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Bible Study Fear Psalm

Psalm 91: Fear Not!

Just because we all experience fear doesn’t mean we have to live with it. Perhaps the most famous fear quote of all time came from Franklin D. Roosevelt at his first Inaugural Address, which occurred in 1933, in the middle of the Great Depression: “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror, which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.”

The Bible says about fear. The word afraid is found over 200 times in the Bible, and the word fear is found 53 times in the Psalms alone. Knowing this we can understand when you are afraid you are not alone. It is something the majority of people deal with.

Psalm 91:5-6

5 You will not fear the terror of night,
    nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
   nor the plague that destroys at midday

The “You will not fear” phrase here is not a polite suggestion, but a command. It is spoken emphatically and often by God to His servants. God wants us to fear Him, but not the world. God doesn’t tell us, “fear isn’t good for you,” “fear isn’t helpful,” “try not to fear.” No. We hear this exact Hebrew command meaning “do not fear” or “you will not fear” 51 times in the Bible.

God said to Abraham (Abram) after he rescued his nephew Lot: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield, your reward will be very great” (Genesis 15:1).  God said it again to Abraham’s son Isaac, “Fear not, for I am with you and will bless you and multiply your offspring” (Genesis 26:24).

For me, the most memorable is in 2 Kings when Elisha’s servant is terrified as he awakes to find the city surrounded by horses and chariots from the King of Syria. “… And the servant said [to Elisha], ‘Alas, my master! What shall we do?’ He said, ‘Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.’ Then Elisha prayed and said, ‘O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.’ So the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (2 Kings 6:15-17).

We know that God can protect us and keep us safe, so why fear. Especially the world and Satan? God is bigger that our fears. In these verses we read, “the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. ” Notice What we are not to fear. Things during the day and night. When I was young I rarely got scared in the day time. But it was a whole different story at night. Our mind wanders in the night and every sound becomes a terror until we turn on the light. Jesus said He is the light. If we have him there is nothing to fear.

So we are to be fearless no matter the time of day: we should not fear the terrors “of the night,” the arrows “by day,” the pestilence “in darkness,” or the destruction “at noonday.” We are to be fearless no matter how big the problem is, whether the unknown “terror” or dread in our minds, the slim “arrow,” the microscopic “pestilence,” or the monstrous “destruction.”

How can God require this of us? Because He is the answer to all of our fears. He is our shield and rampart. Stop being parallelized by fear and start facing your fears with God.

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Bible Study Psalm

Psalm 91: Covered with God’s Feathers

If you read yesterday’s post, you know that Psalm 91 is my families go to scripture when we are “fraidy cats”. When we are feeling afraid of anything in our lives we can rely on God. Frequently; however, we need reminding of how awesome the safe places of God are.

Psalm 91:3-4

3 Surely he will save you
    from the fowler’s snare
    and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

I know what your thinking. When I first read this I thought, “Those words are English, right? But, I still don’t know what that means.” Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare. What is that! Well it’s really easy, a fowler is a person who hunts or traps wild birds(fowl) and a snare is the traps they use. The Fowler’s Snare – Satan is the fowler setting traps and snares to sabotage the Christians. God has saved the believer from satan’s traps. For God the Most High, the Almighty has secured everyone who is in Christ Jesus. No amount of trickery, luring, deceit, or bribery can undermine the work that God has done in those who are saved. Our enemy is fierce and he is smarter than we are, but he is not smarter than our Deliverer. If you find yourself caught in the trap of sin today, cry out to God, our refuge and fortress. Hide in Him and let Him work on your heart to free you from the snare of sin to once again walk in the light. He will do it if you will turn to Him.

