21 Fellowship

Couples Class

Ruth 4

He Joyfully Did All That Was Necessary

April 11, 2010

 

1-2       The next morning Boaz goes to the _________of Bethlehem.  This where they handled business matters.

             Everyone in town knew the situation.  There was only one Naomi, a widow with no one to provide for

            her, and a daughter-in-law who had decided to become a Jew and stick with Naomi until death.  The

            Mosaic Law, as we read last week, commanded that the nearest male relative come to the aid of a

            destitute widow.  In this case there are two. One can no longer have children to preserve the name of her

            husband, the other  one could produce a son who would eventually inherit the property of Naomi’s

            husband, Elimelech.  This case is so awesome because Obed is not going to be the direct physical

            descendent of Elimelech.  He is like an adopted grandson, like we are as Christian, adopted into the

            Family of God. 

 

            Boaz first stops the _____________ cousin (he is closer in the family tree to Elimelech than Boaz is

            himself.  That is all we know about him.)  Next he gathers ______ men to be witnesses to the transaction

            that is going to be made, which is the purchasing of Naomi’s land and house by Boaz.

 

3-12     Then, Boaz explains the situation to the nearer cousin with only Naomi and her property being

            mentioned.  This results in the closer relative saying, ‘I will _______it” (vs. 4).  Then, Boaz

            mentions the fact that if he redeems Naomi’s property, he will also be buying ___________, who will

            become his _________ to raise up a son to carry on the name of her dead husband.  Immediately the

            nearer kinsman changes his tune, and says “I _______________ buy it.”  It will ruin my estate, meaning

            it is too expensive and I will be too poor.  The reason he says this is because he knows Ruth will have a

            child, probably a son, and he will eventually get the land back as his own, and the nearer kinsman will

            have paid for the whole deal. 

 

            Do you think Boaz was excited when this man said he could not do it?____________

 

            The nearer kinsman tells Boaz to _____________ it for himself.  And Boaz addresses the elders and

            the large crowd that has gathered and tells them they are all witnesses that today he is buying everything

            that belongs to Naomi.  And that he is also taking _____________ to be his wife to raise up a son to

            perpetuate the name of the dead.  Everyone is excited and says, “May the Lord make the woman who is

            becoming your wife be like Rachel and Leah who built the entire house of ______________.  And may

             you, Boaz, become famous in ______________________.”  Do these witnesses think that Ruth is going

            to have a son from her marriage to Boaz? _________________.

 

13-22  And, what is the son’s name?_________________ What does the name mean?___________________

 

            What do you think about this name for today?_________________________________________

 

            Appl:  What this book says more than anything else is that our Heavenly Father loved us and sent one of

            our relatives, who was also His Son, to purchase us with His blood that He shed on that cross some 2000

            years ago.  “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down His life for his friend.”