Ruth: Boaz Boaz Boazzzzzzz😍😍😍
STORY TIMEEEEE:
Well if THIS ain't a love story if I ever did read one?!
I'm gonna try my hardest to not type 7 paragraphs because there's so much to go over so here goes nothing!
3 Main Characters. Ruth, Naomi & Boaz. There's only
4 chapters so bare with me.
Chapter 1:
During the time that the judges were ruling, there was famine. Due to this famine, an israelite man name Elimelech from the tribe of Judah took his 2 sons Mahlon & Kilion and his wife Naomi and moved to the country of Moab to live for a while.
(This was strange because the moabites were in conflict with the Israelites for a while, though they shared common ancestry. The Moabites and Israelites shared a common ancestor, Moab, the son of Lot and nephew of Abraham. The Moabites and Israelites were often at war and in the book of Numbers, God condemns the Moabites for their worship of false gods and sexual immorality...Just a little back story on Moab and why it's strange that an Israelite man would choose to move there)
Anywhoodles... after they moved there, Naomi's husband Elimelech suddenly dies.🥺
Leaving Naomi as a widow,
with her 2 sons, who later marry 2 Moabite women. One named Orpah & the other Ruth. After living there about 10 years, Naomi's 2 sons also died, leaving her without her 2 sons and her husband. How TRAGIC.😞 Now while they were still in Moab, Naomi heard that the
Lord was providing food for her people back in the land of Judah and made plans to go back with her 2 daughters-in-law Orpah & Ruth.
Now Naomi ends up telling Orpah & Ruth to return to their own country where they can worship their own God's, instead of coming with her to Judah and they were sad & wept. Orpah, kisses her mother in law goodbye but Ruth clung to her. Naomi still tries to convince Ruth to go with Orpah but Ruth replied with something beautiful. She says, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay.
Your people will be my people and your God my God.
Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me." (How beautiful is that? In my opinion, Naomi must've been one heck of a person to make a non-Israelite woman want to be apart of her culture and worship HER God. Naomi never persuaded her once in any of this. As followers of Christ, sometimes this is the approach we ought to take when dealing with non-believers. It's not always about convincing because everyone won't receive the gospel. Sometimes we need to be a light to others in the way that we carry ourselves and treat others and that in itself might intrigue a person to want to know more. )Back to the story..When Naomi realized there was no convincing Ruth, they went on to Bethlehem and their arrival caused some chatter amongst the folks in town. People couldn't recognize Naomi and even asked "could this be Naomi?". Naomi sadly replied
"Don't call me Naomi. Call me Mara (Mara means bitter In Hebrew) because the lord has afflicted me. I went away full and came back empty"😞 Chapter 2:
Now Naomi, had a close relative on Elimelech's side of the
family....YEP. You guessed it. MR.BOAZZZZZZZ HIMSELFFFFF
8. Ruth proposed to Naomi to let her
go pick up the left over grain in the harvest fields to find food for them. Thats actually called "GLEANING" (look up gleaning in the Bible for more context, I believe you can find it in the the laws/commandments on Gleaning in Leviticus 19)
Naomi told her to go ahead and so she did.
"Coincidentally" or what I believe to be ordained by the Lord, Ruth ends up in Boaz's field.
As he enters the
field, he notices Ruth and inquires about her to one of the overseers of his field, asking ""Who does that young woman belong to?". (YALL HE WANTED THE TEA ON MS.RUTHY RUTH! 5) The overseers informs him of who she is and Ruth then asks for permission to glean in his field. The overseer then says "she's been here since morning working hard and only stopped for a short moment to rest"and Boaz not only gives her permission, but then goes on to say don't glean in any other field but his, follow after the women that were gleaning in his field, he told all of the men in his field to not lay a hand on her, don't reprimand or rebuke her and whenever she gets thirsty, go and drink from the water jugs that the men of the field have filled. TALK ABOUT PROTECTING AND PROVIDING!!! Ruth then bows down to him and asks why he's being so nice to her seeing that she's a foreigner and Boaz said that he's heard all about her and the good that she's done for Naomi. Leaving her country to help Naomi, since they've both lost their husbands and taking care of her. He admired her character. He then blesses her and says 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." He made sure she ate before she gleaned once more, Ruth thanks him and she takes all thee food she's gathered and trucks it back home to Naomi. When Naomi sees the amount of food that Ruth got, she was shocked and asked where she got it all from. When Ruth told her it was from Boaz, Naomi still shocked told her that he was a close relative and will be blessed for his kindness and that she will do well in his field because anywhere else, she could be harmed as foreigner in Naomi & Boaz's land.
