Victor Chong EDGE 26th March 2017

Victor Chong EDGE 26th March 2017
Ruth Victor Chong EDGE 26th March 2017

Ruth Love is selfless To be righteous is to be compassionate
Reflection of how God deals with his people Examples for us in a godless, chaotic world

Ruth: Introduction A story of beauty and contrast; both highly aesthetic and confronting Beauty: Hebrew short story, “told with consummate skill.” “Among historical narratives in Scripture it is unexcelled in its compactness, vividness, warmth, beauty and dramatic effectiveness – an exquisitely wrought jewel of Hebrew narrative art.” Study Bible

English Prose ----------------------------- Poetry
Prose and Poetry English Prose   Poetry

Prose and Poetry English Prose   Poetry 散文  词 诗 Chinese

Chinese Poetry 唐诗 (AD 618-907) 宋词 (AD 960-1279)
长恨歌 - 白居易宋词 (AD ) 声声慢 - 李清照汉皇重色思倾国，御宇多年求不得。杨家有女初长成，养在深闺人未识。天生丽质难自弃，一朝选在君王侧。回眸一笑百媚生，六宫粉黛无颜色。春寒赐浴华清池，温泉水滑洗凝脂。侍儿扶起娇无力，始是新承恩泽时。云鬓花颜金步摇，芙蓉帐暖度春宵。春宵苦短日高起，从此君王不早朝。 … 寻寻觅觅，冷冷清清，凄凄惨惨戚戚。乍暖还寒时候，最难将息。三杯两盏淡酒，怎敌他、晚来风急？雁过也，正伤心，却是旧时相识。满地黄花堆积。憔悴损，如今有谁堪摘？守着窗儿，独自怎生得黑？梧桐更兼细雨，到黄昏、点点滴滴。这次第，怎一个愁字了得！

Spectrum of Prose and Poetry

Ruth: Breaking boundaries
Yet a story that breaks boundaries and challenges stereotype: A poor widow providing for another widow (Naomi) A descendant of the incestuous union of Lot and his eldest daughter (Gen 19:36) who obeys the Mosaic Law in marrying an older kinsman- redeemer A woman from the country that seduce Israel men (Numbers 25:1) who teaches what is true love A foreigner, an traditional enemy who is forbidden to enter God’s Temple (Deu 23:3) who demonstrates true godliness

Ruth: Structure (NASB: New American Standard Bible)
Introduction: Naomi Emptied (1:1-5) – 71 words in the Hebrew Bible Naomi Returns from Moab (1:6-22) Boaz Meets Ruth (chapter 2) Ruth Goes to Boaz (chapter 3) Boaz Marries Ruth (4:1-12) Conclusion: Naomi Filled (4:13-17) – 71 words in the Hebrew Bible Epilogue: Genealogy of David (4:18-22)

Introduction: Naomi Emptied
Now it came [to pass] in the days when the judges judged, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the land of Moab, he with his wife and his two sons. 2 The name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife, Naomi; and the names of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem in Judah. Now they entered the land of Moab and remained there. (1:1-2)

Background: Days When the Judges Judged
The approximate 300 years interval between the conquest of the Promised Land by Joshua and the rule of the first king of Israel, Saul ( BC) 300-year (12) cycles of sins, judgment, deliverance “After that whole generation (of Joshua) had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither YHWH nor what he had done for Israel. Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of YHWH and served Baals. … In his anger against Israel YHWH handed them over to raiders who plundered them. He sold them to their enemies all around, …Then YHWH raise up judges who saved them out of the hands of these raiders. Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshipped them.” (Judges 2:10-15, NIV)

A time of moral decay, civil war: “In those days Israel had no king. … While they were enjoying themselves, some of the wicked men of the city surround the house. Pounding on the door, they shouted to the old man who owned the house, “Bring out the man who came to your house so we can have sex with him.”” (Judges 19:22, NIV) “They called out to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them.” (Genesis 19:5, NIV)

