 23 – Psalm 4 Sep 24 – Ruth 1:19-22 Sep 25 – Prov. 16:1-8 Sep 26 – Ruth 2:1-7 Sep 27 – Matthew 6:25-34 Sep 28 – Ruth 2:8-13 Sep 29 – Matthew 7:24-29 Sep 30 – Ruth 2:14-23 Oct 1 – John 13:1-11 Oct 2 – Ruth 3:1-13 Oct 3 – John 13:12-20 Oct 4 – Ruth 3:14-18 Oct 5 – Luke10:25-37 Oct 6 – :1-6 Oct 7 – Psalm 18:1-6 Oct 8 – Ruth 4:7-12 Oct 9 – Matthew 6:2-23 Oct 10 – Ruth 4:13-22

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Ruth 1

Sep 20, 2020

Key Verses/Memory Verse

But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.

– Ruth 1:16

Key Principles

One of the most inspiring messages of the book of Ruth is that God is concerned about all people regardless of race, nationality, or status; men and women are both equally important to God; and there is no such thing as an unimportant person in God’s eyes. Most importantly perhaps is the message that God has a Redeemer in place who can rescue us from the devastation of our own sin. In Ruth, was a prophetic symbol of Christ and His redemptive work in our lives today. Jesus is willing to redeem us and He wants to rescue us from the penalty of our sin. All we have to do to be rescued is to call upon Him in faith to save us (Romans 10:13).

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Introduction

Author and Date

The book does not name its author, but Jewish tradition points to the prophet . Many scholars believe that Samuel would not have mentioned , however (Ruth 4:17,22), and that this book was perhaps written after the time of the judges.

Key Themes

1. God is concerned about all people regardless of race, nationality, or status. Ruth was not a Jew. She was a Moabite. Even though many discriminated against her, God loved her.

2. There is no such thing as an unimportant person in God’s eyes. Few saw Ruth as an important person. She was from , which was a nation that originated from an incestuous encounter between and one of his daughters (Genesis 19:30-36). She was a poor widow. She was living in a foreign land away from her birth family. But God saw her as important and His plan for her life culminated in her becoming a part of the lineage of Jesus (as the grandmother to King

David). God’s plan typically involves using people who are considered to be underdogs or unimportant or unimpressive from man’s perspective. His strength is made perfect in our weakness (2 Cor. 12:9).

3. The book of Ruth provides for us a prophetic image of a redeemer. In Jesus, the great "son of David" (Matt. 1:1), and his redemptive work, the promised blessings of the kingdom of God find their fulfillment.

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The Setting

Ruth chapter 1 describes how Naomi, along with her husband and two sons, travel from

Bethlehem to Moab due to a famine “during the times of the judges.” While in Moab,

Naomi’s husband died and her two sons married Moabite women, one of which was Ruth.

After about ten years, her two sons died also, forcing Naomi to return to . Ruth insisted on travelling with her.

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Study Guide

The following study questions are meant to help us wrestle with the text of Ruth and see how this book addresses the issue of God’s work in us through Christ. Set aside some time this week to meet with God and answer these questions for yourself. Complete each question before your

Connection Group meets on Sunday. When you gather with your Connection Group, be prepared to discuss your answers together if that is what your fellow Connection Group members have decided to progress through this study.

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Highlight

1. Read Ruth 1. Highlight or underline any words or phrases that stick out to you. Write those words or phrases in the appropriate space on the next page.

2. In the middle of her situation Ruth responds to Naomi in verse 16, “But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.” What stands out to you about Ruth’s statement?

3. Naomi followed her husband’s lead away from the Promised Land, into a foreign country with foreign customs. How do you think she felt in this new land?

4. Have you ever wept when you said goodbye to a loved one? Who was that person, and what were you feeling as you said goodbye? Now imagine these three women saying their goodbyes.

