“GREAT EVENTS OF THE BIBLE -- THE MARRIAGE OF RUTH TO BOAZ!” Introduction: A. History Can Be SO Exciting If You Cultivate A Heart For It; Biblical History Can Be TREMENDOUSLY Exciting If You See God’s Providential Hand In It And Realize The Impact Upon The History Of The World! B. Biographies Can Be Fun Studies; Great Lessons Can Be Learned And Maintained From Studying Them. C. In This Lesson, We Examine A Biography Of A Family During The Time Of The Judges. D. This Is A Story Of A Young Woman’s Dedication, Devotion, Determination, Daring, And Blessing I. (Slide #2) The Principals: 1. Elimelech -- a Jew from Bethlehem who moved to Moab because of a severe famine in Palestine. 2. Naomi -- Elimelech’s wife. 3. Mahlon -- Elimelech and Naomi’s eldest son 4. Chilion -- Elimelech and Naomi’s youngest son 5. Ruth -- A Moabitish girl who married Mahlon 6. Orpah -- A Moabitish girl who married Chlion 7. Boaz -- a Jew who lived in Bethlehem who married Ruth 1 II. The Historical Events. A. (Slide #3) Elimelech And Naomi, Jews From Bethlehem, A City In The Tribe Of Judah, Moved To Moab Because Of A Severe Famine In Palestine. B. Elimelech Died Leaving Naomi As His Widow. C. During The 10 Years They Were In Moab, Naomi’s Sons Married Moabitish Women -- Mahlon Married Ruth; Chilion Married Orpah. D. Both Of Naomi’s Sons Died Leaving 3 Women As Widows. E. When Naomi Heard That The Famine In Judah Was Over, This Distraught Widow And Mother Determined To Return To Her Homeland, Specifically To Bethlehem. F. (Slide #4) As These Three Widows Started On A Journey Toward Judah, Naomi Urged Her Daughters-In-Law To Return To Their People; She Had No Sons For These Women To Marry Under The Concept Of Levirate Marriage. G. Although Both Women Pledged Devotion To Naomi And Determination To Go To Judah With Naomi, Orpah Ultimately Returned To Her Family While Ruth, Declining Naomi’s Urging, Committed Herself To Naomi And To Her God! 1. Ruth’s heart-felt commitment is perhaps THE best known text in the book of Ruth. 2. “But Ruth said: ‘Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God. 17Where you die, I will die, And there will I be buried. The LORD do so to me, and more also, If anything but death parts you and me.” Ru. 1:16,17 3. Realize that Ruth went to Bethlehem expecting to be a widow for the rest of her life! H. Seeing Ruth’s Determination, Naomi Relented And Took Ruth With Her Back To Bethlehem. 1:18 2 I. When Naomi Returned To Bethlehem The People Were So Anxious To See Her; However, In Her Grief, She Urged Them To Call Her “Marah” Meaning “Bitterness” Instead Of Naomi. She Went Out Full Of Blessings (A Husband And Two Sons); She Returned Home Without All Three Of Them! 1:19-21 J. They Returned To Bethlehem During The Time Of The Barley Harvest. 1:22 K. Boaz, A Relative Of Naomi’s Is One Of The Main Characters. 1. He was a man of great wealth. 2:1 2. (Slide #5) Ruth asked to go glean in the barley harvest; Naomi encouraged her to go. 2:2,3 3. She gleaned in the field of Boaz. 2:4 4. (Slide #6) Boaz asked who this young woman was; he was told that she was the Moabite woman who came back with Naomi. 2:5,6 5. She asked Boaz if she could glean in his field; he urged her to glean only in his field and to stay close to his young maidens. He had charged the young men to leave her alone! 2:7-9 6. Ruth was astounded that she, a Moabite, would find favor in Boaz’s sight. 2:10 7. He knew of her devotion to Naomi and of her leaving her homeland to come to Bethlehem. He prayed that the LORD would repay her for her good heart and good deeds! 2:11,12 8. She deeply appreciated his kindness and comfort to her. 2:13 9. He fed her at mealtime. 