And religious corruption “In those days Israel had no king. … the Danites was seeking a place of their own where they might settle … These men went into Micah’s house and took the carved image, the ephod, the other household gods and the cast idol, … They answered [the Levite], “… Isn’t it better that you serve a tribe and clan in Israel as priest rather than just one man’s household?” Then the priest was glad … Then they went on to Laish, against a peaceful and unsuspecting people. They attacked them with the sword and burned down their city. … and Jonathan son of Gershom, the son of Moses, and his sons were priests for the tribe of Dan …” Judges 18

Introduction: Naomi Emptied
3 Then Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she was left with her two sons. 4 They took for themselves Moabite women as wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. And they lived there about ten years. 5 Then both of them, Mahlon and Chilion also died, and the woman was bereft of her two children and her husband. (1:3-5)

Moab: Where is Moab? Map of Moab Stronghold: Kir Hareseth (El Karak)

Moab and her relationship with Israel:
The descendants of incestuous union between Lot and his older daughter [Moab, ~ from father] (Gen 19:30- 37) Traditional enemy of Israel: during Exodus (Deu 2:9), Balak, King of Moab, called Balaam to curse Israel (Nu ); when he failed, he used Moabite women to seduce Israelite men, which eventually led to a plague that killed men (Nu 25) Because of that, no Moabite was allowed to enter the assembly of YHWH, even to the 10th generation (Deu 23:3-6) Eglon, king of Moab, oppressed Israel 18 years during the period of the Judges (Jdg 3), almost 50 years after the Conquest. Chemosh, god of the Moabites

Moab (Mesha Stele) Solomon built high places for Chemosh, the god of the Moabites (1 Kings 11:7) Period of Divided Kingdom: Moab was subdued by Israel, but King Mesha rebelled during the reign of Joram (circa BC). Joram gathered his allies, invaded Moab and besiege Kir Hereseth. (2 Ki 3:27b) Isaiah (circa 740BC) prophesied against Moab (Isa 15) Jeremiah (circa 620BC) prophesied against Moab (Jer 48)

Naomi Returns from Moab
6 Then she arose with her daughters-in-law that she might return from the land of Moab, for she had heard in the land of Moab that YHWH had visited His people in giving them food. 7 So she departed from the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. (1:6-7)

8 And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother’s house. May YHWH deal kindly with you as you have dealt with the dead and with me. 9 May YHWH grant that you may find rest, each in the house of her husband.” Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept. (1:8-9)

14 And they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. 15 Then she said, “Behold, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” (1:14-15)

16 But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. 17 Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may YHWH do to me, and worse, if anything but death parts you and me.” 18 When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more to her. (1:16-18)

From Chemosh to YHWH: “Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.” “I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am YHWH, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.” (Exodus 6:7, NIV) “Now fear YHWH and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt and serve YHWH. But if serving YHWH seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living.” (Jos 24:14-15, NIV)

From Chemosh to YHWH: Love is Selfless
Ruth, “… where you go, I will go …” At a time of chaos, godlessness, moral corruption Ruth could have returned home, married someone else and lived better Naomi, now old, would of course be worse off without Ruth For Ruth, following Naomi means no means of livelihood, no family in a foreign country, no future, no hope (hence Naomi’s urge for her to return to her own mother’s home) Between looking after Naomi, her mother-in-law, and her future, Ruth selflessly chose Naomi Contrast between Orpah and Ruth, and their choices

Ruth: Breaking Boundaries

Boaz Meets Ruth (chapter 2)
Now Naomi had a kinsman of her husband, a great man of great wealth, of the family of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz (lit great). 2 And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, “Please let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain after one in whose sight I may find favour.” And she said to her, “Go, my daughter.” 3 So she departed and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers; and she happened to come to the portion of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech. (2:1-3)

Barley Harvest in ANE: Barley harvest in April / May
Cutting the ripened standing grain with hand sickle by the men Binding the grain into sheaves by women Gleaning or gathering stalks of grain left behind (Ruth) Transporting sheaves to the threshing floor by donkeys Threshing, winnowing, sifting the grain from foreign matter, bagging, storing the grain harvested

4 Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem and said to the reapers, “May YHWH be with you.” And they said to him, “May YHWH bless you.” 5 Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?” 6 The servant in charge of the reapers replied, “She is the young Moabite woman who returned with Naomi from the land of Moab.