What does their relationship teach us about mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law? 16

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Explain

1. Read Judges: 2:11-12; 2:16-19; 21:25. Discuss the environment in Israel during the time took place.

2. Read 2 Timothy 3:1–5. Do you think the times we are living in resemble the dark days of the judges from the past? Explain your answer.

3. Elimelech faced a difficult decision regarding the welfare of his family. Do you think he made the right decision, moving his family into a pagan land so that they would have food to eat, or do you think he should have stayed in Bethlehem, waiting for the famine to end, trusting God to provide for the needs of his family?

4. Naomi’s husband’s choices led to her instability. Have you ever had a time when someone else’s choices caused you to suffer? How did God show up in the midst of your suffering?

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Apply

1. How should suffering affect a person’s attitude toward God?

2. Have you ever felt empty and afflicted by God as Naomi did? How did you respond? What did

God do in your situation?

3. The chapter ends with a hint of God’s kindness and that a comeback is on its way in Naomi’s life (v22). Where in your life do you need a comeback? Where in your life do you need hope?

How can your Connection Group encourage you in this area?

4. Think about what kind of woman Naomi must have been. Neither of her daughters-in-law wanted to leave her. Ruth begged to stay. This wonderful verse tells us something about Naomi's spiritual commitment when Ruth says, "Where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge.

Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.”

• How are people learning about God from the way you live your life?

• Is there anything you could do differently? What?

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Respond in Prayer

We encourage you to set aside time to pray over what God has shown you in His Word and how you can apply that truth to your context. Read through the following text and listen with your heart to what it has to say. We recommend praying through this passage on your own at home and together with your Connection Group. For those looking for more passages to pray, feel free to return to Ruth 1:16 and let that glorious verse inspire your prayer.

This Week’s Prayer Passage

Read Matthew 5:3-12 and pray according to the A.C.T.S. method.

• Adoration: Give God praise for the things that you see in this passage.

• Confession: Plead with God for His mercy. Confess to God how we have not been

steadfast and faithful like He has been to us.

• Thanksgiving: Thank God for being a God who provides and protects.

• Supplication: Ask God that He would help you to reflect the qualities you see in

Matthew 5:3-12.

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Questions I Have

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Ruth 2

Sep 27, 2020

Key Verses/Memory Verse

The Lord repay you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the

God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!” – Ruth 2:12

Key Principles

1. Trust God to implement the right plan.

2. Trust God to involve the right person.

3. Trust God to inspire the right perspective.

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Introduction

Leviticus 19:9-10 commanded farmers in Israel that they should not completely harvest their fields. They were commanded to “cut corners” in harvesting, and always leave some behind. Also, if they happened to drop a bundle of grain, they were commanded to leave it on the ground and to not pick it up. This was one of the social assistance programs in Israel. Farmers were not to completely harvest their fields, so the poor and needy could come and glean the remains for themselves. This is a wonderful way of helping the poor. It commanded the farmers to have a generous heart, and it commanded the poor to be active and work for their food – and a way for them to provide for their own needs with dignity. It was through this custom that Ruth met Boaz and glorified God for His providential care for her and Naomi.

Study Guide

The following study questions are meant to help us wrestle with the text of Ruth and to see how

God, through His providence, brings us to the right plan, the right person, and the right perspective. Set aside some time this week to meet with God and answer these questions for yourself. Complete each question before your Connection Group meets on Sunday. When you gather with your Connection Group, be prepared to discuss your answers together if that is how your Group wishes to progress through this study.

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Highlight

1. Read Ruth 2. Highlight or underline any words or phrases that stick out to you. Write those words or phrases in the appropriate space on the next page.

2. In v2, Ruth asks Naomi about going to glean in someone else’s field. The practice of gleaning was common in ancient Israel. Read the different laws about gleaning in Lev. 19:9, 23:22, Deut.

24:19. How does the idea of gleaning shape your view of the law?

3. In this chapter Boaz interacts with Ruth in v8-16. What aspect of Boaz’s kindness resonates with you, and why?

4. In v20, Naomi’s demeanor changes. She’s able to recognize God’s kindness even though it’s been present the whole time. What things prevent us from seeing God’s kindness?

