Memory Text: Ruth 1:16-17 Holman "16 But Ruth replied: Do not persuade me to leave you or go back and not follow you. For wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you live, I will live; your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. 17 Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD do this to me, and even more, if anything but death separates you and me."

Sunday, August 12 Family Affairs
Parallels With Earlier Bible Characters----------------------------
Ruth 1:1 MKJV “And it happened in the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem-judah went to live in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons.”
Famine in Palestine – SDA Commentary on Genesis 12:10 – “Canaan, though naturally fertile, was subject to visitations of drought, especially in those years when the November and December rains, on which the country depended, either failed or were scanty.
Ruth 1:1 SDA BIBLE COMMENTARY A drought that affected the territory of Judah would not necessarily affect the tableland of Moab, to the east of the Dead Sea. Moab was blessed with an abundant supply of water, a rich soil, and semitropical vegetation. Its people spoke a language closely akin to that of the Hebrews.[/b]
Genesis 12:10 NKJV “Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to dwell there, for the famine [was] severe in the land.”
Genesis 26:1 NKJV “There was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines, in Gerar.”
Evidence of Good Family Relations----------------------------
Ruth 1:6-8 God’s Word to the Nations “6 ¶ Naomi and her daughters–in–law started on the way back from the country of Moab. (While they were still in Moab she heard that the LORD had come to help his people and give them food. 7 So she left the place where she had been living, and her two daughters–in–law went with her.) They began to walk back along the road to the territory of Judah. 8 Then Naomi said to her two daughters–in–law, "Go back! Each of you should go back to your mother’s home. May the LORD be as kind to you as you were to me and to our loved ones who have died.”
Ruth 1:12 God’s Word to the Nations “Go back, my daughters. Go, because I am too old to get married again. If I said that I still have hope…. And if I had a husband tonight…. And even if I gave birth to sons,”
Ruth 1:14-17 God’s Word to the Nations “14 They began to cry loudly again. Then Orpah kissed her mother–in–law goodbye, but Ruth held on to her tightly. 15 Naomi said, "Look, your sister–in–law has gone back to her people and to her gods. Go back with your sister–in–law." 16 But Ruth answered, "Don’t force me to leave you. Don’t make me turn back from following you. Wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you stay, I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. 17 Wherever you die, I will die, and I will be buried there with you. May the LORD strike me down if anything but death separates you and me!"”
Naomi’s Words----------------------------
Ruth 1:8, 15 – see above
Ruth 1:20-21 KJ21 “20 And she said unto them, "Call me not Naomi [that is, Pleasant]. Call me Mara [that is, Bitter], for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. 21 I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me home again empty. Why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the LORD hath testified against me and the Almighty hath afflicted me?"”

Monday, August 13 Devotion of Ruth
Ruth 1:16-17 NLT “16 But Ruth replied, "Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. I will go wherever you go and live wherever you live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. 17 I will die where you die and will be buried there. May the LORD punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us!"”

Tuesday, August 14 Boaz
Ruth 2:1-12 NLT “1 ¶ Now there was a wealthy and influential man in Bethlehem named Boaz, who was a relative of Naomi’s husband, Elimelech. 2 One day Ruth said to Naomi, "Let me go out into the fields to gather leftover grain behind anyone who will let me do it." And Naomi said, "All right, my daughter, go ahead." 3 So Ruth went out to gather grain behind the harvesters. And as it happened, she found herself working in a field that belonged to Boaz, the relative of her father-in-law, Elimelech. 4 ¶ While she was there, Boaz arrived from Bethlehem and greeted the harvesters. "The LORD be with you!" he said. "The LORD bless you!" the harvesters replied. 5 Then Boaz asked his foreman, "Who is that girl over there?" 6 And the foreman replied, "She is the young woman from Moab who came back with Naomi. 7 She asked me this morning if she could gather grain behind the harvesters. She has been hard at work ever since, except for a few minutes’ rest over there in the shelter." 8 Boaz went over and said to Ruth, "Listen, my daughter. Stay right here with us when you gather grain; don’t go to any other fields. Stay right behind the women working in my field. 9 See which part of the field they are harvesting, and then follow them. I have warned the young men not to bother you. And when you are thirsty, help yourself to the water they have drawn from the well." 10 Ruth fell at his feet and thanked him warmly. "Why are you being so kind to me?" she asked. "I am only a foreigner." 11 "Yes, I know," Boaz replied. "But I also know about the love and kindness you have shown your mother-in-law since the death of your husband. I have heard how you left your father and mother and your own land to live here among complete strangers. 12 May the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge, reward you fully."”
James 2:14-17 NRSV “14 ¶ What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, "Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill," and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? 17 So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.”