8 Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Have you not heard, my daughter. Do not go to glean in another field; furthermore, do not go on from this one, but stay here with my maids. 9 Let your eyes be on the field which they reap, and go after them. Indeed, I have commanded the servants not to touch you. When you are thirsty, go to the water jars and drink from what the servants draw.”

10 Then she fell on her face, bowing to the ground and said to him, “Why have I found favour in your sight that you should take notice of me, since I am a foreigner?” 11 Boaz replied to her, “All that you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband has been fully reported to me, and how you left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and came to a people that you did not previously know. 12 May YHWH reward your work, and your wages be full from YHWH, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge.” (2:8-11)

14 At mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come here, that you may eat of the bread and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar.” So she sat beside the reapers; and he served her roasted grain, and she ate and was satisfied and had some left. 15 When she rose to glean, Boaz commanded his servants, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not insult her. 16 Also you shall purposely pull out for her some grain from the bundles and leave it that she may glean, and do not rebuke her.” (2:14-16)

Levitical Laws: Harvest and the Poor
“When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am YHWH your God.” (Lev 19:9,10; 23:22, NIV) “When you are harvesting in your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the alien, the fatherless and the widow so that YHWH your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.” (Deu 24:19, NIV)

To be Righteous is to be Compassionate
“All that you have done for your mother-in-law after the death of your husband has been fully reported to me, and how you left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and came to a people that you did not previously know. May YHWH reward your work, and your wages be full from YHWH, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge.” (2:11-12) In providing Ruth with physical protection, water, lunch and extra stalks of harvest from the sheaves, Boaz had done more that what is required by the Law. Boaz attributes his generosity to God’s provision and reward for a selfless foreign widow who comes to depend on God.

To be Righteous is to be Compassionate
“Therefore love is the fulfilment of the law …” (Rom 13:10, NIV) “And the second [Greatest Commandment] is … Love your neighbour as yourself …” (Mark 12:31, Matt 22:39, NIV) “For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt 5:20, NIV)

Ruth Goes to Boaz (chapter 3)
(After the harvest …) “Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, shall I not seek security for you, that it may be well with you? 2 Now is not Boaz our kinsman, with whose maids you were? Behold, he winnows barley at the threshing floor tonight. 3 Wash yourself therefore, and anoint yourself and put on your best clothes, and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 It shall be when he lies down, that you shall notice the place where he lies, and you shall go and uncover his feet and lie down; then he will tell you what you shall do.” 5 She said to her, “All that you say I will do.” (Ruth 3:1-5)

Ruth Goes to Boaz (chapter 3)
8 It happened in the middle of the night that the man was startled and bent forward; and behold, a woman was lying at his feet. 9 He said, “Who are you?” And she answered, “I am Ruth your maid. So spread your covering over your maid, for you are a kinsman-redeemer .” 10 Then he said, “May you be blessed of YHWH, my daughter. You have shown your last kindness to be better than the first by not going after young men, whether poor or rich. 11 Now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you whatever you ask, for all my people in the city gate know that you are a woman of excellence.” (Ruth 3:8-11)

Love is Selfless: “This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor.”

Boaz Marries Ruth (chapter 4)
“2 He took ten men of the elders of the city and said, “Sit down here.” So they sat down. 3 Then he said to the kinsman-redeemer , “Naomi, who has come back from the land of Moab, has to sell the piece of land which belonged to our brother Elimelech. 4 So I thought to inform you, saying, ‘Buy it before those who are sitting here, and before the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if not, tell me that I may know; for there is no one but you to redeem it, and I am after you.’” And he said, “I will redeem it.” ” (Ruth 4:2-4)

“If one of your countrymen becomes poor and sells some of his property, his nearest relative is to come and redeem what his countryman has sold.” (Lev 25:25, NIV)

