Hannah: A portrait of feminine grace & Mary: Blessed Among Women

DUE TO HECTIC SCHEDULES, I AM A FEW WEEKS BEHIND ON POSTING THIS STUDY AND FOR THAT I AM TRULY SORRY. PLEASE NOTE:  THERE ARE 2 LESSONS POSTED TODAY, Hannah and Mary BOTH ARE EXTRAORDINARY!  PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO READ AND WE WILL RESUME ON SCHEDULE FROM HERE ON OUT!  

THANKS FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING

Last week we discussed the life of Ruth, the Cinderella of the bible whose “fairy godmother” was none other than God himself! 

We were reminded that:

• God has a plan, even when we think we're in the midst of a mess!  Remember the song, "God will make a way, when there seems to be no way, he works in ways we cannot see, He will make a way for me!"
• God is faithful and is faithful to our faithfulness!  We cannot outgive him!

What surprised you about the “Ruth” study?  What did you take from it; did anything stick for you this week?

This week we talked about Hannah:  A portrait of feminine grace

How do you recall Hannah?

Hannah is the last of the Old Testament women we will talk about in this study.  She comes into the picture immediately following the book of Ruth in the first chapter of 1 Samuel (her son… naturally would start with her J)

Hannah was the “first” wife of Elkanah (who we affectionately referred to as "Elike" for mis-pronunciations sake! Feel free as you read to butcher his name like we did!) who we’re introduced to as an Ephraimite which tells us where they made their home – in the land of Ephraim, but he himself was a Levite – a Kohathitie to be exact, the same clan Moses and Aaron came from. The Levites were one of the twelve tribes of Israel and the only one that were not specifically given designated land to live in.  They were dispersed among the land because they were the priestly tribe – and the Lord himself was their inheritance.

Numbers 18:20

20 The LORD said to Aaron, “You will have no inheritance in their land, nor will you have any share among them; I am your share and your inheritance among the Israelites.

Why does this matter?  

It helps us to understand their commitment to the temple and their closeness to God in a time where that wasn’t the social norm in Israel.  Each year for a few weeks time every Levite man would take time serving in the tabernacle and in those days, the tabernacle was in Shiloh

So naturally, Elkhanah would have followed suit.  Scripture portrays them as a devout family, and mentions that Elkhanah made regular trips to Shiloh to sacrifice.

Elkanah was married to two women.  Hannah and Peninnah. Who the bible calls Hannah’s rival – and rival she was!  The term sister wives was NOT one that you would use to describe this bigamous relationship.  Hannah was the one that Elkhanah loved deeply which only made the rivalry worse.  We get a real clear picture from these examples of why God intended for marriage to be a one on one deal all along!  But why was there a second wife after Hannah if Elkhanah loved her so much?  The same reason why so many of these men of the time had second wives – heirs.

Hannah’s name means grace.  It’s a fitting description for the woman who became the model of the grace of motherhood.  Whose life snapshot is the profile of a godly mother.  Funny since she also bared the anguish of barrenness just like Sarah. Hannah’s life often mirrored the original matriarch, Sarah. Like Sarah she understood the stress and heartache of a bigamous husband/marriage relationship, and also like Sarah, she received the blessing of a child – one that would change the course of history.  Most of all, she mirrored Sarah’s amazing faith and perseverance. 

She also like Sarah because of her barrenness was the first wife to another wife who could bear children/heirs for “their” husband and who was teased, poked and provoked because of it.  The stress and burden of this was often too much to bear and would cry from the depths of her heart and was known to be so depressed sometimes she couldn’t even eat.

Have you ever been at a point of depression where that was true for you?  Or been so tormented by something or someone that this kind of behavior was true for you?

Let’s read the biblical account:

1^st Samuel 1 – 2:10

 ¹ There was a certain man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite^[a] from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. ² He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.

 ³ Year after year this man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the LORD Almighty at Shiloh, where Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests of the LORD. ⁴ Whenever the day came for Elkanah to sacrifice, he would give portions of the meat to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. ⁵ But to Hannah he gave a double portion because he loved her, and the LORD had closed her womb. ⁶ Because the LORD had closed Hannah’s womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her.⁷ This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the LORD, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat. ⁸ Her husband Elkanah would say to her, “Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don’t you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?”

