Women’s Bible Study: Ruth 4:1-12

New City Church Milton Keynes

This week for Women’s Bible Study we will be looking at Ruth chapter 4:1-12. If you are able to read or listen to the fourth chapter of Ruth first, please do! It will help you get the most of the study.

I hope you were able to listen to the talk on Ruth and below you will find further questions and thoughts to help you dig deeper into some of the things talked about. Why not ask a friend to do the study with you and talk about these things?

Kinsman-Redeemer

This week we talked about how Boaz became Ruth and Naomi’s kinsman-redeemer. Remember a kinsman-redeemer needed to be: someone near the kin, able to redeem and willing to redeem. We saw that Naomi and Ruth’s nearest relation, was near kin, able to redeem but not willing to redeem. Which was a blessing really as it allowed Boaz to become their kinsman-redeemer.

This makes me think of our own redeemer, Jesus Christ! He chose to become a man, making him like us, he was able and willing to redeem and he did!

Romans 5:6-8 says:
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us

How does Christ’s willingness to redeem you further impact your understanding of His love for you?

John 10:14-15
I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.

I love the fact that Jesus knows my name. That He is our shepherd, who guides us, cares for us, protects us and was willing to die for us because we are his! It helps me give myself to him when I remember this! Remember his care and love for me.

Blessings

One of the other things we see in this passage is the women of the city speaking a blessing over Ruth, Naomi and Boaz. It doesn’t seem that we often speak blessings over one another today. We say prayers, wish and hope for people but it’s not very often we speak blessings over them. Spirit-led, biblical words that implore the power of God over your life in a purposeful manner.(2)

My challenge for you is to speak or text a blessing over someone today.

Here are a couple of examples from the bible for you:

Numbers 6:22-26
The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”

1 Peter 5:10-11
And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

May God bless each of you today, may you be filled with the knowledge of his love for you and may God instill in you a heart of grace and love for one another that you may become more like Christ each and every day.

Resources

1. Holy Bible, New International Version, 2011
2. Minter, K, 2009, Ruth: Loss, Love and Legacy, LifeWay Press, Tennessee
3. Iain M. Duguid, Esther and Ruth (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing Co., 2005), 173