The next tricky bit is deadly pestilences. I don’t know about you, but when I hear that I picture giant, human sized wasps or locusts. The Deadly Pestilence – There is no deadly pestilence that can eternally kill the Christian. However, as a christian you will face things that make you suffer. When these come we need to say like Job “I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will take His stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God.” Jesus our Redeemer has risen from the dead and secured our resurrection from the dead. One day we will rise with glorified bodies and will live forever. God has given us real and tangible hope when we suffer. Even though our strength and our heart may fail, the Lord will not leave us, but He himself will be the strength of our heart and our portion forever. He is our God who raises the dead, who has delivered us, is now delivering us, and will deliver us. It is He on whom we have set our hope (2 Corinthians 1:9-10).

He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge. Birds often put their young under their wings for protection. Did you know that the softest portion of the bird is the down under their wings? The Lord has the softest down under His wings; a pocket of security right next to His heart reserved for His children. The Lord, who is our fortress, is mighty, but He is not cold stone. Have you known the protection and warm comfort of His wings? Why do you wait? Come to Him and be enfolded in the feathers of His love. He will hide you there in the secret place away from danger and fear.

His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. Hear we go again, Rampart? It’s okay. Rampart is a defensive wall around a castle or a city. God’s faithfulness is our shield and wall. He is our defense. When we engage in the war against evil, it is not in our own strength, but in the power of God. He has proven His faithfulness to every promise and this knowledge equips us with the boldness and courage we will need for life. We belong to the Lord. It is almost too wonderful to comprehend, but He set His love on us, and has given us all we need to walk in a manner worthy of Him. Lift high your shield of faith and stand safely under the wings of the Most High God.

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Bible Study Psalm Uncategorized

Psalm 91: A Safe Place

My son, Jackson, is about to turn 18. When he was a young boy, he used to be scared of many things. From the age of 4 or 5 until 9 or 10, he would pray every night when we sent him to bed then walk into his bedroom and say, “Be gone in the name of JESUS!” This made him feel safe at night. Once he began to read we he would get scared of things, I would always say, “Start reading in Psalms 91 and don’t stop till you feel better.” One day we where in the car and driving through a sketchy neighborhood at night. He began to get twitchy because he was scared. I happened to have a Bible in my front seat and I tossed it over my shoulder and said, “You know where to start.”

Psalms 91 has been the scriptures in our house that we have used to ground ourselves when fear is creeping in. I would dare to say that every human has scared moments. When we are uncertain of things and we don’t know what to do. This is where this Bible study series comes from, a scared little boy and a mother that only had God’s word for protection.

Psalm 91: 1-2

1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.[a
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust.”

When life is scary, every task seems more exhaustive the last and you can’t t find a safe place or place to rest, these verses are reassuring, comforting and encouraging. When things appear to be their worst, I tend to get a bit negative, and most of us are like that. Our natural tendency is to get down in the mully grubs and miss out on what God may be doing in our situation.

When I find myself in these negative places, my goal becomes centering my mind to fend off the negative, and say of the Lord that He is my God in whom I trust, just as the writer of this Psalm did.

But there is also a deeper meaning in this passage, hidden in plain sight. In these verses there are four names for God: the Most High, the Almighty, the Lord, my God. Why does the writer use four different names in two verses, and why is it so important?

Whosoever dwells (lives) in the shelter of the Most High, Hebrew word, Elyon means the most high. It describes a Supreme monarch, one who is elevated above all things. The name signifies God’s majesty and sovereignty. Elyon describes a king that reigns above all other kings, and is first used in Scripture in Genesis 14:18, describing Abraham’s encounter with the priest/king Melchizedek, “Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High.” Melchizedek gives us a picture of Christ in several ways, and it is fitting that this story contains the first use of this name of God in Scripture. Verse 1 speaks to the protection of one who ‘dwells in the shelter of the Most High,’ and it causes us to ask where it is that we dwell. Do we dwell in our own self-doubt? Do we dwell in anger? Do we dwell in what could be or what could have been? Or do we dwell in the shelter of the Most High God, the Holy King of heaven who promises to protect and keep us?

