Ruth 4

So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife; and when he went in to her, the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son...Also the neighbor women gave him a name, saying, “There is a son born to Naomi.” And they called his name Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David. vv.13, 17

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So Boaz marries Ruth and they have a son and this son is Obed who is David's grandfather.  So pretty cool that this lineage goes to David which then goes to Jesus Christ, but let's look back a generation too to where it came from.  Boaz' father was Salmon but do you know who his mother was?  Rehab!  Matthew 1:5, "Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse." Now if you don't know the story on Rahab I suggest you read Joshua 2 & 6.  In short she was a prostitute in Jericho who helped hide the Israelite spies before they conquered the city and her and her family was saved by the destruction because of her faith in the God of Israel.
So Boaz' mom was a gentile and he married a gentile.  Both foreign women who loved the God of Israel and showed their faith in powerful ways contrary to the culture around them.  Both in the lineage of Christ.
How have you seen radical change in someone that wasn't a follower of Christ or grown up in the Christian culture, come to not only know and love the Lord but also to raise a family to be followers as well?  Sad that there is a gap often in what the parents believe and what their children believe today in age.  Why do you think that is?

Ruth 3

Now it happened at midnight that the man was startled, and turned himself; and there, a woman was lying at his feet.  And he said, 'Who are you?' So she answered, 'I am Ruth, your maidservant. Take your maidservant under your wing, for you are a close relative'...Then she said, 'Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will turn out; for the man will not rest until he has concluded the matter this day.'” vv.8-9, 18

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Ruth proposed to Boaz!  Well she at least started it.  Seems a little odd to us that Naomi tells her to go lay down at his feet  and he will tell her what she should do, but we have to remember it was probably weird for Ruth as well being a Moabitess not knowing the culture and traditions of the Israelites at that time.  Yet still we see Ruth submitting whole heartedly to Naomi and her new culture and lifestyle.  
So Ruth goes and lays down at the feet of Boaz while he's sleeping and protecting the harvest, this is not some erotic thing going on, and even shows that the master is doing the  labor too, not just giving orders to do something he would never do himself.  Of course he's startled at first probably thinking it was a thief.  When he realizes it's Ruth she says take her under his wing.  This is asking to be under his power and protection, her proposal of marriage to him.  Bold woman!  We see though that after she proposes Boaz takes the lead from there on out.  Ruth may have initiated but the man assumes the lead.  Now it's the waiting time for Ruth and advised by her mother-in-law she is to sit still until Boaz concludes the matter.  Oh how hard that would have been and is still today for a lot of us woman waiting on our boyfriend/husband to marry or take the lead in any matter.
 How can you be both bold and submissive with your marriage or potential marriage partner?  Do you need to propose something right now or sit still and wait?

Ruth 2

Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said to the reapers, “The Lord be with you!” And they answered him, “The Lord bless you!” Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?” vv.4-5

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Now we meet Boaz, who's a man of great wealth as described in verse one.  He's also close family as he's a relative Naomi's husband, Elimelech.  Since Elimelech died there lost the family inheritance, so rightly so the family of the husband would be concerned about loss of the family inheritance and do something to redeem it, which we will see happen later in this book.

I love seeing the influence he is to his employees.  He greets them with the phrase, "The Lord be with you."  Notice there response isn't the catholic tradition of "and also with you" but "the LORD bless you." Boaz is not quiet about his faith at his work and seems to have influence on his employees as they return the greeting bringing the Lord in it.  His employees were mostly all Israelites yet we know because of the famine back in chapter one and the time during the Judges when this book took place that not all Israelites were living to please the Lord, so this isn't just a normal cultural attitude at this time.

We also can tell that Boaz was a man of the Law for in Leviticus 19:9-10 it commands the Israelites to leave gleanings of the harvest for the poor and foreigners to reap.  So it was normal to see these gleaners in Boaz's field and that they were taken notice by Boaz too for him to recognize Ruth so quickly.  

What can you learn from Boaz as either being a boss to your employees or caring and taking ownership of your family's hardships?

Ruth 1

But Ruth said:

“Entreat me not to leave you,
Or to turn back from following after you;
For wherever you go, I will go;
And wherever you lodge, I will lodge;
Your people shall be my people,
And your God, my God.
17 Where you die, I will die,
And there will I be buried.
The Lord do so to me, and more also,
If anything but death parts you and me.” vv.16-17

Read chapter 1

The book of Ruth is such a unique and wonderful book mixed in with all the historical books of the laws and kings as one of everyday commoners.  It's an important book that shows how a gentile woman becomes part of the lineage of Christ.