2:14 10. He urged his young men to let her glean among the sheaves and to drop handfuls of grain where she could pick them up. 2:15-17 11. When Ruth returned to Naomi, she told Naomi how Boaz had treated her; Naomi urged her to stay close to Boaz; she did through the barley harvest and through the wheat harvest. 2:18-23 3 L. Naomi sought a way to enable Ruth to marry Boaz. 1. She knew that Boaz was a kinsmen. 3:1 2. She also knew that Boaz was winnowing and that he was sleeping in the threshing floor. 3:2 3. Naomi advised Ruth to go bathe, put on perfume, put on her best attire and go to the threshing floor after Boaz has gone to sleep; she was to uncover his feet and lie there. 3:3-5 4. Ruth went to the threshing floor; after Boaz had eaten, he lay down to sleep. After he went to sleep, Ruth came in, uncovered his feet, and lay down. 3:6- 7 5. At midnight Boaz was startled to wake up and a woman was at his feet. Ruth asked him to spread the corner of his garment over her because he was a near kinsman. Boaz commends her kindness in making this request; she did not go after young men whether rich or poor; she sought him to be the near kinsman. 3:8-10 6. Boaz respects Ruth as a virtuous woman; he agrees to take her as his wife; however, there was one closer kinsman. She was to stay there that night; the next day, Boaz would give the closer kinsman the opportunity to marry Ruth; if he refused to take her, Boaz promised to do so. 3:11-14 7. Before she left in the morning, Boaz asked Ruth to bring her shawl; he filled it with 6 ephahs of barley; he did not want Ruth to return to Naomi emptyhanded. Naomi knew that Boaz would immediately seek a resolution of this issue for Ruth. 3:15-18 M. (Slide #7) The Near Kinsman Refused To Marry Ruth; Boaz Eagerly Took Her As His Wife. 1. At the gate of the city, Boaz called the near kinsman to a meeting of the city elders. 4:1,2 2. Boaz explained that Naomi wanted to sell a piece of land that belonged to her husband Elimelech. The near kinsman had the first opportunity to purchase it; if he did not, Boaz offered to buy it. He also needed to be aware that he not only had to take the land but also Mahlon’s’s widow, Ruth. 4:3-5 3. The near kinsman wanted the land but refused to take it if he had to take Ruth. He removed his sandal and gave it to Boaz, symbolizing that he would not fulfill his near kinsmen role. 4:6-8 4 4. Boaz asked the elders to confirm that he had bought all the land that was in the inheritance of Elimelech, Mahlon and Chilion and that he was taking Ruth to be his wife, thus fulfilling the role of the near kinsman. 4:9-12 5. (Slide #8) Boaz took Ruth as his wife, she conceived and bore a son, Obed. 4:1-15 The women rejoiced with Naomi in the birth of the baby and praised Ruth, “They prayed that this baby boy would be a restorer of life to her and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has borne him.” 4:15 6. Naomi took the grandbaby and nursed him and cherished him! 4:16 N. The Significance Of This Baby -- Obed Was The Father Of Jesse, The Father Of David! So, Boaz and Ruth were the great-grandparents of David; Obed was his grandfather; Jesse was his father. II. (Slide #9) Why Is The Book Of Ruth In The Bible? A. (►) It Is A Story Of Love And Devotion Of A Daughter-in-Law For Her Mother-in-Law! 1. We know the most beautiful words of the book that express her devotion to Naomi, “But Ruth said: ‘Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God. 17Where you die, I will die, And there will I be buried. The LORD do so to me, and more also, If anything but death parts you and me.’” 1:16,17 2. She worked to provide for her mother-in-law and for herself in Bethlehem! 3. She was devoted to her aged mother-in-law when Naomi was so bitter and so depressed! That is NOT easy! 4. This devotion was known by everyone in Bethlehem. Boaz stated what was known: “And Boaz answered and said to her, ‘It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before.