Bible Lens—February 9–15, 2015
Subject: Soul
O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
Exploring Bible Verses
from Section 2
9 | Ruth 2:8
Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens.
Bible scholars have noted that the way Boaz welcomes Ruth is more akin to the New
Testament than the Old Testament. Indeed, Ruth is amazed that he welcomes her so warmly, as she is a stranger and an immigrant in need. Boaz has noticed and noted all that Ruth has sacrificed to care for her mother-in-law, Naomi, but he primarily admires her reliance on the God of Israel, the only true God, who will surely reward her trust. The next two chapters describe the deepening relationship between Ruth and Boaz and the steps Boaz has to take before he can marry Ruth according to Jewish law. The son of Ruth and Boaz, Obed, was the grandfather of King David.
from Section 4
16 | Psalms 43:5
Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again—my Savior and my God! —New Living Translation
Why am I discouraged? Why am I restless? I trust you! And I will praise you again because you help me, and you are my God. —Contemporary English Version
17 | Mark 1:40, 41
If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him.
In ancient Israel, leprosy was regarded as the outward manifestation of an inward sin so severe that the result was a living death. Apparently knowing this, the leper didn’t ask Jesus if he could heal him; instead, he asked whether Jesus would heal him, knowing the world’s attribution of sin to the disease. Jesus’ compassion was such that he reached out and touched the man, violating the strict taboo regarding lepers, as well as defying the belief that leprosy was highly contagious. Instead of disease being transmitted from the leper to Jesus, Jesus’ understanding of man’s pure goodness brought healing.
from Section 5
18 | Isaiah 42:10
Sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein; the isles, and the inhabitants thereof.
This song of redemption and praise is as when, at the Exodus, Miriam, Moses’ sister, sang praises for God’s deliverance from the Egyptians at the Red Sea. This new song, in the hour of a new exodus, is to be sung by all the inhabitants of the earth and seas.
Pool of Siloam: From the fountain of Siloam outside of Jerusalem, a little stream flowed into a basin near the temple.
20 | John 9:6, 7
And he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, and said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.
In Jesus’ time, Jewish thought connected suffering and sin to the extent that wherever there was suffering, sin must exist. Jesus corrects this thinking through both his words and his actions at the pool of Siloam. Scholars have noted that the pool’s name, Sent, can be seen to symbolize Christ Jesus himself, who was sent by God to heal the discords of the world. That is, he was sent to do that which the pool itself only represented.
Word Study
contrite (Psalms 34:18) Crushed, bruised, or broken in spirit by a sense of sin; desiring atonement. Humble and penitent.
tabernacle (Leviticus 26:11) Dwelling place; refers to the portable tented sanctuary used by the Israelites after their liberation from slavery in Egypt until the building of the Temple in Jerusalem (see Exodus 25–27); a sign of God’s presence among the people of Israel.
bands of your yoke (Leviticus 26:13) Wooden pieces coming down from the yoke (a small bar of timber) on each side of an animal’s head and fastened with thongs; an oppressive and restrictive device used in the heavy labor of animals.
portion (Lamentations 3:24) Allotted share, inheritance, heritage, or endowment.
glean (Ruth 2:2) To slowly and laboriously go over a field that has just been harvested and gather by hand, little by little, any usable parts of the crop that remain.
countenance (Psalms 43:5) Usually meant to indicate face, appearance, or expression, but may also mean mental composure, approval, or favor.
Children's Bible Story
This Week's Bible Story: The Story of Ruth
Ruth 2:1, 2 (to 1st .), 5, 6, 8, 10–12; 4:13 (to :)
1 And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband’s, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz. 2 And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace.
5 Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this? 6 And the servant that was set over the reapers answered and said, It is the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab:
8 Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens:
10 Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger? 11 And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore. 12 The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.
13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife:
Trusting God makes us happy!
Ruth was a brave young woman who lived in the land of Moab. She married a man named Mahlon, who was from Bethlehem. From Mahlon and his family, Ruth learned about how God cares for us.
About ten years later, Mahlon died, along with his brother. Mahlon’s mother, Naomi, thought that Ruth would be happier if she went back to her own family, but Ruth loved Naomi and wouldn’t leave her. Together, they moved back to Bethlehem. To get food, Ruth went to the fields where the farmers worked to pick up leftover grain. As she was gathering the grain the reapers had dropped, the owner of the field, a man named Boaz, saw her working. He told her to stay and take the grain she needed from his field.
He even asked his workers to share their lunch and water with her. He was very kind to Ruth because he knew all that Ruth had done to help Naomi.
That night, Naomi told Ruth that Boaz was a good and important man in town. Naomi had an idea. She told Ruth to go visit Boaz. Boaz saw how humble Ruth was, and soon they were married. Later, Ruth and Boaz had a son named Obed, who became the grandfather of David, who defeated Goliath and became the king of Israel.
Are you like Ruth, trusting and unselfish? Or like Boaz, kind and generous? Or like Naomi, helpful and loving? How about all three? You can order The Story of Ruth at christianscience.com/shop.
For Further Study: Resources used in this issue
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