Session II Day 3

We’ve reached the end of week 2 of our study of Ruth.  I pray that the Lord shows kindness to you as you study His word and go about your daily life.

ASSIGNMENT:

Read Ruth 1:6-9.  As Naomi prepared to return to Bethlehem, Ruth and Orpah chose to go with her.  How did Naomi respond to this according to vs. 8-9?

**There is a key Hebrew word in 1:8 that has been translated as kindness in our NIV translations.  The Hebrew word is hesed, for which there is no satisfactory English translation.  Usually it is translated into such words as “loving-kindness, mercy, steadfast love, loyalty.”  Essentially hesed is used to describe God’s divine nature.  In the book of Ruth, the word is used 3 times: 1:8, 2:20, and 3:10.  It sometimes expresses kindness at the human level as a result of prior commitment, however it is never used in referring to situations when one person simply does something nice for another.  It always implies a response not only to God’s commands but also a response to God’s faithfulness.

Below is a list of names and their meanings of characters introduced in the first chapter.

·         Elimelech: “my God is king”

·         Naomi: “pleasant/sweet one”; Mara: “bitterness”

·         Ruth: “friend”

·         Orpah: “back of the neck”

·         Mahlon: “weak/sick”

·         Kilion: “failing”

Based on our reading of chapter 1, write in your notebook whether or not you feel each character’s name is significant to the narrative, and if so, what makes the name significant?  Can you think of other examples in the Bible of significant names?  

Session II Day 2

Today’s focus will be on the prologue (plus one verse) of the Ruth narrative.  As you work through today’s assignment, think back to the title/heading you gave these verses on Monday.  After you’ve taken the time to look more closely at these verses, would you change the title you gave them on Monday or did you choose an appropriate title then?  A great deal happens in these first few verses yet we aren’t given many details about these events.

 

ASSIGNMENT:

Read Ruth 1:1-5 and identify (and list in your notebook) the many difficulties Elimelech’s family encountered.

One of the worst fates a woman of this era could face would be to be widowed and without children/grandchildren to care for her physical needs.  Having descendants to carry on the family name and bloodline was also of the utmost importance in this culture.

However, Naomi is about to see an indication that God is at work …

Read Ruth 1:6.  What is the good news here?

**Note: Verse 6 in the NASB reads: …for she had heard…that the Lord had visited His people in giving them food.  The cross reference is Gen. 50:24.  “Visited” refers to the helpful actions of a superior to those under him.  In Ruth, Naomi understands that the Lord Himself has provided food for His people.

(Whether God caused the famine, the death of the men in the family, & the infertility of Ruth & Orpah or not, He was responsible for the rescue!)

Don’t forget to keep an eye on our discussion board.  You can weigh in on discussions that have already been started or start your own discussion.  This is a great way for us to interact with each other and learn more as we dive into God’s word.

Session II Day 1

Today we begin our chapter by chapter study of Ruth.  The narrative of Ruth can be divided into 4 acts (as in a dramatic presentation).  There is also a prologue and an epilogue.

ASSIGNMENT:

READ Ruth Chapter 1

Suggest a title/heading for each of the following sections of this chapter:

                Prologue              1:1-5

                Act 1                      1:6-22

                     Scene 1           1:6-18

                     Scene 2           1:19-22

Who do you see as the main character of chapter 1? Why?

We often learn more by asking questions than by answering them.  I encourage you to use this opportunity to pose any questions you may have from your reading of chapter 1 or the information we explored last week on the discussion board.

Session I Day 3

We’ve now set the scene for our study of Ruth, and next week we will begin our chapter by chapter study of the narrative.  Today we are going to take some time to explore an important overarching theme of the story.

ASSIGNMENT:

1.        Read all 4 chapters of Ruth again in one sitting.  As you read, mark (or make a note in your journal/notebook) of every reference to redeem, kinsman, & kinsman-redeemer.

2.       What did you learn from your reading about the process of redeeming a close relative? (It might be helpful to refer to scriptures that are suggested in your Bible cross-references.)

3.       Read Deut. 25:5-10.  What appears to be the main purpose of a man marrying his brother’s widow?  What else did you learn about this practice?

