O. Addison Gethers e-mail address : [email protected] or [email protected] window live messenger: [email protected] aim: durangoadd64 skype: cowboys62 yahoo messenger: OADDISONGETHERS
----- Original Message ----- From: "Donnie Parrett" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, March 17, 2009 10:37 PM Subject: Daily Bible Reading For Wednesday March 18 > Ruth 1-4 (The Message) > > Ruth 1 > 1-2Once upon a time-it was back in the days when judges led Israel- there > was a famine in the land. > A man from Bethlehem in Judah left home to live in > the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. The man's name was > Elimelech; his wife's name > was Naomi; his sons were named Mahlon and Kilion-all > Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They all went to the country of Moab > and settled there. > > 3-5 Elimelech died and Naomi was left, she and her two sons. The sons took > Moabite wives; the name > of the first was Orpah, the second Ruth. They lived > there in Moab for the next ten years. But then the two brothers, Mahlon > and Kilion, died. Now the > woman was left without either her young men or her husband. > > 6-7 One day she got herself together, she and her two daughters-in-law, to > leave the country of Moab > and set out for home; she had heard that God had been > pleased to visit his people and give them food. And so she started out > from the place she had been > living, she and her two daughters-in-law with her, on > the road back to the land of Judah. > > 8-9 After a short while on the road, Naomi told her two daughters-in-law, > "Go back. Go home and > live with your mothers. And may God treat you as graciously > as you treated your deceased husbands and me. May God give each of you a > new home and a new > husband!" She kissed them and they cried openly. > > 10 They said, "No, we're going on with you to your people." > > 11-13 But Naomi was firm: "Go back, my dear daughters. Why would you come > with me? Do you suppose I > still have sons in my womb who can become your future > husbands? Go back, dear daughters-on your way, please! I'm too old to get > a husband. Why, even if I > said, 'There's still hope!' and this very night got > a man and had sons, can you imagine being satisfied to wait until they > were grown? Would you wait > that long to get married again? No, dear daughters; this > is a bitter pill for me to swallow-more bitter for me than for you. God > has dealt me a hard blow." > > 14 Again they cried openly. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye; but > Ruth embraced her and held > on. > > 15 Naomi said, "Look, your sister-in-law is going back home to live with > her own people and gods; > go with her." > > 16-17 But Ruth said, "Don't force me to leave you; don't make me go home. > Where you go, I go; and > where you live, I'll live. Your people are my people, > your God is my god; where you die, I'll die, and that's where I'll be > buried, so help me God-not > even death itself is going to come between us!" > > 18-19 When Naomi saw that Ruth had her heart set on going with her, she > gave in. And so the two of > them traveled on together to Bethlehem. > > When they arrived in Bethlehem the whole town was soon buzzing: "Is > this really our Naomi? And > after all this time!" > > 20-21 But she said, "Don't call me Naomi; call me Bitter. The Strong One > has dealt me a bitter > blow. I left here full of life, and God has brought me back > with nothing but the clothes on my back. Why would you call me Naomi? God > certainly doesn't. The > Strong One ruined me." > > 22 And so Naomi was back, and Ruth the foreigner with her, back from the > country of Moab. They > arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest. > > Ruth 2 > 1It so happened that Naomi had a relative by marriage, a man prominent and > rich, connected with > Elimelech's family. His name was Boaz. > > 2 One day Ruth, the Moabite foreigner, said to Naomi, "I'm going to work; > I'm going out to glean > among the sheaves, following after some harvester who > will treat me kindly." Naomi said, "Go ahead, dear daughter." > > 3-4 And so she set out. She went and started gleaning in a field, > following in the wake of the > harvesters. Eventually she ended up in the part of the field > owned by Boaz, her father-in-law Elimelech's relative. A little later Boaz > came out from Bethlehem, > greeting his harvesters, "God be with you!" They replied, > "And God bless you!" > > 5 Boaz asked his young servant who was foreman over the farm hands, "Who > is this young woman? Where > did she come from?" > > 6-7 The foreman said, "Why, that's the Moabite girl, the one who came with > Naomi from the country > of Moab. She asked permission. 