Ruth 2 Step 1 Pray & Step 2 Survey

Ruth 2 Step 1 Pray & Step 2 Survey

by | Jul 16, 2024 | 1-23, DISO studies, Ruth 2

 NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.

Welcome back, I’m glad you’re here, my friend! For those in the United States, it’s been a week, hasn’t it? I am praying for our nation and specifically for the victims of Saturday’s shooting and their families, and encourage you to do the same, even for those with whom you disagree. My fervent prayer is for unity: not uniformity. Let us love each other despite our differences; and let us begin by seeking God’s help for the miracle that requires. If you’ve been studying with me for a while here, you know miracles require faith and prayer. I hope you’ll join me in praying and believing for a united nation.

Now, let’s get back to our study of Ruth!

Last Week’s Work

MY PRAYER
Here’s the prayer I intend to pray before digging into Ruth 2:

Thank You, Lord and Father God, for another chance to dig into Ruth. Thank You for sending the Holy Spirit to help me see, understand, and apply the principles here to my life. Remove the scales from my eyes and the plugs from my ears and unburden my heart so I can see all You want me to discover here. Give me wisdom to recognize Your good counsel and courage to follow it no matter what. In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen.

If you’re studying along with me, you’re welcome to use this one.

HUH? and WOW! MOMENTS
Next, I slowly read through the study text, focusing on my reactions, and noting the parts that caught my attention. Here are my responses:

  • HUH? What does a worthy man mean (v1)?
  • WOW! I think it was most observant of Boaz to notice Ruth and ask about her (v5).
  • HUH? and WOW! Did Ruth understand the Jewish Levirate law? Naomi mentioned it in Ruth 1:11-13. Specifically, it only calls for brothers to marry sisters-in-law, but Boaz is of the same clan (v1). Could Naomi or Ruth demand Boaz support them under it? If so, I think it’s notable that Ruth is so respectful of the servants (v7) and of Boaz (v10). But wait, at this point, Ruth probably didn’t know who Boaz was; though, looking ahead to the next chapter, Naomi did (3:2)! Maybe I’ve become too jaded by current culture, but I still find Ruth’s respect for the servants and for Boaz—not knowing who they were—remarkable.
  • WOW! Gotta love Boaz: he starts with a beautiful blessing (v12), provides for her at mealtime (v14), and even instructs the reapers to help her (v16). What a great guy!
  • HUH? How much is an ephah of barley (v17)? It took Ruth a whole day (vv7,17) to glean that much.
  • WOW! Ruth gave her leftover food to Naomi instead of keeping it hidden so she could have it later (v18).

Dig-In Challenges

Next week, I plan to:

  1. PRAY: Read my prayer before studying this passage.
  2. MINE: Identify which aspect of this study I feel the Spirit leading me to dig deepest into right now. It could be one (or more) of the Huh? and Wow! Moments I wrote about this week, or some other item the Spirit hasn’t yet called to my attention.
  3. MINE: Focus specifically on the setting of the scene in Ruth 2 (who’s involved, where and when did the action take place), and note anything the Spirit emphasizes.

See you again soon, I hope!

GO TO WEEK 3 >

Ruth 2 Step 1 Pray & Step 2 Survey

Ruth 2 DISO Study Introduction

by | Jul 9, 2024 | 1-23, DISO studies, Introduction, Ruth 2

Welcome! I’m so glad you’re with me as I study the second chapter of Ruth! We’ll be using the 5-step inductive study process I’ve developed from leading youth and women’s Bible studies for more than ten years.

Let’s Study Ruth 2! 

After learning so much about bitterness from Naomi in Ruth 1, I’m ready to see what the Holy Spirit has for us in the second chapter of Ruth. So, this week, I’ll begin by praying and surveying Ruth 2. If you want to work along with me, here’s what I recommend you have ready:

  1. A copy of Ruth 2, plus access to the entire book of Ruth.
    I copy the text from www.blueletterbible.org, paste it in a word processing program (Google docs or MS Word), change the formatting to suit my preferences, and print it out. If you want to use the ESV translation, here’s a copy I created with plenty of room for doodles and notes.
  2. A study journal.
    To finish this study we’ll need to review what we’ve learned, so plan to record at least some highlights from your work in Steps 1-4. I’m old-school and like the pen/pencil-and-paper method for journaling my studies, but it’s okay if that doesn’t work for you. If you don’t have time to physically write or type your notes, consider dictating them into a notes app, or recording audio files, instead.

Or, if you just don’t have the bandwidth to study right now, no problem. You’re welcome to just read the posts I publish here. They’ll help you become more familiar with the process and show you how the Spirit speaks to my situation. I’m praying there will be enough similarities between my life and yours that you’ll find it worth your while to keep checking in with me, even if you can’t dig in yourself this time.

Dig-In Challenges

So here’s what I’m going to do this coming week:

  1. PRAY: I’ll be creating a prayer that I can pray every time I study Ruth 2. I’m going to write it in my study journal, so I’ll have it handy each time I study.
  2. SURVEY:  And then I’ll read Ruth 2, noting anything that makes me say, “huh?” (as in, “I wonder what that means?”) or “wow” (as in, “that is so awesome!”). I’ll record these and ask the Spirit to reveal which one He would have me dig more deeply into right now.

I’m looking forward to sharing what I discover in this process with you—I hope you’ll keep checking in with me each week!

GO TO WEEK 2 >