Sunday

Ruth & Boaz - The Start of the Relationship


In this blog post we are going to look at the good and godly relationship between Ruth and Boaz from the book of Ruth in the Old Testament.

There are two parts clearly identified in the relationship between Ruth and Boaz so this is the first one which considers the start of the story which (although the book is named after Ruth) is clearly about the relationship between these two characters Ruth and Boaz. 







I have described this as a Devotional but it could be somewhat considered as a brief Bible Study of the main characters in the Book of Ruth because we are going to look at many of the verses in this short Book of the bible.



Although this is entitled Ruth and Boaz we could not look at this objectively if we did not first take the character of Naomi into consideration to see the feelings that lead to the journey and the destination.  This brings in another good and godly relationship within this book of Ruth.



Naomi

When looking at the book of Ruth the first chapter is all about the history and love of a family which seemed to have ended in sadness and hurt which was turning into bitterness.


Ch 1
20  But she said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.  21  I went out full, and the Lord has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?”

It is with Naomi that this commentary of the whole situation begins and throughout the book she plays a very important role in the start of the relationship between Ruth and Boaz.



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Ruth

Ch 1


The verse below sums up the attitude of Ruth after all the heartache and unsettled circumstances she and Naomi found themselves in - she was not ready to give up and she was mindful of the responsibility she had towards her mother-in-law.


Ruth was in fact starting out in a new story of her life and had chosen who she was going to serve - God.









Boaz


Ch 2

To see what type of a man Boaz was we can look at some individual verses 

His Immediate Greeting  

The first thing Boaz did was to greet his workers  v 4


Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said to the reapers, “The Lord be with you!”And they answered him, “The Lord bless you!”


and this greeting was one of blessing


Then he knew all his workers (long time ones and more recent ones obviously as some of these workers would come and go) well enough to notice a new person  v 5


Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?”


He is considerate to someone who is not used to what they are now doing  v 8


Then Boaz said to Ruth, “You will listen, my daughter, will you not? Do not go to glean in another field, nor go from here, but stay close by my young women. 

He thinks of Ruth's safety  v 9


Let your eyes be on the field which they reap, and go after them. Have I not commanded the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn.”


He recognises the good qualities in Ruth and wants God to bless her  v 11-12


11  And Boaz answered and said to her, “It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before. 12 The Lord repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.”


He comforts Ruth  v 13

He treats her kindly like a worker he is responsible for and not like a begger  v 13


13 Then she said, “Let me find favour in your sight, my lord; for you have comforted me, and have spoken kindly to your maidservant, though I am not like one of your maidservants.”

He personally makes sure she gets the food at the mealtime  v 14


14 Now Boaz said to her at mealtime, “Come here, and eat of the bread, and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar.” So she sat beside the reapers, and he passed parched grain to her; and she ate and was satisfied, and kept some back.


He provides easy access to the grain for gleaning  v 15


15 And when she rose up to [b]glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not [c]reproach her. 


He then makes the gleaning easier for her by providing extra grain to fall  v 16


16 Also let grain from the bundles fall purposely for her; leave it that she may glean, and do not rebuke her.”


He is thoughtful not just for that one day but for the rest of the harvest time  v 23


23 So she stayed close by the young women of Boaz, to glean until the end of barley harvest and wheat harvest; and she dwelt with her mother-in-law.

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Ruth

Ch 2

Ruth knows she is a foreigner so she feels different and perhaps inferior  v 10


10 So she fell on her face, bowed down to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found favour in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?”


Obviously Ruth has been kind and others have noticed this so that it has been talked about  v 11


11 And Boaz answered and said to her, “It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before. 


Ruth had needed comforting and she was thankful to Boaz  v 13

She appreciated being treated like one of his servants even though she is only there to gain for herself and not work for him  v 13


13 Then she said, “Let me find favour in your sight, my lord; for you have comforted me, and have spoken [a]kindly to your maidservant, though I am not like one of your maidservants.”