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Explain

1. Another strong indication of God's working is found in Boaz's reaction to Ruth (2:5). "Why have

I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me...?", she later asks. Is this book just an Old Testament love story or something more? What do Ruth's qualities tell you about what the God of Israel values in you as well?

2. The idea of being kind can sometimes be cliché. But kindness also has great power to transform us. Can you think of a time when you were deeply impacted by someone else’s kindness? Check out #jesusactsofkindness

3. Do you think Ruth just “happened” to the field of Boaz by chance? What does this teach us about God’s providence?

4. What insights can we gain into Boaz’s character from how he greets his workers in verse 4?

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Apply

1. God is faithful to reward those who put their trust and faith in Him, especially when the prospect of doing so may seem risky. This week put aside your fears and be willing to do everything that God has called you to do. What has God called you to do?

2. List three things you would do for God’s Kingdom if you knew you could not fail (sharing your faith, volunteering at a homeless shelter, giving financially to the church, etc.). Commit to doing one of these things in the next three weeks as we continue to study the Book of Ruth.

3. Next Steps: With God’s help . . .

o I will work on developing an attitude of gratitude. o I will be faithfully generous. o I will pray for His constant provision. o I will seek ways to be used by Him for His glory (even if it involves an element of risk).

What can you do today to work toward the next step(s)? 30

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Respond in Prayer

We encourage you to set aside time to pray over what God has shown you in His Word and how you can apply that truth to your context. Read through the following text and listen with your heart to what it has to say. We recommend praying through this passage on your own at home and together with your Connection Group. For those looking for more passages to pray, feel free to return to Ruth 2:12 and pray through that glorious verse as well, remembering to give thanks for those for whom you are thankful.

This Week’s Prayer Passage

Read Matthew 20:1-16 and pray through the following prompts, according to the A.C.T.S. method.

• Adoration: Give God praise for the things that you see in Matthew 20:1-16.

• Confession: Ask God to forgive you for not always giving Him the glory He is due.

• Thanksgiving: Thank God for His provision and protection.

• Supplication: Ask God to open the eyes of your heart so that you might know Him,

love Him, lean on Him, and glorify Him all the more.

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Questions I Have

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Ruth 3

Oct 4, 2020

(Note: Ruth 4 is also scheduled for this day)

Key Verses/Memory Verse

And she replied, “All that you say I will do.” – Ruth 3:5

Key Principles

§ Godly character is evident in ungodly settings. The godly character of both Ruth and Boaz

is dramatically displayed in a rather compromising situation.

• Men are called to be moral leaders in their relationships. Naomi instructed Ruth to do

whatever Boaz said. Had Boaz not been a man of character, things might have gone in a

very different direction in this midnight meeting under the covers.

• Beware of ungodly counsel that comes from people who appear to be pious and to have

our best interest at heart. But Boaz protected the purity and reputation of Ruth.

• Beware of taking shortcuts. Naomi is attempting to take a shortcut to get Ruth and Boaz

married. A shortcut is an ungodly, faithless action that we take to avoid pain and

suffering, hard work, trusting God, or waiting. Shortcuts are unbiblical and unwise. 34

Introduction

Naomi had a plan. Unfortunately, it was not a good one. In fact, it was devious and ungodly. It did not appeal to one’s moral high ground. It did not encourage Boaz to do the right thing in the right way; and it urged Ruth to seek a husband in a questionable and compromising manner.

Fortunately, Boaz was committed to doing the right thing the right way. In spite of Naomi’s scheme, somehow Ruth and Boaz are able to navigate the moral minefields of the situation and come out unscathed. All of this takes place, no thanks to Naomi’s meddling. It is little wonder that nowhere in the Book of Ruth is Naomi praised.

Study Guide

The following study questions are meant to help us wrestle with the text of Ruth and see how

God calls us to honor Him in all we say and do. Set aside some time this week to meet with God and answer these questions for yourself. Complete each question before your Connection Group meets on Sunday. When you gather with your Connection Group, be prepared to discuss your answers together if that is how your Connection Group wishes to progress through this study.

