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'As Good As It Gets' -
modern films often tell a story like Ruth's: an over-burdened young woman who finds love with
a wealthy older man |
Extra Websites Bible
Clothes and Houses
What Ruth wore, typical houses
Ruth
- one of the top nine heroines of the Bible.
Who were the others? Can you
suggest a 10th?
What
were families like in ancient Israel?
How were they different?
Bible
Map: see the great distance these
two women travelled The
Levirate Law: what was it? how did it change Ruth's life? Famous
Paintings of Ruth and Naomi Meditation:
Helping Each Other Through Life:
lessons from the story of Ruth and
Naomi Meditation:
Trust God: When You Don't Know Where Life Is Going
Bible
Women: Ruth and Naomi:
Two women's
loyalty to each other
Young
People in the Bible
Young Ruth makes good choices
Bible Women:
Major Events
Choosing a husband, marrying him
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Characters
in the Story of Ruth Ruth
was a young foreign widow
without family or prospects
who married a
wealthy Israelite. She bore a son Obed, who was the grandfather of King
David and an ancestor of Jesus of Nazareth.
 Worth
noting about Ruth:
-
she is
compassionate, unwilling to leave her elderly mother-in-law when the
older woman is in trouble - it is unlikely Naomi would have survived
the long journey back to Bethlehem if she were on her own
-
she is
beautiful to look at - Boaz, who is a rich landowner and could
presumably have his pick of local women, is immediately attracted to
her
-
she is
loyal - in the words of the modern marriage ceremony, she has
forsaken all others and considers her first husband's family to be
her main focus
-
she is
shrewd enough to listen to the advice of an older woman, and put
that advice into action
Naomi,
Ruth's shrewd mother-in-law who advised her how to get a second
husband and was rewarded by the birth of a grandson...  Worth
noting about Naomi:
-
she is
shrewd, viewing life with pragmatism and common sense
-
she is a
good judge of character, sizing up
Boaz immediately and advising Ruth how to nudge the lovesick
man into proposing
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she
inspires loyalty in Ruth, who trusts her completely
-
she is
liked by the other women in the village, who help her
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she gives
good advice - Ruth is clever enough to recognise this, and follows
her advice
Boaz, the wealthy Israelite who married Ruth and became the father of Obed.  Worth
noting about Boaz:
-
he is
besotted with Ruth at first sight; the young woman sparks a passion
that seems to surprise and delight all the villagers
-
he is both
shrewd (he recognises that Ruth may be harassed by the young men)
and compassionate (though he is rich himself, he appreciates the
plight of the two women, and does something about it)
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he is
religiously devout: he observes the Leverite Law even though it may
disadvantage him, and he continues the Jewish custom of giving
practical help to the poor
Orpah,
the second daughter-in-law of Naomi  Worth
noting about Orpah:
-
though only a minor
character in the story, her contrasting qualities throw Ruth's
compassion and loyalty into the spotlight
-
she abandons Naomi
when the older woman needs her most; her name means 'back of the
neck', signalling the way she turns her back on Naomi
-
she returns to her
original Moabite family; Ruth on the other hand wholeheartedly
adopts her husband's Jewish family
The
women of Bethlehem: don't overlook these. They played an important
part in the story of Ruth and Naomi.
 Jennie Ebeling, in her book Women's Lives in
Biblical Times, says:
'Names in ancient
Israel were more than just identification; they signified a person's
essence and were thus extremely important. In the story of Ruth, the
women of the neighborhood uniquely gave the newborn Obed his name
(Ruth 4:17). This group of women came together in solidarity around
the new mother, which would have been extremely important in a
situation where a woman has only recently moved, alone, to her
husband's village.' (p.103)
LOVE
IS IN THE AIR...
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