She worked hard  v 17  & 23

17 So she gleaned in the field until evening, and beat out what she had gleaned, and it was about an ephah of barley.

23 So she stayed close by the young women of Boaz, to glean until the end of barley harvest and wheat harvest; and she dwelt with her mother-in-law.


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Naomi

Ch 2

Ruth shared all that happened to her in the fields with her mother-in-law.

Naomi pointed out to her this also was looking after her safety  v 22

22  And Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law, “It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his young women, and that people do not meet you in any other field.”


Naomi had the extra view and thought on the whole situation and this was the wise counsel that Ruth in a strange land would need.


Ruth may have loved Naomi and said that was why she was going to stay with Naomi but actually this was leading to a new love between them and a new love to come in the future.








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Boaz

Ch 3

Boaz knew her situation and how it would not be easy for Ruth to look after herself and her mother-in-law when neither of them had a husband.  He clearly saw she was not rushing into finding a substitute for her first husband but was willing to work hard to take care of  herself and Naomi  v 10

10 Then he said, “Blessed are you of the Lord, my daughter! For you have shown more kindness at the end than at the beginning, in that you did not go after young men, whether poor or rich.



What is important in a good relationship?




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Ruth

Ch 3


Ruth was respectful enough to listen to advice from Naomi even if she may not have understood the traditions of her new homeland  v 3-4


Now Boaz, whose young women you were with, is he not our relative? In fact, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. Therefore wash yourself and anoint yourself, put on your best garment and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. Then it shall be, when he lies down, that you shall notice the place where he lies; and you shall go in, uncover his feet, and lie down; and he will tell you what you should do.”


Ruth was wise enough to agree to take this advice from Naomi  v 5


And she said to her, “All that you say to me I will do.”

But I think she must have felt something for Boaz to agree to do something so intimate and risky.  

So here we have it the start of the good and godly relationship between Ruth and Boaz.





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The second part of the story can be found HERE






Sunday Scripture - Proverbs 22 v 17-21


Sunday Scripture is just simply a thought or two on a Bible verse that may have struck me afresh or maybe for the first time or has always been special to me.


Today I am looking at Proverbs  22 v 17-21






Some Bibles will have a heading for this passage which will be something like


The Sayings of the Wise


Firstly let's read through these verses



Proverbs 22 v 17-21
17 Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise,
And apply your heart to my knowledge;

18 For it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you;
Let them all be fixed upon your lips,

19 So that your trust may be in the Lord;
I have instructed you today, even you.

20 Have I not written to you excellent things
Of counsels and knowledge,

21 That I may make you know the certainty of the words of truth,
That you may answer words of truth
To those who send to you?






Each of those verses gives us good advice


Listen to the knowledge and keep it in your heart really lets us know that this is a serious thing so we should not just listen and then forget, something of which I know I am very guilty.

It is good to keep this knowledge in our hearts, and then have these words ready to speak.  Again it is so important that we need not just keep it to ourselves but be ready to tell others.


Do you know the importance of Listening, Knowledge, Wisdom and Truth?


The Wisdom we have heard is not just for us to have knowledge but for us to know, understand and through this develop trust.

Not just good knowledge but excellent knowledge.

Here we have what is at the heart of it all - we will know what is the truth and we will be able to convey truth to others.
















Sunday Scripture - Psalm 34 v 1


Sunday Scripture is just simply a thought or two on a Bible verse that may have struck me afresh or maybe for the first time or has always been special to me.


Today I am looking at Psalm 34 v 1






This verse happens to be one of my favourite verses but I am not focusing on it today for that reason.

Today I have chosen this verse because it chose me; I woke up with this verse on my lips this morning and so I want to share it with you all.






I have mentioned this Psalm briefly in a previous Sunday Scripture Post in July this year but it was not the main focus of my post that time however if any of my church friends are reading this it may be of interest to them to read it as well.


