They Are Family; Rahab, Naomi and Ruth
By Lonnie C. Crowe
Woman complements man.
Therefore, man must complement woman.
If it is not good for man to be alone, it is not good for woman to be
alone. Together, we manifest the image of God.
While we may not be able choose our relatives, we may be
able choose our family.
God often chooses the unlikely.
Rahab the Harlot
After having led the Israelites in the wilderness for forty
years and because of the revelation of God, Moses anointed Joshua to lead the army of Israel into the
Promised Land. The Lord then led Moses
to the pinnacle of Mt. Nebo and showed him the land that had been promised to
Abraham. Moses died on that mountain,
and the Lord buried him there. About 450
years had passed since Abraham.
Joshua 2: 1. And
Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go
view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into a harlot's house,
named Rahab, and lodged there.
Joshua 2:2-3: And it was told the king of Jericho, saying,
"Behold, men have come here tonight from the children of Israel to search
out the country.''
So the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, "Bring
out the men who have come to you, who have entered your house, for they have
come to search out all the country.''
Rahab spoke with the spies she had hidden.
Joshua 2:12-15: "Now therefore, I beg you, swear to me
by the Lord, since I have shown you kindness, that you also will show kindness
to my father's house, and give me a true token, and spare my father, my mother,
my brothers, my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from
death.''
So the men answered
her, "Our lives for yours, if none of you tell this business of ours. And
it shall be, when the Lord has given us the land, that we will deal kindly and
truly with you.''
Then she let them down
by a rope through the window, for her house was on the city wall; she dwelt on
the wall.
Joshua 2:16-21 And she said to them, "Get to the
mountain, lest the pursuers meet you. Hide there three days, until the pursuers
have returned. Afterward you may go your way.''
Then the men said to
her: "We will be blameless of this oath of yours which you have made us
swear,
"unless, when we come into the land, you
bind this line of scarlet cord in the window through which you let us down, and
unless you bring your father, your mother, your brothers, and all your father's
household to your own home.
"So it shall be that whoever goes
outside the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own
head, and we will be guiltless. And whoever is with you in the house, his blood
shall be on our head if a hand is laid on him.
"And if you tell this business of ours,
then we will be free from your oath which you made us swear.''
Then she said, "According to your words,
so be it.'' And she sent them away, and they departed.
And she bound the
scarlet cord in the window.
Joshua fought the battle of Jericho and the walls came
tumbling down.
Joshua 6:22-24 But Joshua had said to the two men who had
spied out the country, "Go into the harlot's house, and from there bring
out the woman and all that she has, as you swore to her.‘’
And the young men who had been spies went in
and brought out Rahab, her father, her mother, her brothers, and all that she
had. So they brought out all her relatives and left them outside the camp of
Israel.
But they burned the
city and all that was in it with fire. Only the silver and gold, and the
vessels of bronze and iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the Lord.
Joshua 6:25. And Joshua spared Rahab the harlot, her
father's household, and all that she had. So she dwells in Israel to this day, because
she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.
Now, how do Naomi and Ruth fit into the story”?
After the death of Joshua, the nation of Israel was ruled by
a series of Judges that included Deborah and Samson. Some were good leaders and some were not.
Judges 17:6: In those
days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
Judges 5:6-7
6 “In
the days of Shamgar, son of Anath,
In
the days of Jael,
The
highways were deserted,
And
the travelers walked along the byways.
7 Village
life ceased, it ceased in Israel,
Until
I, Deborah, arose,
Arose
a MOTHER IN ISRAEL.
Life wasn’t any better in Moab. The Moabites were descendants of an
incestuous relationship between Abraham’s nephew Lot and one of his daughters.
The Moabites worshiped the god Chemosh. His worship included human sacrifice. His name means “destroyer.”
Life in Moab left Naomi husbandless and sonless with two
daughters-in-law who had been born into a pagan culture.
Naomi decided to return to her home in Bethlehem which was
in the territory of the tribe of Judah.
Judah was the fourth son of Leah and Jacob and the one that Jacob had
prophesied would be the father of kings and the ancestor of the Messiah.
Genesis 49:8.
"Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise; your hand shall be on
the neck of your enemies; your father's children shall bow down before you.
9.
Judah is a lion's whelp; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He
bows down, he lies down as a lion; and as a lion, who shall rouse him?
10. The
scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet,
until Shiloh comes; and to Him shall be the obedience of the people.
