Week of July 1, 2024
As we finish our study on the book of Ruth, we will focus on the Redemption Story. Redemption 1) to pay a debt 2) to recover something that is lost. (These 2 definitions will help guide the conversation for this week’s Scripture readings.)
Monday | Ruth 4:1-9
Ruth’s Redemption. Note how Boaz pays the debt and buys back the land. Read the following passages and note all that Ruth has lost. Ruth 1:4-5; 1:12-18; 2:2,6 Make a list of all that Ruth has lost. When you consider your own life – what are the things or people you have lost? (Tomorrow the focus is on the redemption of what is lost.)
Tuesday | Ruth 4:9-17
Ruth and Naomi are restored. Both Ruth and Naomi had lost so much. How does God work through Boaz to redeem and restore their lives? In v. 15, the women remind Naomi that “Ruth is more to her than seven songs.” How might gratitude for Ruth help in restoring Naomi’s life? How does gratitude help you to find greater joy in your life?
Wednesday | Ruth 4:13-17
The Child. Note that God “gave” conception, “gave” a child to Ruth and Boaz and thus to Naomi. How does the “gift” of children impact your life? Obed means “servant”. What might this mean for Ruth and Naomi? Sometimes it’s hard to understand when having children doesn’t come easily or at all. What can we learn from this story about when life is disappointing?
Thursday | Ruth 4:17-22
God Redeems and Restores Israel. How does this genealogy show that God works redemption and restoration of Israel through Ruth, the Moabite woman? King David is the Servant-King through whom God works redemption and restoration for Israel. Read Psalm 34 and reflect on God’s redeeming love in the life of the nation Israel and in your life.
Friday | Luke 1:67-80, Galatians 4:4-7
God Redeems and Restores Us. What joy Zachariah and the Apostle Paul have as they speak about how God redeems His people through Jesus! How has God restored to you what you have lost? How does this give hope to you for the future? God brings redemption to Ruth in little obscure Bethlehem, to Israel, to you and me, and ultimately to all the world. John 3:16. Spend time in prayer – giving thanks for the restoration and redemption that God freely gives through Jesus.