5 Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also acquire Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of the deceased, in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance.” (Ruth 4:4,5) “If brothers are living together and one of them dies without a son, his widow must not marry outside the family. Her husband’s brother shall take her and marry her and fulfil the duty of a brother-in-law to her. The first son she bears shall carry on the name of the dead brother so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel.” (Deut 25:5, NIV)

“6 The kinsman-redeemer said, “I cannot redeem it for myself, because I would jeopardize my own inheritance. Redeem it for yourself; you may have my right of redemption, for I cannot redeem it.” … (4:6)

9 Then Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses today that I have bought from the hand of Naomi all that belonged to Elimelech and all that belonged to Chilion and Mahlon. 10 Moreover, I have acquired Ruth the Moabitess, the widow of Mahlon, to be my wife in order to raise up the name of the deceased on his inheritance, so that the name of the deceased will not be cut off from his brothers or from the court of his birth place; you are witnesses today.” (Ruth 4:9,10)

To be Righteous is to be Compassionate:
“Then I cannot redeem it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it.”

Naomi Filled (Ruth 4:13-17) “13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife, and he went in to her. And YHWH enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. 14 Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed is YHWH who has not left you without a redeemer today, and may his name become famous in Israel. 15 May he also be to you a restorer of life and a sustainer of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you and is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.” (Ruth 4:13-15)

Ruth: Structure (NASB: New American Standard Bible)
Introduction: Naomi Emptied (1:1-5) – 71 words in the Hebrew Bible Naomi Returns from Moab (1:6-22) Boaz Meets Ruth (chapter 2) Ruth Goes to Boaz (chapter 3) Boaz Marries Ruth (4:1-12) Conclusion: Naomi Filled (4:13-17) – 71 words in the Hebrew Bible Epilogue: Genealogy of David (4:18-22)

The Big Picture: David’s Genealogy
“This, then, is the family line of Perez: Perez was the father of Hezron Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, Boaz the father of Obed, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David.” (Ruth 4:18-22)

Ruth and Genesis 1. … there was a famine in the land, and a man … went to live for a while in … Moab (1:1) 2. “May YHWH make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel” (4:11) 3. Through the offspring YHWH gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah (4:12) 1. Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while … (12:10) 2. And Jacob did so. He finished the week with Leah and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife (Gen 29:26) 3. As she was being brought out, she sent a message to her father-in-law … Judah recognized them and said, “She is more righteous than I …” (Gen 38:25- 26)

Ruth and Genesis This, then, is the family line of Perez: Perez was the father of Hezron Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab, Amminadab the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, Boaz the father of Obed, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David.” (Ruth 4:18-22) The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez and Zerah (but Er and Onan had died in the land of Canaan). The sons of Perez: Hezron and Hamul. (Gen 46:12)

Functions of Genealogy:
Genealogy hints at a new beginning Genealogy functions as a hinge: to join what is before to what is to come, and by extension, the fulfilment of the blessings God gave to the Patriarchs. Genealogy functions as a telescope: to focus on a specific person who is to come, bringing hope to the community of God’s people.

Genealogy of Perez to David:
In spite of the sins and corruption in the “days the judges judged”, (Ruth 1:1) God is bringing a new beginning to his people He will fulfil his promises of blessing He made to the Patriarchs, to be their God, and the Israelites His people (Ruth 2:16-17). These promises will be fulfilled in the descendant of Boaz and Ruth called David – hence preparation for the books Samuel, Kings and Chronicles.

Ruth: Introduction A story of beauty and contrast; both highly aesthetic and confronting Beauty: Hebrew short story, “told with consummate skill.” “Among historical narratives in Scripture it is unexcelled in its compactness, vividness, warmth, beauty and dramatic effectiveness – an exquisitely wrought jewel of Hebrew narrative art.” Study Bible

Ruth: Breaking Boundaries

Ruth: What are the lessons?
Love is selfless To be righteous is to be compassionate and gracious How does God deal with His people: God will love them selflessly (Ruth to Naomi) God will be compassionate to them (Boaz to Ruth and Naomi) Examples We are called to be selfless We are called to be compassionate

Victor Chong EDGE 26th March 2017

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