|
Ruth - A Story of the Goodness of God |
|
WELCOME ICEBREAKER What was the biggest move your family ever made? Was it a good or bad experience? WORSHIP Take time to sing songs of the goodness of God, or have the group share how praise reports of God’s goodness in their lives. WORD As a group take time to read the wonderful story of Ruth. Divide the 75 verses among those that are comfortable reading or have one person read the entire story. This is sometimes easier for large portions of scriptures when trying to follow in different translations. - What is your first impression of this story?
When famine struck Israel, Elimelech gathered up his wife and two sons and immigrated to Moab. Here the sons would marry women from this nation under another god. Over the next 10 years all three men died. Naomi, which means “beauty, agreeable, sweet”, encouraged her two daughter-in-laws to stay at home with their families while she returned to the refuge of Israel where the famine was now over. Naomi tells us she left full and returned back empty (Ruth 1:21). Her husband had left the “wings of refuge” (Ruth 2:12) for a quick fix in land under another god with a bad track record (Numbers 25:1—3) - What is our “land of refuge” today?
Given the social problems of the day facing widows in a male-dominated pre-welfare age, why did Naomi tell Ruth and Orpah to return to their families? Whose action surprises you most; Ruth, who left her family to go to a strange land as a single woman or Orpah, who went back to her family? It would appear after the death of her first husband that tragedy had struck the life of Naomi. It is in these times we find out who our real friends are. Ruth means “friend or companion” and she certainly demonstrated this to Naomi. Discuss what it would of meant for Ruth personally to leave her country and family. - Who has been a “Ruth” to you?
The choices we make can lead to a life of significance or obscurity. We see Ruth making some strong decisions of faith to follow God. She became the great grandmother of King David and Orpah is never heard of again. Ruth found a “Kinsmen Redeemer” who took her from a land of exile and gave her a place of honor.
Boaz is a picture of Jesus as a “Kinsmen Redeemer”. The kinsmen redeemer had to meet certain qualifications, which Boaz met. Look up the following verses and see how Jesus met the same qualifications for us. - He had to have the resources to pay for the redemption.
1 Peter 1:18-19
- He had to be related to the one being redeemed.
John 1:14
Romans 1:3
Phil. 2:5—8
- He must be willing.
Matthew 20:28
John 10:15
We see that Boaz treated Ruth with great favour and kindness like Jesus treats us. In what verses do you see the actions of Boaz like Jesus? WORK As we discussed at our leadership summit, caring for members of the group is a key component of a healthy home group. Ask for prayer requests and look for tangible ways your group can care for one another this week.
|
|
