Lesson 80 Jan 7

Lesson 80: Ruth 3–4

I. Ruth 3  Ruth proposes marriage to Boaz, but he is unable to accept

---Share a favorite story about a couple becoming engaged to marry.

(Examples might include the engagements of their parents, older siblings, or even characters in books they have read or in movies they have seen.)

                paddles---What qualities are you looking for in the person you want to marry someday?

---List them on the board.

---Why do you think these qualities are important?

---As you study Ruth 3–4, look for qualities that you hope to have in a future spouse, as well as qualities they would like to cultivate in yourselves.

---Remember that Ruth was a widow who was taking care of her mother-in-law, Naomi. They had moved to Bethlehem, Naomi’s former home, and were struggling to gather enough food to live when they were assisted by Boaz, a relative of Ruth’s deceased husband.

---What is a leviarite marriage?

Ruth 3:1–9. Levirate marriage

“A kinsman had the right to purchase (redeem) the land of a deceased relative, marry his widow, and produce offspring—the first of whom would be the heir of the man who had died. Thus a ‘redeemer’ could restore to a widow a degree of security and status she could not of herself attain and even provide for continuation of the seed. Understanding this deepens our appreciation for the prophets’ use of the word redeemer to characterize our Savior

---Read Ruth 3:1–2 looking for what Naomi wanted for Ruth. (look at verse 1, footnote a, to see that the word rest implies marriage.)

                ---What did Naomi want for Ruth?

---What quality did Naomi demonstrate through her concern for her daughter-in-law?

---Remember Levirate marriage. Naomi was suggesting that Ruth marry Boaz.

---Read Ruth 3:3–5 looking for how Ruth was to let Boaz know she was interested in marriage.

---What is a threshing floor? (where the workers separated the grain from the rest of the stem and the chaff after the harvest.)

                ---How was Ruth to let Boaz know she was interested in marriage?

---How might you have felt if you had been in Ruth’s situation?

---Summary of Ruth 3:6–8: Ruth did as Naomi suggested. While Boaz slept next to the grain, Ruth lay down at his feet.

---Ruth’s uncovering of Boaz’s feet was a sign of submission and an action signaling that she wanted him to be her protector and husband.

---Invite a young man and a young woman to come to the front of the class and read aloud the dialogue spoken by Ruth and Boaz in Ruth 3:9–11. Ask the class to follow along, looking for how Boaz reacted to Ruth’s request for marriage. (After they read verse 9, you might want to explain that the phrase “spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid” means that Ruth was asking him to take her under his protection and provide for her and was Ruth’s way of proposing marriage to Boaz.)

                ---How did Boaz react to Ruth’s proposal?

                ---What admirable characteristic did Boaz and the people notice in Ruth? (Ruth was virtuous.)

                ---How will others view us if we live virtuously, as Ruth did?

                ---What blessings did Ruth receive because she chose to live virtuously? What principle can we learn from Ruth’s example of living virtuously?

(If we live virtuously, then we can have faith that the Lord will bless us.)

---Write the word virtuous on the board.

                ---What do you think it means to be virtuous?

---To help students understand what it means to live virtuously, read the following statement by Sister Elaine S. Dalton, who served as the Young Women general president. Ask the class to follow along, looking for how Sister Dalton defined and described virtue.

“Virtue ‘is a pattern of thought and behavior based on high moral standards.’ It encompasses chastity and moral purity. Virtue begins in the heart and in the mind. It is nurtured in the home. It is the accumulation of thousands of small decisions and actions. Virtue is a word we don’t hear often in today’s society, but the Latin root word virtus means strength. Virtuous women and men possess a quiet dignity and inner strength.”

                ---What does it mean to live virtuously?

                ---What are some “small decisions” you can make that can help you be virtuous?

                ---Why is it important to look for virtue in the people you date and may one day marry?

---Read Ruth 3:12–13 looking for why Boaz could not immediately promise to marry Ruth.

                ---What did Boaz need to do before he could marry Ruth?

 (According to the law of Moses, Boaz needed to give the nearest kinsman the option of marrying Ruth.)

                ---What did he promise to do if the nearest kinsman declined?

(Marry her himself.)

---In Ruth 3:14–18, we read that Ruth stayed near Boaz until the early morning. Then Boaz sent her home with a gift of grain for herself and Naomi.

II. Ruth 4  After the kinsman refuses, Boaz marries Ruth

---Summary of Ruth 4:1–2: Boaz met the nearest kinsman at the gate of the city, where legal agreements were made. He employed 10 elders of the city as witnesses. Boaz knew that according to the custom and levirate marriage rules of their day, the nearest male relative of a deceased man could marry his widow and receive all of his property. The kinsman mentioned in Ruth 4 was the nearest living relative to Mahlon, Ruth’s deceased husband.

