by Jen | Oct 29, 2024 | 1-22, DISO studies, Introduction, Ruth 4
Hello! If you’re viewing this blog from the United States, I encourage you to pray for and vote in this year’s election. It may seem like one side or the other has the upper hand and your vote is too small to make a difference, but that is not so. In our study of Mark 9:14-29 last year,* we discovered faith and prayer can move God to miracles. It’s one way we can participate in His good works!
Thanks for joining me in this study of the fourth chapter of Ruth. We’ll be using the 5-step do-it-ourselves study process I’ve developed from decades leading youth and women’s Bible studies.
Let’s Study Ruth 4!
Now that we’ve studied through chapter 1, chapter 2, and chapter 3 of Ruth, let’s work with the Holy Spirit to wrap up this book. This week, I’ll begin by praying and surveying Ruth 4. If you want to work along with me, here’s what I recommend you have ready:
- A copy of Ruth 4, 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.
Step 5 of this study requires a review of 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: This time, instead of writing a new prayer, I’ll probably take the easy route and just adjust the one I’ve been using. Feel free to do the same, my friend!
- SURVEY: And then I’ll read Ruth 4, 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!
*If you missed that Mark 9 study, it was a casualty of the takedown by my previous web hosting company a little over a year ago. I’m hoping to restore it and others here early next year. In the meantime, email me at [email protected] or use my contact page to request your copy of a pdf of those posts and related materials.
GO TO WEEK 2 >
by Jen | Nov 5, 2024 | 1-22, DISO studies, Ruth 4
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
Welcome back to our final study in Ruth—though I encourage you to keep studying this book because there is always something new and different to discover in God’s Word as we grow in our faith; even in Scripture we’ve studied numerous times already!
Also, I have some big news to share!
If you’re a long-time reader, you may remember more than a few years ago I announced I was writing a book about this process. Unfortunately, the project stalled after beta readers kindly but firmly indicated it needed a lot of work. Thanks to God’s grace and many, many prayers, the rewrite is complete, and I’ve submitted it to a content editor for feedback. It’s still a long way from publication, but I am excited that it’s moving forward. Follow me at www.facebook.com/JenCasonDISO to see how the project is progressing, and sign up for my quarterly email newsletter (debuting in January 2025) to learn about cool giveaways as the launch date approaches. I can’t wait to study with you in a book, too!
Last Week’s Work
MY PRAYER
This time I’m using a shorter version. I’ve been editing the rewrite manuscript, so I turned the same tighten-and-cut eye to my study prayer. Hopefully it’s more succinct and clearer now!
Thank You Father God, for this chance to dig into Ruth 4. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit, who helps me see, understand, and apply Scripture. Help me listen to His teaching and learn and grow from it. In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen.
HUH? and WOW! MOMENTS
Next, I read Ruth 4, focusing on my reactions, and noting what caught my attention. Here are my responses:
- WOW! The redeemer originally intended to buy the land (v4), but didn’t want it when he learned Ruth was part of the deal (v6).
- HUH? The original redeemer explained why he didn’t want to redeem Ruth: lest I impair my own inheritance. (v6) I don’t know what he means by that.
- WOW! I like that the author recorded why the original redeemer rejected Ruth. She was known as a worthy woman in Bethlehem (3:11), so it might not make sense to us that he would reject her. As is often the case these days, when we don’t know the reason, we tend to infer it’s nefarious (“he must have been prejudiced against Moabites,” etc.). Isn’t it awesome that God puts that to rest right there?!
- WOW! The witnesses mention Rachel and Leah, and Tamar (vv11-12). I thought all these women were also mentioned in Matthew’s genealogy of Christ, but only Tamar is there (Matthew 1:3). Then I remembered both Rachel and Leah were married to Jacob (Judah’s father)—duh! only one of them could have given birth to Judah! It was Leah is (Genesis 35:23).
- HUH? Boaz redeemed the property and Ruth (vv9-10), but the women said the baby (Obed) was Naomi’s redeemer (vv14-17). How does that work?
Dig-In Challenges
Between now and next week, let’s dig into the facts we find in this chapter. Here’s how:
- 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 | Nov 12, 2024 | 1-22, DISO studies, Ruth 4
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
Hello again! Thank you for checking in with me this week. It’s hard to believe Thanksgiving and the Christmas season are almost upon us again. I pray for joyful reunions with family and friends, honoring the spirit of gratitude and the arrival of the greatest Gift of all.
And in the meantime, let’s keep studying Ruth 4!