The second phrase, will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. The Almighty, is translated from the word Shaddai (If you are thinking of the Amy Grant song right now, I assure you you are not alone). Shaddai has many meanings, but it as you may imagine, it primarily suggests a mighty, powerful God who is strong beyond our imagination and is more than capable to supply our every need. He is the God who who rained fire from heaven, shut mouths of lions, and controls all of creation. In His name and in His power, there is no need that cannot be met, and no circumstance he cannot overcome. So, if we live with the most high God we can rest in the shadow of his power. HALLELUJAH!!

The third section is I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress.The LORD, is the personal name for God, revealed to Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 6:2). This personal name for God was considered so sacred in Judaism, that the original pronunciation is uncertain, only that it contained the letters YHWH.  It has been translated as Yahweh, Jehovah, and more often as the LORD (in all caps).  The significance of this name is that it represents a relationship God who wants us to know Him on a deep, personal level.  The God who knows every hair on our heads, every joy and fear in our hearts, and desires us to know Him as a friend. This God who created the universe and wants to be the place we go to feel safe.

The last section is my God, in whom I trust. My God, comes from the Hebrew Elohim. This name first appears at the very beginning of the Bible in Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” When Elohim occurs in Scripture, it is typically translated as “God.” It means the one who is first, or the creator, and is technically a plural word. So it is fitting that this is how God is referenced in Genesis 1:1; as a creator who is one, yet plural (Father, Son, Spirit). The Psalmist is proclaiming that the God in whom he trusts is the same God who created all things, the first and the last, and the God who is forever faithful to His creation.

In the span of just two verses we see the beauty of God: His ways are higher than our ways, yet we can speak to Him as friend. God is at the same time unsearchable yet so very near to us. In His shadow and in His shelter, we find strength, comfort, and rest for our souls.

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Bible Study

Ruth: Life Lessons

Life is battle. And in battles, people screw up, people get hurt, but if you chose the right side, You can win. Right now I am currently praying for:

A mother-in-law and father-in-law who have battled cancer for years and still fight it everyday.

A friend who is an alcoholic but won’t admit it.

A friend in the throes of an affair.

Friends whose families have turned away from God.

and those are just a few.

And I find myself asking God like Jackson when he was two, “Why?”

I don’t know why. But, I know this, God redeems. I once was lost, but now I’m found. He can bring life from ashes. He can restore joy. He can redeem any person, any family, any situation.

Let’s recap on who these people were as individuals, and then on their life together:

R U T H

Ruth was a foreigner, a Moabitess. She was also a Gentile, a pagan from a culture of idolatry. When her mother-in-law Naomi decided to return to Bethlehem, it would have been much easier for Ruth to return to Moab, but Ruth did not choose the easy path.

-Ruth was a young widow.

-Ruth gave her heart to God

-Ruth displayed uncharacteristic love and loyalty for her mother-in-law.

-Ruth was assertive, unconventional and diligent in working the fields to provide food for Naomi and for herself, and in visiting Boaz at the threshing floor.

-Ruth displayed moral purity in her interactions with Boaz.

B O A Z

Boaz was a Jew and was known for his noble character. He was the son of Rahab, a Canaanite prostitute.

-Boaz also had a heart for God

-Boaz showed kindness, generosity, and protection in his provisions for Ruth in the field.

-Boaz displayed moral purity in his relations with Ruth.

-Boaz followed Jewish tradition in establishing himself as the “family redeemer.”

-Boaz publicly committed himself to being the “family redeemer,” which included possession of land, marrying Ruth and bearing a son.

God redeemed Ruth from her past and from her hard situation, and He allowed Boaz to redeem the family and her deceased husband’s name. And as a couple, God chose them to be direct ancestors of King David and, ultimately, of Jesus.

God specifically chose these people to establish the lineage that gave birth to Jesus. Their history as foreigners and pagans did not exclude them, and this was no oversight of God. He purposefully picked people with sordid backgrounds so that God’s work of redemption would be visible in their lives.

