Ruth

Pastor Carolyn Sissom (8262 views)

RUTH

(Bible Study – Sunday 6:00p.m., August 17, 2008)

Taught by:  Pastor Carolyn Sissom

 

The Book of Ruth, like all of Scripture is multi-purposed.  One of which is the principle of the Threshing Floor which I covered in this morning’s sermon.

 

This is one of two books that hold the name of a woman as its title (also Esther).  These books were named for good women who were married, and who marriages affected the human race.  Ruth, a Gentile, married into a Jewish family, and thereby came into the line of David, and through it all Gentiles have been blessed.  Esther, a Jewess, married a Gentile monarch, and through that marriage brought deliverance to the Jewish nation, becoming their salvation.

 

A thousand years earlier, Abraham had been called of God to found a nation for the purpose of one day bringing a Savior to man-kind.  In the book of Ruth we have the founding of the family within that nation through which the Savior would come.  Ruth was the great-grandmother of David the King, and a great-great-great- grandmother of Jesus Christ.

 

Purpose:

 

1. A picture of Grace during the period of the Judges.
2. To establish the genealogy of David and Jesus.
3. A picture of redemption.
4. To typify the redemption of God to all the nations.
5. To typify the end-time restoration and the present visitation within the people who press in, claim and possess their inheritance.
6. A personal relationship with our Heavenly Boaz, Jesus Christ.
7. To show there is always a Godly remnant in any age.
8. To reveal the Sovereignty of God’s divine providence.  (Rom. 8:28)

 

There are four major characters in the book of Ruth:

 

1. Boaz – “strength;” he is a type of the Lord Jesus Christ, our Redeemer.
2. Orpah – “turning the back;” she is a type of the Spirit-filled Christian who because of fear and unbelief completely misses the day of her visitation, and who returns to her family and her gods.
3. Naomi – “pleasant” who became “bitter’”
4. Ruth - She is a type of the Spirit-filled Christian who is fully restored in the day of her visitation, and who enters a living union with Boaz in fullness to reproduce His nature and ministry in the earth...”

 

In Chapter one, the background of this story is laid.  Elimelech, Naomi, along with their two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, left Bethlehem-Judah because of a famine and went to Moab (the idolatrous descendants of Lot).  The two sons married two Moabite girls, Orpha and Ruth.  After ten years, the father and both sons had died, and Naomi decided to return to Bethlehem.  Orpha stayed behind but Ruth went with her.  In chapter two, we are introduced to Boaz, the son of Rahab of Jericho.  (Matt. 1:5)  He, being a kinsman of Naomi and Ruth, took notice of Ruth gleaning in his field and treated her kindly.

 

In chapters three and four we see Boaz fulfilling the role of the Kinsman-Redeemer (“Goel”) by buying Elimelech’s and his sons’ inheritance, and by marrying Ruth.  This shows that God used Gentile blood to form the chosen family within the chosen nation which would bring forth the Messiah for all nations.  The Holy nation is after the Spirit and not the flesh.

 

Ruth also provides us with a beautiful picture of the church, in times past a Gentile, a stranger and foreigner to the covenants of promise, who is brought into the commonwealth of Israel by the grace of the Kinsman-redeemer.   It reveals that Jesus Christ purchased both the Old Testament saints, and the New Testament saints.  

 

Ephesians 2: 11-13:  “Remember that in times past you were Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; That at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world; But now in Christ Jesus you who sometimes were far off are made near by the Blood of Christ.”

 

Outlines:

 

  REST – The Abundant life is forsaken, discovered again, is obtained and then reproduced or restored.

 

The Foundation, Development, Maturity and Purpose of the local church.

 

Love’s Resolve – Ruth’s noble choice – Ruth the faithful daughter.

Love’s Response – Ruth’s lowly Service – Ruth the Moabitess Gleaner

Love’s Request – Ruth’s tender appeal – Ruth the virtuous Suppliant.

Love’s Reward – Ruth’s marital joys – Ruth the wife and mother.

 

It reveals three dimensions of Christian maturity (Matt. 13:23):

 

1. Orpha – Outer court – Babe – Ruth in the Harvest Field.
2. Naomi – Holy Place – Youth – Ruth in the Threshing-Floor.
3. Ruth – Holy of Holies – Adult- Ruth in the home of Boaz.

 

Jesus Christ is seen in the Book of Ruth As:

 

1. The Bread of Visitation. (1:6; Jn. 6:48)
2. The Rest of Jehovah.  (1:9; Eph. 2:14)
3. The Mighty Man of Wealth (2:1; Isa. 9:6; Phil. 4:19)
4. The One who came from Bethlehem. (2:4; Mic. 5:2; Matt. 2: 5-6)
5. The Lord of the Harvest (2: 4-17; Jas. 5:7)
6. The Full Reward. (2:12; Rev. 22:12)
7. The Kinsman-Redeemer (2:20; Gal. 3:13)
8. The One who divides the Harvest.  (3:2; Heb. 4:12; Jn. 1:1)
9. The Faithful Performer of the Promise. (2:13; Phil. 1:6)
10.  The One who ascended and sat down in the place of judgment. (4:1; Heb. 10: 12-13)
11. The One whose name is famous.  (4:14; Eph. 1:20-23; Phil. 2: 1-11)
12. The Restorer of Life. (4:15; Jn. 11:25)
13. The Nourisher and Sustainer of Life.  (4:15; Psa. 23; Heb. 1:3)

 

Ruth 1:1, “It came to pass in the days when the Judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land.”