As she was preparing to leave Moab to go to Bethlehem, she spoke with her daughters-in-law:
Ruth 1:8. And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law,
"Go, return each to her mother's house. The Lord deal kindly with you, as
you have dealt with the dead and with me.
9.
"The Lord 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.
10. And
they said to her, "Surely we will return with you to your people.''
11. But
Naomi said, "Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Are there
still sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?
13. No, my daughters;
for it grieves me very much for your sakes that the hand of the Lord has gone
out against me!''
Ruth 1:14. Then they lifted up their voices and wept
again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.
15. And
she said, "Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her
gods; return after your sister-in-law.''
16. But
Ruth said: "Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following
after you; for wherever you go, I will go; and wherever 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 will I be buried. The Lord do so to
me, and more also, if anything but death parts you and me.''
Ruth 1:22: So Naomi
returned, and Ruth the Moabitess her daughter-in-law with her, who returned
from the country of Moab. Now they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley
harvest.
Passover is at the
beginning of the barley harvest.
The roads were
probably crowded with people traveling to Jerusalem for Passover. It was a safe time for Naomi and Ruth to
travel. Bethlehem is only a few miles
from Jerusalem.
Ruth 2:1. And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a
man of great wealth, of the family of Elimelech; his name was Boaz. (Elimelech
was Naomi’s late husband.)
2. So
Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, "Please let me go to the field, and
glean heads of grain after him in whose sight I may find favor.'' And she said
to her, "Go, my daughter.''
3. Then
she left, and went and gleaned in the field after the reapers. And she happened
to come to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of
Elimelech.
Ruth 2:4: Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and
said to the reapers, "The Lord be with you!'' And they answered him,
"The Lord bless you!''
5. Then
Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, "Whose young
woman is this?''
6. So
the servant who was in charge of the reapers answered and said, "It is the
young Moabite woman who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab.
7.
"And she said, `Please let me glean and gather after the reapers
among the sheaves.' So she came and has continued from morning until now,
though she rested a little in the house.''
Ruth 2: 8. Then Boaz said to Ruth, "You will
listen, my daughter, will you not? Do not go to glean in another field, nor go
from here, but stay close by my young women.
9.
"Let your eyes be on the field which they reap, and go after them.
Have I not commanded the young men not to touch you? And when you are thirsty,
go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn.''
10. Then
she fell on her face, bowed down to the ground, and said to him, "Why have
I found favor in your eyes, that you should take notice of me, since I am a
foreigner?''
Ruth 2:11: And Boaz answered
and said to her, "It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done
for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left
your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a
people whom you did not know before.
12.
"The Lord repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the
Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.''
13.
Then she said, "Let me find favor in your sight, my lord; for you
have comforted me, and have spoken kindly to your maidservant, though I am not
like one of your maidservants.''
Ruth 2: 14: Now Boaz said to her at mealtime, "Come
here, and eat of the bread, and dip your piece of bread in the vinegar.'' So
she sat beside the reapers, and he passed parched grain to her; and she ate and
was satisfied, and kept some back.
15. And
when she rose up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, "Let her
glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her.
16.
"Also let some grain from the bundles fall purposely for her; leave
it that she may glean, and do not rebuke her.''
17. So
she gleaned in the field until evening, and beat out what she had gleaned, and
it was about an ephah of barley. (about four pounds)
Ruth 2:19: And her mother-in-law said to her,
"Where have you gleaned today? And where did you work? Blessed be the one
who took notice of you.'' So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had
worked, and said, "The man's name with whom I worked today is Boaz.''
20.
Then Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, "Blessed be he of the Lord,
who has not forsaken His kindness to the living and the dead!'' And Naomi said
to her, "The man is a relative of ours, one of our near kinsmen.''
21.
Then Ruth the Moabitess said, "He also said to me, `You shall stay
close by my young men until they have finished all my harvest.' ''
Ruth 2:22: And Naomi said to Ruth her daughter-in-law,
"It is good, my daughter, that you go out with his young women, and that
people do not meet you in any other field.''
23. So
she stayed close by the young women of Boaz, to glean until the end of barley
harvest and wheat harvest; and she dwelt with her mother-in-law.
The wheat harvest is during Pentecost, 50 days after Passover.
Ruth 3:1: 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 Boaz, whose young women you were with, is he not our kinsman?
In fact, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor.
3.
"Therefore wash yourself and anoint yourself, put on your best
garment and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to
the man until he has finished eating and drinking.
4.