Last Week’s Work
MY PERSONAL TREASURE
I remain drawn to the original redeemer’s reason why he changed his mind about buying Elimelech’s property after Boaz mentioned Ruth: lest I impair my own inheritance (v6). I’m not sure how much I’ll be able to learn about this reason, but I certainly want to try to understand it better. I’m looking forward to seeing what the Holy Spirit will show me there!
WHO (CHARACTERS)
These are the main characters I noticed in Ruth 4:
- Boaz. In vv1-5, he met the redeemer and assembled a council of elders to witness their discussion of the property sale and Ruth. In vv9-10 he bought the property and acquired Ruth. In v13, the Lord gave Ruth conception with him, and she had a son.
- The closer redeemer, who originally volunteered to buy the property (v4), but backed out when Boaz mentioned Ruth (v6).
- The people at the gate (including elders), who witnessed Boaz’s purchase of Elimelech’s property and acquisition of Ruth (vv9-10), and blessed Ruth and Boaz (vv11-12).
- The women who blessed the Lord and told Naomi He had provided the baby as her redeemer. They also said Ruth was more to Naomi than seven sons (v15), they named the baby Obed, and said he was Naomi’s son (v17). That sounded strange initially, but based on my research on the levirate law in Ruth 3, it makes some sense, since Obed was legally considered Naomi’s son Mahlon’s heir (v10).
- Naomi, who laid the child on her lap and became his nurse (v16).
I also noted several characters mentioned in the genealogy (vv18-22) from Perez to King David, explaining how Boaz fathered Obed who fathered Jesse, who fathered David. Given what we know about the levirate law, I think it’s interesting that this genealogy is traced through Boaz, not Mahlon. Also, why does it start with Perez? Was he maybe the common “father” through whom Boaz and Mahlon were “brothers”?
WHERE (LOCATIONS)
- The gate, where Boaz waited for the redeemer and assembled the council of elders (v1).
- Ephrathah and Bethlehem: locations mentioned in the people’s blessing for Boaz (v11).
- Israel, where the women asked the Lord’s name be renowned (v14).
WHEN (TIMEFRAMES)
The only date I noticed was the/this day (vv5,9-10), when Boaz purchased the field from Naomi and acquired Ruth to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance. I think this was the day after Boaz winnowed barley on the threshing floor (Ruth 3:3-18).
Dig-In Challenges
Here’s what I plan to do this week:
- PRAY before I study using my prayer from last week.
- MINE: Look for repeated concepts in this passage, including synonyms and pronouns referring to those concepts.
- MINE: Locate any special statements (blessings, commands, curses, prayers, promises, requests, and/or warnings) in the passage.
- MINE: Note any lists (3 or more similar items) mentioned in Ruth 4.
See you next week!
CONTINUE TO WEEK 4 >
by Jen | Nov 19, 2024 | 1-22, DISO studies, Ruth 4
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
Hi, again! Here’s my work from this week:
Last Week’s Work
REPETITION
This time, the Spirit called my attention to repetition of redeem/redeemer again, and the author’s mention of Naomi.
Interestingly, He also showed me how little Ruth is mentioned in Chapter 4, only appearing three times: as the inheritance spoiler (vv5-6), in Boaz’s statement of intent (v10), and as Boaz’s wife, the mother of a son (v13). The witnesses and women have more lines than she does! Moreover, the major activity happens to her and is out of her control: Boaz acquires her; the Lord gives her conception; and when she has the baby, Naomi takes him!
Then, the Spirit reminded me of what I’d seen about Ruth in the earlier chapters, too. From 1:16-17 on, she surrendered her life to Naomi and Naomi’s God, fully obeying Naomi’s directions, even when it meant slaving in the barley and wheat fields so they wouldn’t starve. What a difficult example of godly submission that is for me!
SPECIAL STATEMENTS
I noticed these special statements:
- Two Blessings:
Elders/people to Boaz: May the Lord make the woman… like Rachel and Leah… May you act worthily in Ephrathah and be renowned in Bethlehem (v11), may your house be like the house of Perez (v12).
The women to Naomi: Blessed be the Lord, may his name be renowned in Israel. He [Obed] shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age (vv14-15).
- Three Commands:
Boaz to nearer redeemer: turn aside, … sit down (v1) … buy [the property], redeem it if you will… or tell me (v4)
Boaz to elders: sit down here (v2).
Nearer redeemer to Boaz: take my right of redemption yourself (v6).
- Promises:
Boaz to elders/people: I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and … Chilion … and Mahlon … Also Ruth … to be my wife, to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance (vv9-10).
