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Welcome back, I’m glad you’re here, my friend! For those in the United States, it’s been a week, hasn’t it? I am praying for our nation and specifically for the victims of Saturday’s shooting and their families, and encourage you to do the same, even for those with whom you disagree. My fervent prayer is for unity: not uniformity. Let us love each other despite our differences; and let us begin by seeking God’s help for the miracle that requires. If you’ve been studying with me for a while here, you know miracles require faith and prayer. I hope you’ll join me in praying and believing for a united nation.

Now, let’s get back to our study of Ruth!

Last Week’s Work

MY PRAYER
Here’s the prayer I intend to pray before digging into Ruth 2:

Thank You, Lord and Father God, for another chance to dig into Ruth. Thank You for sending the Holy Spirit to help me see, understand, and apply the principles here to my life. Remove the scales from my eyes and the plugs from my ears and unburden my heart so I can see all You want me to discover here. Give me wisdom to recognize Your good counsel and courage to follow it no matter what. In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen.

If you’re studying along with me, you’re welcome to use this one.

HUH? and WOW! MOMENTS
Next, I slowly read through the study text, focusing on my reactions, and noting the parts that caught my attention. Here are my responses:

• HUH? What does a worthy man mean (v1)?
• WOW! I think it was most observant of Boaz to notice Ruth and ask about her (v5).
• HUH? and WOW! Did Ruth understand the Jewish Levirate law? Naomi mentioned it in Ruth 1:11-13. Specifically, it only calls for brothers to marry sisters-in-law, but Boaz is of the same clan (v1). Could Naomi or Ruth demand Boaz support them under it? If so, I think it’s notable that Ruth is so respectful of the servants (v7) and of Boaz (v10). But wait, at this point, Ruth probably didn’t know who Boaz was; though, looking ahead to the next chapter, Naomi did (3:2)! Maybe I’ve become too jaded by current culture, but I still find Ruth’s respect for the servants and for Boaz—not knowing who they were—remarkable.
• WOW! Gotta love Boaz: he starts with a beautiful blessing (v12), provides for her at mealtime (v14), and even instructs the reapers to help her (v16). What a great guy!
• HUH? How much is an ephah of barley (v17)? It took Ruth a whole day (vv7,17) to glean that much.
• WOW! Ruth gave her leftover food to Naomi instead of keeping it hidden so she could have it later (v18).

Dig-In Challenges

Next week, I plan to:

1. PRAY: Read my prayer before studying this passage.
2. MINE: Identify which aspect of this study I feel the Spirit leading me to dig deepest into right now. It could be one (or more) of the Huh? and Wow! Moments I wrote about this week, or some other item the Spirit hasn’t yet called to my attention.
3. MINE: Focus specifically on the setting of the scene in Ruth 2 (who’s involved, where and when did the action take place), and note anything the Spirit emphasizes.

See you again soon, I hope!

CONTINUE TO WEEK 3 >