 ⁹ Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the LORD’s house. ¹⁰ In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the LORD, weeping bitterly. ¹¹ And she made a vow, saying, “LORD Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.”

 ¹² As she kept on praying to the LORD, Eli observed her mouth. ¹³ Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk ¹⁴ and said to her, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.”

 ¹⁵ “Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the LORD. ¹⁶ Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.”

 ¹⁷ Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.”

 ¹⁸ She said, “May your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.

 ¹⁹ Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the LORD and then went back to their home at Ramah. Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the LORD remembered her. ²⁰ So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel,^[b] saying, “Because I asked the LORD for him.”

Hannah Dedicates Samuel

 ²¹ When her husband Elkanah went up with all his family to offer the annual sacrifice to the LORD and to fulfill his vow, ²² Hannah did not go. She said to her husband, “After the boy is weaned, I will take him and present him before the LORD, and he will live there always.”^[c]

 ²³ “Do what seems best to you,” her husband Elkanah told her. “Stay here until you have weaned him; only may the LORD make good his^[d] word.” So the woman stayed at home and nursed her son until she had weaned him.

 ²⁴ After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three-year-old bull,^[e]an ephah^[f] of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the LORD at Shiloh. ²⁵ When the bull had been sacrificed, they brought the boy to Eli, ²⁶ and she said to him, “Pardon me, my lord. As surely as you live, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the LORD. ²⁷ I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. ²⁸ So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD.” And he worshiped the LORD there.

Hannah’s Prayer

 ¹ Then Hannah prayed and said:

   “My heart rejoices in the LORD; 

   in the LORD my horn^[a] is lifted high. 

My mouth boasts over my enemies, 

   for I delight in your deliverance.

 ² “There is no one holy like the LORD; 

   there is no one besides you; 

   there is no Rock like our God.

 ³ “Do not keep talking so proudly 

   or let your mouth speak such arrogance, 

for the LORD is a God who knows, 

   and by him deeds are weighed.

 ⁴ “The bows of the warriors are broken, 

   but those who stumbled are armed with strength. 

⁵ Those who were full hire themselves out for food, 

   but those who were hungry are hungry no more. 

She who was barren has borne seven children, 

   but she who has had many sons pines away.

 ⁶ “The LORD brings death and makes alive; 

   he brings down to the grave and raises up. 

⁷ The LORD sends poverty and wealth; 

   he humbles and he exalts. 

⁸ He raises the poor from the dust 

   and lifts the needy from the ash heap; 

he seats them with princes 

   and has them inherit a throne of honor.

   “For the foundations of the earth are the LORD’s; 

   on them he has set the world. 

⁹ He will guard the feet of his faithful servants, 

   but the wicked will be silenced in the place of darkness.

   “It is not by strength that one prevails; 

 ¹⁰ those who oppose the LORD will be broken. 

The Most High will thunder from heaven; 

   the LORD will judge the ends of the earth.

   “He will give strength to his king 

   and exalt the horn of his anointed.”

 ¹¹ Then Elkanah went home to Ramah, but the boy ministered before the LORD under Eli the priest.

Hannah longed to be a mother and she knew that children were a gift from God just as it says in

Psalm 127:3 

3 Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him.

Let’s pause a moment.  Hannah’s life story is centered around her motherhood – so it is a topic we’ll discuss today specifically but let’s not forget the bible does address that some women will or should remain single and/or without children by God’s providence.

1^st Corinthians 7:8-9

8 Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I do.

Those that the Lord blesses with this responsibility should take it seriously.  In Titus 2:4, the Greek word philoteknos appears in reference to mothers loving their children. This word represents a special kind of “mother love.” The idea that flows out of this word is that of caring for our children, nurturing them, affectionately embracing them, meeting their needs, and tenderly befriending each one as a unique gift from the hand of God.  We all have mothers and fulfill mothering/nurturing duties in our everyday lives with those we know and love and care for.  Whether you are a biological mother, adoptive mother, spiritual mother or super auntie we can all grasp these concepts we learn from the biblical examples of motherhood.

