An Introduction to the Book of Ruth: Session 1
(NOTE: Please disregard any reference to page numbers given in the DVD. These refer to an earlier version of note-blank, and not to this study guide.)
- The story of Ruth is one of the most beautiful __________________ stories of all time.
- This is also a story about ____________________________.
- In the book of Ruth, we find women going through various _____________________ of life.
- In Ruth we see almost every _________________ of ____________________ that a woman can experience.
- Ruth is one of five women listed in the genealogy of Christ in Matthew 1.
- To be related to Jesus is not a matter of being a good woman or a religious person, it’s a matter of being a sinner who knows something of the _____________________ of God.
- Major themes in the Book of Ruth:
- The _______________________________ of God.
- The meaning of ________________________ love.
- The ____________________that one can make.
- The meaning of _______________________.
- The Law of the Kinsman-Redeemer:
- The kinsman-redeemer had both a _______________ and a _________________ to his impoverished relative.
- The kinsman-redeemer could buy back land and __________________it to a relative.
- The kinsman-redeemer could also raise up _________________ for his brother, to preserve the family name.
Running, Rebuke, Repentance: Session 2
- The setting for the Book of Ruth is in the wicked days when the ______________________ruled.
- Famine was unusual in this land. Bethlehem-Judah means “house of _____________________ and ___________________.”
- The famine was a result of _____________________, so the solution was not in _____________________, but in ________________________.
- The moment this family stepped out of God’s will, God began creating _______________________ to bring them back home and back to Himself.
- God used two things to bring Naomi back:
- His hand of _____________________________
- News of ________________________ back home
- Repent mean to ______________________ my mind, to realize I’ve been going my own way instead of ____________________ way.
- When Naomi repented, she had to get up and ______________________ Moab.
- Repentance is the first step in the process of ______________________________.
- Our “Moab” is the places, things, and people to which we turn to get our _______________ met rather than looking to ____________________. Moab is the ______________________ for God in our lives.
Resolve: Session 3
- Naomi was looking for _________________________ for herself and her daughters-in-law. This is a recurring theme in the Book of Ruth.
- Bitterness of spirit produces _________________________ in our souls.
- Rest is not a matter of a change in our ______________________ circumstances, but something God gives within our hearts.
- The daughters-in-law are faced with a __________________________.
- They could choose between the pathway of _______________________ and ____________________ or the pathway of ________________________ and _______________________.
- If you’re willing to sacrifice immediate __________________________ to settle for long-term blessing, you will choose the pathway of commitment and compassion.
- Ruth made a:
- conscious, ______________________ choice. Her choice was a matter of _____________________ and ______________________.
- choice based on _______________________ rather than feelings.
- a steadfast, _______________________ choice.
- ______________________, lifetime choice.
- ________________ percent choice requiring total commitment.
- _________________ choice.
- The foundational choice to follow Christ does not eliminate smaller choices that we must make on a daily basis, but it does ______________________ them.
Resentment: Session 4
- The outcome of our lives is not determined by what happens to us, but by how we ___________________ to what happens to us.
- How we respond will be determined by our _____________________ of God.
- Naomi had a faulty view of God. She did not see that the painful circumstances in her life were an expression of God’s ________________________.
- Naomi responded to her circumstances in resentment and ____________________, and others became defiled by the overflow.
- As a step to determine if you are bitter, ask:
- Is there anyone in my life that I have never fully __________________________?
- Is there any person or circumstances in my life for which I have never __________________ God?
- Naomi, in the process of _________________________, needed a right view of God.
- To be set free from bitterness, we need to:
- Look ______________________.
- Look ______________________.
Refuge: Session 5
- In contrast to Naomi’s spirit of bitterness, we see Ruth’s response to her _____________________ circumstances.
- In the Old Testament, God’s provision for the poor was that they should _____________________, and that the wealthy should ______________________ the poor to work.
- Another title for this chapter might be ________________ and ___________________.
- Ruth was diligent and __________________________. Even menial work, when done through love, can be a _____________________________.
- From Ruth’s standpoint, she just “happened” to come upon Boaz’s field, but with God there are no ________________________.
- Boaz tells Ruth to stay in his field—the “Field of ____________________.”
- “God will rarely change my circumstances until He has used my circumstances to _______________ me.”
- The “Wings of God” provide:
- __________________________ (Psalm 17:8-9)
- ___________________________________ (Psalm 36:7-8)
- _____________________ in the midst of the storm (Psalm 57:1)
- help and ____________________ (Psalm 63:7)
- _____________ in the midst of ____________________ circumstances (Psalm 91:4)
- Three qualifications of a Kinsman-Redeemer are:
- The man had to have the ______________________ to redeem—he had to be related.
- The man had to have the ______________________ to redeem—the ability to pay.
- The man had to be ______________________ to redeem.
Request: Session 6—Part One
- Ruth wants nothing for herself; she is seeking an ___________________ for her deceased husband. She is fulfilling her _____________ to follow the ways of God in restoring her family name and family lands.
- Ruth’s response gives us a key to successful marriage relationships—not based on personal happiness, but rather on _________________________, sacrifice, obedience, and ___________________________.
- Ruth first found refuge under the shadow of God’s wings, and then she was able to find refuge under the garment of a _____________________.
- Boaz, the kinsman-redeemer, says to Ruth, “Don’t be ____________________. I will do for you ________________ you ask.”
- Ruth was known in the city as a woman of ________________________ character. She is a _________________ woman.
- Women’s virtue should ___________________ men.
- Virtue is a matter of the __________________, and it affects everything in our lives.
- Naomi now counsels Ruth to __________________ until Boaz settles the matter.
- God doesn’t fix every situation _______________________; sometimes we too must __________________.
Redemption & Restoration: Session 6—Part Two
- The grace of God always has a ____________________________________!
- The city elders pronounced a three-fold blessing to Boaz and Ruth:
- A blessing on the __________________________
- A blessing on the __________________________
- A blessing on their _________________________
- The women of the city told Naomi that she would ______________________ have a “goel” (redeemer) to care for her.
Our Redemption
- Our condition: ___________________ and _______________________
Two biblical words that describe our situation:
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
- His intervention
- The transaction: ____________________ of _____________________. I become His!
My part—by faith:
Acknowledge my __________________.
Appeal for grace.
Give myself and my situation fully to Him.
His part—the transformation
My _____________________________
My _____________________________
My _____________________________
Scripture
Ruth