by Jen | Nov 26, 2024 | 1-18, DISO studies, Ruth 3
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
Happy and blessed Thanksgiving to my U.S. readers this week! God has been so good to me this year, even in difficult circumstances. I pray you also find reasons for gratitude to the One who loves us so much. Amen! Here’s what I discovered from comparisons, causes, and conditions in Ruth 4.
Last Week’s Work
COMPARISONS
This time, I noticed four comparisons:
- Verse 11: … May the Lord make [Ruth] like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel.
- Verse 12: May [Boaz’s] house be like the house of Perez because of the offspring…
I think both the above comparisons are about Ruth bearing Boaz many children because the speakers mention Rachel and Leah, the sisters who competed to have children by Jacob (Israel). With them and their servants, he fathered ten of the twelve men whose families became the twelve tribes: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Joseph, and Benjamin.
- Verses 14-15: [Obed] shall be [Naomi’s] restorer of life and nourisher of [her] old age.
Obed was born to take the place of his mother’s first husband, Naomi’s son Mahlon, and, as the only surviving boy in Naomi’s family, would be charged with taking care of her.
- Verse 15: [Ruth] is more [valuable] to [Naomi] than seven sons…
I think this is a reference to all Ruth did for Naomi, returning with her from Moab and working so hard for her survival, including bearing Obed.
CAUSES/MOTIVATIONS
This time I focused on verse 6: The original redeemer said, I cannot redeem [Naomi’s property] for myself, lest I impair my own inheritance. In other words, the reason he couldn’t redeem the property (and acquire Ruth) was because if he did, his inheritance would be in jeopardy.
This is the huh? the Spirit directed me to dig into in this study. I suspect it relates to being forced to give up the firstborn of the marriage to Elimelech’s family as Obed was in vv16-17. I’m hoping I can get more clarity on that soon!
CONDITIONS/METHODS
The only condition I noticed was the legal one requiring the redeemer to marry Ruth and produce a son for Naomi’s family with her when he bought Elimelech’s property (v5). Just giving her the money for the property would provide support temporarily, but once she spent all the money, how would she survive? Having a son (through Ruth and the redeemer), though, enabled the property to come back to Naomi’s kin when the boy was old enough to own it (as I mentioned last week). At that point, he’d probably also become responsible for supporting Naomi (v15).
I also noticed the process through which Boaz acquired Ruth: assembling ten witnesses, discussing the situation with the redeemer in front of them, and receiving the sandal from the redeemer as proof he was renouncing his claim to the property and Ruth. That seems strange to us who memorialize important agreements with written contracts, but back then literacy was not so common. The shoe and the witnesses were the proof needed to enforce the agreement if necessary.
Dig-In Challenges
Next week we’ll begin refining our understanding of what we’ve discovered so we can interpret it as Ruth’s author and his audience would have.
Here’s how I’ll be working toward that this week:
- PRAY. Of course!
- REFINE by rereading Chapter 4. We know the overall writing type in Ruth is narrative, so now we’re just looking for instances of instruction, law, letter, poetry, and/or prophecy in chapter 4.
- REFINE: by considering historical context: We know from earlier research that this story is set in the days when the judges ruled, and everyone basically did what they wanted to do. We also know no author is named for this book, but the mention of King David in Chapter 4 indicates it was written after 1010BC. I’d like to see if I can find anything that further clarifies the redeemer’s statement about his own inheritance, but I’m not sure I’ll be able to find anything factual about that.
- REFINE: by examining key words and/or phrases (I’ll look at verse 6) using an interlinear Bible, and note what the Spirit reveals. Interlinear Bibles are available on several study websites and let us examine Ruth in the original Hebrew. They provide details about each word, including its meaning in context. I’ll be using the Blue Letter Bible Interlinear tool for this research.
This “refining” step is more involved than the “mining” we did earlier, and you might be busy (as I will) with Thanksgiving festivities, but I encourage you to use these tools and dig as much as you can this week. I pray the Spirit will bless your efforts, my friend!
by Jen | Dec 17, 2024 | 1-18, DISO studies, Ruth 3
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
Can you believe we’ve all but finished the book of Ruth? I hope the Holy Spirit has revealed amazing treasure for you these past seven weeks. Here’s my work for week 8 of this study.
Last Week’s Work
LESSON(S) LEARNED
As I thought through the lessons learned over the last eight weeks, the Spirit drew me to the contrast between Boaz (who, from chapter 2 on, has acted the part of a redeemer for Ruth and Naomi) and the nearer redeemer—a negative comparison I should have noticed in week 4, but didn’t.