Session I Day 2

**For our study of Ruth and Esther, you will likely find it beneficial to have a notebook for taking notes and writing down questions/comments regarding the narrative as we move ahead in our study.

Monday’s assignment gave us some insight into Israel’s repeated lack of covenant loyalty, God’s punishment and subsequent rescue during the time of the judges.  Today we will look in Scripture to discover more about the Moabites.  Elimelech and Naomi moved to Moab to escape the famine in Israel, and while in Moab their sons married Moabite women one of which was Ruth.

ASSIGNMENT:

READ:

       Gen. 19: 30 – 37 Origin of the Moabites

       Num. 25: 1 – 5 What happened when Israelite men took Moabite women into their beds?

       Deut. 23: 3 – 4 Why were Moabites excluded from the assembly?

       I Kings 11: 7 Who was the god of the Moabites?

**It is interesting that at least 3 of the 5 women named in Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus (Matt. 1:1-17) are Gentile (Tamar, Rahab, Ruth).  In light of God’s promise to Abraham, that all nations would be blessed through his (Abraham’s) seed, we realize that God set the plan in motion long before the cross. 

Session I Day 1

Welcome to our online Bible study of the books of Ruth and Esther.  I hope you all are as excited as I am about studying about these two Godly women.  If you haven’t already, I encourage you to read the instructions for the study on the Jan. 10 blog post.  As mentioned in the post, we will have three assignments per week: Monday, Wednesday and Friday. 

This week’s assignments will focus on background information for the book of Ruth. 

ASSIGNMENT:  

1.       If you haven’t already, read through the book of Ruth.

Notice how the narrative begins: “In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land” (1:1).  What do we know about the time of the judges and famine? 

2.       READ Judges 2:8-23 and 21:25.  While reading these passages take note of what life was like for the Israelites during the time of the judges.  What were God’s instructions regarding relations with foreign (Canaanite) nations?  Did the Israelites follow His instructions?  What were the consequences? 

3.       READ Deut. 28: 15-19, 23-24, 45-48.  These verses show us how God used famine as a punishment for Israel’s unfaithfulness to Him.  Do you think this could be the cause for the famine mentioned at the beginning of the Ruth narrative?

Welcome Back!

The Brentwood Oaks Church of Christ Women’s Online Bible study of Ruth and Esther will begin on January 18, 2010.  Our study will focus on the same material used in the Wednesday morning Ladies’ Class which meets in the building.  Unlike our study of I Peter, our online study of Ruth and Esther will be slightly behind the Wednesday morning class.  This time around we have three assignments per week instead of five.

The Old Testaments books of Ruth and Esther are the only two books in the Bible named for women and the only books that focus almost entirely on the stories of those women.

Ruth and Esther are relatively short (the books, not the women!) and, at first glance, appear to be rather simple stories.  However, their messages are profound and contain meaningful lessons for us today.

Ruth was a Gentile woman who married a Jewish man; and Esther was a Jewish woman who married a Gentile man.  Although their situations were very different, both were used by God.  Had it not been for Esther, a huge population of Jewish people would have been annihilated (or else God would have chosen other means to rescue them).  And had it not been for Ruth, the very lineage of Jesus Christ would have been changed.

Getting Started:

Prior to January 18, we encourage you to read the book of Ruth (only 4 chapters) and focus on the setting of the narrative (notice the first phrase in 1:1).  Write down any questions or first impressions you have of the narrative.

Let’s Discuss:

We will be utilizing our discussion board once again during this study to share our ideas and questions.  To post a comment, pose a question, or reply to another student’s comments/questions, click the link on the sidebar under the heading, “Let’s Discuss.” This will take you to the Brentwood Women’s Google Groups page where you will see ongoing discussion links posted.

Catching Up:

If you should miss a day and wish to access an earlier assignment look under the sidebar heading “Blog Archive” for a list of all previous posts. Click the title of the assignment you need and it will be opened for you.

Need Help?:

Contact us via email at BrentwoodWomen@gmail.com, Megan.Drennon@gmail.com, or amanda.a.pollard@gmail.com.