---Read Ruth 4:3–6 looking for how the kinsman responded to Boaz’s offer.

                ---According to verse 4, how did the kinsman first respond to the opportunity to acquire or redeem some land from Naomi? Was the kinsman willing to redeem it?

                ---According to verse 5, what did he learn that changed his mind? (He discovered that if he inherited the land he would also need to raise up children with Ruth.)

---In Ruth 4:7–8 we learn that the kinsman gave his shoe to Boaz, signifying that he would not or could not fulfill his obligation to raise up children to his relative (see Deuteronomy 25:8–10).

***Extra quote: Ruth 2:1–2, 20. “The man is near of kin unto us”

The account of Ruth and Boaz includes an example of a time when the nearest kinsman could not (for unknown reasons) perform the levirate duty. Boaz, another near kinsman, was willing to take upon himself the responsibility of “redeeming” Ruth by marrying and providing for her. But for Boaz to do so, Ruth’s nearest kinsman would have to relinquish his rights to the property left by her deceased husband. According to the custom of that time, this was done when Ruth’s nearer kinsman removed his sandal and gave it to Boaz (see Ruth 4:8). After this symbolic but binding act, Boaz was free to marry Ruth and fulfill the promise he had made to her.

---What deeper meaning is here besides a man showing kindness to his kinsmen? Who does it remind you of?

The account of Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz goes much deeper than a relative caring for his family. It is a type and shadow of Jesus Christ caring for all of Heavenly Father’s children. Just as a near kinsman in Ruth’s day was to redeem (or buy back) property and marry the widow of his relative, Jesus Christ is the Redeemer for all who come unto Him. He is our near kinsman who has bought back or redeemed us from sin through His Atonement.

---Read Ruth 4:9–10 looking for what qualities Boaz demonstrated in relation to his obligation to Ruth.

                ---What quality do you see in Boaz?

                ---How did Ruth’s actions bless both her and Naomi?

***Extra quote: Ruth 4:1–10. Why did the kinsman refuse to marry Ruth?

“The writer [of the book of Ruth] has not even preserved the name of that kinsman who was willing to redeem the property but not to marry the widow and raise up a son to the name of the dead. The heir of the dead man would get the redeemed property, and thus it would not increase the redeemer’s estate; hence he said selfishly, ‘I cannot redeem it, lest I mar mine own inheritance’ (Ruth 4:6)” (Ellis T. Rasmussen, A Latter-day Saint Commentary on the Old Testament [1993], 228). Boaz, on the other hand, was willing to take the unselfish step of marrying Ruth and ensuring her safety and well-being as well as Naomi’s. In this and other ways, Boaz is a type of the Savior, who redeemed all of mankind without thought for His own benefit.

---Read Ruth 4:11 looking for the two women the Israelite elders prayed for Ruth to become like. Remember that Rachel and Leah were prominent ancestors of the house of Israel.

---Read Ruth 4:13–14, 17 looking for how Ruth’s son would play a role in building the house of Israel.

                ---Which of Ruth’s descendants would play a large role in building the house of Israel? (King David her great-grandson.)

---Write Matthew 1:1–16 as a cross-reference in their scriptures next to Ruth 4:17.

---Scan through the ancestors listed in Matthew 1:1–16 and call out names that they recognize.

                ---Who else was Ruth the ancestor of? (Jesus Christ.)

---Take a few moments and record in your class notebooks the answer to one or more of the following questions:

                ---How did Ruth, Boaz, and Naomi bless Israel in their day and in the future because of their faithful obedience to the covenants of God?

                ---How will the strength of your commitment to keep your covenants bless your family and your ward or branch?

                ---What qualities exemplified by Ruth, Boaz, and Naomi would you like to live better in order to help build and strengthen the house of Israel? What specific efforts will you make to live this way?

---After sufficient time, consider inviting one or two students to share what they wrote with the class.

---One of the prominent themes of the account of Ruth is that of redemption, which relates to all of us. Ruth was a foreigner and a poor and childless widow, which left her in complete poverty with no source of support. Nevertheless, Ruth faithfully accepted the gospel and joined the Lord’s covenant people. Though she could not deliver herself from her destitute condition, she was ultimately “redeemed” by her kinsman Boaz. Because of Ruth’s faith-driven actions and the kindness of her redeemer, Ruth married again, received an inheritance, and was blessed with children. Like Ruth, we cannot save ourselves but must rely on a Redeemer from Bethlehem, one who is able to lift us from our fallen state and secure our happiness as part of His family. Given this theme of redemption, it is interesting to note that Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of Israel and of all mankind, was one of Ruth’s descendants.