 

It may have been during the Judgeship of Gideon that this “famine” took place.  In the O.T., God sent four judgments upon idolatry:  war, famine, pestilence, and death. 

 

Judges was full of bloodshed and strife.  In Judges, we met a woman strong as a man (Deborah); in Ruth, we meet a man tender as a woman (Boaz).  Bible manhood is tenderness.  (Eph. 5: 25-30)   “Husbands love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be hold and without blemish.  So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies.  He that loves his wife loves himself.  For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourishes and cherishes it, even as the Lord the church:”

 

(Ruth 1b)”And a certain man of Bethlehem-Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, and his wife, and his two sons.”

 

Bethlehem means “house of Bread, place of food, house of sustenance, house of living: and Judah means “praise Jehovah, celebration sustenance, house of living.  Judah means Praise Jehovah, celebration pf confession of Jehovah, land Jehovah.  Here we see the balance of Word and Spirit (Jn. 6:63).

 

It is set during a time of lawlessness and the restoration of divine order.  There is now a famine for hearing the words of the Lord.  Elimelech and his family left the Bread and the Praise (the balance of the Word and the Spirit).  When one becomes a stranger to these basics, he goes to live “for a while” (Like Jonah or the Prodigal) in the land of ease and laziness (Amos 6:1).  There is no real growth or change of development, and where the testimony does not change, and where the inhabitants refuse to be emptied from vessel to vessel.

 

When you walk away from the land of promise and blessing to a place that is outside of that life, sickness and death will began to work in that which you have produced.

 

Moab’s idolatrous religion practiced human (child) sacrifice.  You will sacrifice your children (or sheep) if you leave the will of God.  “You shall beget sons and daughters, but you shall not enjoy them…” (Deut. 28:41)

 

“And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband.” 

 

God hates a mixture.  Sickness and death is mingled with the world.  They had made up their minds to stay in this condition.  Ten years is a long time to be away from the Bread and the Praise.

 

“Then she arose with her daughters-in-law that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the Lord has visited his people in giving them bread.”

 

This is restoration.  We must arise from “our” place and move into “His Place.  This visitation was one of Bread (Bible revival) even the Bread of Life.  This reveals the restoration of the Body of Christ, who are one Bread. 

 

Out of the will of God there could be no real blessing and prosperity; the pressure of her circumstances and the report of the Lord’s visit to His people caused her to arise.  Her greatest asset was that she could still hear!  Note where she heard:  even Moab is hearing of this visitation!  The church is returning to the Shepherd and the Bishop of her soul.  There is a cry throughout the world as never before for the Bread of God.  Historically, we can liken the beginning of her return to the outpouring of 1900-1906.

 

Today we know that we stand at the threshold of a Great Outpouring.  There is a skirmish, agendas and positioning to be the vessel who will receive the historical recognition.

 

It is interesting to me that the vessel chosen to receive this outpouring of Harvest was a young woman from Moab.

 

“Wherefore she went forth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return unto the land of Judah. And Naomi said unto her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each to her mother’s house:  the Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead, and with me.”

 

Thus begins the testing of initial faith. (1: 8-15)  It will prove to be too much for Orpah.  We will either return to Boaz or return to the old order.  There is no other choice.  You are part of the Bondwoman or the Freewoman (Gal. 4:28)

 

Naomi told them four times to return to Moab.  She argues from reason.  Naomi’s confession is filled with doubt and unbelief.  She is wallowing in the mire of her own self-pity.  Folks like her feel that everybody else is against them, and that their problems are greater than anyone else’s... (1 Cor. 10:13)

 

Orpah turned and went back.  She did not will to make such a commitment of cost as was described by Naomi.  She missed God completely.  She was overcome by the circumstances given forth in the bitterness of Naomi.  We must all face down the naysayer’s or we will never come into our inheritance.  We shall not hear of her again.  She will die as she did live…in Moab.

 

She returned to her people and her gods.  Chemosh was the god of the land of Moab.  He was worshipped by the sacrifice of children as burnt offerings.  This god is operating in America today as we see our children being brutally abused.

 

Ruth was now to be tested to walk after the flesh, or to turn her back upon Moab’s ungodly system and walk after the Spirit. 

 

And Ruth said, “Entreat me not to leave you, or to return from following after you:  for whiter you go, I will go; and where you lodge, I will lodge: your people shall be my people, and your God my God.”

 

Here in type, Ruth is converted, for she repents from Moab and makes confession unto salvation.   She experiences repentance from dead works and faith toward God according to Heb. 6: 1-2. She was in type converted, regenerated, born again, justified, and initially saved. (Jn. 3: 1-8)

 

The old Ruth dies.  She is buried with Him in Baptism (in water in the Name of the Lord for the remission of sins).  Ruth uses the name of Jehovah, the covenant God.  The solemn oath was most serious, for she loved not her life unto death. (Rev. 12:11)

 

Ruth seals her conversion with water baptism in the name of the Lord for the remission of sins.

 

Ruth was steadfastly minded.  This was the test she had to pass with Naomi to be able to follow her to the City.  Her heart was fixed.  We must all have a steadfast mind, or we will be tossed by every wind of doctrine.  

 

To be continued.

 

Taught by:  Carolyn Sissom

Sunday, August 17, 2998

Study notes from Principles of Present Truth by:  Kelly Varner

Scripture quotes from King James Version.