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In a study of the books of
RRRRuth and uth and uth and uth and JJJJonahonahonahonah
By
Sherrie Pinello
and
Lois Bruizeman
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A Study oA Study oA Study oA Study offff The Books ofThe Books ofThe Books ofThe Books of
Ruth and JonahRuth and JonahRuth and JonahRuth and Jonah ContentsContentsContentsContents::::
Introduction to Ruth...................................................Page 4Introduction to Ruth...................................................Page 4Introduction to Ruth...................................................Page 4Introduction to Ruth...................................................Page 4
Ruth Chapter Ruth Chapter Ruth Chapter Ruth Chapter One........................................................Page 10One........................................................Page 10One........................................................Page 10One........................................................Page 10
Ruth Chapter Two........................................................Page 19Ruth Chapter Two........................................................Page 19Ruth Chapter Two........................................................Page 19Ruth Chapter Two........................................................Page 19
Ruth Chapter Three.....................................................Page 28Ruth Chapter Three.....................................................Page 28Ruth Chapter Three.....................................................Page 28Ruth Chapter Three.....................................................Page 28
Ruth Chapter Four.............Ruth Chapter Four.............Ruth Chapter Four.............Ruth Chapter Four......................................................Page 36.........................................Page 36.........................................Page 36.........................................Page 36
Introduction to Jonah.................................................Page 45Introduction to Jonah.................................................Page 45Introduction to Jonah.................................................Page 45Introduction to Jonah.................................................Page 45
Jonah Chapter One......................................................Page 53Jonah Chapter One......................................................Page 53Jonah Chapter One......................................................Page 53Jonah Chapter One......................................................Page 53
Jonah Chapter Two.................................Jonah Chapter Two.................................Jonah Chapter Two.................................Jonah Chapter Two..................................................... Page 62.................... Page 62.................... Page 62.................... Page 62
Jonah Chapter Three...................................................Page 69Jonah Chapter Three...................................................Page 69Jonah Chapter Three...................................................Page 69Jonah Chapter Three...................................................Page 69
Jonah Chapter Four.....................................................Page 76Jonah Chapter Four.....................................................Page 76Jonah Chapter Four.....................................................Page 76Jonah Chapter Four.....................................................Page 76
Conclusion of Ruth and Jonah.................................PConclusion of Ruth and Jonah.................................PConclusion of Ruth and Jonah.................................PConclusion of Ruth and Jonah.................................Page 84age 84age 84age 84
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History:
The book of Ruth starts out following a family from Bethlehem. Bethlehem was
a town in the country of Israel, and the family was therefore Israelites. The people
of Israel, also called Hebrews or the Jewish people, were descendants of
Abraham. The Bible shows in the book of Genesis how God called Abraham to
establish this nation of people and desired them to be set apart as His own people
(Genesis 17:7-8), one from whom the Messiah would come.
Because of famine, Abraham’s descendants moved to Egypt. In Egypt, over a
period of 400 years, they multiplied into over a million people. God eventually
used Moses to lead them to establish the homeland that He had promised to
them.
On the way to the “promised land” (Canaan) God gave Moses the Ten
Commandments and many other laws governing His people. Included in those
laws were rules about intermarriage, kinsman-redeemer, gleaning, and the sandal
ceremony. There were other moral, social, and judicial mores that we will see
referenced in our study of the book of Ruth.
The generations that were born after God’s people were established in Canaan
(also called Israel) did not honor God or what He had done for them as a nation.
The book of Judges (which took place at the same time as the book of Ruth)
describes this time as chaotic and as one in which “everyone did as he saw fit”
(Judges 21:25).
Author:
Although there are other speculations as to authorship, the Jewish Talmud (a
collection of Jewish law and tradition) attributes authorship of Ruth to the biblical
prophet Samuel. It is an interesting connection to ponder. In I Samuel 16:1-13,
God directed Samuel to actually anoint Ruth’s great-grandson, David, as king of
Israel. It would make sense that Samuel might have researched, appreciated, and
written about the connections that God had woven in the genealogy of David, a
seemingly obscure young shepherd at the time of his anointing.