Several things are commanded of Christian mothers in God’s Word:

• Availabilitymorning, noon, and night (Deuteronomy 6:6-7)
  
• Involvementinteracting, discussing, thinking, and processing life together (Ephesians 6:4)
  
• Teachingthe Scriptures and a biblical worldview (Psalm 78:5-6; Deuteronomy 4:10; Ephesians 6:4)
  
• Traininghelping a child to develop skills and discover his/her strengths (Proverbs 22:6) and spiritual gifts (Romans 12:3-8)
  
• Disciplineteaching the fear of the Lord, drawing the line consistently, lovingly, firmly (Ephesians 6:4; Hebrews 12:5-11; Proverbs 13:24; 19:18; 22:15; 23:13-14; 29:15-17)
  
• Nurtureproviding an environment of constant verbal support, freedom to fail, acceptance, affection, unconditional love (Titus 2:4; 2 Timothy 1:7; Ephesians 4:29-32; 5:1-2; Galatians 5:22; 1 Peter 3:8-9)
  
• Modeling with Integrityliving what you say, being a model from which a child can learn by “catching” the essence of godly living (Deuteronomy 4:9,  Proverbs 10:9; 11:3; Psalm 37:18,

Hannah is a great reminder that mothers are the makers of men and the architects of the next generation.  God used Hannah in a mighty way when he answered her earnest prayer.  He used her son Samuel to turn back the spiritual darkness and backsliding in Israel.  He was the man who would step in and fill the leadership void and his character bore the clear stamp of his mothers influence even though he left home at an early age.

What was his mothers influence? What made Hannah so extraordinary?  In a time of spiritual darkness, Hannah stood out as a ray of light. Not only was she the quintessential godly mother and wife, but in a spiritually cold generation she exemplified patience, prayerfulness, faith, meekness, submission, spiritual devotion and motherly love.

And it can be summed up in three simple categories:

Love for her Husband:

Huh?!  Haha!  J  Yup that’s right.  She was an extraordinary mother in part because she was loved by her husband and she loved him.  That is the way God arranged it after all.  MacArthur says:  The love between a husband and wife is the real key to a thriving family.  A healthy home environment cannot be exclusively built on the parents’ love for their children.  Properly situated families have marriage as the center; families shouldn’t revolve around the children. 

All parents should understand this lesson:

What you communicate to your children through your marital relationship will stay with them for the rest of their lives.  By watching how a father and mother treat one another, they will learn the most fundamental lessons of life – love, self sacrifice, integrity, virtue, sin, sympathy, compassion, understanding and forgiveness.  Whatever you teach them about those things, right or wrong, is planted deep within their hearts.

We’re told in the bible so many times about how important this relationship is. 

Ephesians 5:22 – 28

²² Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. ²³ For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. ²⁴ Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

 ²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her ²⁶ to make her holy, cleansing^[a] her by the washing with water through the word, ²⁷ and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. ²⁸ In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.

Colossians 3:18-20

18 Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.  19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.   20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.

As the “representative” team for God in raising children especially – nurturing a marriage relationship is paramount because of the examples you provide for your kids in your interactions and because as we all know from raising kids – it’s important to provide a united front for discipline and direction.

There are so many ways we can do this and make sure we put this relationship as priority under God, but one key way we can do this is by worshiping together and allowing it to be a marriage of 3!  (and not with another woman! Ha!) We do know that Elkhanah and Hannah worshiped together often, which must have been the way their love was able to sustain through such adversity.

Love for God:

Hannah obviously had a deep and abiding love for God.  She was a devout woman whose focus was on Godly things and not earthly things.  A significant example is that although in her humanness she was broken-hearted over her barrenness, she never became a complainer or a nag.  There’s no suggestion that she ever grumbled against God, instead we see her humbly come before God in prayer and submission – pouring her heart out rather than complaining or looking for justice in her case.  A beautiful characteristic of her was her constant, steadfast faith.

The value of persisitant and passionate prayer is one of the central lessons we take from Hannah’s life.  Her faith and relationship with God wasn’t one born out of ceremonial customs.  It was one born from pure relationship, real and true.   One even Eli the head priest didn’t understand from looking in on and when he questioned her with accusations she didn’t respond harshly as maybe you or I might when accused by a brother or sister in Christ.  She didn’t shame him or get haughty.  Her response was one of grace and humility… of course she was horrified, but she merely explained herself and went about her way.

Another characterisitic is also revealed when we see in verse 18 that following praying, she rose , went away and ate.  She cast her WHOLE burden on God and left it at the alter.  She was content leaving the matter in his hands which shows us how genuine and patient her faith truly was.  .

Psalm 55:22  and 1 Peter 5-6 instruct us to do just that:

²² Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.

