Rahab:
Rahab-
name means insolence, fierceness, spaciousness
An
Amorite
Bible
calls her a harlot, some suggest this word meant innkeeper, but the word in
Hebrew, Greek is the word for harlot. May have had religious connotations as
pagan religions had a strong sexual element in its worship.
See
Josh. 2:1, 6:17, 25. She lived alone- Josh 2:18.
Rahab
defied the King- hid spies, Josh. 2: 2-7, let them escape, 2:15-16.
What
did she want? For her/family to escape death, 2: 12-13.
She
trusted the words of the Israelites. 2:14, 17-21. (Remember the Gibeonites).
The result: salvation-6:22-23 (outside camp until purified of past, no ethnic
cleansing, Gentiles could become Jews. Men had to be circumsised), 25
Why-
She saw what God did, knew God was in Israel, 2:9-11- God gave Israel the land
and the terror of the Lord had fallen on the Cannanites, God parted the Red Sea
and defeated Israel’s enemies, God is in heaven above and on earth below, not a
part of creation.
2:10-
“swear to God…” she knew an oath to God had value.
James
2: 24-26- “You see then that a man is justified by works and not by faith only.
Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received
the messengers and sent them out another way. For as the body without the
Spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead” see also Lk. 2: 35
(thoughts- inward reasoning, questioning, consideration, deliberation, a
dialogue with self),Ps. 34:8, Is. 1:18, Ezk. 18:31, Lk. 13:5,15: 17-19
Heb.
11:31- “By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not
believe, when she had received the spies with peace.”
Rahab
was the great, great grandmother of David, “Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz
begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David
the
King.” Mt. 1:5-6. Rahab is in Christ’s royal linage.
RUTH
Chapter 1:
Name means a sight worth seeing, beauty, friendship
Descendant of Lot’s oldest daughter- Gen. 19:30-36
Time period of the Judges.
One of two books named after a woman, the other, Esther .
Ruth, a gentile, married a Jew, Esther, a Jew, married a gentile.
Orpah- returns to her past, 1:15, back to her people, her gods.
Ruth 1: 16-17, cares for her mother-in-law, adopt God’s people,
Naomi’s God. Knew Naomi’s God through Naomi, and through God’s blessing of His
people- 1:6. (See 2:12). Both verses spoken in terms of past action, Ruth had
already learned to trust God.
Chapter 2:
Glean, the poor have a right to glean after reapers.
Lev. 19:9-10 “When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall
not wholly reap the corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings
of your harvest. And you shall not glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather
every grape of your vineyard: you shall leave them for the poor and the
stranger, I am the Lord your God.”
v. 4- Boaz seen as godly man.
8-9- don’t go to other field, for her protection, protected from
men, v. 10. Ruth grateful, not a full understanding of God, doesn’t know of
God’s love of justice to foreigners until experiences it. Ex. 23:9- “”Also you
shall not oppress a stranger, because you were a stranger in the land of
Egypt.”
v. 11- Boaz honors her for her devotion to God as evidenced by her
conduct, not for her beauty.
v. 14-16- beyond required care.
Chapter 3:
Security, redemption, will get to shortly
Ruth trusts Naomi.
v.3- women usually not with men at night on threshing floor.
v. 4- sign of protection, asking for marriage.
v. 10- was he older, too shy to approach her? She could have
gotten any man, but fulfilled obligation to her husband.
v.12- follow the law.
Chapter 4:
v.1- where business was done, 2 elders as witneses.
v. 5- see Dt. 25: 5-10.
6. if he would have son by her and he was only surviving male
heir, his property would go to Elimelech, or, did he not want to marry a
Moabite woman.
Book written to document
David’s descent, not primarily a love story.
Gal. 4: 4-5.
Naomi- 1:13, 20-21, 4: 13-17. Thought God had afflicted her
because of divine displeasure.
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