Bible Study

Week Nine

Christians and the Bible

God’s words

JOY (喜乐）

LOVE

ENTHUSIASM

PEACE

SELF-CONTROL

HUMINITY

COURAGE

Book of Ruth- "No poet in the world has written a more beautiful short story."

Background Plot

1. Naomi and Ruth go to Bethlehem

2. Ruth meets Boaz

3. Ruth proposes marriage to Boaz

4. Boaz marries Ruth

5. Ruth, King David, Jesus Christ Analysis

6. Personalities of Naomi and Ruth

7. The message of Ruth’s story

Background

JudgesFamineBethlehemMoab MoabBethlehem Naomi (‘pleasing’) OrpahRuth (‘mercy’)

an

“Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.”

1. Naomi and Ruth go to Bethlehem 

2. Ruth meets Boaz

"It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth and have come to a people whom you did not know before" (Ruth 2:11).

3. Ruth proposes marriage to Boaz

Ruth: “Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a kinsman-redeemer.”

Boaz: “This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier. You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor…”

4. Boaz marries Ruth

Levirate marriage and the "redeemer"

5. Ruth, King David, Jesus Christ

6. Personalities of Naomi and Ruth

Naomi: Ruth:

loyal

piety

respectable

kind-hearted

kind-hearted

tenacity

tenacity

wisdom

integrity

compassion

obedient

Redemption and restoration Ruth demonstrates God’s grace:

She received blessings she did not merit. God acts in grace in the midst of evil. Her nationality was particularly odious to the Jews (Deut

23:3).

7. The message of Ruth’s story

Book of Samuel 1

“Samuel the Prophet” thus practically bridges the gulf between Samson the Judge and David the King: and there is deep significance in the fact that his name is identified with the two Books of Scripture which describe this great transitional period, every event of which was affected by his influence”. (F.B. Meyer)

History of Israel

EliEli

11

1414

Era of the Judges

Samuel Samuel 1515

Saul Saul

DavidDavid

11

22

Kingdom era

Solomon Solomon 33

Osniel ben Kenaz

Episodes

1. The birth of Samuel

2. Samuel anoints Saul

3. Samuel rebukes Saul

4. God rejects Saul as King

5. Samuel anoints David

6. Saul and David

1. The birth of Samuel

Hannah prays to God

“O LORD Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.”

“So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD”.

Hannah brings Samuel to Eli

Samuel

Samuel grew in wisdom and became a prophet. Following a great Philistine victory over the Israelites, Samuel became a judge and rallied the nation against the Philistines.

Unfortunately, Samuel's sons, Joel and Abijah, who had been delegated to follow him as judges, were corrupt, so the people demanded a king. 

2. Samuel anoints Saul

“an impressive young man without equal among the Israelites– a head taller than any of the others”. (Book of 1Samuel 9:2)

Benjamin tribe; Anointed by Samuel; The first king of the united

Kingdom of Israel; Fought a great many battles; Negligent in his religious

duties; Tries to kill David

3. Samuel rebukes Saul

He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul’s men began to scatter. So he said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings”.

Samuel:“You acted foolishly” “You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you”

3. Samuel rebukes SaulGod:“I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroys everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.”

Saul: Spared Agag and the best of

the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs—everything that was good.

Sacrifice the animals to God Set up a monument in his

own honor.

Samuel: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice…For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of LORD, he has rejected you as king”.

4. God rejects Saul as King

1) Israel asks for a King

God (to Samuel): “It is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods.”

2) Disobedience

God (to Samuel): “ I am grieved that I have made Saul King, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions.”

5. Samuel anoints David

God: “ The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

A shepherd warrior An excellent musician Father of Solomon Conquest Jerusalem

6. Saul and David--- “unbelievable story of love, hate, and conquest”

(1) David plays the harp for Saul

And whenever the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, David took the lyre and played it with his hand, and Saul would be relieved and feel better, and the evil spirit would depart from him. (1 Samuel 16:23).

6. Saul and David

(2) David kills Goliath

Goliath, from Philistine Camp, 9 feet in height; with bronze helmet on his head, bronze greaves on his leg, he wore plate armour of bronze, weighing 5000 shekels . Weapons: shaft of his spear like a weaver’s beam, with its head iron weighing 600 shekels.

6. Saul and David

(2) David kills Goliath

David picked up his stick, chose five smooth stones from the brook. He walked out to meet the Philistine with his sling in his hand.

He took out a stone, slung it, and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell flat on his face on the ground.(1 Samuel 17:49)

He ran to the Philistine, and cut off his head.

6. Saul and David--- “unbelievable story of love, hate, and conquest”

(3) Saul becomes jealous of David

“Saul has slain his thousands,

and David his tens of thousands.”

(4) Saul tries to kill David David becomes Saul’s son-in-law

Saul tries to pin David to the wall

6. Saul and David--- “unbelievable story of love, hate, and conquest”

(5) David spares Saul’s life twice “ I will not life my hand against my master,

because he is the LORD’s anointed.” “The LORD himself will strike him; either

his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish.”

(6) Saul commits suicide His sons, Jonathan and Malchishua and

Abinadab, had all been killed and Saul himself lay dead with his own sword through his heart.

Summary

Book of Ruth

Naomi, Ruth, Boaz Book of Samuel 1

Samuel, Saul, David

Homework: Book 2 Samuel;

Book 1 Kings