This whole story is a foretaste of the redemption that will come in Christ Jesus. Living on this side of the cross, we know that Jesus is the Ultimate Redeemer because He saves our sinful, lost souls. Inclusion of Boaz and ruth in the line of Jesus was intentional to show that Jesus came to save ALL people. Jewish and Gentile. You and me.

Colossians 1:13-14 says, “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

By accepting the gift of salvation we are delivered, ransomed, rescued, reborn. Trials stretch our faith and help us endure. And when we make a mess of life (which we all do), He again offers grace to reclaim, repair and purify. This is work that only God can do.

As believers, we are redeemed. Let’s thank God for His abundant grace. And let’s allow the cross to truly transform us.

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Bible Study

Ruth: God’s Happily Ever After

We have reached the end of the Book of Ruth, but instead of ending the story with Ruth living happily ever after with Boaz, we end with a genealogy. The genealogy of Ruth and Boaz’s descendants.

Ruth 4:13-22 New International Version (NIV)

Naomi Gains a Son

13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. 14 The women said to Naomi: “Praise be to the Lord, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! 15 He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.”

16 Then Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him. 17 The women living there said, “Naomi has a son!” And they named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.

The Genealogy of David

18 This, then, is the family line of Perez:

Perez was the father of Hezron,

19 Hezron the father of Ram,

Ram the father of Amminadab,

20 Amminadab the father of Nahshon,

Nahshon the father of Salmon,[a]

21 Salmon the father of Boaz,

Boaz the father of Obed,

22 Obed the father of Jesse,

and Jesse the father of David.

As a child I was made to memorize what we referred to as the “Begats”- Matthew 1: 1-17. I admit that most of us didn’t like Memorizing all these strange names in order. Reading the biblical genealogies was hard enough. They are filled with names we can hardly pronounce and people we have never heard of. But genealogies are important. They tie together all of the Sunday school stories and VBS lessons and show God’s plan from the beginning.

Through genealogies we see how God uses ordinary people for His extraordinary work.

As beautiful of a love story the book of Ruth is, we see that Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz are part of a much larger story: a story guided by the hand of God in order to bring about the future events that would lead to the coming of a Savior. We see Him accomplish this by using normal people, like Ruth, with common lives, like that of a field owner, in a small insignificant town called Bethlehem. God, in His sovereign wisdom, uses what we might deem as insignificant and humble to bring about the extraordinary. And what is more extraordinary than the true Kinsman Redeemer being born to the undistinguished descendants of Ruth and Boaz?!

Genealogies also show that we belong. When you study your genealogy you will quickly find out that you belong to a family and a heritage; to a certain culture and ethnicity. But for those of us whose trust is in Jesus, we have the unearned privilege of belonging to the family of God. We have been gifted with a heritage rich in grace, mercy, forgiveness, and sacrificial love.

Genealogies are important because in them we see God using imperfect people for His perfect plan. We have Jacob who was a liar and a thief, Rahab who was a former prostitute, and David who was an adulterer and murderer and yet God brought the Messiah through this line of misfits.

This should give us encouragement. There are no perfect people, and yet God uses us anyway. He uses us through our ordinary lives in order bring about His kingdom work.

Continue in your faithfulness to the calling God has for you no matter how ordinary you may feel it is. You, also, are part of a larger story. A story that involves the kingdom of God.

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Bible Study

Ruth: Creating a Legacy

As you know, My husband is my Boaz. And one of the things I just love is how Boaz is a man of his word. When Daniel and I were about to get married we discussed much of what we wanted our marriage to be like. One thing we always said and still do is, “Mean what you say and say what you mean.” This means always be a person of your word and don’t be passive aggressive or beat about the bush with something. Because of this, we have grown to trust and lean on each other more than any other relationships in our lives. Boaz also embodies this phrase. Right after Ruth heads back to Naomi with a shawl full of barley, Boaz wastes no time and travels into town, just like he said he would.

Ruth 4:1-12 New International Version (NIV)

4 Meanwhile Boaz went up to the town gate and sat down there just as the guardian-redeemer he had mentioned came along. Boaz said, “Come over here, my friend, and sit down.” So he went over and sat down.

