Here’s how the study works: Read the chapter mentioned in the heading several times during the week and share any words, thoughts, verses that stood out to you. Having a week for a chapter creates the opportunity to reread it several times and make additional comments as you feel inclined as well as make comments on other people’s insights.
v.12 if we had someone like Tamar in our family I’m sure we would barely own up to it. I mean she dressed up as a prostitute in order to become pregnant by her father-in-law!
However in her culture she was honoured because she sacrifices her wishes in order to preserve her husband’s seed which is similar to what Ruth has done.
Apparently people named their daughters after Tamar and God honours Tamar by including her in the genealogy that leads to Jesus, an honour He also gives to Ruth (v.22).
v.12 if we had someone like Tamar in our family I’m sure we would barely own up to it. I mean she dressed up as a prostitute in order to become pregnant by her father-in-law!
However in her culture she was honoured because she sacrifices her wishes in order to preserve her husband’s seed which is similar to what Ruth has done.
Apparently people named their daughters after Tamar and God honours Tamar by including her in the genealogy that leads to Jesus, an honour He also gives to Ruth (v.22).
you know i was hoping for a lot more glitz in this ending, but it holds together. 🙂
what an amazing story. the far reaching consequences of the things we do now in each moment. wait, not even “consequences.” that sounds negative. effects. that’s better. the far reaching effects of our choices now.
a couple of weeks ago, i was watching a documentary on heavy metal and i was able to trace back the roots of heavy metal to christopher columbus. if i knew more about the true politics behind that moment and the history of spain, i’m sure i could go back farther.
i love that they make the connection for us. it is so cool to see and meet all of the interesting charachters that lead up to jesus. and the things they did that helped prepare the way over centuries until the moment finally arrived! woo hoo!
you know i was hoping for a lot more glitz in this ending, but it holds together. 🙂
what an amazing story. the far reaching consequences of the things we do now in each moment. wait, not even “consequences.” that sounds negative. effects. that’s better. the far reaching effects of our choices now.
a couple of weeks ago, i was watching a documentary on heavy metal and i was able to trace back the roots of heavy metal to christopher columbus. if i knew more about the true politics behind that moment and the history of spain, i’m sure i could go back farther.
i love that they make the connection for us. it is so cool to see and meet all of the interesting charachters that lead up to jesus. and the things they did that helped prepare the way over centuries until the moment finally arrived! woo hoo!
It is amazing how God orchestrates events.
I was thinking about the Pharisees and that it was a good thing they weren’t around in Ruth’s day. They would be running around telling Boaz he couldn’t marry Ruth because she was a Moabite (Deuteronomy 23:3-6). Yet clearly God arranged this marriage and in doing so shows us that He is a God of amazing grace.
The Pharisees must have read this story so why didn’t they get that God loves to show grace?
It is amazing how God orchestrates events.
I was thinking about the Pharisees and that it was a good thing they weren’t around in Ruth’s day. They would be running around telling Boaz he couldn’t marry Ruth because she was a Moabite (Deuteronomy 23:3-6). Yet clearly God arranged this marriage and in doing so shows us that He is a God of amazing grace.
The Pharisees must have read this story so why didn’t they get that God loves to show grace?
i think we’ve asked that question between us about 10 times since we started discussing scripture together.
and now, at this moment in time, i will speculate that it is because the grace is in the subtext. not the plain text. and their approach to the scriptures was described by jesus thusly, “you search the scriptures because you think that by them you have life.”
it is the spirit behind the scriptures that brings the grace to the forefront. but if you are only focused on the text itself, i think you’ll miss the spirit speaking through them.
that’s my answer this time. we’ll see how i feel next time.
i think we’ve asked that question between us about 10 times since we started discussing scripture together.
and now, at this moment in time, i will speculate that it is because the grace is in the subtext. not the plain text. and their approach to the scriptures was described by jesus thusly, “you search the scriptures because you think that by them you have life.”
it is the spirit behind the scriptures that brings the grace to the forefront. but if you are only focused on the text itself, i think you’ll miss the spirit speaking through them.
that’s my answer this time. we’ll see how i feel next time.
Yes I keep asking the same question because I don’t feel like I have got to the bottom of it.
I think you are right, Jon they only focused on the text but why? It is a very mindless way to read Scripture, well, any book really.
Yes I keep asking the same question because I don’t feel like I have got to the bottom of it.
I think you are right, Jon they only focused on the text but why? It is a very mindless way to read Scripture, well, any book really.
i think they were just concerned with “the right thing to do.” much like today, people still read scripture concerned with finding “the right thing to do” that will curry god’s favor.
in looking for that thing on the surface, they miss it. not to generalize about other people. i know my own personal evangelical faith expressed itself through me in such a fashion. i was just blind to it at the time. so i have to admit guilt as well…
i think they were just concerned with “the right thing to do.” much like today, people still read scripture concerned with finding “the right thing to do” that will curry god’s favor.
in looking for that thing on the surface, they miss it. not to generalize about other people. i know my own personal evangelical faith expressed itself through me in such a fashion. i was just blind to it at the time. so i have to admit guilt as well…
Thanks Jon, for your comments. You have given me some ideas that I might use in my next devotional thought 🙂
Thanks Jon, for your comments. You have given me some ideas that I might use in my next devotional thought 🙂
v.13 … the Lord enabled her to conceive …
Sort of implies that she had not been able to have children with Mahlon.
v.13 … the Lord enabled her to conceive …
Sort of implies that she had not been able to have children with Mahlon.
I was watching a TV show that had some Hasidic (spelling?) jews in it. They had 613 laws that they were to follow. With that many, just learning the overlying text is hard enough. But to actually search for the underlying, WAAAAAY too much work.
I was watching a TV show that had some Hasidic (spelling?) jews in it. They had 613 laws that they were to follow. With that many, just learning the overlying text is hard enough. But to actually search for the underlying, WAAAAAY too much work.
Perhaps at the end of the day the underlying text is simply show love and grace.
Perhaps at the end of the day the underlying text is simply show love and grace.
precisely. “the sum of the law and the propehts is this: treat other in the same way you wish to be treated.”
precisely. “the sum of the law and the propehts is this: treat other in the same way you wish to be treated.”
4:13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son.
(From Constable’s Commentary) “Choices we make at the prompting of God’s Holy Spirit have ramifications for good beyond our wildest dreams.”
4:13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son.
(From Constable’s Commentary) “Choices we make at the prompting of God’s Holy Spirit have ramifications for good beyond our wildest dreams.”