Wednesday, August 15 The Preposal
Ruth 3 God’s Word to the Nation “1 ¶ Naomi, Ruth’s mother–in–law, said to her, "My daughter, shouldn’t I try to look for a home that would be good for you? 2 Isn’t Boaz, whose young women you’ve been working with, our relative? He will be separating the barley from its husks on the threshing floor tonight. 3 Freshen up, put on some perfume, dress up, and go down to the threshing floor. Don’t let him know that you’re there until he’s finished eating and drinking. 4 When he lies down, notice the place where he is lying. Then uncover his feet, and lie down there. He will make it clear what you must do." 5 Ruth answered her, "I will do whatever you say." 6 ¶ Ruth went to the threshing floor and did exactly as her mother–in–law had directed her. 7 Boaz had eaten and drunk to his heart’s content, so he went and lay at the edge of a pile of grain. Then she went over to him secretly, uncovered his feet, and lay down. 8 At midnight the man was shivering. When he turned over, he was surprised to see a woman lying at his feet. 9 "Who are you?" he asked. She answered, "I am Ruth. Spread the corner of your garment over me because you are a close relative who can take care of me." 10 Boaz replied, "May the LORD bless you, my daughter. This last kindness––that you didn’t go after the younger men, whether rich or poor––is better than the first. 11 Don’t be afraid, my daughter. I will do whatever you say. The whole town knows that you are a woman who has strength of character. 12 It is true that I am a close relative of yours, but there is a relative closer than I. 13 Stay here tonight. In the morning if he will agree to take care of you, that is good. He can take care of you. But if he does not wish to take care of you, then, I solemnly swear, as the LORD lives, I will take care of you myself. Lie down until morning." 14 ¶ So Ruth lay at his feet until morning. Then she got up early before anyone could be recognized. At that moment Boaz thought to himself, "I hope that no one will ever know that this woman came to the threshing floor." 15 Then Boaz told Ruth, "Stretch out the cape you’re wearing and hold it tight." So she held it tight while he measured out six measures of barley. Then he placed it on her back and went into the town. 16 When Ruth returned, her mother–in–law Naomi asked, "How did things go, my daughter?" Ruth told Naomi everything the man had done for her. 17 She said, "He gave me these six measures of barley and told me not to come back to you empty–handed." 18 Naomi replied, "Stay here, my daughter, until you know how it turns out. The man won’t rest unless he settles this matter today."”
Ruth 3:3 SDA BIBLE COMMENTARY Toward evening Boaz’ workmen also threshed and winnowed the grain they had gleaned that day, and evening by evening the pile of winnowed grain increased in size. All probably ate supper together and then went home, but someone must remain all night to guard the increasing pile of winnowed grain against theft. Naomi knew that now, at the end of the barley harvest, Boaz himself would be on hand. There would be an unusually good evening meal, and Boaz would spend the night, probably, in a tent pitched beside what was now a large pile of winnowed grain. That night Ruth did not go home as usual, but waited unobtrusively till Boaz had had time to fall asleep in the tent. In the darkness she would not be observed.
Ruth 3:4 COMMENTARY BY JAMIESON, FAUSSET, AND BROWN Singular as these directions may appear to us, there was no impropriety in them, according to the simplicity of rural manners in Beth-lehem.… Boaz probably slept upon a mat or skin; Ruth lay crosswise at his feet—a position in which Eastern servants frequently sleep in the same chamber or tent with their master; and if they want a covering, custom allows them that benefit from part of the covering on their master’s bed. Resting, as the Orientals do at night, in the same clothes they wear during the day, there was no indelicacy in a stranger, or even a woman, putting the extremity of this cover over her.