Chapter 3:
THIS IS WHERE THINGS GET JUICY AND NAOMI STARTS PLOTTING FOR RUTH AND BOAZ TO GET TOGETHER
Naomi tells Ruth that she needs to find her a home where she will be provided for. She devises a plan and tells Ruth exactly where Boaz will be that night and exactly what to do. She specifically instructed her to "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. 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." CHILLEEEEEEEEEEEEE Naomi had a plan yall
Ms. obedient Ruth then says " will do whatever you
say" AKA "BET"
.... So she does everything Naomi tells
her to do and goes to where Boaz is sleeping. She ends up startling him and he wakes up to her lying at his feet.
Ruth then presents herself and asks him to redeem her because he is a guardian redeemer for Elimelech's family.
(Now all this meant was that, usually a brother or close relative would marry the widow if he passed away & seeing that Elimelech passed away, he would've most
likely been up next to redeem her)
Being the man of honor that he was, he commends Ruth for coming to him instead of choosing a younger or richer man and even calls her a NOBLE WOMAN. (He called her a PROVERBS 31 WOMAN YALL ) ....but has to be honest
and let her know that there is another relative that is up before him to redeem her so to rest for the night, and in the morning he will see about it. He says, if the other relative chooses to redeem her, allow him to hit IF NOT, he will gladly redeem her.
Chapter 4:
Boaz orchestrated a PUBLIC meeting with 10 elders as witnesses. He asked the closer relative if he wanted to redeem Ruth but he refused in fear that he would endanger his land (more than likely, because he was an Israelite and she was a Moabite) and so Boaz accepted his roll as next in line to redeem Ruth and everyone blessed them and gave them their best wishes. Boaz and Ruth finally become married and the lord allowed Ruth to conceive, baring a child named OBED who would go on to be the father of Jesse, which is the father of David which is in the lineage of The Messiah! Ruth the Moabites woman is a great grandmother of Christ!!!!
SN: Some fun facts: Orpah was originally gonna be the name of Oprah Winfrey but her mom switched the spelling.
This story is a great example of how ANYONE can be redeemed, not just Israelites. The lord will use anyone to carry out his will.
If you have already read this story, what were some key points that stuck out to you?
How does this story relate to the Gospel of Christ?
What does Naomi's character reflect and how can we be more like her?
What does Boaz's character reflect and how can men be more like him?
What does Ruth's character reflect and how can we be more like her?
If you made it to the end, thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed!
P.S I added pics of my notes from this Bible study for better context. I had so much more to say but already typed a bunch.
This is random, but if you're looking for your kingdom spouse, do like Naomi told Ruth & wash yourself, put on your best perfume and clothes and start from there.😂
Shalom🙏🏾
#biblestudyforwomen #biblestudy #biblejournaling #christian #christianwomen
Date of original post 10/29/24
Wow, reflecting on the Book of Ruth always leaves me inspired! Beyond the beautiful love story between Ruth and Boaz, I’ve found so many profound lessons that truly hit home in my daily life. When I first read about Ruth’s unwavering loyalty to Naomi, it made me think about the kind of devotion I want to show in my own friendships and family relationships. It's not just about grand gestures, but those consistent, everyday choices to stick by someone, even when things are tough, just like Ruth did as they returned to Bethlehem. One aspect that really resonates with me is Boaz's character, especially as a kinsman redeemer. The original post highlighted his honor and protection, but when I dig deeper, I see it as such a powerful reflection of Christ's role in our lives. Just as Boaz stepped in to rescue Ruth and Naomi from their desperate situation, providing for them and ultimately securing their future, I see God's hand doing the same for us. He’s our ultimate Kinsman Redeemer, showing us grace and love when we can’t help ourselves. It’s a reminder that even in our most vulnerable moments, there's always a divine plan for provision and restoration, and we can trust in His faithfulness. This really speaks to the significance of Boaz's role in a believer's story. And Ruth herself! The original post mentioned Boaz called her a 'noble woman,' just like the Proverbs 31 woman. This isn't about being perfect, but about having a character marked by diligence, kindness, and strength. I’ve been trying to find ways to embody that in my own life – whether it’s through how I manage my responsibilities, how I speak to others, or how I serve my community. Ruth was diligent in gleaning in the fields, working hard even as a foreigner, and that focus on hard work and resourcefulness is definitely something I admire. It’s inspiring to see her go from a Moabite widow to an ancestor of Christ through her virtuous character. Even the concept of 'gleaning,' which the notes touched upon, has a spiritual application for me. Just as Ruth gathered what was left in the fields, I now look for opportunities to "glean" wisdom and blessings from unexpected places in my life – from tough situations, from quiet moments of reflection, or from the 'leftovers' of a busy day. It reminds me to be grateful for every little bit and to always be on the lookout for God's blessings, big or small. It’s about recognizing that even seemingly small acts of obedience or diligence can lead to monumental outcomes, just like Ruth's story ultimately led to the lineage of David and Jesus. This whole story is a beautiful testament to how God uses ordinary people in extraordinary ways. It truly encourages me to live a life of intentional faith and trust in His divine timing, knowing that He’s orchestrating my own unique journey, too.
Your annotations are pretty 🥰