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Setting:
Bethlehem in Judah was an agricultural community in the land of Israel. Prior
to Ruth’s day, the town of Bethlehem did not have a good reputation (Judges 17-
21). Boaz gave Bethlehem not only a godly influence in an ungodly time, but
through his progeny Bethlehem was given the privilege of becoming the
birthplace of King David (I Samuel 16). In the New Testament it is also recorded in
Luke 2 how, over a thousand years later, Joseph and Mary went to the town of
Bethlehem to register for a census. While they were there, Jesus was born.
The other geographical location mentioned in the book of Ruth is Moab. Moab
was a country located about 50 miles southeast of Bethlehem and was across the
Dead Sea. The Moabite people had a dishonorable history which can be found in
Genesis 12, 13, and 19, showing that Israelites and Moabites were actually related
to each other through Abraham and his nephew, Lot. Since they were distant
relatives as well as neighbors, the history of the Moabites was intertwined with
that of Israel. The story of Ruth illustrates peaceful relations between these two
countries, but there are biblical references to conflict in the times of the judges,
as well (Judges 3:12-30). The Moabites were a people that worshipped idols,
mainly Chemosh, the worship of which included human sacrifice.
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Divine Providence:
The book of Ruth demonstrates that God provides, directs, and is active in the
world and with people. The term providence is one that was actively used in
recent history, but has been replaced in today’s culture with terms that don’t
recognize God such as luck or fortune. The characters in the book of Ruth
recognized God’s hand in every aspect of life, no matter what the circumstance.
Kinsman-Redeemer:
The ultimate providence of God in the book of Ruth is the kinsman-redeemer,
Boaz. Boaz, as kinsman-redeemer is a foreshadowing of the Redeemer, Jesus
Christ, who came in the flesh and purchased salvation.
Briefly, a kinsman-redeemer was a family member who was willing and able to
purchase and rescue a poor brother from debt or slavery. There will be more in-
depth explanation of this in the study.
Sometimes someone does something so well that there is no need or desire to
redo it! We liked Paul P. Enns divisions for the book in his commentary on Ruth.
These are Enns’ divisions. (Enns, 1982)
The book may be divided into four sections, following the chapter divisions within
the book.
Chapter 1: The Return of Ruth
Chapter 2: The Reaping of Ruth
Chapter 3: The Request of Ruth
Chapter 4: The Redemption of Ruth
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Sources
We used few direct quotations in the writing of this study, but mostly a
compilation of different commentators, Bible study sources, and Biblical
references. The 1984 New International Version was the Bible version that was
used since it still seems to be the most widely used version that people have.
Following is a list of the main commentators and sources that were considered:
Atkinson, David (1991) The Message of Ruth, Leicester, England: Inter-Varsity.
Bush, Frederic W. (1996) Ruth- Esther, Dallas: Word Books.
Constable, Dr. Thomas L. (2013) “Dr. Constable’s Notes on Ruth”, Retrieved in:
July 2013, www.soniclight.com/constable/notes/pdf/ruth.pdf
Draper, Brand, and England (2003) Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Nashville:
Holman Reference.
Elwell, Walter, A. (1996) Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Grand Rapids, MI:
Baker Books.
Enns, Paul B. (1982) Ruth, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Corp.
MacArthur, John (2000) Ruth and Esther: Women of Faith, Bravery, and Hope,
Nashville: Thomas Nelson
McGee, Vernon (1981) Ruth: The Romance of Redemption, Nashville: Thomas
Nelson
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Please answer the following questions in preparation for the first class day.
1. Do you think that the Old Testament is important to study? Why or why not?
2. The time of the judges was a time when everyone did what was right in their
own eyes. How do you see this philosophy describe our culture, and what
chaos (if any) do you see it causing? (Avoid political mudslinging here.)
3. What contrasts might a society have that follows its own ideas of right and
wrong with one in which people follow God’s standards for living?
4. What are some ways that people describe providence or reasons why things
happen, bad or good?
5. What do you hope to get out of this study of the book of Ruth? Will you ask
God for a better understanding of Himself and His providence
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