Well, it's past morning, but today was not a regular day. I think that's okay sometimes. Right now I'm just enjoying hearing my happy boy. I am so thankful for days like today --busy but easy and fun. He's had such an awesome day, I hope it stays like that all day. I love when things work out.
Because of Ruth's love for Naomi and her faith, things worked out there as well. Boaz gave the opportunity to buy the land and take Ruth as wife to the nearer kinsman, who turned it down. Boaz took her to wife, with the blessing of the elders. Ruth gave birth to a son, Obed, who would be the heir for Elimelech and his son, and also was the father of Jesse, who was the father of king David, and thus, part of the lineage of Jesus.
When we take the time to pray and follow God's path for us, things work out so much better. It may not always be easy, as in the case of Naomi and Ruth;for a time they had no male heirs to take care of them or inherit, but they were taken care of in the end. All according to God's plan. I think this is one of my favorite lessons in the bible, yet I'm still learning to follow.
Showing posts with label Ruth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ruth. Show all posts
Monday, March 25, 2013
Sunday, March 24, 2013
A Morning Cup of Tea: A Study of Ruth Part 3
Good morning! It's a beautiful, rainy Lord's day today and I'm here at home. Not exactly where I want to be, but there isn't much help in it today.
Because it's Sunday and this is a day for worship and family, I'm keeping this short and sweet.
Today we are in chapter 3 of Ruth. Ruth has been gleaning from fields that Boaz, relative of her dead Father in law, owns. He has made it clear to his workers that she is not to be bothered and has sent her home with extra grain. Ruth has shown she loves Naomi and wants to do well by her. She certainly could have listened to Naomi in the beginning and gone back to her family, but she chose to be with her Mother in law.
Naomi wants to do well by her daughter in law as well. She knows that Boaz is a relative and she's seen that he is kind to Ruth. Law at this time indicates that if a woman is left a childless widow, then the brother of her husband can marry her so as to continue the family line. If there is no brother, then the next closest relative can fulfill this duty. Ruth is young still and Naomi wants her taken care of, so she tells the young girl to bathe and get dressed --make yourself pretty!--and go down to the threshing floor where Boaz will be. Don't let him know you're down there though. When Boaz goes to lie down, watch where he goes. Then later go lie down at his feet.
Ruth obeys Naomi. She went in and lay at the man's feet. He wakes up, alarmed that someone is near him, but she tells him who she is. He cares enough for her that he wants to protect her. He tells her that there is one who is a closer relative and could marry her. However, if this one will not, Boaz will. He allows her to sleep where she is, but before dawn, so that no one sees her, she wakes and goes home. Before she leaves, he gives her six measures of barley to take home. Ruth takes the barley to Naomi, who assures her that she will have an answer before the end of the day.
What are your thoughts on Ruth?
Because it's Sunday and this is a day for worship and family, I'm keeping this short and sweet.
Today we are in chapter 3 of Ruth. Ruth has been gleaning from fields that Boaz, relative of her dead Father in law, owns. He has made it clear to his workers that she is not to be bothered and has sent her home with extra grain. Ruth has shown she loves Naomi and wants to do well by her. She certainly could have listened to Naomi in the beginning and gone back to her family, but she chose to be with her Mother in law.
Naomi wants to do well by her daughter in law as well. She knows that Boaz is a relative and she's seen that he is kind to Ruth. Law at this time indicates that if a woman is left a childless widow, then the brother of her husband can marry her so as to continue the family line. If there is no brother, then the next closest relative can fulfill this duty. Ruth is young still and Naomi wants her taken care of, so she tells the young girl to bathe and get dressed --make yourself pretty!--and go down to the threshing floor where Boaz will be. Don't let him know you're down there though. When Boaz goes to lie down, watch where he goes. Then later go lie down at his feet.
Ruth obeys Naomi. She went in and lay at the man's feet. He wakes up, alarmed that someone is near him, but she tells him who she is. He cares enough for her that he wants to protect her. He tells her that there is one who is a closer relative and could marry her. However, if this one will not, Boaz will. He allows her to sleep where she is, but before dawn, so that no one sees her, she wakes and goes home. Before she leaves, he gives her six measures of barley to take home. Ruth takes the barley to Naomi, who assures her that she will have an answer before the end of the day.