2 Boaz took ten of the elders of the town and said, “Sit here,” and they did so. 3 Then he said to the guardian-redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our relative Elimelek. 4 I thought I should bring the matter to your attention and suggest that you buy it in the presence of these seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, do so. But if you[b] will not, tell me, so I will know. For no one has the right to do it except you, and I am next in line.”

“I will redeem it,” he said.

5 Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the land from Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the[c] dead man’s widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property.”

6 At this, the guardian-redeemer said, “Then I cannot redeem it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it.”

7 (Now in earlier times in Israel, for the redemption and transfer of property to become final, one party took off his sandal and gave it to the other. This was the method of legalizing transactions in Israel.)

8 So the guardian-redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it yourself.” And he removed his sandal.

9 Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, “Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon. 10 I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from his hometown. Today you are witnesses!”

11 Then the elders and all the people at the gate said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the family of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. 12 Through the offspring the Lord gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.”

Boaz is ready to make good on his word. He will do everything in his power to bring redemption to both Ruth and Naomi’s lives. From the Scripture, we see Boaz is not only able to meet with this nearer, unnamed kinsman-redeemer, but he is also able to gather the ten elders of the town to hold this important meeting.

At first, this man seems eager to redeem Elimilek’s property. My heart screams out, “No!” Even though I know the story, I tend to get caught up in the narrative. Until he hears that Ruth a Moabite comes with the redemption.

The cost is too much.

The potential sacrifice to his own estate too high.

He is only willing to redeem that which will benefit him and carry on his name… not the name of someone else.

Should he step into this redemption kinsman-redeemer role and take on Elimilek’s land and “property,” this man would risk putting his own heritage at stake. So he counts the cost and decides to pass on the opportunity. And of course, all of us cheer with excitement for what this means for Ruth and Naomi!

Boaz steps in and makes good on his word. He accepts her, loves her, and joyfully takes on the responsibility of caring for both Ruth and Naomi. He does not worrying about Ruth’s Moabite past. Just as Jesus steps in as our Redeemer with no worries of our sinful past.

How ironic that the first kinsman-redeemer was more concerned about protecting his name and his inheritance, yet we don’t even know his name. Boaz, on the other hand, didn’t care about those matters. He chose to love, accept, and help those who didn’t have the power to help themselves, and his name has been kept through generations because of his obedience and the good he did. Boaz’s name and deeds live on through Scripture.

We all have a choice to make just as Boaz and the nearer kinsman-redeemer, the choice to live for ourselves or to live in obedience to God. We can choose to live lives that are ordinary in our own strength and what we can accomplish, or we can choose to live out God’s truth and live lives that are extraordinary because of how we allow God to work through us.

We can choose to play it safe, or we can choose to live lives in complete obedience to God. Our choices dictate the type of legacy we leave behind.

Boaz’s name is preserved in Scripture and the other man is never heard of again. What he thought he was saving, he lost. What Boaz didn’t care to save, he kept.

May we choose to be like Boaz, people who are not only willing to obey God, but have a passion for it. Be someone who is willing to redeem, love, and protect those rejected by the world. May we be people who love and care for the least in our midst. May we be people who are like Boaz. And in turn be more like Jesus.

Let’s Talk: Who has been a “Boaz” to you and what impact did this person’s kindness have on your life?

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Bible Study

Ruth: Proverbs 31 Woman

As a teenager, I was required to memorize Proverbs 31. I remember thinking, “That is so hard. Who could do that?” Ruth is a great example of a Proverbs 31 woman. To be honest, this part of the Book of Ruth has always made me a bit nervous. Am I the only one who cringes at the thought of Ruth going to the threshing floor that night and following Naomi’s orders? Ahhh, talk about awkward! My heart begins to beat faster, and I get anxious just thinking about how nervous Ruth must have been!