In my study of Chapter 3, I commented about how Jesus, our Brother in God’s family, rescued us from slavery to sin and death. Similarly, Boaz provided for the physical needs of Ruth and Naomi though technically he could have let them starve. All along, he was the real redeemer here. He could have turned away from them. Instead, he stepped up so the nearer redeemer could “do what was right in his own eyes.” Boaz was the self-sacrificing lover of the undeserving, just as Jesus was.
CONVICTION
As part of my observations this week, I checked how many times redeem and redeemer appear in the New Testament. I found redeem three times (Luke 24:21, Galatians 4:5, and Titus 2:14) and redeemer only once (Acts 7:35).
In the letter to Titus, Paul describes Jesus as the one who brings “salvation for all people” and trains His followers “to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives.” (Titus 2:11-12). I couldn’t help but think of Ruth: when she left Moab, she wasn’t just changing her residence. In Ruth 1:16-17, she renounced her Moabite citizenship, their gods, even her own family. And her new life wasn’t easy. Boaz mentions her self-controlled, upright life at least a couple of times (Ruth 2:11-12, 3:10-11). Again, Ruth’s example convicts me. What faith and trust she must have had to commit everything to a God she only experienced through her first husband’s family. And, in the end, God blesses her with Boaz and Obed, through whom she blessed Israel (King David) and the world (Jesus).
CORRECTION
You may remember some time ago I mentioned I’m working on a book detailing the DISO study process. I submitted it to an editor in late October and received his feedback this week. I can’t help but think this might be how Ruth felt staring at the barley field that first morning she went to glean: “looks like a lot of work!!”
While looking at the context of redeem above, the Spirit drew my attention to this from Titus 2:7-8:
Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.
The Spirit seems to be connecting Paul’s admonition above to my work on the edits. Some are simple, but a handful will require much research and effort to do well. I believe I’m being reminded to do this work to the best of my ability. Friend, please pray for me. This won’t be easy, but I know it will be worth it in the end.
ACTION PLAN
From today forward, as I work on improving the book, I will pray over Titus 2:7-8. I pray for energy, courage, and stamina to move this project forward as the Lord directs.
Our Next Study
Next week is Christmas Eve and I have a special gift for you! Rather than launch into another study, I’m preparing a short overview of the Digging into Scripture Ourselves (DISO) process, plus a 6-page guide that walks you through all five steps of the process and includes bonus codes you can use to quickly access the free, online tools I use in my personal studies. With the Holy Spirit, this booklet is all you need to dig deeply and confidently into any passage on your own. I can’t wait to share it with you!
by Jen | Sep 3, 2024 | 1-18, DISO studies, Introduction, Ruth 3
Hello! Thanks for joining me in this study of the third chapter of Ruth. We’ll be using the 5-step do-it-ourselves study process I’ve developed over more than a decade leading youth and women’s Bible studies.
Let’s Study Ruth 3!
Now that I’ve worked through chapter 1 and chapter 2, I’m ready to see what the Holy Spirit has for me in the third chapter of Ruth. So, this week, I’ll begin by praying and surveying Ruth 3. If you want to work along with me, here’s what I recommend you have ready:
- A copy of Ruth 3, plus access to the entire book of Ruth.
I copy the text from https://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 lots of room for doodles and notes.
- A study journal.
To finish Step 5 of 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 don’t have time 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 how I’ll be studying this week:
- PRAY: I’ll be creating a prayer that I can pray every time I study Ruth 3. I’m going to write it in my study journal, so I’ll have it handy each time I study.
- SURVEY: And then I’ll read Ruth 3, 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 >
by Jen | Sep 10, 2024 | 1-18, DISO studies, Ruth 3
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
Hello, again. I’m glad you’re here, my friend! This has been a busy two weeks, and I haven’t had as much time as I’d like to devote to our Ruth study. But I’m committed to do what I can. I know God sees me in my overcommitments and understands my weakness—yours, too. Even a little time in His Word is so refreshing!
Last Week’s Work
MY PRAYER
This prayer is going to sound really familiar: I’m plagiarizing the one I wrote last time, which was pretty close to the one I used in Ruth 1:
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 principle You have for me now. Remove the scales from my eyes, the plugs from my ears, and unburden my heart so I can grasp 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.
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? I wonder if there’s significance/symbolism in Ruth’s uncovering Boaz’s feet and lying there (3:7-8)?
- WOW! Ruth tells Boaz to spread his wings over her because he’s a redeemer (3:9). I’m sure this is poetic, and it reminds me of what he said to her about God in 2:12, but doesn’t this seem pretty bold on her part-?
- WOW! In Ruth 2:1, the narrator refers to Boaz as a worthy man. In Ruth 3, Boaz tells Ruth she is a worthy woman (3:11). What a pair!