What are your thoughts on Ruth?
Saturday, March 23, 2013
A Morning Cup of Tea: A Study of Ruth part 2
Good morning! We are looking at chapter 2 of Ruth today. If you missed yesterday's post you can find it here.
Ruth is now in Bethlehem with her mother in law, Naomi. Because they are both widows and have no male children to provide for them, it's up to Ruth to go out to the fields to glean from the harvest so they would be able to eat. God had commanded his people to leave the corners of the fields when harvesting so that poorer families could come in and take what they needed.
It turned out that the field Ruth ended up at belonged to Boaz, who was related to Elimelech, Ruth's deceased Father in law. Once he found out who Ruth was, he instructed his workers to let her alone, and even told them to 'drop' some of the barley so she could get to it. He wanted her to have plenty to take home with her. And at dinner time she was given food so that she would not go home hungry.
Ruth asked Boaz why he was so kind to her. His reply was that because she trusted God enough to come to a land that was unfamiliar to her so that she could continue to care for her mother in law, she was being rewarded.
In our own lives, we may not know what is in store for ourselves, whether we go to a foreign land or step out in faith to do something that is pressed upon our hearts. If we trust God, he will take care of us.
Ruth is now in Bethlehem with her mother in law, Naomi. Because they are both widows and have no male children to provide for them, it's up to Ruth to go out to the fields to glean from the harvest so they would be able to eat. God had commanded his people to leave the corners of the fields when harvesting so that poorer families could come in and take what they needed.
It turned out that the field Ruth ended up at belonged to Boaz, who was related to Elimelech, Ruth's deceased Father in law. Once he found out who Ruth was, he instructed his workers to let her alone, and even told them to 'drop' some of the barley so she could get to it. He wanted her to have plenty to take home with her. And at dinner time she was given food so that she would not go home hungry.
Ruth asked Boaz why he was so kind to her. His reply was that because she trusted God enough to come to a land that was unfamiliar to her so that she could continue to care for her mother in law, she was being rewarded.
In our own lives, we may not know what is in store for ourselves, whether we go to a foreign land or step out in faith to do something that is pressed upon our hearts. If we trust God, he will take care of us.
Friday, March 22, 2013
A Morning Cup of Tea: Studying Ruth
Good morning! For the third day of spring, it's a bit chilly here, but that's about par for the course I think. Even so I take my walks and see the trees and bushes in the neighbors' yards blooming, and I see the yellow-green pollen ...everywhere...and I make the allergy medicine makers very happy this time of year. Still though, I enjoy it. I know that warmer weather is just around the corner and will settle in and stay a good long while.
It took me a little while to settle my men enough to think about this morning's writing, and then I had to settle on what I wanted to study. I decided on Ruth this time because it's a book in the bible that I've read, but haven't really taken time with, and also, I have wanted for awhile now to look at the women of the bible. I'm kind of hop scotching around as I feel my way through this, but bear with me, please. I think there is much to learn from the ladies of the bible, both good and bad. There will be some, such as Ruth and Esther, where we look at the whole book and the story that surrounds them, and many where we look at the verses in which they are mentioned to get at what they have to teach. I do hope you'll join me.
In the book of Ruth, there are two ladies that get our attention: Ruth of course, and her mother in law, Naomi. Today we are focusing on chapter one.
Naomi and Ruth and their family lived during the time that judges ruled Israel. There happened to be a famine, and Elimelech took his wife, Naomi, and their two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, to live in Moab. Elimelech died there, and the two sons married Orpah and Ruth. After awhile the two sons died as well.
In today's world women have many options. We can work outside the home and have been taught by society to take care of ourselves. In some cases, there is government assistance if the woman has young children and the father is not around, for whatever reason. There is always somewhere we can turn if our husband were to die. Naomi, Orpah and Ruth didn't have those choices. There was no government help and women, as a rule, did not work. They depended solely on their father, brother, husband or son to provide for them.
Let's look at Naomi. Here she is in a foreign land because her husband brought her there. He died, leaving her with two sons who eventually married Moabitess women, but they too died, leaving three widows this time. Naomi is quite bitter, as we see in verse 20, when she tells her people that she doesn't want to be called Naomi. Call me Mara. God has treated me badly.