Ruth 3:11-18 New International Version (NIV)

11 And now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All the people of my town know that you are a woman of noble character. 12 Although it is true that I am a guardian-redeemer of our family, there is another who is more closely related than I. 13 Stay here for the night, and in the morning if he wants to do his duty as your guardian-redeemer, good; let him redeem you. But if he is not willing, as surely as the Lord lives I will do it. Lie here until morning.”

14 So she lay at his feet until morning, but got up before anyone could be recognized; and he said, “No one must know that a woman came to the threshing floor.”

15 He also said, “Bring me the shawl you are wearing and hold it out.” When she did so, he poured into it six measures of barley and placed the bundle on her. Then he went back to town.

16 When Ruth came to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, “How did it go, my daughter?”

Then she told her everything Boaz had done for her 17 and added, “He gave me these six measures of barley, saying, ‘Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’”

18 Then Naomi said, “Wait, my daughter, until you find out what happens. For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today.”

It wasn’t until I began to study and read more of the background behind Naomi’s instructions to Ruth that I began to understand the parallel to Christ’s redemption of our lives.

Look at Naomi’s advice to Ruth instructing her to change from her clothes of mourning and widowhood to new, clean and fresh clothes signifying that her time of mourning her husband’s death is over and she should move on with her life. How beautiful that Naomi would be the one to suggest this to Ruth and lovingly give her the freedom and blessing to move on! Much like Ruth, I feel I may have needed a “Naomi” in my life to give me permission to exchange my clothes of mourning and get on with my new life in God. Removing the garments of shame, anger, unforgiveness, betrayal, bitterness and pain and putting on new garments of hope, redemption, and love.

In the Hebrew Bible, Proverbs comes just before the book of Ruth. With Proverbs 31 being the last chapter, You would Read of the virtuous woman and start reading book of Ruth. Proverbs provides the description and Ruth, the example.

What we see in Ruth 3:11 is the same description we see of the “Proverbs 31 Woman” in verse 31:31. Just like the “Proverbs 31 Woman”, Ruth was also praised at the city gates…a woman mind you who was born in an enemy country, who was an alien in the country she was living in…this broken, widowed woman was actually a Proverbs 31 woman!.

Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.- Proverbs 31:31

Ruth is praised at the city gates because of how she has loved Naomi, worked hard to provide food for her mother-n-law and sought to honor her. A woman who could have turned away and started a new life in her homeland chose to leave all that she knew and walk forward in faith, not knowing what the road to Bethlehem would hold for her.

I am learning so many lessons to apply to my life as I’m inspired by Ruth’s story. We can never dismiss the power of a life lived out in love for God and others. We see this in Ruth’s life, as we see it in the life of the “Proverbs 31 Woman”, too. Both women lived with their focus on God and serving those around them. Both women lived for more than themselves and because of that, both women’s every day, step-by-step obedience is still encouraging generations of women thousands of years later!

As I’ve been reading through Ruth, I’ve been challenged through this powerful book to live more boldly for Christ. To walk my life out in greater faith and greater obedience…even if I’m not sure what is waiting for me in my “Bethlehem.” It’s not easy to humble ourselves and lay our lives down at the feet of our Redeemer. But just like Boaz, Jesus doesn’t reject us. He sees us and loves us.

What about Ruth’s life encourages you so far in our study? Is there something new that you’ve learned?

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Bible Study

Ruth: Love and Faith

We begin this week in chapter 3 and many scholars guessed that a couple of weeks have gone by between the end of chapter 2 and the beginning of chapter 3. It is harvest time in Bethlehem and Naomi decides to set Ruth up with one of the landowners named Boaz.

Naomi has always referred to Ruth as a daughter and has always showed her great love. The simple fact that Naomi addressed Ruth as “my daughter” meant that she really cared for Ruth and that she had taken it on herself to secure a good future for Ruth.

Ruth 3:1-10 New International Version (NIV)

3 One day Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, “My daughter, I must find a home[a for you, where you will be well provided for. 2 Now Boaz, with whose women you have worked, is a relative of ours. Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. 3 Wash, put on perfume, and get dressed in your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don’t let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do.”

