CHRISTIAN FAMILY FELLOWSHIP.
PDO MUSCAT.THEME:
WALKING WITH GODSTUDY: RUTH. TEXTS: Ruth chapters 1 to 4.
INTRODUCTION
From an ancient Israelite perspective. Ruth (which means friendship), seems a poor material for a heroine. She is a Moabitess. a citizen of a nation condemned for its unkindness to Israel (Deut. 23: 3 —4 and Nek 13: 1
— 2). Furthermore, she was a woman, a widow, a foreigner and lived in poverty away from the protection and support of her own family she was among the most powerless and victimized members of Israelite society. . and people; Despite all these, Ruth was also an ideal Gentile because of her commitment to Israel’s God. She is contrasted with Orpah who returned to her family and the gods of Moab; Ruth on the other hand remained committed to Naomi, the family of her dead husband and to the God of that family. She is contrasted also with other Moabite wives of the Old Testament like some of Solomon’swives who Ied him away from God by worshiping their God's. (IKing 11:1, 3-4 and 7).Ruth we see as the appropriate counterpart to the virtuous Boaz as they share the ~me noble character of kindness and integrity; a quality of God himself So it’s not surprising therefore that the stoly focuses on the virtue of keeping agreements and being kind beyond the normal expectations.
The stoly of Ruth’s inclusion into the people of Israel expresses the Old Testament’s conviction that the kingdom of God was meant to be much larger than national Israel; Matthew’s gospel shares this viewpoint Ruth is a prototype of those who would follow Christ
QUESTIONS
CHAPTER
11:1-5 The
journey to Moab because of famine was not in their own interest, they met sorrow arid 1mm. Sometimes running away from problems may not be in our best interest and God sometimes uses these circumstances to teach us a lesson.Do we remember some people who left their home - land because of famine? What were their expeiiences? How did God use their experiences?
1. 1:16 ... "Your God will be my God"…… What does this show about Ruthand how does God react to this her confession?
2. 1: 1-22 In this chapter what do we have to say about (a)Naomi (b)Ruth (c)Mahlon‘
• Don’t look for the negatives in any body especially your mother-in-Iaw or other in-laws. If you go fighting you will ger a war.
3.
CHAPTER 2
1. 2:3 "She found herself working in the field of Boaz"
How does this show the way God works?
What are the qualities exhibited by Ruth in verses 2, 18 and 23.
Verses 4-16. What qualities do we see being displayed by Boaz in these verses7
CHAPTER
31. Verses 1-4. This advice and plan seems strange. What do we think was behind Naomi’s mind in doing this?
2. Verses 5 and 6. What other characteristics do we see in Ruth and what do we learn from it?
3. Verses 8-14 and 18. What other characteristics do we see in Boaz? Relate it to our daily living.
4. Verse 10. What lessons can we draw for those hoping to marry?
CHAPTER 4
1. What can we say about Boaz’s attitude to the laws of God and the land?
2. What lessons can we draw from the kinsman - redeemer’s reactions in verses4 and 5?
3. Verse 11 and12: What roles do we think our elders play in marriage?
4. Verse 13. Do we remember another man that was to raise a family line for a next — of — kin? What did he do and what was the result?
SUMMARY
This book teaches us that God works wonders in His quiet guidance of human affairs. He works through ordinary people like Ruth and Boaz to bring about His purposes. The book of Ruth not only amazes us with an insider’s look at how God brought Jesus in such an extraordinary way, but also assures us that God works in our ordinary lives as well. Only a handful of women are included in the genealogy of Jesus Christ: Tamar (Matth. 1:3), Rahab (Mattlt 1: 5), Ruth (Matth. 1: 5) and Mary (Matth. 1:16). All of them had aspersions cast on them: prostitute, foreigner, unwed mother, but God used each of them to further the line that led to the Messiah.