I also wrote a Pondering the Psalms Post on this Psalm 3 years ago but in that case it was an overview of the whole Psalm but you may like to read it as well.


Today this verse kept repeating over and over in my head as I lay in bed and it impressed on me that no matter where I am this can be true for me.  Oh I have thought that at times before but normally I am thinking about the necessity of praising the Lord continually.


Today I'm on this other train of thought


Wherever we are this can be true for us, 

                whatever situation we are in this can be true for us, 

                              whatever frame of mind we are in this can STILL be true for us.



Of course no matter where or when or in whatever frame of mind we are we must always keep any verse in it's context so let's consider the first 10 verses.


Psalm 34 v 1-10
I will bless the Lord at all times;
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;
The humble shall hear of it and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt His name together.
sought the Lord, and He heard me,
And delivered me from all my fears.
They looked to Him and were radiant,
And their faces were not ashamed.
This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him,
And saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him,
And delivers them.
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints!
There is no want to those who fear Him.
10 The young lions lack and suffer hunger;
But those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing.


As I was lying in bed thinking on this first verse two other verses joined my thoughts





which is of course the third verse of the Psalm.

As good as it is to Bless the Lord on our own as our personal act of worship it is also good to do so with others who love and trust Him too.  As we exhibit the right behavour of speaking verse 1 and then acting on what we have said and keeping our word others will be heartened and encouraged and there will be that bond between us as well as our bond with God.

And then

the 8th verse





Here we go that step further and make a plea to others to step out in faith and trust God, test His Word and find that it is True and He will Bless us as He has already promised in His Word.


In this Psalm we see how we go through from making a commitment to Bless the Lord ourselves, to encouraging others to do the same and then being an example and witness to others that they can trust Him too and all of us see the


Blessing and Goodness of God.













Sunday Scripture - Philippians 1 v 21


Sunday Scripture is just simply a thought or two on a Bible verse that may have struck me afresh or maybe for the first time or has always been special to me.


Today I am looking at Philippians 1 v 21






Often we would hear the phrase

                           "The Best of Both Worlds"

and I believe today's verse for Sunday Scripture is one of the best examples we can have of that phrase.






While we live on earth in fellowship with Jesus we are in the best relationship there is for us.  

We have the joy of our sins forgiven and peace with God.

We know His steadfast Love and His new mercies each day.

We experience His guidance and wisdom every step of the way.

We live with no fear of death because Christ has overcome it.

We are truly Blessed.


Because as Paul says in verse 6 of this same chapter

Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ


When we die we will still be in fellowship with Jesus but have the joy to see Him face to face.

We will live forever with The Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 

We will know perfection in all things.

We will live a new life that cannot be described now because no-one can fully understand it now.

We are truly blessed to have such a future.


Can we have the best of both worlds?


Sometimes people talk only of looking to what is to come, that perfect life in Heaven.

But I think this verse wants to draw our attention to both lives so that we do not dwell on only what is to come but also on how we live with Jesus today.


We have Christ now today so let's "make the best of both Lives" and make today count for Jesus as Paul says in verse 27

that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel






Although Paul longed for Heaven in verses 24-25 we see he recognized that he had a role to play on earth to help others 

Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.
 And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith

and we also have a role to play on earth to help others.


Let's think on this as we read and even memorize today's verse.









Monday

What Makes Us Truly Happy? - Coffee & Conversation





So often these days I read or hear about people blogging or writing or just sharing on Facebook or Twitter about how we need to concentrate on what makes US happy.
The focus is on the person themselves, they must always be the most important person in their own lives, they must always come first.





This is not what I have experienced as I have gone through life and I am not young so I have had many years of getting to know what makes me happy and it is not putting all the emphasis on myself.

Indeed I believe that if we only think of ourselves then we will never be truly happy.