5 “I will do whatever you say,” Ruth answered. 6 So she went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law told her to do.

7 When Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he went over to lie down at the far end of the grain pile. Ruth approached quietly, uncovered his feet and lay down. 8 In the middle of the night something startled the man; he turned—and there was a woman lying at his feet!

9 “Who are you?” he asked.

“I am your servant Ruth,” she said. “Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a guardian-redeemer of our family.”

10 “The Lord bless you, my daughter,” he replied. “This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor.

Things get a little weird hear. Noami is really specific in how she is supposed to act with Boaz. First Ruth is to take a bath, put on some perfume and some fresh clothes. This seems normal. Then she is to go to his field and wait (without him knowing that she is there) for Boaz to finish eating and drinking, and then to lay down for the night. This seems a bit stalkery.   

Lastly, Ruth is to uncover his feet and lay down with him. This seems strange and somewhat inappropriate. Some believe that Naomi’s suggestion is sexual since it is believed that prostitutes would act in this way.  But this interpretation goes against what we know of both Naomi and Ruth’s character and the praise that Boaz gives Ruth for her actions later in verse 10. Instead, Ruth’s actions express a desire for protection, and the idea of marriage would have been the obvious way of receiving this protection.

Naomi’s idea certainly is a bit delicate and could result in Boaz misinterpreting what Ruth was doing. But Naomi seems very confident in the situation and in Boaz’s integrity. She believes that he will do what is right when he wakes up and finds Ruth lying at his feet.

But what can we take away from this part of the story? We have to be careful that when we are reading historical narratives, that we don’t try and force an application for every part of the story. Instead, we need to look for the themes that are found throughout the whole book.

Two of the themes we see is love and faith. Naomi’s faith in God seems to have gotten stronger since the story began, and she seems very confident in her plan for Ruth. The faith Naomi and Ruth have in the one true God has created a strong bond of love between the two of them. Naomi really wants to see Ruth taken care of and is willing to do all she can to help.

These two ladies can be great examples to us in godliness and faith. We need to do all we can to grow in our faith and in love for others who have this same faith.

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Bible Study

Ruth: Luck has Nothing to Do With It.

I used to say, “If I had no bad luck, I’d have no luck at all.” I would compare my life to others and just think that I was plagued to be unlucky. Then after years trying to run from what God wanted from me, I finally realized. There is no such thing as luck. There is God, His love, and blessings.

It wasn’t luck that brought Ruth to Boaz’s field. It wasn’t luck that he just happened to arrive back to his field from Bethlehem at the same time Ruth was there. And is sure wasn’t luck that Boaz was from the clan of Elimelek and therefore a close relative to Naomi.

It wasn’t luck. It was God.

Ruth 2:20-23 New International Version (NIV)

20 “The Lord bless him!” Naomi said to her daughter-in-law. “He has not stopped showing his kindness to the living and the dead.” She added, “That man is our close relative; he is one of our guardian-redeemers.[a]”

21 Then Ruth the Moabite said, “He even said to me, ‘Stay with my workers until they finish harvesting all my grain.’”

22 Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, “It will be good for you, my daughter, to go with the women who work for him, because in someone else’s field you might be harmed.”

23 So Ruth stayed close to the women of Boaz to glean until the barley and wheat harvests were finished. And she lived with her mother-in-law

I was grown with a son before I learned about God’s providence. How He goes before us to orchestrate events in our lives. He sets up things that many times we don’t even understand until years later.

Throughout the book of Ruth, we see God’s loving hand through all the details, events, and opportunities in spite of disobedience, mistakes, and sin. What I love about the book of Ruth is how God, through His amazing love, went before Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz. He wrote a beautiful story of redemption which mirrors His heart for all His children; children who at one time were like Ruth, people in need of a redeemer.

