1:4 - Ruth is a Moabite woman or foreigner, which is important to understand because she is in the line of King David and Jesus. Another example f God's willingness to use anyone who is open to His leading.
1:9 - Naomi wants the girls to have a second chance at life...she knows that a powerless, penniless widow with no sons has no inheritance and nothing to offer to young women. They weep because they know she is right and that she is returning to Israel o live off the scraps of others.
1:14 - Orpah leaves - Ruth stays.
1:16 - Incredibly Ruth makes the most binding pledge a person in the OT could possibly make. She doesn't just say, "I'll stay with you." She says, "As God is my witness, may he strike me down if I ever leave you for any reason other than death." That is commited love...and it does not do unnoticed!
1:20ff - I always love how the bible paints such realistic pictures of people. Naomi is bitter! She has lost her husband and both sons and is a poor widow - she has every right to feel a little bitter...what human wouldn't be? Bu much like Job, even i her bitterness, she remains faithful to God.
2:9 - Boaz is a great guy...he is a man of honor. He looks out for the honor of this foreign woman - protects her from less honorable men and brings her int the fold of his workers....helping her in a time of need. He goes above and beyond what is expected of a helping kinsmen. This is also called "flirting" in the OT!
2:11 - The life that Ruth lives and the commitment she shows to Ruth, stand as a bold testament to her character. People who see the way she lives her life, know she is a woman of honor and a woman of God. What do people see when they look at our lives?
2:20 - Boaz is not the closest relative, nor the next in line to redeem the family name of Noami's husband and sons, but he is willing to step up and do what needs to be done. He treats her as a man would treat a wife long before they ever get married. He looks out for her...protects her...provides for her. I know a lot of young men who could learn a lot about about how to treat women from Boaz here. Before you are ever ready to date or look for a future spouse, you should already be living as people worthy of such an honor.
3:9 - Like Ruth, Boaz's actions speak volumes about his character. Ruth sees him as a man who is living his life as a reflection of God's traits. She says, "Spread your wings over me as a refuge and redeemer," which is language just like the description of God in 2:12 ("The God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.").
4:6 - The closer redeemer is more concerned about the inheritance of his own family. He doesn't want to share anything with Naomi's family and rejects his duty as kinsmen redeemer. In doing so, he misses out on being the father of the line of David and the savior of the world - Jesus! How often has selfishness submarined the plans that God has had for my life?
4:10 - Boaz on the other hand is willing to step up and become the kinsmen redeemer and begin his family with a foreign wife. He is a selfless man of integrity and becomes the great grandfather f King David.
4:11 - The elders call out a blessing on Ruth - they say she will be like Rachel and Leah, two of the mothers of the Israelite nation. They speak and God delivers as Ruth begins the line of David and Jesus that will share the history of all creation.
4:15 - Ruth is revered by the people who know her. They give her the ultimate compliment in this time of chauvinism...they say she is worth more than 7 sons! That is like saying she is priceless.
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