Of course I am very happy that I have friends and a husband who make me laugh and smile.  
BUT
I am also very happy when I can be instrumental in helping others to laugh and smile.  
Thinking about this I thought I could make just a few suggestions of extremely easy ways in which any of us can help to put a smile on someone else's face, to bring them a little happiness.


Some ideas that came to mind were:
  • Invite them for coffee or a meal.
  • Bake a cake or cookies or buns to share with them.
  • Send them a card.
  • Write them a letter or email them.
  • Visit them.
  • Take time to talk to them or listen to them.
  • Send them a picture (just for them) by email or text.
  • Phone them 
  • Make them feel welcome when they are around you
  • Simply say hello and smile at them.


Why not go out and simply say hello and smile, it wont hurt you and it might put a smile on someone else's face.

Then when it puts a smile on their face it will put a smile on yours as well.

Why do I say this?
BECAUSE
I am very happy that I have friends and a husband who make me laugh and smile. 









If we only think of ourselves we will never be truly happy.


And let's not forget the people we may be meeting for the first time



And because I believe that the instructions we have in the Bible are for our good and the good of others.




DON'T FORGET!

Why not go out and simply say hello and smile, it wont hurt us and it might put a smile on someone else's face.







Sunday

Sunday Scripture - 1 Thessalonians 5 v 16-18


Sunday Scripture is just simply a thought or two on a Bible verse that may have struck me afresh or maybe for the first time or has always been special to me.


Today I am looking at 1 Thessalonians 5 v 16-18





For years now I have heard lots of talk about

 "What is God's Purpose in Your Life?"

or

 "What is God's Purpose for you?"



Often I think that this is directed more at women than at men because of the fact that

 we might be "stay at home mums"!

or

 we might be "housewives"!

or

 we might be sitting in our church wondering "what our role is"!




I think that we need to remember two things 
when we are tempted to start listening to or reading 
what someone else has to say 
about our role or our purpose in life.



FIRSTLY

THE WESTMINSTER SHORTER CATECHISM

No. 1.

Q. What is the chief end of man?

A. Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.



SECONDLY

The verses we are looking at today 




When we focus on God and what he has instructed for all of us,

when we are rejoicing in our Salvation,

when we are in constant communion with Him,

when we can see our way to be thankful to Him for all He does for us each day; 

other things will fall into place. 


What should we be doing?

Then we will know

when something is right for us to do 

or

when we should say yes to the 
specific, unique things
 God has for us.









So we are left with two questions: 
  

What should You & I be Doing?

&


Are we willing to go back to His instructions and focus on Him first?








Sunday Scripture - Psalm 16 v 8


Sunday Scripture is just simply a thought or two on a Bible verse that may have struck me afresh or maybe for the first time or has always been special to me.


Today I am looking at Psalm 16 v 8





This week I had a number of different things that had to be done.

We are getting a new kitchen so the old one was being removed this week and the tiles taken up from the floor which meant a lot of packig things up and moving things to use in other rooms.

But some things I had to do were simply because I just was too easily distracted by other things during the previous week and so didn't get round to these things.

Oh how easily distracted we can be!

Our attention flitters from 

      one thing to another, 

            one person to another, 

                  one blog post to another, 

                        one TV programme to another, 

                              one song to another,

                                    one thought to another......



Who do we flitter to instead of looking to God?



We need to have a determined attitude to keep our focus on God.

We need to be able to say






Is this not a great declaration to set in the face of the devil!



Oh yes things will still surround us and we will have to think of other things and other people but if we can truly say the first part of this verse 


I have set the Lord always before me:

then we will be able to hold on to the second part.  



because He is at my right hand I shall not be removed.


We will still be looking to Him,

have His guidance at all times 

and 
have His presence 

so we will not be enticed away by the other gods of this world.



Oh how easily distracted we can be.


What a wonderful position to be in because then we can also say 


Psalm 16 v 11
Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in Thy presence is fullness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. 





                                                      


Are you determined to set God always before you?