Though Elimelek and Naomi shouldn’t have moved to Moab, God in His mercy gave Naomi her daughter-in-law, Ruth. Through Naomi, Ruth turns from her past, her gods, her culture, and clings to Naomi and Naomi’s God. When Naomi and Ruth need food to survive back in Bethlehem, God provides a Redeemer in Boaz. At every turn and every crisis, we witness God’s providence, not luck, providing, tending to, and caring for Naomi and Ruth.

What God did for Ruth and Naomi, He does for us too.

You may be looking at your life right now and wondering what in the world God is up to. Or you may be crying out to God, begging Him to redeem your mistakes, your journeys to foreign lands, and missed opportunities. If so, know that you are not alone. Like a prodigal son, turn back to God. When you do, you’ll see that He is running after you with open arms.

When we look at Ruth’s life and how God worked. God is at work in your life just like He was in Ruth’s. God is up to more than what meets the eye. There are no chance meetings, no lucky opportunities. It is God, your kinsman redeemer, who is at work in your life. That doesn’t mean that the road ahead will be easy. It doesn’t mean that there won’t be construction involved, delays, or possibly detours. What it does mean is that God is orchestrating your life for a bigger purpose.

Looking back over your life, how has God been orchestrating it for a greater good?

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Bible Study

Ruth: Hard Work Under Sheltered Wings

At this point in the Book of Ruth, we have witnessed the hesed of God and Ruth, seen tragedy, and seen Boaz showing Ruth kindness. Today we are going to see more of the characters of both Ruth and Boaz. As you read the scripture look closely at nature of these people and look for the hand of God.

Ruth 2:10-19 New International Version (NIV)

10 At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She asked him, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?”

11 Boaz replied, “I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband—how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. 12 May the Lord repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.”

13 “May I continue to find favor in your eyes, my lord,” she said. “You have put me at ease by speaking kindly to your servant—though I do not have the standing of one of your servants.”

14 At mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come over here. Have some bread and dip it in the wine vinegar.”

When she sat down with the harvesters, he offered her some roasted grain. She ate all she wanted and had some left over. 15 As she got up to glean, Boaz gave orders to his men, “Let her gather among the sheaves and don’t reprimand her. 16 Even pull out some stalks for her from the bundles and leave them for her to pick up, and don’t rebuke her.”

17 So Ruth gleaned in the field until evening. Then she threshed the barley she had gathered, and it amounted to about an ephah.18 She carried it back to town, and her mother-in-law saw how much she had gathered. Ruth also brought out and gave her what she had left over after she had eaten enough.

19 Her mother-in-law asked her, “Where did you glean today? Where did you work? Blessed be the man who took notice of you!”

Then Ruth told her mother-in-law about the one at whose place she had been working. “The name of the man I worked with today is Boaz,” she said.

Did you see it. Ruth was loyal, hardworking, humble and grateful. Boaz was gracious, kind, generous and giving praise to God. He pointed out to her that God was giving her refuge. We know from before that Ruth had already renounced her moabite ways and swore to Naomi that Naomi’s God was her God. She was now looked to Jehovah God for her sustenance. Her resilient faith did not sway as she worked in the hot sun while every person in town watched her sweating out her new-found faith.

Because of her hard work, faith and loyalty, Boaz noticed her and she found favor in the eyes of the wealthy landowner. Can that be said for you? Are you noticed for hard work, faith and loyalty? I hope I am, but I am afraid I have failed. I will always have this as my goal.

Are you in a place were you feel like your drowning in your circumstances. Take a moment and take refuge in the Lord. Allow him to work in your life. You might be surprised to find out he is already working. Remember sometimes it is not the circumstances that need to change, sometimes it is the people in the circumstances that need to change. Be willing to let God change you if that’s what needs to happen.

You are never alone and unprotected, . Like David in the Psalms, we can cry out to God: Psalm 57:1 “Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in You my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by” 

During desperate times, we must remember that we have a Hesed God.

Plug into His power through prayer and Bible study.

Trust in His timing, rather than try to take control.

Resolve to stay close by His side and not stray.

Rest in hope because He is faithful and true.