At the beginning of the story of Naomi and Ruth, it is obvious that Naomi does not acknowledge and clearly does not recognize Ruth for her true value and all that she represents for Naomi's future. However this story does inform the reader that a child was born to Boaz and Ruth who was named Obed and that this child, upon his birth was taken and laid into the arm's of Naomi, a woman's whose hands had been so empty.
Summary & Discussion
There are several lessons learned from this study and the first of which is the lesson of hope, faith, and the everlasting love of God toward his children. This story has demonstrated the love and protection of the Almighty God, and further has demonstrated the lesson of, how and when, the human being chooses to divert from the path or place in which God has placed them; that when all the divergent paths have been taken the place that the human being finds themselves to be is right at the very point where they made the choice to divert from God's plan for their life.
Ruth was drawn to the God of Naomi and was willing to turn aside from all that she knew in terms of her home, her family, her culture, and her religion, and to cleave to Ruth, mother of her husband who was deceased. While it is certain that Ruth was very much a new follower of YHWH, at the same time it was not her knowledge or experience but her faith that made all the difference and resulted in her...
Because of this extraordinary faith and hope demonstrated for God by Ruth in her blind following of Him through clinging to his servant Naomi, Ruth was both blessed by God and used by God to bless and ultimately to be included in the lineage through which Jesus Christ the Messiah would be born.
Bibliography
Schultz, Rev. John (2002) Commentary to the Book of Ruth Bible Commentaries 2002.
Copeland, Mark a. (nd) the Book of Ruth. Executable Outlines. Online available at http://executableoutlines.com/ruth/ruth_so.pdf
Smith, Russell (2004) Great Expectations: A Sermon on Ruth 3:1-18. IIIM Magazine Vol. 6, No. 11, 13 Mar to 5 Feb 2004. Online available at http://reformedperspectives.org/newfiles/rus_smith/OT.Smith.Russell.Ruth3_3.31.04.html
McCullough, David (2007) Book Review: Ruth 3: 1-18- Expectation or Midnight Rendezvous, but it's Not What You Think!" Theology and Steak: Meat for the Mind, Body, and Soul. 28 Oct 2007. Online available at http://theologyandsteak.wordpress.com/2007/10/28/ruth-3-1-18-expectation-or-midnight-rendezvous-but-its-not-what-you-think/
Ruth 3:1-18 Analysis
