“One day Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “‘My daughter, should I not try to find a home for you, where you will be well provided for?”
~ Ruth 3:1
Hi James and Ellen,
Would you like to be a Ruth? Your grandpaa has a cousin by the name of Ruth. Your grandpaa saw his cousin Ruth about three months ago. Your grandpaa’s cousin Ruth lives in southern California. Your grandpaa has always really liked his cousin Ruth’s dad. Your grandpaa’s Uncle Bill did not talk much but when he did, your grandpaa’s Uncle Bill talked with a deep, gruff sounding voice. Your grandpaa’s Uncle Bill was rather portly – kind of like what your grandpaa is. The last time that your grandmaa and grandpaa were at the house where your grandpaa’s Uncle Bill and Aunt Joyce live in in Orange, California, your grandpaa’s Uncle Bill and Aunt Joyce were again very affirming and supportive of your grandmaa and grandpaa. Your grandpaa’s Uncle Bill and Aunt Joyce talked about what it had been like for them to live their lives as being faithful Christ-followers. When your grandpaa saw his cousin Ruth again earlier this year, your grandpaa told Ruth and Ruth’s little sis Becky – on whose 42’ boat that she and her husband Dave invited your grandmaa and grandpaa on to ‘boat’ to a restaurant that was located right off the Pacific coastline, how much he liked their dad. You were almost a month ago in Holland, Michigan to be at your dad’s cousin Ruth(ie)’s wedding. Your grandpaa likes the name Ruth. Not many dads and mas name their new baby daughters Ruth. Your grandpaa does not know why. The name Ruth means refreshed or friendship or companion. Do you have a name that you really like? Do you like the names that your dad and ma gave you? Even though guys, gals and kids do not call your grandpaa the name that his dad and ma gave him, your grandpaa really likes his name because it is a name that he knows of only a few other guys who have that name – which is Gareth.
What do you know about the Ruth who is named in the Bible who had a short narrative scribed about her? The narrative about the Ruth who is named in the Bible is the Ruth Book. Ruth was married for a time to a guy by the name of Mahlon. Mahlon died before he and Ruth had a kid or kids together. When Mahlon died, Ruth had only her mother-in-law Naomi, to help her move on with her life. Naomi really liked her daughter-in-law. Because Naomi wanted to help her daughter-in-law move on with her life, she came up with a plan to help Ruth move on with her life. Naomi’s plan for Ruth to be able to move on with her life is found in Ruth 3. Naomi and Ruth were living in the town of Bethlehem at this time. The town of Bethlehem was Naomi’s home town. Ruth was a Moabite people group gal. Moabite people group guys and gals were never really friends of God’s specially chosen guys and gals – the Israelite people group guys and gals. Naomi’s husband had also died by this time. A famine and not having any guy around to bring home food to eat had made surviving quite difficult for Naomi and Ruth. One of Naomi’s extended family members was living in the town of Bethlehem. Naomi’s relative was a wealthy farmer who had plenty of land and plenty of food. The guy’s name was Boaz. Verse 1 is Naomi’s reason for why she wanted Ruth to do what she would ask her to do, “One day Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “‘My daughter, should I not try to find a home for you, where you will be well provided for?” Naomi felt that it was her responsibility to find a guy for her daughter-in-law to end up with in order for her to move on with her life versus Ruth spending all her life taking care of her – which was what Ruth was doing. Naomi knew of a way how Ruth would be able to have an encounter with Boaz. It was the harvest time in the land area of Israel. Boaz was harvesting barley from his field. To guard against a thief taking any of the grain that had already been harvested, a landowner would sleep next to the pile of harvested grain. A way for a gal – when Ruth and Naomi were living on planet Earth, to initiate a relationship with an Israelite people group guy was to crawl under the guy’s blanket and sleep at the guy’s feet. Naomi told Ruth to take a bath, put on her best clothes and dab on some perfume. Naomi then told Ruth to go later in the evening to the place where Boaz was winnowing or threshing his barley. Naomi told Ruth that when she saw that Boaz had fallen asleep, that she was to crawl under Boaz’s blanket to sleep at his feet. When Boaz woke up suddenly in the middle of the night, Boaz discovered that there was a gal sleeping under his blanket at his feet. After Ruth explained to Boaz who she was, Boaz was not upset at all with Ruth. Boaz the next morning gave Ruth six measures of barley for her to take home for her mother-in-law to use. A measure may have been equal to a kor, cor or homer. If a kor, cor or homer equals six bushels, Boaz gave Ruth a lot of barley for her to take to her mother-in-law’s home for Naomi to use.
Why do you think that Boaz was so kind to Ruth? Ruth explained to Boaz that he was her kinsman through a relative – who was Naomi. When Boaz was living on planet Earth, a kinsman was an immediate relative – such as a dad, brother or an uncle, of a family. A close relative of a guy who died who had been married was expected to marry the wife of the guy who had died so that the dead guy’s widow could have a kid so that . . . Boaz was a close relative to Naomi which made Boaz a close relative to Ruth. Boaz first had to determine that no other close relative of Naomi wanted to marry Ruth before he could marry her. Boaz was fine with the idea of having Ruth as his wife as he had heard some very good things about Ruth; Boaz just wanted to make sure that he was the absolutely right guy – per the Jewish law that he obediently lived by, to have Ruth become his wife. Do you ever wonder why things happen or take place the way that they do? Ruth is a real life example of how God has in place difficult life moments and/or random occurrences as steps that lead to a very blessed life ending. One of Ruth’s great grandkids was David.
Ruth 3 (729)