"Then it shall be, when he lies down, that you shall notice the
place where he lies; and you shall go in, uncover his feet, and lie down; and
he will tell you what you should do.''
5. And
she said to her, "All that you say to me I will do.''
Ruth is expressing her willingness to marry Boaz if that is his choice.
Ephesians 5:22. Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the
Lord.
23. For
the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He
is the Savior of the body.
24.
Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be
to their own husbands in everything.
25.
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave
Himself for it,
26.
that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the
word,
27.
that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot
or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.
28. So
husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his
wife loves himself.
29. For
no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the
Lord does the church.
Ruth 3:14. So she lay at his feet until morning, and she
arose before one could recognize another. Then he said, "Do not let it be
known that the woman came to the threshing floor.''
15.
Also he said, "Bring the shawl that is on you and hold it.'' And
when she held it, he measured six ephahs of barley, and laid it on her. Then
she went into the city.
Ruth 3:16. So when she came to her mother-in-law, she
said, "Is that you, my daughter?'' Then she told her all that the man had
done for her.
17. And
she said, "These six ephahs of barley he gave me; for he said to me, `Do not
go empty-handed to your mother-in-law.' ''
18.
Then she said, "Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the
matter will turn out; for the man will not rest until he has concluded the matter
this day.''
Ruth 4:1: Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down
there; and behold, the near kinsman of whom Boaz had spoken came by. So Boaz
said, "Come aside, friend, sit down here.'' So he came aside and sat down.
2. And
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 near kinsman, "Naomi, who has come back from the country of
Moab, sold the piece of land which belonged to our brother Elimelech.
4.
"And I thought to inform you, saying, `Buy it back in the presence
of the inhabitants and the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem
it; but if you will not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know; for there is
no one but you to redeem it, and I am next after you.' '' And he said, "I
will redeem it.''
That was the law of
the kinsman redeemer.
Ruth 4:5: Then Boaz
said, "On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also
buy it from Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of
the dead on his inheritance.''
6. And
the near kinsman said, "I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I ruin my own
inheritance. You redeem my right of redemption for yourself, for I cannot
redeem it.''
Ruth 4:7. Now this was the custom in former times in
Israel concerning redeeming and exchanging, to confirm anything: one man took
off his sandal and gave it to the other, and this was an attestation in Israel.
8.
Therefore the near kinsman said to Boaz, "Buy it for yourself.'' So
he took off his sandal.
Ruth 4:9. And Boaz said to the elders and to all the
people, "You are witnesses this day that I have bought all that was
Elimelech's, and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's, from the hand of Naomi.
10.
"Moreover, Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, I have acquired
as my wife, to raise up the name of the dead on his inheritance, that the name
of the dead may not be cut off from among his brethren and from the gate of his
place. You are witnesses this day.‘’
Ruth 4:11; And all the people who were at the gate, and
the elders, said, "We are witnesses. The Lord make the woman who is coming
to your house like Rachel and Leah, the two who built the house of Israel; and
may you prosper in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem.
12.
"May your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to
Judah, because of the offspring which the Lord will give you from this young
woman.''
13. So
Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife; and when he went in to her, the Lord
gave her conception, and she bore a son.
Ruth 4:14: Then the women said to Naomi, "Blessed
be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a near kinsman; and may his
name be famous in Israel!
15.
"And may he be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your
old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than
seven sons, has borne him.''
16.
Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her bosom, and became a nurse
to him.
Ruth 4:17. Also the neighbor women gave him a name,
saying, "There is a son born to Naomi.'' And they called his name Obed. He
is the father of Jesse, the father of David.
18. Now
this is the genealogy of Perez: Perez begot Hezron;
19.
Hezron begot Ram, and Ram begot Amminadab;
20.
Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon;
21.
Salmon begot Boaz, and Boaz begot Obed;
22.
Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David.
Matthew 1:3: Judah begot
Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram.
4. Ram
begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon.
5. Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed
by Ruth.
Rahab was Ruth’s mother-in-law.
When Rahab and Ruth accepted the God of the Israelites, they
became part of the tribe of Judah, descendants of Leah and ancestors of Jesus.
Woman complements man.
Therefore, man must complement woman.
If it is not good for man to be alone, it is not good for woman to be
alone. Together, we manifest the image of God.
Link to the PowerPoint for this lesson:
They Are Family.pptx (file://LAPTOP-CVIU1L8K/Users/pasto/Dropbox/Biblical%20Women/They%20Are%20Family.pptx)