                ---In what ways is Ruth’s redemption symbolic of our redemption?

---What do we know about Ruth’s background before she was married to Boaz?

Ruth was a non-Israelite (Ruth 1:4), a widow (Ruth 1:5), and a convert to the worship of Jehovah (Ruth 1:16).

---Although Ruth was neither an Israelite by birth nor a person of any wealth, from her came the royal line of the house of Israel.

                ---What is more important—our family background or our current willingness to follow Jesus Christ? What truths can we learn from the account of Ruth?

(How we live is more important than where we come from.)

                ---Who are some people who exemplify this truth?

---Share my feelings about the truths taught in today’s lesson.

Supplemental Teaching Idea

Ruth 3–4. Video presentation—“Virtue: For Such a Time as This”

During your discussion about living virtuously, you may want to consider using the video “Virtue: For Such a Time as This” (5:44). In this video several young women explain what virtue means to them and the influence it has had on their lives.

 

Return to Virtue (2:34)
Elaine S. Dalton, who served as Young Women general president, urges young people to develop the strength that comes from living a virtuous life. Instead of having a student read Sister Dalton's statement, consider showing this video.

1.       Ruth 3:1–9. Levirate marriage

“A kinsman had the right to purchase (redeem) the land of a deceased relative, marry his widow, and produce offspring—the first of whom would be the heir of the man who had died [see Bible Dictionary, “Levirate marriage”]. Thus a ‘redeemer’ could restore to a widow a degree of security and status she could not of herself attain and even provide for continuation of the seed. Understanding this deepens our appreciation for the prophets’ use of the word redeemer to characterize our Savior.

“Virtue ‘is a pattern of thought and behavior based on high moral standards.’ It encompasses chastity and moral purity. Virtue begins in the heart and in the mind. It is nurtured in the home. It is the accumulation of thousands of small decisions and actions. Virtue is a word we don’t hear often in today’s society, but the Latin root word virtus means strength. Virtuous women and men possess a quiet dignity and inner strength.”

Boaz met the nearest kinsman at the gate of the city, where legal agreements were made. He employed 10 elders of the city as witnesses. Boaz knew that according to the custom and levirate marriage rules of their day, the nearest male relative of a deceased man could marry his widow and receive all of his property. The kinsman mentioned in Ruth 4 was the nearest living relative to Mahlon, Ruth’s deceased husband.

The account of Ruth and Boaz includes an example of a time when the nearest kinsman could not (for unknown reasons) perform the levirate duty. Boaz, another near kinsman, was willing to take upon himself the responsibility of “redeeming” Ruth by marrying and providing for her. But for Boaz to do so, Ruth’s nearest kinsman would have to relinquish his rights to the property left by her deceased husband. According to the custom of that time, this was done when Ruth’s nearer kinsman removed his sandal and gave it to Boaz (see Ruth 4:8). After this symbolic but binding act, Boaz was free to marry Ruth and fulfill the promise he had made to her.

Ruth 4:1–10. Why did the kinsman refuse to marry Ruth?

“The writer [of the book of Ruth] has not even preserved the name of that kinsman who was willing to redeem the property but not to marry the widow and raise up a son to the name of the dead. The heir of the dead man would get the redeemed property, and thus it would not increase the redeemer’s estate; hence he said selfishly, ‘I cannot redeem it, lest I mar mine own inheritance’ (Ruth 4:6)” (Ellis T. Rasmussen, A Latter-day Saint Commentary on the Old Testament [1993], 228). Boaz, on the other hand, was willing to take the unselfish step of marrying Ruth and ensuring her safety and well-being as well as Naomi’s. In this and other ways, Boaz is a type of the Savior, who redeemed all of mankind without thought for His own benefit.

One of the prominent themes of the account of Ruth is that of redemption, which relates to all of us. Ruth was a foreigner and a poor and childless widow, which left her in complete poverty with no source of support. Nevertheless, Ruth faithfully accepted the gospel and joined the Lord’s covenant people. Though she could not deliver herself from her destitute condition, she was ultimately “redeemed” by her kinsman Boaz. Because of Ruth’s faith-driven actions and the kindness of her redeemer, Ruth married again, received an inheritance, and was blessed with children. Like Ruth, we cannot save ourselves but must rely on a Redeemer from Bethlehem, one who is able to lift us from our fallen state and secure our happiness as part of His family. Given this theme of redemption, it is interesting to note that Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of Israel and of all mankind, was one of Ruth’s descendants.