Bible Stories for Adults

God Blesses Ruth

Ruth

Next Week - David Confesses and God Forgives (2 Samuel 11:26-12:13)
Bible Words to Remember:
I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10

What law did Moses give to the Israelites about the people who lived in the Promised Land?
Deuteronomy 7:2-3
Why was this important?
Deuteronomy 7:4
How well did the Israelites remember and follow this command?
Judges 3:5-6

How did God handle this?
Judges 2:14-15
How did God respond to Israel's cries?
Judges 2:16
Did the judges have a lasting effect on Israel's faithfulness?
Judges 2:19

Other than following other gods, did the people of Israel at least live good and moral lives?
Judges 21:25

What do we learn about Elimelech and his family?
Ruth 1:1-2
What happened to this family in Moab?
Ruth 1:3-5
Besides the command not to intermarry, what other problem did Moabites in the family present?
Deuteronomy 23:3

Did Naomi stay in Moab the rest of her life?
Ruth 1:6-7
What did Naomi remember along the road?
Ruth 1:8-9
How did Naomi use logic to send these daughters-in-law of ten years back home?
Ruth 1:10-13
What was this levirate marriage that Naomi was referring to?
Deuteronomy 25:5-6 (5-10)

How well did this sensible logic work in getting these women to leave their mother-in-law?
Ruth 1:14-15
How did Ruth respond to Naomi's urging that has become a famous phrase of devotion?
Ruth 1:16-17

How did Naomi respond to Ruth's stubbornness?
Ruth 1:18-19
How happy was Naomi to see her friends after so many years?
Ruth 1:20-21

How would two poor widows find food in Bethlehem?
Ruth 1:22, 2:2
How would she be able to find a field where the owner would let her glean?
Leviticus 23:22

Harvesting grain in ancient Canaan took place in April and May (barley first, wheat a few weeks later)
1. Men cut ripened standing grain with hand sickles or pulled out of ground
2. Women bound the grain into sheaves
3. Gleaning - Stalks left behind were gathered
4. Sheaves were transported to the threshing floor - usually by donkey, sometimes by cart
5. Threshing - The grain was loosened from the straw by treading of cattle,
by toothed threshing sledges or by the wheels of carts
6. Winnowing - Grain tossed in air so afternoon wind would blow away straw and chaff
7. Sifting - Grain was sifted to remove any leftover chaff, dirt, etc.
8. Grain was bagged for transportation and storage

Whose field did Ruth happen to glean in?
Ruth 2:3
Was it entirely by chance that Ruth happened upon Boaz's field?
Proverbs 20:24

What did Boaz do when he learned that Ruth was gleaning in his field?
Ruth 2:4-9
Did Boaz normally do this for strangers coming into his fields?
Ruth 2:10-13
How else did Boaz go out of his way to help this poor Ruth?
Ruth 2:14-16

What did Naomi think of what Ruth was able to bring home that first evening?
Ruth 2:17-19a
Did Naomi know who Boaz was?
Ruth 2:19b-20
Did Boaz's kindness to Ruth go beyond the first day?
Ruth 2:21-23

What was Naomi's concern as harvest and their source of food were ending?
Ruth 3:1
What idea did Naomi come up with to solve this problem?
Ruth 3:2-4
What did Ruth think about such a strange suggestion?
Ruth 3:5-6

How did Ruth explain her actions when Boaz woke up and found her there?
Ruth 3:7-9
How did Boaz respond to this request by the young Ruth?
Ruth 3:10-13
How else did Boaz show concern for Ruth that night?
Ruth 3:14-15
What did Naomi think of what Boaz had done and promised?
Ruth 3:16-18

What was the first thing Boaz did that morning?
Ruth 4:1
Why else was it important for Boaz to be at the town gate?
Deuteronomy 25:7-10

What did Boaz present to the kinsman-redeemer and how did he reply?
Ruth 4:2-4
What Jewish law was Boaz referring to?
Leviticus 25:25
What treasure came with the land that Boaz tried to present as a liability?
Ruth 4:5
What parable of Jesus might Boaz's action remind you of?
Matthew 13:44

How did the kinsman-redeemer respond to this catch?
Ruth 4:6-8
How long did Boaz wait before laying claim to this land and Ruth?
Ruth 4:9-10
How did the elders and witnesses accept Boaz's claim?
Ruth 4:11-12

Besides being paid for the land, how else was Naomi blessed through Ruth's marriage to Boaz?
Ruth 4:13-16

Though interesting, what made Ruth's story important enough to become part of the Scripture?
Ruth 4:17
What other important Bible character descended from Ruth?
Matthew 1:1

How could God allow a non-Jew to taint Jesus' ancestry? Were there any others?
Matthew 1:5 (Joshua 6)
Were there any other scandalous women in Jesus' ancestry?
Matthew 1:3 (Genesis 38)
Are any other women mentioned in Jesus' family tree?
Matthew 1:6 (2 Samuel 11)

What does this tainted ancestry remind us?
Galatians 3:26-29
Who is our kinsman-redeemer?
Galatians 4:4-7