'Let me glean,' she said, > 'and gather among the sheaves following after your harvesters.' She's been > at it steady ever since, > from early morning until now, without so much as a > break." > > 8-9 Then Boaz spoke to Ruth: "Listen, my daughter. From now on don't go to > any other field to > glean-stay right here in this one. And stay close to my young > women. Watch where they are harvesting and follow them. And don't worry > about a thing; I've given > orders to my servants not to harass you. When you get > thirsty, feel free to go and drink from the water buckets that the > servants have filled." > > 10 She dropped to her knees, then bowed her face to the ground. "How does > this happen that you > should pick me out and treat me so kindly-me, a foreigner?" > > 11-12 Boaz answered her, "I've heard all about you-heard about the way you > treated your > mother-in-law after the death of her husband, and how you left > your father and mother and the land of your birth and have come to live > among a bunch of total > strangers. God reward you well for what you've done-and > with a generous bonus besides from God, to whom you've come seeking > protection under his wings." > > 13 She said, "Oh sir, such grace, such kindness-I don't deserve it. You've > touched my heart, > treated me like one of your own. And I don't even belong here!" > > 14 At the lunch break, Boaz said to her, "Come over here; eat some bread. > Dip it in the wine." > > So she joined the harvesters. Boaz passed the roasted grain to her. She > ate her fill and even > had some left over. > > 15-16 When she got up to go back to work, Boaz ordered his servants: "Let > her glean where there's > still plenty of grain on the ground-make it easy for > her. Better yet, pull some of the good stuff out and leave it for her to > glean. Give her special > treatment." > > 17-18 Ruth gleaned in the field until evening. When she threshed out what > she had gathered, she > ended up with nearly a full sack of barley! She gathered > up her gleanings, went back to town, and showed her mother-in-law the > results of her day's work; she > also gave her the leftovers from her lunch. > > 19 Naomi asked her, "So where did you glean today? Whose field? God bless > whoever it was who took > such good care of you!" > > Ruth told her mother-in-law, "The man with whom I worked today? His > name is Boaz." > > 20 Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, "Why, God bless that man! God hasn't > quite walked out on us > after all! He still loves us, in bad times as well as > good!" > > Naomi went on, "That man, Ruth, is one of our circle of covenant > redeemers, a close relative of > ours!" > > 21 Ruth the Moabitess said, "Well, listen to this: He also told me, 'Stick > with my workers until my > harvesting is finished.'" > > 22 Naomi said to Ruth, "That's wonderful, dear daughter! Do that! You'll > be safe in the company of > his young women; no danger now of being raped in some > stranger's field." > > 23 So Ruth did it-she stuck close to Boaz's young women, gleaning in the > fields daily until both > the barley and wheat harvesting were finished. And she > continued living with her mother-in-law. > > Ruth 3 > 1-2One day her mother-in-law Naomi said to Ruth, "My dear daughter, isn't > it about time I arranged > a good home for you so you can have a happy life? And > isn't Boaz our close relative, the one with whose young women you've been > working? Maybe it's time > to make our move. Tonight is the night of Boaz's barley > harvest at the threshing floor. > > 3-4 "Take a bath. Put on some perfume. Get all dressed up and go to the > threshing floor. But don't > let him know you're there until the party is well under > way and he's had plenty of food and drink. When you see him slipping off > to sleep, watch where he > lies down and then go there. Lie at his feet to let him > know that you are available to him for marriage. Then wait and see what he > says. He'll tell you what > to do." > > 5 Ruth said, "If you say so, I'll do it, just as you've told me." > > 6 She went down to the threshing floor and put her mother-in-law's plan > into action. > > 7 Boaz had a good time, eating and drinking his fill-he felt great. Then > he went off to get some > sleep, lying down at the end of a stack of barley. Ruth > quietly followed; she lay down to signal her availability for marriage. > > 8 In the middle of the night the man was suddenly startled and sat up. > Surprise! This woman asleep > at his feet! > > 9 He said, "And who are you?" > > She said, "I am Ruth, your maiden; take me under your protecting wing. > You're my close relative, > you know, in the circle of covenant redeemers-you do > have the right to marry me." > > 10-13 He said, "God bless you, my dear daughter! What a splendid > expression of love! And when you > could have had your pick of any of the young men around. > And now, my dear daughter, don't you worry about a thing; I'll do all you > could want or ask. > Everybody in town knows what a courageous woman you are- a > real prize! You're right, I am a close relative to you, but there is one > even closer than I am. So > stay the rest of the night. In the morning, if he wants > to exercise his customary rights and responsibilities as the closest > covenant redeemer, he'll have > his chance; but if he isn't interested, as God lives, > I'll do it. Now go back to sleep until