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Highlight

1. Read Ruth, chapter 3. This chapter sounds a bit like the TV show The Bachelor. Naomi is the matchmaker and she encourages Ruth to make the first move. In the culture of her day this was very bold and very risky. Put yourself in her shoes. How do you think she was processing this moment? As you reflect on this chapter, what parts of the Ruth’s story jump out at you?

2. Is this a story about food? About sex? About love? About a meddling mother-in-law? About living godly lives of integrity and above reproach? What difference does it make how we classify this episode in God’s story?

3. How has Naomi’s attitude changed since chapter one where she despaired of Ruth ever getting married again? Why do you think her attitude has changed?

4. In your own words, what plan does Naomi come up with?

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Explain

1. What do these events reveal about Naomi’s character? Ruth’s character? Boaz’s character?

2. One of the few direct references to God (the Lord) in the book of Ruth is in verse 10, when

Boaz blesses Ruth. Do you see the actions that happen in this chapter as an example of God at work or of people taking matters into their own hands? Why?

3. Write what these verses tell us about being virtuous.

Proverbs 31:10

2 Peter 1:5-8

4. People often wonder how much they should do to make something happen and how much they should let God do. How does Ruth 3 give us insight into answering this question?

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Apply

1. Ruth took a risk. She took a step of faith to do what she felt like God is leading her to do. Where do you feel God is calling you to take a risk and step out in faith?

2. Ruth obeyed Naomi—but in all of her instructions or just partially? Do you find yourself obeying the Lord in all things or just in what seems good to you? What does Deuteronomy 28:1-

3 tell us about obedience?

3. We all desire for others to see the qualities of God in our life - the fruit. Ask the Lord to personally show you what He wants you to change, in order to deepen your relationship with your Savior.

4. The Scriptures tell us that our righteousness is an inherited righteousness – from Christ Himself.

Read Rom. 3:22-23; 8:10; 10:4; Phil. 3:9. How has Christ’s righteousness compelled you to live righteously?

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Respond in Prayer

In Ruth 3, we learn that we can live godly lives in ungodly circumstances, trusting in Him and His character even while others provide dubious and immoral counsel. We encourage you to set aside time to pray over what God has shown you in His Word and how you can apply that truth to your context. Read through the following psalm and listen with your heart to what it has to say. We recommend praying through this psalm on your own at home and together with your

Connection Group. For those looking for more passages to pray, feel free to return to 2 Peter 1:4-

8 and praise God for His Word and His promises.

This Week’s Prayer Passage

Read Psalm 1 and pray through the following prompts, according to the A.C.T.S. method.

• Adoration: Give God praise for the things that you see in Psalm 1.

• Confession: Ask God to forgive you for those times you “walk in the counsel of the

wicked”.

• Thanksgiving: Thank God for the opportunities He gives you to display

righteousness.

• Supplication: Ask God to lead you to a fuller understanding of how to obey Him

completely in word and deed. 42

Questions I Have

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Ruth 4

Key Verses/Memory Verse

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! – Ruth 4:14

Key Principles

• Just as God brought fullness and hope to Naomi through the selfless work of Boaz

expressed in his willingness to assume the role of family-redeemer, so also we are brought

to fullness and hope through our family-Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

• God has a plan for you bigger than you know. He used Ruth and Boaz to produce Israel's

greatest king. Their great-grandson turned out to be David. And many centuries later they

also became the ancestor of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, who was born in Bethlehem.