⁶ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. ⁷ Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

But if we’re honest, I think we’ll find in ourselves that we often times will pray our cares to the Lord and then carry them on our shoulders some more not truly allowing Him to have them and trusting Him to deal with them in His time and His way. 

Why?

We see in her love for God that she was not only faithful in prayer but also her response.  When God answered her prayer for a son, she turned right back without another thought and gave Him back to God by service in the tabernacle.  Can you imagine handing your toddler over to a boarding school?!  No way!  The child she longed so many years for, she turned around and gave to God.  That sacrifice only comes from a deep love and trust in God.  We see this relationship in the song of praise in 1 Sam. 2:1-10

“My heart rejoices in the LORD; 

   in the LORD my horn^[a] is lifted high. 

My mouth boasts over my enemies, 

   for I delight in your deliverance.

 ² “There is no one holy like the LORD; 

   there is no one besides you; 

   there is no Rock like our God.

 ³ “Do not keep talking so proudly 

   or let your mouth speak such arrogance, 

for the LORD is a God who knows, 

   and by him deeds are weighed.

 ⁴ “The bows of the warriors are broken, 

   but those who stumbled are armed with strength. 

⁵ Those who were full hire themselves out for food, 

   but those who were hungry are hungry no more. 

She who was barren has borne seven children, 

   but she who has had many sons pines away.

 ⁶ “The LORD brings death and makes alive; 

   he brings down to the grave and raises up. 

⁷ The LORD sends poverty and wealth; 

   he humbles and he exalts. 

⁸ He raises the poor from the dust 

   and lifts the needy from the ash heap; 

he seats them with princes 

   and has them inherit a throne of honor.

   “For the foundations of the earth are the LORD’s; 

   on them he has set the world. 

⁹ He will guard the feet of his faithful servants, 

   but the wicked will be silenced in the place of darkness.

   “It is not by strength that one prevails; 

 ¹⁰ those who oppose the LORD will be broken. 

The Most High will thunder from heaven; 

   the LORD will judge the ends of the earth.

   “He will give strength to his king 

   and exalt the horn of his anointed.”

A whole series of sermons could be written on this one passage alone, but in the briefest overview one thing is certain.  She was familiar with the deep things of God.  She acknowledges His holiness, goodness, sovereignty, power and wisdom.  She worshiped Him as Savior, Creator and soverign judge. She acknowledged the falleness and depravity of human nature as well as the folly of unbelief and rebellion.  She spoke from her own intimiate knowledge with love and wonder.

Love for her Children

The last major characteristic of Hannah was her devotion and love for her children of course.   Can’t be a good mother without that! She devoted herself soley to Samuels care, knowing the short time she had with him and in that short time was able to leave a mark that with God’s leading would establish the character of Israels last judge.  Even after she gave Samuel over to God’s care we’re told in scrptiure she visited regularly and would make him little robes each year.  She loved and cared for him and the other children God blessed her with following Samuel all the days of her life, fulfilling all of the motherly duties outlined in the bible that we talked about before.

Hannah shows us a clear picture of what the Lord can do through one woman totally and unreservedly devoted to Him.  She stands as a wonderful and extraordinary example to women today who want God to be honored in their homes. And her love for heaven, husband and home are the true priorities for every godly mother and wife.

Ruth: Loyalty and Love

Last week we discussed the life of Rahab, her great faithfulness to a God she personally knew little about and her boldness in caring for her entire family and placing her life on the line believing in 

the Gracious and all Powerful God! 

We were reminded that:

•  Once again, God is so gracious!  He can, will and does use us all even in the darkest of circumstances.
• We simply cannot judge a book by its cover!  We miss out on the opportunity of knowing some wonderful people and also miss the opportunity to shine the “true love” light of Christ.  As Terry put so perfectly, we would look at Rahab with ??s but you never know what you would do in certain situations.  Walk a mile in people’s shoes!
• From a human perspective the lineage of Christ was checkered with examples of outcasts and failures “Collectively, they illustrate” so wonderfully “how God is able to work all things together for good”  Remembering that “[Jesus] made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a servant, and coming in the likeness of men.” Philippians 2:7

Comments?

What surprised you about the “Rahab” study?  What did you take from it; did anything stick for you this week?

Ruth:  Loyalty and Love

How do you recall Ruth?