As I recorded this it occurred to me: Boaz gave Naomi value for the property that Obed would inherit. But effectively, the property he bought was his only until Obed was legally able to own it, at which time it would revert to Obed as Mahlon’s heir. No wonder the other redeemer changed his mind about buying the field. Once again, Boaz is acting against his own self interest (as I noted in my Chapter 3 study)!
LISTS
The only list the Spirit brought to my attention was the genealogy from Perez to King David in vv18-21. I had two questions about it: why start with Perez; maybe because the people named him in the blessing on Obed’s house in v12? and why trace the line through Boaz when Obed was supposed to be Mahlon’s son, not his?
As I thought about this, I remembered Perez’s story. He was the son of Judah and his daughter-in-law, Tamar (v12). Like Ruth, Tamar’s husband died childless, and her brother-in-law did, too. There was another, younger brother, but Judah wouldn’t marry him to Tamar because Judah was afraid that son would also die. Later, Tamar posed as a prostitute and tricked Judah into impregnating her with twins. Perez was the firstborn of them (Genesis 38:6-29).
Dig-In Challenges
Next week, we’ll wrap up Step 3 by:
- PRAYING: As always, start with the prayer we wrote for Step 1.
- MINING: Read through the passage again looking for comparisons in or related to your focus verses. Look for similarities using like or as, quantitative/qualitative comparisons using more or less, and/or contrasts.
- MINING: Next, look for causes or motives by focusing on key words or phrases I call cause connectors.
- In this chapter, look for the connectors for, because, in order to, lest, so, that, and to.
- Then check the text surrounding the connector for an action and the reason for that action.
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.
NOTE A: for, so, that, and to don’t always connect an action and a reason. To determine if they do here, substitute a different connector (because instead of for, therefore instead of so, so that instead of that, and in order to instead of to). If the new sentence makes sense and means the same as the original, make a note of the action and its cause.
NOTE B: Most often the action will occur before the cause connector and the reason will follow it (like the example above). However, with so, the reason appears before, and the action comes after the connector. Here’s an example using the same reason and action as above, just changing the connector:
I was out of milk, so I went to the store.
the reason = I was out of milk so the action = I went to the store
If you have questions about this or any other part of the study, please reach out to me at [email protected]!
- MINING: Finally, look for conditions or methods the author describes. 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 the author 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 it—rely on the Spirit, give it a try and check back with me next week!
by Jen | Dec 3, 2024 | 1-22, DISO studies, Ruth 4
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
Welcome back, my friend! I hope your week has been filled with family and gratitude (and maybe a little turkey and pumpkin pie, too). Let me get right to what the Spirit showed me this week.
Last Week’s Work
WRITING TYPES
In addition to narrative, I observed:
- The first twelve verses of Ruth 4 describe something like a real estate closing or other legal proceeding, with witnesses, attestations, references to redemption and the levirate law, etc.
- I also recognized prophecy in v15 when the women told Naomi Obed would be her restorer of life and a nourisher of her old age. I saw this as literally the case since he was tasked with taking care of her under the law, but I also wonder if he represents more since he is the product of Ruth and Boaz’s obedience to God. Both Matthew and Luke trace Jesus’s lineage through Obed (Matthew 1:5; Luke 3:32) and King David (Matthew 1:6; Luke 3:31).
- Finally, I considered the genealogy at the end of the chapter instruction because it showed me how Ruth fits within the larger history of the Old Testament.
LITERAL CONTEXT
Through Boaz, Naomi’s family is restored and Elimelech’s property rights and lineage were preserved, even though they disobeyed God and did what was right in their own eyes. And Ruth could have done the same: she could have stayed in Moab with her family. Once in Bethlehem, she could have reneged on her promise to honor God and Naomi and, as Boaz mentioned in 3:10, gone after young men. But she didn’t. She trusted Naomi and God and worked hard, submitting herself to Israelite law and Boaz.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
From my earlier research, we have no information about the author of Ruth, only that it was written about 1010 BC. In Ruth 3, we saw the next-of-kin obligations giving rise to the legal proceeding in this chapter. My focus for this study is the reason the nearer redeemer gave for refusing to marry Ruth: doing so would jeopardize his own inheritance. In some of the historical research I reviewed, there was a hint that Ruth’s nationality might have been the problem. We don’t know for sure, but I believe it’s possible the superior redeemer’s family had additional requirements for inheritance. For example, if a son married into “the enemy” (aka, a Moabite), he might be disowned. I don’t know and can’t prove that’s the case here, but it seems possible.
