Monday, June 01, 2009

Old Testament survey (08): Ruth

And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me. (Ruth 1:16-17)

And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman. (Ruth 3:9)

And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David. (Ruth 4:17)

Overview

[1] Ruth, from Thru The Bible Radio with Dr. J. Vernon McGee ©, with free downloads Notes & Outlines (PDF), Complete 5-Year Study (MP3)

The primary purpose of the Book of Ruth is the presentation of an important phase in the doctrine of redemption. Redemption is possible only through a Kinsman–Redeemer. God could not redeem apart from a Mediator. Since only God could redeem, it was necessary for Him to become that person. Boaz furnishes the only figure for the Kinsman–Redeemer aspect of redemption which is so essential for any proper theory of the Atonement. This little Book of Ruth comes down to our level and tells the commonplace story of a couple who love each other. They were ordinary folk, average folk, and their love story is a mirror in which we can see the divine love of a Savior for you and me. As we proceed into the Book of Ruth, we see this wonderful love story unfold before us. (Read the complete article)
[2] Book of Ruth, from gotquestions.org (this website is also available in Afrikaans, Arabic, Bengali, Burmese-Myanmar, Cebuano, Chinese - Simplified, Chinese – Traditional, Hausa, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Malaysian, Persian-Farsi, Portuguese, Quechua, Sesotho, Spanish, Swahili, Tagalog, Tamil, Thai, Urdu, Vietnamese, Zulu, and 70 other languages)
The setting for the Book of Ruth begins in the heathen country of Moab, a region northeast of the Dead Sea, but then moves to Bethlehem. This true account takes place during the dismal days of failure and rebellion of the Israelites, called the period of the Judges. A famine forces Elimelech and his wife, Naomi, from their Israelite home to the country of Moab. Elimelech dies and Naomi is left with her 2 sons, who soon marry 2 Moabite girls, Orpah and Ruth. Later both of the sons die, and Naomi is left alone with Orpah and Ruth in a strange land. Orpah returns to her parents, but Ruth determines to stay with Naomi as they journey to Bethlehem. This story of love and devotion tells of Ruth's eventual marriage to a wealthy man named Boaz, by whom she bears a son, Obed, who becomes the grandfather of David and the ancestor of Jesus. Obedience brings Ruth into the privileged lineage of Christ. (Read the complete article)
[3] Ruth, from Scofield Reference Notes (1917 Edition)
This lovely story should be read in connection with the first half of Judges, as it presents a picture of life in Israel at that time.

Typically, the book may be taken as a foreview of the church (Ruth), as the Gentile bride of Christ, the Bethlehemite who is able to redeem. Ruth also gives a normal Christian experience:

1. Ruth deciding, 1
2. Ruth serving, 2.
3. Ruth resting, 3.
4. Ruth rewarded, 4.

The events recorded in Ruth cover a period of 10 years (Ussher)
[4] Judges and Ruth (with chart Fighting Without & Within), from Uplook Ministries


Further study
(Be like the Bereans! Acts 17:11)

[1] The House That Ruth Built, audio series by Susie Hawkins
[2] Week Five: Ruth - Walking in Loyal Love, by Susan Curry

[3] A Literary Analysis of the Book of Ruth, by Heather Goodman

[4] Materials by David Malick
[5] A Light in Dark Days, by Bob Deffinbaugh

[6] Two to Get Ready - The Story of Boaz and Ruth, by Richard L. Strauss

Sermons on Ruth (Be like the Bereans! Acts 17:11)

[1] Harvest Love, by David A. Green

[2] Trust - from the Book of Ruth, by Peter Benzie

[3] The Chains of Love, by D. Kent Modlin

[4] Sermons by Alan Macgregor
[5] Your God will be My God, by John Lawless

[6] Sermons by Daniel Starling
[7] Sermons by Robin Koshy
[8] Advent 2007 -3- God Makes a Way - Ruth: A Way Out of Abandonment, by Richard DeRuiter

[9] Ruth...A Lesson in Motivated Faith, by Richard Taylor

[10] Ruth: The Feast of Providence, Ruth 1:1–4:22, by Kevin Grant

[11] Ruth - Pursued by Grace - Complete Series, by John Caron

[12] Shattered Dreams & God’s Promise, Ruth 1, 4:13–17, by Gerry Heyboer

For other available sermons, please surf to Sermon / Preaching resources. Sermons are also available from South McGehee Baptist Church, McGehee, Arizona; Central Baptist Church, Lowesville; First Baptist Church, Mountain View, Missouri; Swift Creek Baptist Church; Word of Life Baptist Church, Pottsville, Philadelphia; Palm Springs Baptist Church, California; South Woods Baptist Church; Grove Baptist Church, Ulster; Dudley Baptist Church, United Kingdom; Independent Fundamental Baptist Sermons, Fundamental Christian Radio Broadcasts, Off-Site Audio Page and The Christian Radio Tuner

Notes: (1) This ministry does not necessarily endorse or share all the views and opinions expressed in the materials, resources or links mentioned in these posts. Please always refer to the Articles of Faith and Biblical distinctives of Baptists when you study these materials. (2) This lesson is part of the projected 300 plus lessons. From time to time, the lessons will be updated, revised, combined, formatted, and edited to comply with the VOA Simplified English word list. Later on, these lessons will be categorized, numbered sequentially, and made available as PDF downloads.

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