Lesson No. 9—Take Your Bible to Bible Class for Reading the Scriptures.

LESSON THEME:—RUTH

Ruth 1:6-18.

• KEY WORD—”DECISION.”

• KEY VERSE—Ruth 1:16.

• KEY PHRASE—”DECIDING FOR GOD.”

Home Readings.

• Sunday—Choosing. Ruth—Ruth 1.

• Monday—Gleaning—Ruth 2.

• Tuesday—Resting—Ruth 3.

• Wednesday—Rejoicing—Ruth 4.

• Thursday—Birth of Samuel—1 Samuel 1:20-28.

• Friday—Samuel in the Tabernacle—1 Samuel 3:1-18.

• Saturday—Ark taken—1 Samuel 4:1-11.

NAME—The book is named for its chief character—Ruth, a woman of Moab, who became an ancestress of the Messiah.

AUTHOR—Samuel. Time of writing 1100 B. C. The events probably occurred during the rule of Gideon, 1249 B. C.

This charming story should be connected with the early chapters of Judges as it gives us a picture of life in Israel at that time.

PURPOSE—

1. To establish the lineage of David. the ancestor of Christ.

2. The adoption of Ruth into the family of Israel is a prophecy of the adoption of the Gentiles into Christ’s family. The Moabite, shut out by law, is admitted by grace.

3. To show that God knows all about our private affairs, and that “the steps of the righteous are ordered of the Lord.”

GREAT FACTS:—

1. Choosing.

2. Gleaning.

3. Resting.

4. Rejoicing.

STORY OF THE BOOK. In the days when the Judges ruled, a severe drought drove Elimelech and Naomi and their two sons from their home in Bethlehem, across the Jordan to the land of Moab. Here their sans married Ruth and Orpah, women of Moab. Elimelech and his sons died, leaving the women to widowhood. In her loneliness, Naomi returned to her native land. Before doing so she bade a tender farewell to her daughters-in-law, and urged them to return to their fathers’ homes. Orpah did this, but Ruth, who had become a worshipper of the true God, replied in the matchless words of Ruth 1:16.

Naomi and Ruth go to live in Bethlehem, and Ruth gleans in the wheat and barley field of Boaz Later on, Boaz falls in love with Ruth and marries her. To the union was born Obed, the grandfather of David.

Great Fact I. Choosing

Ruth 1.

Ruth was born a heathen, but through her husband or Naomi, had learned of the true God. When the cross-roads of decision came into her life, she firmly and speedily decided to forsake her idol; and the corrupt life of the Moabites, and to serve the true and living God, Her choice was affectionate and final. She clung to the Lord as devotedly as she did to Naomi.

LESSON—There comes a time for us all to take the Lord for our God, and His people for our people. It is possible as it was with Orpah, to go a long way towards being a Christian, but to kiss Christ and to leave Him. But we must say, “Farewell, Moab, Welcome Canaan, Farewell World, Welcome Saviour.” We must be not almost, but altogether decided for Christ. “Without a murmur I dismiss, My former dreams of earthly bliss, My joy, my consolation this, Each hour cling to Thee.”—Mrs. Elliot.

A negro in making his confession of Christ, said, “I have got safe past de go back corner. I’m gain’ all de journey home, and if you don’t see me at the first of them twelve gates up there, just look on the next one, for I’m bound to be dere.”

Are you beyond the “go-back corner?”

Great Fact II. Gleaning

Ruth 2.

Ruth was eager to work, so went forth to glean in the grain fields of Boaz, whose name means Redeemer.. ale, “a mighty man of wealth,” is a beautiful type of the Lord Jesus Christ. Ruth had a claim on Boaz through he father-in-law, Elimelech. Our claim upon Christ is through the Holy Spirit. Boaz noticed the new worker, and graciously bade her to stay in his fields, and instructed the young men to let some handfuls of golden grain fall purposely for her. The Redeemer provided for her, an evidence of His love.

LESSON—Where hast thou gleaned today? Have we gleaned in His Word, for the handfuls He has purposely dropped for us? What have we gathered from the fields of truth and grace? The world also is a field. Have we gleaned in it the past week for precious sheaves for the heavenly garner?

Great Fact III. Resting.

Ruth 3.

Naomi thought that Boaz was the nearest kinsman of Ruth, and therefore according to the Mosaic law, was under obligation to marry. Ruth. Naomi Therefore advised her to remind Boaz of this obligation by resting at his feet.

LESSON—This should encourage us to rest by faith at the feet of Christ, for He is our near kinsman, having taken our flesh upon Himself, and become bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh.

Christ promises rest, and gives rest. As with Mary, it is good for us to be at His feet, yea, it is a blessed truth that rest is found only at the feet of the Redeemer.

Great Fact IV. Rejoicing.

Ruth 4.

Boaz found that there was a kinsman nearer by blood than he. He therefore called the elders of the city into conference, offered the other kinsman the right to redeem the inheritance and to marry Ruth. He was unable to do this and in token of release, plucked off his shoe and gave it to Boaz. This custom arose from the fact that when anyone took possession of land he did so by treading on the soil, and asserting his right of possession by standing upon it in his shoes. The taking off of the shoe and handing it to another was a token of renouncing one’s right in his favour.

Boaz now marries Ruth, past sorrows were blotted out, and her happiness was crowned by the birth of Obed, who was in the Messianic line.

LESSON—The powerless redeemer is a type of the law, which is unable to redeem us from the curse of sin. Ruth’s case was hopeless from the point of law, Grace alone could help, and this grace is blessedly seen in Boaz. Great are the rejoicings of the righteous when they enter into all the privileges of redemption.

Questions on the Lesson.

After whom was the book named? why?

By whom and when was the book written?

Give the three purposes of the book?

Name the key word and key verse.

Give the great facts.

Have you read your Home Readings?

What was Ruth at first. and whom did she choose to serve?

Ought we bid farewell to the world when we welcome the Saviour?

What did Boaz do to show kindness to Ruth?

How can we glean?

Where is the only place of rest?

Of what was plucking off the shoe a token?

Who was born to Ruth and Boaz, and what relation was he to David?

Of what was the power less Redeemer a type?

What is a cause of rejoicing?