She has been dealt a rather harsh hand, it seems, and she is angry. Probably scared as well. Things are looking up in Israel plus she has family there still. She is done with Moab and wants to go home.
Knowing what she went through, and possibly figuring that it's going to be harder to take care of three women's needs while traveling and settling in back at Bethlehem, Naomi tells Orpah and Ruth to go back to their family homes.
It's not an easy choice for either of the young ladies, after living with Naomi for awhile, and they both cry and protest. Naomi tells them she's too old to remarry, and even if she did, what were they going to do, sit around and wait for any sons born in the new marriage to grow up so they could marry? No, it would be best for Orpah and Ruth to go back to their families. Orpah went back, but Ruth was steadfast.
16. 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.
Ruth is a young woman. Being a Moabitess she didn't grow up serving the Lord as Naomi did. She learned all this when she married Naomi's son. She could have gone back to her childhood home and gone back to all she knew, but her love of Naomi and love of God (I'm guessing here, since she said your God will be my God) showed through in her decision to continue with her mother in law. She does not know what is in store for her in Bethlehem, but she is determined to stay with Naomi. This tells so much strength Ruth has.
We will leave the story today as Naomi and Ruth together travel back to Bethlehem. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this lesson.
It took me a little while to settle my men enough to think about this morning's writing, and then I had to settle on what I wanted to study. I decided on Ruth this time because it's a book in the bible that I've read, but haven't really taken time with, and also, I have wanted for awhile now to look at the women of the bible. I'm kind of hop scotching around as I feel my way through this, but bear with me, please. I think there is much to learn from the ladies of the bible, both good and bad. There will be some, such as Ruth and Esther, where we look at the whole book and the story that surrounds them, and many where we look at the verses in which they are mentioned to get at what they have to teach. I do hope you'll join me.
In the book of Ruth, there are two ladies that get our attention: Ruth of course, and her mother in law, Naomi. Today we are focusing on chapter one.
Naomi and Ruth and their family lived during the time that judges ruled Israel. There happened to be a famine, and Elimelech took his wife, Naomi, and their two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, to live in Moab. Elimelech died there, and the two sons married Orpah and Ruth. After awhile the two sons died as well.
In today's world women have many options. We can work outside the home and have been taught by society to take care of ourselves. In some cases, there is government assistance if the woman has young children and the father is not around, for whatever reason. There is always somewhere we can turn if our husband were to die. Naomi, Orpah and Ruth didn't have those choices. There was no government help and women, as a rule, did not work. They depended solely on their father, brother, husband or son to provide for them.
Let's look at Naomi. Here she is in a foreign land because her husband brought her there. He died, leaving her with two sons who eventually married Moabitess women, but they too died, leaving three widows this time. Naomi is quite bitter, as we see in verse 20, when she tells her people that she doesn't want to be called Naomi. Call me Mara. God has treated me badly.
She has been dealt a rather harsh hand, it seems, and she is angry. Probably scared as well. Things are looking up in Israel plus she has family there still. She is done with Moab and wants to go home.
Knowing what she went through, and possibly figuring that it's going to be harder to take care of three women's needs while traveling and settling in back at Bethlehem, Naomi tells Orpah and Ruth to go back to their family homes.
It's not an easy choice for either of the young ladies, after living with Naomi for awhile, and they both cry and protest. Naomi tells them she's too old to remarry, and even if she did, what were they going to do, sit around and wait for any sons born in the new marriage to grow up so they could marry? No, it would be best for Orpah and Ruth to go back to their families. Orpah went back, but Ruth was steadfast.
16. 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.
Ruth is a young woman. Being a Moabitess she didn't grow up serving the Lord as Naomi did. She learned all this when she married Naomi's son. She could have gone back to her childhood home and gone back to all she knew, but her love of Naomi and love of God (I'm guessing here, since she said your God will be my God) showed through in her decision to continue with her mother in law. She does not know what is in store for her in Bethlehem, but she is determined to stay with Naomi. This tells so much strength Ruth has.
We will leave the story today as Naomi and Ruth together travel back to Bethlehem. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this lesson.
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