MacArthur would argue that the story of Ruth and “how her whole life was changed is one of the most deeply touching narratives in the whole of Scripture”   Her story began near the end of the era of the Judges in the Old Testament about a century before the time of David.  There was a severe famine in the land of Israel at the time.  We are introduced at the beginning of Ruth to the family of Elimelech  (ee-LIHM-eh-lehk )

Ruth 1:1-5

 ¹ In the days when the judges ruled,^[a] there was a famine in the land. So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. ² The man’s name was Elimelek, his wife’s name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon (MAH-luhn) and Kilion (KIHL-ee-ahn). They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there.

 ³ Now Elimelek, Naomi’s husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. ⁴ They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, ⁵ both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.

The famine in Israel forced Elimelech and family to seek refuge in Moab, just as a similar famine had driven Abraham to Egypt.  Which was a measure of the severity of the famine for a couple reasons…

1. “These must have been desperate times because Moab itself was mostly a desolate region, a high tableland bounded on the wet by the Dead Sea and on the west by arid desert wasteland.”

 The Moabite people and the Israelites generally despised one another. (The Moabites were descendent of Lot’s eldest daughter through her incestuous relationship with her own father, the child born of that illicit union was name Moab.) It was the nation whose King Balak engaged the “hitman” prophet Balaam to prophesy against Isreal and during the time of Israel’s wilderness wanderings, Moabite women were known to seduce Israelite men and entice them to participate in sacrifices to idol Gods.

Numbers 25:1-5

¹ While Israel was staying in Shittim, the men began to indulge in sexual immorality with Moabite women, ² who invited them to the sacrifices to their gods. The people ate the sacrificial meal and bowed down before these gods. ³ So Israel yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor. And the LORD’s anger burned against them.⁴ The LORD said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of these people, kill them and expose them in broad daylight before the LORD, so that the LORD’s fierce anger may turn away from Israel.”⁵ So Moses said to Israel’s judges, “Each of you must put to death those of your people who have yoked themselves to the Baal of Peor.”

So in this week's saga of “As the Bible World Turns”… we see that first Elimelech dies leaving Naomi widowed – fortunately for her, her sons were close to adulthood and they soon married, unfortunately they were Moabite women – which any Israelite would have been unhappy with… Israelite men had been forbidden to marry Canaanite women lest they be turned away to other Gods

Deuteronomy 7:3-4

³ Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, ⁴ for they will turn your children away from following me to serve other gods, and the LORD’s anger will burn against you and will quickly destroy you.

“Common sense would suggest that for similar reasons, marriage to a Moabite would not have been appropriate, either.”  Nevertheless Naomi seemed to have graciously accepted these daughter in laws which shows us a lot about her character.  One was Orpah (whom Oprah was named after by the way – and it means stubborn) and the other was Ruth the star of today’s episode (whose name meant friendship – how appropriate!)  Now back from commercial J  things have turned for the worst – both Mahlon and Chilion died too now leaving the three women to care for themselves which was in that culture and time “a near impossible situation with no children and no responsible relatives, in a time of famine they could not hope to survive for long, even if they pooled together their meager resources.” So it’s only natural that when Naomi heard of the famine breaking in Israel she quickly made up her mind to return and so she and her widowed daughter in laws began the journey back to Bethlehem – although as they trekked on, Naomi considered the circumstances that lay before Ruth and Orpah – the difficulties they would continue to face as widows in a foreign land and as Moabite women at that – and so she “released” them back to their families where they could hope for a “more stable” future.  And the scene of agony from all three women that follows is gut wrenching:

            

Ruth 1:8-14

⁸ Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home. May the LORD show you kindness, as you have shown kindness to your dead husbands and to me. ⁹ May the LORD grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another husband.” Then she kissed them goodbye and they wept aloud ¹⁰ and said to her, “We will go back with you to your people.” ¹¹ But Naomi said, “Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? ¹² Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me—even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons— ¹³ would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the LORD’s hand has turned against me!” ¹⁴ At this they wept aloud again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law goodbye, but Ruth clung to her.

Ruth and Naomi had no doubt a close bond – both of these girls for that matter – but Ruth and Naomi not only had a close loving friendship and cared deeply for one another but as we see from Ruth’s beautiful and poetic response to her MIL’s urging her to a “secure” life we see that they also share the love of the one true God.

Ruth 1:16-17

¹⁶ But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. ¹⁷ Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” ¹⁸ When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.