Thursday, August 16 Redemption
Ruth 4 MKJV “1 ¶ And Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there. And behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spoke came by. And he said, Such a one! Turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside and sat down. 2 And he took ten men of the elders of the city and said, Come sit down here. And they sat down. 3 And he said to the kinsman, Naomi, who has come again out of the country of Moab, sells a parcel of land which [was] our brother Elimelech’s. 4 And I said I will tell it in your ear, saying, Buy [it] before those who live here, and before the elders of my people. If you will redeem, redeem [it]. But if you will not redeem, tell me so that I may know. For there is none to redeem besides you. And I am after you. And he said, I will redeem. 5 And Boaz said, In the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must buy also from the hand of Ruth of Moab, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance. 6 And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem for myself, lest I mar my own inheritance. You redeem my right to yourself, for I cannot redeem. 7 And this [was the custom] in former times in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning changing, to confirm everything. A man plucked off his sandal and gave it to his neighbor. And this was a testimony in Israel. 8 Therefore the kinsman said to Boaz, Buy [it] for yourself. So he drew off his sandal. 9 ¶ And Boaz said to the elders and all the people, You [are] witnesses this day that I have bought all that [was] Elimelech’s and all that was Chilion’s and Mahlon’s, from the hand of Naomi. 10 And also Ruth of Moab, the wife of Mahlon, I have purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead on his inheritance, so that the name of the dead may not be cut off from among his brothers and from the gate of his place. You [are] witnesses this day. 11 And all the people in the gate, and the elders, said, We [are] witnesses. May the LORD make the woman who has come into your house like Rachel and like Leah, for these two built the house of Israel. And may you be blessed in Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem. 12 And let your house be like the house of Pharez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, of the seed which the LORD shall give you of this young woman. 13 ¶ And Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife. And when he went in to her, the LORD made her conceive. And she bore a son. 14 And the women said to Naomi, Blessed [be] the LORD, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, so that his name may be famous in Israel. 15 And he shall be to you as a restorer of life, and one who cheers your old age. For your daughter-in-law who loves you has borne him, she who is better to you than seven sons. 16 And Naomi took the child and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse to it. 17 And the women, her neighbors, gave it 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. 18 And these [are] the generations of Pharez. Pharez fathered Hezron, 19 and Hezron fathered Ram, and Ram fathered Amminadab, 20 and Amminadab fathered Nahshon, and Nahshon fathered Salmon, 21 and Salmon fathered Boaz, and Boaz fathered Obed, 22 and Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David.”
Ruth 4:9 COMMENTARY BY MATTHEW HENRY observe that because Boaz did this honour to the dead [Ruth’s first husband Mahlon], as well as this kindness to the living, God did him the honour to bring him into the genealogy of the Messiah, by which his family was dignified above all the families of Israel; while the other kinsman, that was so much afraid of diminishing himself, and marring his inheritance, by marrying the widow, has his name, family, and inheritance, buried in oblivion and disgrace.
Duties of a Kinsman-Redeemer ----------------------------
Leviticus 25:25, 47-49 MKJV “If your brother has become poor, and has sold his possessions, and if any of his relatives come to redeem it, then he shall redeem that which his brother sold. 47 And if an alien or a tenant lifts up a hand among you, and your brother [who dwells] beside him becomes poor and sells himself to the alien [or] tenant by you, or to the offshoot of the alien’s family, 48 after he is sold he may be redeemed again. One of his brothers may redeem him; 49 either his uncle or his uncle’s son may redeem him, or [any] that is near of kin to him of his family may redeem him. Or if he is able, he may redeem himself.”
Numbers 36:8-9 MKJV “8 And every daughter that possesses an inheritance in any tribe of the sons of Israel shall become a wife to one of the family of the tribe of her father, so that the sons of Israel may each one enjoy the inheritance of his fathers. 9 And the inheritance shall not move from [one] tribe to another tribe. But every one of the tribes of the sons of Israel shall keep himself to his own inheritance.”
Deuteronomy 25:5-6 KJ21 “5 ¶ "If brethren dwell together, and one of them die and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry outside unto a stranger; her husband’s brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him for a wife, and perform the duty of a husband’s brother unto her. 6 And it shall be that the firstborn whom she beareth shall succeed in the name of his brother who is dead, that his name be not put out of Israel.”

I fail to see how the other brother of Boaz ended up in disgrace. It is true he isn't one of Jesus' ancesters directly but would you call that a disgrace?

Obviously Boaz wanted him to pass the duty on to himself and not get Ruth instead. Also, if he was already married would that have been right to take Ruth as well?