I love these words of Ruth showing her dedication not only to her mother-in-law despite the death of her husband but also to Jehovah God.  She chooses to leave the gods of the Moabites and follow the One God of Israel.  It's unknown how much she knew of God of Israel, but having been married to a Jew and seeing the relationship and dedication of Naomi and her family had an impact on her.  I can imagine how hard  it could be to make the decisions Ruth and Orpah made, choosing a comfortable life being able to marry again or an unknown life perhaps never marrying again.  Yet the mindset Ruth has of sticking with her mother-in-law and her God no matter what the truth may be is one we all ought to have, that no matter what life brings we will follow and cling to the Lord God in all truth; nothing will change her or our mindset.

What godly woman, marriage or family has had an impact like this on you to follow after Christ?  How can you determine this mindset for the rest of your life in walking with Christ?

2 Timothy 4

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith...Bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas when you come—and the books, especially the parchments." vv.7,13

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2 Timothy is most likely the last book of the New Testament written. In relation to Colossians and Ephesians we can tell 2 Timothy is written afterwards due to events such as all in Asia have turned away (2 Timothy 1:15) which were he wrote to earlier in his letter to the Ephesians. Paul asks Timothy to bring him the books, especially the parchments which shows that there was a distinction between the writings, most likely his writings and other letters to the believers that were circulating at the time. "To say that the Bible was put together by the Catholics and voted on by them is not really correct. The Bible, as we know it, was written by the apostles of the Lord. It is likely that they left a record of which books were written by them and were God-breathed. We know that the true books of the Bible were in circulation in the first century AD, including collections of all Paul’s books. However, many uninspired books were written, as we know from verses like II Thessalonians 2:2." Bible Teacher Nathan Johnson
Paul is not about to die by saying he's finished the race, but referring to his specific commission by God how he was to preach to the nations (Acts 9). Moreover when he finished writing this letter to Timothy his commission was complete. Yet that doesn't mean Paul was to stop living for the Lord, but now to serve and live for God as best as he saw fit- just as we are to do today.
How are you enduring the good fight to finish the race keeping the faith?

2 Timothy 3

"But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be..." vv.1-9

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Every generation believes they're in the last days due to this world waxing worse and worse of these signs listed in 2 Timothy 3, and I'm one to believe that it is now waiting expectantly for the Kingdom of God to come any moment. There are 21 characteristics, not signs, of the perilous times of the last days all which no one can deny is in our present time. Now it's not just sin or sinful people that show it's the last days or else we could start all the way back to when Cain killed Able saying that was the "last days," but more that these twenty-one characteristics are so manifest that it's "normal." Timothy is told to turn away from these symptoms (not the people which verse five is not translated correctly). Most believers would agree that this perilous time will come to an end at some point and will not go on forever. Psalm 64 seems to be parallel with 2 Timothy 3:1-9 of the evil that goes on but will come to and end once God speaks and causes the evil men to fear Him and declare the works of the Lord (64:9). Read through all 21 characteristics and see how manifest they are around you? But let us stand on the promise that God will speak and end these wicked days.

2 Timothy 2

"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." v.15

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Does studying scripture every seem like a jigsaw puzzle? Hard, confusing, contradictory, etc? There are many divisions in the Bible the are obvious to man: Old vs. New Testament, chapter breaks, time before and after fall of man, time before and after the world wide flood, time before and after Jesus died and rose from the dead. But there are many divisions that men today don't see or understand that then confuse the Word of God.

"Now if there ever was a truth that needed to be known and understood today, it is this truth of right division...Only when we place every part of God’s Word into its proper context and place dispensationally and in the history of God and His workings with men, only then will we be able to understand everything that God has for us today, and how we fit into His works and His plans." -Bible Teacher Nathan Johnson 

It reminds me of one time I was in science class dissecting a frog. I thought I cut through the head and had the clearest view of the brain, yet what really happened is I cut through the whole brain and was seeing the tongue. I did not correctly dissect which led to not seeing or understanding the right thing I was suppose to see. 

Paul is urging Timothy to be diligent in rightly dividing the word of truth and this comes from studying scriptures, something never to be ashamed of, and understanding divisions of God's dealing with man. Why is it do you think that Divine healings aren't like back in the Acts period? Why is it that we don't see God wiping out nations like He did in the Old Testament? Why don't we hear God's voice like so many prophets did? Correct division of the truth will help answer many questions.
How can you dig in to rightly dividing the Word to questions you have?