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Introduction

In stark contrast to the events of the previous night (as described in chapter 3), we come to the seemingly unromantic legal negotiations and commitments of chapter 4. Quite frankly, such

“unromantic” dealings are a beautiful thing to behold, as we shall soon see. Chapter 4 is also a stark contrast to what we read in chapter 1. There, Naomi returned to Bethlehem accompanied by Ruth, refusing to be called “Naomi” (Pleasant), but insisting on being called “Mara” (Bitter) instead. She sought to justify this by claiming that God had dealt harshly with her. She claimed to have gone out to Moab “full,” while returning to Bethlehem “empty.” However, when chapter

4 draws to an end, Naomi’s arms are “filled” with the child that God has given her through Ruth and Boaz. Chapter 4 of the book of Ruth puts all the previous events and responses into a proper perspective. Understanding this chapter as we should will enable us to understand the entire book, so we should listen well to what God has to say to us in this text. (Bob Deffinbaugh, 2010,

Ruth: A Story of Redemption -- A Study of the Book of Ruth).

Study Guide

The following study questions are meant to help us wrestle with Ruth and see how God illustrates to us the role of the redeemer. Set aside some time this week to meet with God and answer these questions for yourself. Complete each question before your Connection Group meets on Sunday.

When you gather with your Connection Group, be prepared to discuss your answers together if that is how your Connection Group has decided to progress through this study.

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Highlight

1. Read Ruth 4. Highlight or underline any words or phrases that stick out to you. Write those words or phrases in the appropriate space on the next page.

2. Although the close relative was in some way Boaz’s rival, how did Boaz treat him? What did he call him?

3. Can you list off all the ways the characters in this story have shown kindness to one another?

4. Read verses 5-8. What additional obligation did Boaz mention to the guardian-redeemer? (Dt

25:5-10) What did he say in response? Why did he refuse to redeem the property? How might the act of redemption endanger his own estate?

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Explain

1. Read verses 13-15. How did God bless the marriage between Boaz and Ruth? What can we learn from the women’s words of blessing to Naomi?

2. Read verses 16-17. What was so significant about Ruth’s son becoming the grandfather of

David? How is her inclusion in David’s and Jesus’ genealogy a sign of God’s redemptive purpose for all people of the world? (Mt 1:5-6)

3. When Ruth’s closest relative refuses to bring Naomi and Ruth into his household, he removes his sandal and gives it to Boaz. (See Ruth 4:8) What do you think might be going on here? (Hint:

Read Deut. 25:5-10)

4. Read Psalm 127 and 128. What does God say is needed to build a family and a home that is blessed by Him? 48

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Apply

1. Is there something in your life today that you are worried about? What is the next hard thing that you need to do? How does watching Ruth’s strength as she waits on the Lord to sovereignly work things out in her life encourage you?

2. What lessons can we learn from Ruth? How is Ruth's love, loyalty and care for her aging mother-in-law a model for us to follow?

3. Is your heart leaping right now at all of these connections between Ruth and Boaz and Jesus and us? Share what you are feeling and how God is speaking directly to you through his Word.

4. What have you learned about God from reading the Book of Ruth? What have you learned about your own life from reading the Book of Ruth?

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Respond in Prayer

To “redeem” during the period of the judges had three meanings: to free from bondage (Lev.

25:47-48), from poverty (Lev. 25:25), or from death (in the case of a widow who needed an heir to carry on the family line and provide for her; (see Deut. 25:5-6). Boaz redeemed Ruth and

Naomi in all three ways, portraying the redemption Jesus offers from slavery to sin, poverty of spirit, and the consequences of death. God’s divine plan fully blossomed as Boaz redeemed

Naomi’s land and Ruth’s hand in marriage. Naomi, once empty (1:21), is full; Ruth, once a widow (1:5), is married; most importantly, the Lord has prepared Christ’s line of descent in

David, through Boaz and , back to (Gen. 49:10) to fulfill the messianic lineage.

This Week’s Prayer Passage

Read Ephesians 5:22-6:4 and pray through the following prompts, according to the A.C.T.S. method.

• Adoration: How have you grown to adore God more in this study?

• Confession: What sin do you need to confess that has been exposed during this

study?

• Thanksgiving: What can you thank God for from the last four weeks?

• Supplication: Who do you need to pray for in light of this study? 52

Questions I Have

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