- HUH? In verse 10, Boaz tells Ruth, “… you have made this last kindness greater than the first…” Guessing “the first” refers to Ruth’s pledge to stay with Naomi-?
- WOW! Boaz is so principled! Though it’s clear he likes her from his treatment of Ruth at mealtime (Ruth 2:14-16), he’s willing to let her go if the “nearer” redeemer decides to take her.
Dig-In Challenges
Next week, I plan to:
- PRAY: Read my prayer before studying this passage.
- 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.
- 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.
I hope you’ll check back with me next week!
GO TO WEEK 3 >
by Jen | Sep 17, 2024 | 1-18, DISO studies, Ruth 3
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
Welcome back! I can’t wait to share what I’ve discovered this week:
Last Week’s Work
MY PERSONAL TREASURE
In this chapter, I believe the Spirit is leading me to dig further into verses 10-13, and especially Boaz’s willingness to subordinate his claim on Ruth to the other redeemer. I believe the Spirit is drawing me to this because I am so not that way. My inclination is to cling tightly to anything I don’t want to lose. The very antithesis of trusting God, right? I’m looking forward to the Spirit’s help in overcoming that mindset!.
WHO (CHARACTERS)
Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz are the main characters in chapter 3:
- Naomi appears at the beginning, instructing Ruth to seek out Boaz (verses 1-4). And she reappears at the end, expressing confidence that Boaz will handle the redemption business that same day (verses 16-17).
- Once again, Ruth is willing to follow Naomi (verses 5-9). I love her response to Boaz in 9,
“I am Ruth, your servant. Spread your wings over your servant, for you are a redeemer.” Sounds a bit like what Boaz said to her in the field (2:12).
Remembering that she was Moabite, I wonder how much of this redeemer concept she understood. I recall Naomi referenced the redemption provision in Jewish law back in 1:11-13 when she lamented not having other sons. Apparently, though, the obligation extended beyond just brothers to other male relatives (i.e., uncles? cousins?) of the deceased man. We know Boaz was a relative (Ruth 2:1, 3:2), and I wonder based on his statement about young men (3:10), if he might have been a lot older than Ruth. He called her daughter in 2:8.
- In 3:2, Naomi tells Ruth Boaz is winnowing barley at the threshing floor. I wanted to better picture this, so I looked up threshing and winnowing in the Bible Gateway Encyclopedia of the Bible. I learned threshing is the removal of grain from the stalk by pressing it out on the threshing floor. Once separated, the stalks were removed, and the grain was winnowed or tossed in the air in front of a fan or into the wind to separate the grain from the chaff. Winnowing usually took place toward the end of the day. I imagine after it was done there was a party to celebrate the end of the harvest season. That would explain Boaz’s drinking and having a “merry” heart.
The encyclopedia also indicated family members would sleep near the grain after winnowing to ensure its safekeeping. Ruth 3:7 indicates Boaz did this.
What happened next sounds a little scandalous to me: Ruth snuck in, uncovered his feet, and laid down near him. At midnight, he woke up, discovered her, and she suggested he redeem her. He says he’s willing, but there’s another guy with that right, also. He also told her to spend the night there, gave her more grain before she left, and promised he’d settle it that day (3:13, 15).
WHERE (LOCATIONS)
The locations for this chapter were the threshing floor where Boaz was winnowing barley (3:2) and the city (3:15), where Ruth lived with Naomi (2:23).
WHEN (TIMEFRAMES)
I noticed these timeframes:
- Tonight (3:2): when Naomi said Boaz was threshing barley; when Boaz instructed Ruth to remain with him (3:13).
- Midnight (3:8): when Boaz awoke and noticed Ruth lying at his feet.
- In the morning (3:13): when Boaz promises to let her be redeemed by the other relative or redeem her himself.
- Before one could recognize the other (3:14): when Ruth arose, Boaz gave her grain and sent her home to Naomi.
- Today (3:18): when Naomi says Boaz will settle the redemption matter.
Dig-In Challenges
I hope you’ve discovered some interesting facts this week, and it makes you want to work through more of this process. Here’s what I’ll be doing this week:
- PRAY each time I start to study using my prayer from last week.
- MINE: Look for repeated concepts in this passage and, if I find any, consider their relevance to Boaz’s decision to allow the other man first choice to redeem Ruth.
- MINE: Locate any special statements (blessings, commands, curses, prayers, promises, requests, and/or warnings) connected to Boaz’s conduct.
- MINE: See if I can find any related lists (3 or more similar items mentioned in the text).
See you next week!
GO TO WEEK 4 >
by Jen | Sep 24, 2024 | 1-18, DISO studies, Ruth 3
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
Hello! I hope you are enjoying your dig into Ruth. It never gets old for me, and I pray it’s the same for you, too! Here’s what my digging uncovered:
Last Week’s Work
REPETITION
I found only one repeated term: redeem/redeemer. It appears in verses 9, 12, and 13.