INTERLINEAR RESEARCH
I reviewed the interlinear text of Ruth 4:6, concentrating on the Hebrew terms for jeopardize (H7843) and my own inheritance (H5159), but didn’t discover anything that clearly explained why the inheritance would be ruined if the man entered a levirate marriage with Ruth. As I searched and searched, I felt the Holy Spirit nudge me that I was making more of this than necessary. The man stepped away to enable Boaz to fulfill that role. Isn’t it enough that all these circumstances fell into place so Ruth’s devotion to God and commitment to serving his people would put her in the genealogy of the Son of God?!
Dig-In Challenges
This week, let’s wrap up the second half of our Refine step by examining cross-references and other translations.
- Don’t forget to begin with your prayer from Step 1.
- REFINE: Then consult a concordance or online cross-reference study tool (for v6, I’ll start at this blb.org page) to find and read through the available cross-references for the verses you’re most interested in and log what the Spirit shows you.
NOTE: if you’re interested in verses other than 6, follow the above link, then point to the TOOLS button to the left of the verse you want to study, and choose Cross-Refs from the menu.
- REFINE: Finally, compare at least a few other translations’ version of the same verses and write about what you find in your study journal. I’ll be comparing ESV, AMP, NIV, and GNT using this biblehub.com page. You can compare your own verses from that link by entering them in the Enter Reference or Keyword box at the top of the page and clicking the spyglass icon there.
I’m looking forward to sharing what I discover with you next week. I hope you join me then!
by Jen | Dec 10, 2024 | 1-22, DISO studies, Ruth 4
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
Where has this year gone?! Can you believe next week we’ll have studied six different passages (including the entire book of Ruth)? I’m so grateful you’re checking in with me, and I hope your studies are going well, too!
This past week we were looking at cross-references and other translations of our focus verse(s). My focus verse is Ruth 4:6. Here’s what the Spirit revealed to me this week.
Last Week’s Work
CROSS-REFERENCES
For the first time since I began studying God’s Word this way, I found a verse with no direct cross-references! The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (my usual go-to cross-reference resource) contained only this:
I cannot – The Targum seems to give the proper sense of this passage: ‘I cannot redeem it, because I have a wife already; and it is not fit for me to bring another into my house, lest brawling and contention arise in it; and lest I hurt my own inheritance. Do thou redeem it, for thou has no wife; which hinders me from redeeming it.’ Based on this text’s attribution (The Targum, which is a version of the Hebrew Bible translated into Aramaic), it appears the primary redeemer could refuse to perform the duty if another relative was willing to step up, instead.
OTHER TRANSLATIONS
I compared the ESV, AMP, NIV, and Good News translations for Ruth 4:6 and discovered another couple of reasons why the redeemer might have refused to marry Ruth. The Amplified Bible says it’s “… because [by marrying a Moabitess] I would jeopardize my own inheritance.”
But the GNT indicates he said, “… I will give up my right to buy the field because it would mean that my own children would not inherit it.” In this study, I don’t feel the Spirit pulling me to understand why the man didn’t want the field after he learned he’d need to fulfill the levirate requirements. Instead, I think the Spirit is directing me to focus on the fact that Ruth, a non-Hebrew believer, became an important part of Matthew’s genealogy of Christ (Matthew 1:1-16). And she’s not the only non-Hebrew woman in that lineage. Boaz’s mother, Rahab, was a Canaanite prostitute whose faith led her to trust the spies Joshua sent into Jericho when they promised to spare her family in return for her aid in escaping the men of the city (Joshua 2). Though the Israelites were (and are) God’s chosen people, He clearly intends His family to include all races, and both genders play an important role in bringing salvation to mankind.
Dig-In Challenges
Now let’s wrap up our study of Ruth and align with what we’ve discovered in Chapter 4. I hope you’ll join me as I
- PRAY: Read the prayer we created in Step 1.
- ALIGN: Review my study notes and other work, focusing specifically on what I’ve learned.
- ALIGN: Then, considering those “lessons learned,” I’ll think about how the Spirit has convicted me through this study. In other words, where has He shown me misalignment between what I’ve discovered and how I practice my faith?
- ALIGN: Next, I’ll look to God’s Word for guidance to correct that misalignment. This is often—but not always—a verse from the study text or from one of the cross-references.
- ALIGN: And finally, I’ll reflect on how I can change my thoughts or actions to align more closely with what I’ve discovered here. To really make this work, I commit to changing something and do my best to act on that commitment every day for at least three weeks.
That may seem like a lot to consider in one week. If you’re working with the Spirit, remember you can do this at your own pace. Don’t worry about keeping up with me—just do what you can when you can. The Lord will bless any time you spend in His Word, I know it!