morning." > > 14 Ruth slept at his feet until dawn, but she got up while it was still > dark and wouldn't be > recognized. Then Boaz said to himself, "No one must know that > Ruth came to the threshing floor." > > 15 So Boaz said, "Bring the shawl you're wearing and spread it out." > > She spread it out and he poured it full of barley, six measures, and > put it on her shoulders. > Then she went back to town. > > 16-17 When she came to her mother-in-law, Naomi asked, "And how did things > go, my dear daughter?" > > Ruth told her everything that the man had done for her, adding, "And he > gave me all this barley > besides-six quarts! He told me, 'You can't go back empty-handed > to your mother-in-law!'" > > 18 Naomi said, "Sit back and relax, my dear daughter, until we find out > how things turn out; that > man isn't going to fool around. Mark my words, he's going > to get everything wrapped up today." > > Ruth 4 > 1 Boaz went straight to the public square and took his place there. > > Before long the "closer relative," the one mentioned earlier by Boaz, > strolled by. > > "Step aside, old friend," said Boaz. "Take a seat." The man sat down. > > 2 Boaz then gathered ten of the town elders together and said, "Sit down > here with us; we've got > some business to take care of." And they sat down. > > 3-4 Boaz then said to his relative, "The piece of property that belonged > to our relative Elimelech > is being sold by his widow Naomi, who has just returned > from the country of Moab. I thought you ought to know about it. Buy it > back if you want it-you can > make it official in the presence of those sitting here > and before the town elders. You have first redeemer rights. If you don't > want it, tell me so I'll > know where I stand. You're first in line to do this and > I'm next after you." > > He said, "I'll buy it." > > 5 Then Boaz added, "You realize, don't you, that when you buy the field > from Naomi, you also get > Ruth the Moabite, the widow of our dead relative, along > with the redeemer responsibility to have children with her to carry on the > family inheritance." > > 6 Then the relative said, "Oh, I can't do that-I'd jeopardize my own > family's inheritance. You go > ahead and buy it-you can have my rights- I can't do it." > > 7 In the olden times in Israel, this is how they handled official business > regarding matters of > property and inheritance: a man would take off his shoe > and give it to the other person. This was the same as an official seal or > personal signature in > Israel. > > 8 So when Boaz's "redeemer" relative said, "Go ahead and buy it," he > signed the deal by pulling off > his shoe. > > 9-10 Boaz then addressed the elders and all the people in the town square > that day: "You are > witnesses today that I have bought from Naomi everything that > belonged to Elimelech and Kilion and Mahlon, including responsibility for > Ruth the foreigner, the > widow of Mahlon-I'll take her as my wife and keep the > name of the deceased alive along with his inheritance. The memory and > reputation of the deceased is > not going to disappear out of this family or from his > hometown. To all this you are witnesses this very day." > > 11-12 All the people in the town square that day, backing up the elders, > said, "Yes, we are > witnesses. May God make this woman who is coming into your > household like Rachel and Leah, the two women who built the family of > Israel. May God make you a > pillar in Ephrathah and famous in Bethlehem! With the > children God gives you from this young woman, may your family rival the > family of Perez, the son > Tamar bore to Judah." > > 13 Boaz married Ruth. She became his wife. Boaz slept with her. By God's > gracious gift she conceived > and had a son. > > 14-15 The town women said to Naomi, "Blessed be God! He didn't leave you > without family to carry on > your life. May this baby grow up to be famous in Israel! > He'll make you young again! He'll take care of you in old age. And this > daughter-in-law who has > brought him into the world and loves you so much, why, > she's worth more to you than seven sons!" > > 16 Naomi took the baby and held him in her arms, cuddling him, cooing over > him, waiting on him hand > and foot. > > 17 The neighborhood women started calling him "Naomi's baby boy!" But his > real name was Obed. Obed > was the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David. > > 18-22 This is the family tree of Perez: Perez had Hezron, > Hezron had Ram, > Ram had Amminadab, > Amminadab had Nahshon, > Nahshon had Salmon, > Salmon had Boaz, > Boaz had Obed, > Obed had Jesse, > and Jesse had David. > > Please join us on Skype Monday thru Friday at 8:00 EST for our Morning > Skype Prayer Time. > > > Contact Me At: > Donnie Parrett > 1956 Asa Flat Road > Annville, Kentucky 40402 > Home Phone: 606-364-3321 > Church Phone: 606-364-PRAY > Skype Name: Donnie1261 > Email: [email protected] > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Deaf-Blind Inspirational Life Group" group. 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