I love how Ruth reveals herself to Boaz at midnight on the threshing floor when he wakes and she’s next to him. She says, I am Ruth, your servant. Remember, in 2:13, she also called herself your servant in her response to his blessing her and praying for her full reward… by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge (2:12).
But that’s not all. She also reminds him of that blessing when she says, spread your [Boaz’s] wings over your servant [Ruth], for you are a redeemer (3:9). If he has any memory of their previous interaction, there’s no question who has come to visit him there!
And how does he respond? He blesses her again and promises he’ll do anything she asks (3:11). But the plot thickens. There’s another redeemer, nearer than Boaz. I’m guessing he’d already checked into that situation: how else would he know that after threshing and winnowing barley, then partying half the night?
Yet, here’s how much of a stand-up guy he was: in verse 13, he tells her he’ll redeem her, but only if the nearer redeemer rejects her. Even though he’s clearly enamored with her, he’s more committed to doing the right thing than getting what he wants.
Did you notice Boaz has repeatedly provided for Ruth and Naomi, although he’s not the closest redeemer? In chapter 2, he gave Ruth food during the meal she subsequently shared with Naomi and told his men to help her glean. And in 3:15, he gave Ruth more of the grain.
SPECIAL STATEMENTS
I found:
- Fifteen Commands:
Naomi to Ruth: Wash . . . anoint yourself, put on your cloak, go . . . to the threshing floor, [don’t reveal] yourself until [Boaz] has finished eating and drinking (v3); observe . . . where he lies, go uncover his feet and lie down (v4), wait my daughter (v18).
Ruth to Boaz: Spread your wings over your servant (v9).
Boaz to Ruth: do not fear (v11), remain tonight, lie down until morning (v13), bring [your] garment . . . hold it out (v15).
- One Blessing: Boaz to Ruth: May you be blessed by the Lord (v10).
- Three Promises:
Boaz to Ruth: I will do all that you ask (v11), as the Lord lives, I will redeem you (v13)
Naomi to Ruth: the man will not rest, but will settle the matter today (v18)—you might not consider this a promise since it’s not in Naomi’s power to fulfill it. I noted it anyway, though, because she has remarkable confidence that Boaz will do what he says he’ll do. Previously, Naomi identified Boaz as a close relative (2:20). It’s clear she knew him and what he was like, I’m guessing from personal experience before she and her family left Bethlehem (1:1).
LISTS
This time, the Spirit didn’t reveal any lists to me beyond the special statements listed above.
Dig-In Challenges
Next week, we’ll wrap up Step 3 by looking for three more elements:
- PRAY: As always, start with the prayer we wrote for Step 1.
- MINE: Read through the passage again to see if the Spirit reveals any comparisons. The quickest way to locate these is to look for phrases containing the words like or as, as well as more than/ less than and better than/ worse than. Do you find any comparisons that connect directly with your personal focus area?
- MINE: Next, look for causes or motives. The best way I’ve found to do this is to locate these key words or phrases:
because, for*, in order to, lest, since*, so*, so that, that*, to*, therefore.
Finding them almost always means you’ll find an action phrase (noun + verb) with the reason for that action, too. The *exceptions are for, since, so, that, and to—when these are used as other parts of speech (like prepositions or articles), you won’t find an action or a reason.
Next, look for the action (what’s being caused). With most of these words/phrases, you’ll find the action before the key word/phrase, and the reason will be after it.
For example, I went to the store because I was out of milk.
The action = I went to the store
because
The reason = I was out of milk.
Occasionally you may see the order of the statements reversed, but the reason will still follow the key word or phrase: Because I was out of milk, I went to the store.
However, with therefore and its synonyms so and hence, the action appears after these key words:
Here’s an example using the same reason and action as above, just changing the key word:
I was out of milk; therefore, I went to the store.
Same reason = I was out of milk [but different location!]
therefore
Same action = I went to the store.
Try it, I think you’ll see it’s easier than all these words make it seem (and, of course, feel free to reach out to me at [email protected] if you have questions)!
- MINE: Finally, see if you can find any conditions/methods required for something to happen. For example, does the text say if or when a certain condition is met, some outcome will happen (e.g., whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith (Matt 21:22)? Or does he describe a particular method by which something happens—for example, specific steps taken to achieve something, or more generally by or through attributes or actions (e.g., saved by grace, through faith (Eph 2:8)? Does he use any adverbs (-ly words) that describe how action was accomplished?
These exercises are more involved, but I know you can do this—give it a try and check back with me next week. I hope you’ll join me then!
GO TO WEEK 5 >
