Old Testament Survey
Lesson 7 w/answersJudges (Chaps. 13-21) & Ruth
In this lesson we will complete our look at Judges and study the book of Ruth. As we continue our survey through the Old Testament, it is easy to see the relationship between God and His chosen people develop in the desert, and then deteriorate during the period of the Judges as Israel embraced a cycle of sin.
As we conclude our study of Judges with the last judge, Samson, we also notice that, hidden in the background, is the birth of Samuel, who will eventually anoint two of the kings of the united kingdom of Israel. Concluding our study of Judges, we are relieved to go from its pages of sin and rejection of God to the story of Ruth and the kinsman redeemer—a story reflecting the hope we have today in Jesus the Christ, our Redeemer.
Here’s your assignment for this lesson:
- Read Judges, Chapters 13 through 16 and summarize briefly below the life of Samson.
- ANSWER: These chapters cover the last 20 years of Samson’s life ending in 1055 B.C. Samson’s often violent and prideful life ended in total blindness as he tore down, or pushed away, two key pillars in a Philistine pagan temple; thus collapsing the temple and killing more Philistines in a single day than he had during his entire life.
- Research the activities of the tribe of Dan in seeking new land. Called the Danites, compare their activities from the last verses in the book of Joshua through Judges; then look at Revelation Chapter 9 to see if they are included in the list of "sealed tribes."
- ANSWER: The city that the Danites burned to the ground and killed all of its inhabitants actually qualified as a "city afar off"—meaning that they did not need to destroy it or kill its citizens. The Danites then became idol worshippers resulting in the tribe of Dan being kept off the list of "sealed" tribes mentioned in Revelation chapter 9.
- Describe the setting for the book of Ruth. (Ruth 1:1)
- ANSWER: We can observe this setting beginning in Ruth 1:1: "In the days when the Judges ruled" and onward. Throughout the book, the reader sees that decadence and immorality surrounded the Jews’ spiritual light and truth. The book is set in the "dark and bloody days of the judges", which were filled with great apostasy, oppression, famine, and political unrest between the Moabites and the Judiahites.
- Discuss the concept of the "Kinsman Redeemer". What did it refer to?
- ANSWER: The Kinsman Redeemer initially referred to the Levirate ways, and the duty of a kinsman to redeem the possessions and surviving family members of a relative who had died. It was the duty of the kinsman redeemer to pay the price of redemption and to provide for the care of those redeemed.
- Discuss the typology that exists between Boaz and the Lord Jesus Christ—that is, what parallels can we draw between these two that indicate that Boaz was demonstrating a Christ-like role?
- ANSWER 1: In examining the role of the Kinsman Redeemer, we see that Boaz, like Christ, recognized his responsibility to redeem Naomi, and Ruth -- strangers in his land -- and his provision for them. This presents an excellent typology of Christ who redeemed us -- strangers in the land, lost and without hope -- just as Naomi and Ruth were redeemed; and after redemption, He continues to provide for our care.
- ANSWER 2: Boaz took Ruth and Naomi into his home as he would any family member. Christ has taken us to be joint heirs with him as family members -- as a son or daughter of God.
- ANSWER 3: We can also see another aspect of this typology in examining the practice of redemption. Here, in the Book of Ruth, we are given insight into the use of scrolls and the redemption of something lost by a redeemer, called the "right of redemption." For written within and without on the scroll, are the conditions of redemption. These conditions, and the scroll, are then sealed with seven seals (Revelation Chapter 5) and placed within the temple. Right of Redemption then required the person to come to the holder of the scroll, the priest, and ask to read on the outside the conditions that were duplicated on the inside of the scroll.
- ANSWER 4: In order to be a qualified Redeemer, three conditions had to be met: (1) He had to be a relative (see Galatians 4:4 regarding Christ as our relative); (2) He must be willing to redeem (see John chapter 10); and (3) He must be able to redeem (see Hebrews 7:25). In all three instances, we see that both Boaz and Christ qualified as Kinsman Redeemers, and just as Boaz met these conditions for Naomi and Ruth, Jesus met them for all mankind.
- Study the three main characters in the book of Ruth and briefly summarize each below:
- Naomi
- ANSWER: Prior to finding her kinsman redeemer, Naomi was always negative and pessimistic toward God. She and Ruth were both widowed and hoped to find a better life in Bethlehem. Her negativity and pessimism departed at the moment she found her kinsman redeemer.
- Ruth
- ANSWER: A woman of gentleness and faith who cared for Naomi and willingly worked in gleaning the fields to provide for both of them. She trusted in the Lord to provide for her, and she saw in Boaz a man sent by God to redeem her and Naomi and a man with which she wanted to spend the rest of her life.
- Boaz
- ANSWER: In Boaz, we see a prosperous, righteous, and educated man who followed God’s law and lived a life that brought respect on him and his family. He was also a man who knew the ways of the world and the ways of the community. He openly welcomed the stranger Ruth, went out of his way to provide for her and Naomi, and was careful to both allow the will of God to work in his life, and to seek God’s will through the normal customs of the times.
- Naomi
We praise God for sending us Jesus as our kinsman redeemer. He has saved us and now cares for us in this world and is building an eternal home for us. What a blessing! Have a great week everyone and tell anyone you can about Jesus -- you never know what will happen.
Thanks for studying with us.
In Christ,
Wes
[2020]