“This was an amazingly mature and meaningful testimony of personal faith especially from a young woman who was raised in a pagan culture.  The witness of Naomi and her family must have made a powerful impression on Ruth.”

A Point to Ponder:
Ruth was willing to commit to Naomi and God by distancing herself from the gods of her past…  This could serve as a great reminder that to make a commitment to God, we need to distance ourselves from the gods of our past.  Is He calling you to do that today?  What are some of the gods of our past we need to distance ourselves from to move forward in commitment to God and His will and desires for our lives?

Naomi and Ruth continued on to Bethlehem and having chosen to stay with her aging MIL, Ruth went to work in the fields, gleaning what the harvesters left behind – think of it as an early form of the welfare system – in order to provide enough grain to provide for her and her mother in law.  Naomi , although having returned to her homeland had no kin close enough to be legally obliged to support her and of course Ruth didn’t have any family in Bethlehem so Ruth did what she had to do and worked hard in the field to attain it too!  

How many of us can relate to that?  Stepping up and doing what needs to be done to either support ourselves, our families, friends, children, our churches?

As it so happened one day Ruth was gleaning in the fields of Boaz and while overseeing his fields, he took an immediate interest in her and sought out his foreman and inquired about her (and although in human terms it was just happenstance – we of course know that God himself was the orchestrator of these events)

A snapshot of Boaz…

Boaz was a relative of Elimelech (cousin or nephew maybe) who had prospered in Bethlehem despite the years of famine.  He was a landowner and held considerable influence.  And he was Boaz was a direct descendant of Rahab (likely a grandson or great grandson) which connects him in the lineage of Christ and may explain his sympathetic view on Ruth as he’d be familiar with his grandmother’s own plight as a foreign and pagan woman who had come to know the one true God.

When Boaz inquired about Ruth, he was told of her “relation” to Naomi and having realized she was his relative by marriage began to show special favor on her.  He encouraged her to glean only in his fields, he allowed her to drink from the water he provided to his servants and instructed the young men not to touch her.  Ruth was moved by his kindness and generosity knowing very well that this favor was highly unusual especially on a poor woman from a foreign land.

Ruth 2:10-16

¹⁰ At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She asked him, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?” ¹¹ Boaz replied, “I’ve been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband—how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. ¹² May the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.” ¹³ “May I continue to find favor in your eyes, my lord,” she said. “You have put me at ease by speaking kindly to your servant—though I do not have the standing of one of your servants.” ¹⁴ At mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come over here. Have some bread and dip it in the wine vinegar.”   When she sat down with the harvesters, he offered her some roasted grain. She ate all she wanted and had some left over. ¹⁵ As she got up to glean, Boaz gave orders to his men, “Let her gather among the sheaves and don’t reprimand her. ¹⁶ Even pull out some stalks for her from the bundles and leave them for her to pick up, and don’t rebuke her.”

When Ruth returned home to Naomi with about a ½ bushel of barley – which would have been enough to sustain them for 5 days a gleaners dream gathering – and some leftover food from lunch Naomi was clearly surprised and pleased and even more so when Ruth shared that she had been given special favor by Boaz and told her he was a close relative.

The Hebrew word she uses is “goel” which Wikipedia defines as:

Goel (go'el) is a Hebrew term which comes from the word gal'al ("to redeem"), hence meaning "redeemer", which in the Bible and the rabbinical tradition denotes a person who as the nearest relative of another is charged with the duty of restoring the rights of another and avenging his wrongs. In the Authorized Version, it is rendered "kinsman", "redeemer", and "avenger".

In the book of Isaiah God is called the redeemer of Israel, as he redeems his people from captivity; the context shows that the redemption also involves moving on to something greater. In Christianity, the title goel is applied to Christ, who redeems us from all evil by the payment of a ransom.

A beautiful comparison of THE Redeemer, Christ Jesus.  Boaz would become Ruth’s goel and deliver her from the widowhood and poverty she chose by being faithful to her mother in law. Likewise as with Christ the redeemer, we see the love that comes with redemption here from Boaz as he steps up to this title quite well.  And to help him step into that role, Naomi steps into another soap opera role quite well, one that as women we are quite naturally good at and fond of…. Matchmaker!

Naomi’s plan was bold and unconventional, it wasn’t indecent or unrightwous, just shockingly forward.  Her plan was basically for Ruth to propose to Boaz!

Ruth 3:3

¹ One day Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, “My daughter, I must find a home for you, where you will be well provided for. ² Now Boaz, with whose women you have worked, is a relative of ours. Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. ³ Wash, put on perfume, and get dressed in your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don’t let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. ⁴ When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do.”

By the custom of this time, this would indicate her willingness to marry Boaz.

 ⁵ “I will do whatever you say,” Ruth answered. ⁶ So she went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law told her to do. ⁷ When Boaz had finished eating and drinking and was in good spirits, he went over to lie down at the far end of the grain pile. Ruth approached quietly, uncovered his feet and lay down. ⁸ In the middle of the night something startled the man; he turned—and there was a woman lying at his feet! ⁹ “Who are you?” he asked.   “I am your servant Ruth,” she said. “Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a guardian-redeemer (GOEL) of our family.” ¹⁰ “The LORD bless you, my daughter,” he replied. “This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor. ¹¹ And now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All the people of my town know that you are a woman of noble character. ¹² Although it is true that I am a guardian-redeemer (GOEL)  of our family, there is another who is more closely related than I. ¹³ Stay here for the night, and in the morning if he wants to do his duty as your guardian-redeemer, good; let him redeem you. But if he is not willing, as surely as the LORD lives I will do it. Lie here until morning.” ¹⁴ So she lay at his feet until morning, but got up before anyone could be recognized; and he said, “No one must know that a woman came to the threshing floor.” ¹⁵ He also said, “Bring me the shawl you are wearing and hold it out.” When she did so, he poured into it six measures of barley and placed the bundle on her. Then he^[c] went back to town. ¹⁶ When Ruth came to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, “How did it go, my daughter?”   Then she told her everything Boaz had done for her ¹⁷ and added, “He gave me these six measures of barley, saying, ‘Don’t go back to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’” ¹⁸ Then Naomi said, “Wait, my daughter, until you find out what happens. For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today.”

Nothing indecent or immoral happened that night, the Scripture is very clear about that and just another reason why biblical soap operas are WAY better than any on TV J  But Boaz did sent her off home before sunrise to protect her virtue. – I like this guy!
Naomi of course was right and Boaz rushed right off to the elders and negotiated his right to be Ruth’s goel.  Now, the other man that could have been her goel – the other relative could have been a cousin or sibling to Boaz and was going to take over the rights to Ruth… (there’s always a snag before the happily ever after remember) but Boaz was quick to jump in and explain that because of the circumstances, the only way to make sure all land rights etc. would stay in the goels’ family line was to marry Ruth, which the other man could not or would not do… and thus the wedding bells were ringing!  Everyone loves a good love story and the people of Bethlehem were no exception… news spread quickly and they pronounced a blessing on the soon to be wed couple…

Ruth 4:11-12

Then the elders and all the people at the gate said, “We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the family of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. ¹² Through the offspring the LORD gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah.”

Boaz and Ruth were soon married and had a son. And Naomi was blessed too:

            Ruth 4:14-15

¹⁴ The women said to Naomi: “Praise be to the LORD, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! ¹⁵ He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.” ¹⁶ Then Naomi took the child in her arms and cared for him.

A Point to Ponder:
Boaz paid a price to redeem Ruth.  How did this change Ruth’s perception of her value?  What is your value to God based on the price he paid to redeem you?

Ruth was extraordinary because of her extraordinary unselfishness, her measure of faith and love that carried her away from her people into poverty, but surrounded by the love of God and her dear friend and Mother in Law, Naomi. 

“She is a fitting symbol of each believer and the church itself giving us a clear picture of what it means to be redeemed, brought into great favor, endowed with privilege, exalted as the redeemers own bride and loved by him with profound affection.

That is why the extraordinary story of her redemption ought to make every true believer’s heart resonate with profound gladness and thanksgiving for the One who, likewise, redeemed us from our sin.”

Next week is – Hannah:  A Portrait of Feminine Grace

1. Please feel free to share this study with the extraordinary women in your life and invite them to join us for this exploration either in person on Wednesday Mornings at the Church of the Vine, 5 Wareham Street, S. Carver, Mass. From 9:30-11:30 (a time of prayer, study, fellowship and coffee!) or online at http://e-study-12extraordinarywomen.blogspot.com