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Naomi meets Faithful Ruth - The Book of Ruth · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: Let us pray. Where thou diest will I die, and
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  Speaker 1: there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me,
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  Speaker 1: and more also, if aught but death part thee and me.
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  Speaker 1: Ruth 1.17 Dear Lord, with a heart of true devotion,
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  Speaker 1: I declare that no matter what hardships I face, like
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  Speaker 1: Ruth and Naomi, I will not leave your side. as
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  Speaker 1: Ruth committed her life to serving Naomi, I too have
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  Speaker 1: made the decision to follow you, Lord, and to serve
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  Speaker 1: you wholeheartedly. I will not approach my life's purpose with
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  Speaker 1: mediocrity and small thinking. Instead, I will move and do
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  Speaker 1: everything with excellence, because I know that I am serving
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  Speaker 1: the King of kings and the Lord of lords. When
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  Speaker 1: I feel tired, Strengthen my mind and body to complete
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  Speaker 1: the task in front of me. I decree and declare
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  Speaker 1: that I will tend to the opportunities you bring me, God.
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  Speaker 1: Like when Ruth attended to the fields of Boaz, I
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  Speaker 1: now know that if I am faithful to the little Lord,
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  Speaker 1: you will bless me with much. I declare that this
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  Speaker 1: is my redeeming season. I declare that all my losses
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  Speaker 1: are turning into gains. I declare that this is a
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  Speaker 1: new season and change is all around me. In Jesus' name, amen.
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  Speaker 1: Thanks for making prayer a priority in your life. To
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  Speaker 1: hear the Bible come to life, stay tuned for The
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  Speaker 1: Bible in a Year, brought to you by BibleInAYear.com.
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  Speaker 2: Naomi meets faithful Ruth. In our last story, we learned
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  Speaker 2: about Israel's corruption. Their lack of guidance and devotion to
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  Speaker 2: God caused a great civil war to break out between
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  Speaker 2: the tribe of Benjamin and the rest of Israel. Blood
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  Speaker 2: was shed, and the people of Israel continued to struggle.
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  Speaker 2: Yet God was faithful to rebuild and to restore. Now
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  Speaker 2: we peer into the lives of Naomi and Ruth. two
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  Speaker 2: women who suffered loss and heartbreak, but found closeness in
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  Speaker 2: each other and the favor of God, inspired by the
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  Speaker 2: book of Ruth.
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  Speaker 3: Hello, this is Pastor Jack Graham with today's episode of
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  Speaker 3: the Bible in a Year podcast. In our previous reading,
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  Speaker 3: we heard how civil war erupted in Israel. The tribe
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  Speaker 3: of Benjamin battled the other tribes, killing many of their
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  Speaker 3: own fellow Israelites. But in the end, It was they
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  Speaker 3: who fell to the sword and they were nearly wiped out.
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  Speaker 3: God's people drew close to God again, but for just
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  Speaker 3: a little while. Soon they returned to their old ways
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  Speaker 3: of sin and rebellion, and there was great separation between
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  Speaker 3: God and his own people. Today we turn our attention
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  Speaker 3: to a very beautiful story of devotion and love between
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  Speaker 3: two widows, a mother and a daughter-in-law, who are left
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  Speaker 3: alone and hurting. The story of Naomi and Ruth is
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  Speaker 3: touching and inspiring, and we see God's favor poured out
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  Speaker 3: on these two women who loved God and loved each other. Now,
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  Speaker 3: let's listen to today's reading.
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  Speaker 2: It was the era of judges. Great warriors of God
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  Speaker 2: ruled and protected the nation of Israel from evil forces.
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  Speaker 2: Their bravery covered the land, and Israel was safe from harm. However,
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  Speaker 2: a famine blighted the land of Israel. Crops turned to dust,
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  Speaker 2: and the rain ceased to fall for months at a time. Elimelech,
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  Speaker 2: a man from Bethlehem of the tribe of Judah, left
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  Speaker 2: to the country of Moab with his wife Naomi and
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  Speaker 2: his two sons. There they found fertile ground and raised
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  Speaker 2: their family in peace. All was well until Elimelech passed
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  Speaker 2: away and left Naomi alone with her son Malon and Chilion.
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  Speaker 2: Naomi raised her sons in the love of God, and
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  Speaker 2: they grew to be fine young men. They both married
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  Speaker 2: Moabite women, Ruth and Orpha. For ten years, the five
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  Speaker 2: of them lived as a happy family, enjoying the land
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  Speaker 2: and each other's company. However, tragedy knocked on Naomi's door
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  Speaker 2: once again, and her two sons died, just as her
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  Speaker 2: husband had. There, Naomi was left alone with her two daughter-in-laws.
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  Speaker 2: Naomi's grief sunk its roots down deep. Her sons and
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  Speaker 2: her husband had left her, and she felt helpless and alone.
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  Speaker 2: In cries of pain, Naomi called for her two daughter-in-laws, saying,
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  Speaker 2: You should go and return to your mother's house. There
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  Speaker 2: is nothing left for you here but sadness and despair.
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  Speaker 2: Naomi covered her face from them as she wept. She
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  Speaker 2: truly loved her daughters, but knew she could not provide
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  Speaker 2: a life for them. The two girls kissed her and
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  Speaker 2: they all wept. They protested, saying that they would stay
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  Speaker 2: with Naomi. But Naomi shook her head. She wiped a
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  Speaker 2: few tears from her eyes and said, Listen, I cannot
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  Speaker 2: give you sons to marry or food to feed you. Go,
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  Speaker 2: and may God bless you with the same amount he
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  Speaker 2: has cursed me. So Ophah kissed her mother-in-law and departed.
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  Speaker 2: But Ruth clung to her, refusing to leave her side.
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  Speaker 2: Ruth took Naomi's hands and looked her deep.
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  Speaker 1: In the eyes.
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  Speaker 2: With a gentle voice, Ruth said, Wherever you go, I
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  Speaker 2: will go also. Your people will be my people, your
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  Speaker 2: God will be my God, and wherever you die, so
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  Speaker 2: I will also. Naomi's heart overflowed with gratitude, and the
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  Speaker 2: two women ventured back to Bethlehem to Naomi's family. Ruth
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  Speaker 2: displayed true devotion, friendship, and a willingness to share in
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  Speaker 2: the joys and failures of life with Naomi. When the
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  Speaker 2: two of them arrived at Bethlehem, the whole town stirred
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  Speaker 2: and came out of their homes. Naomi has returned, they shouted.
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  Speaker 2: They were elated to see her once again. Naomi halted
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  Speaker 2: their embrace. Her eyes were swollen from endless tears, and
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  Speaker 2: her back was crooked from carrying a heavy load. Do
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  Speaker 2: not call me Naomi, she said. Call me Mara. For
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  Speaker 2: God has given me only bitterness. I left filled with life,
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  Speaker 2: but now I am emptied. So Naomi and Ruth settled
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  Speaker 2: in a small home together, and the town respected Naomi's
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  Speaker 2: wishes and did not bother her. On the other end
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  Speaker 2: of town lived Boaz. Boaz was a relative of Naomi's husband.
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  Speaker 2: He owned large barley fields and would allow for the
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  Speaker 2: impoverished people in town to glean from his field to
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  Speaker 2: feed their families. So Ruth went to the fields of
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  Speaker 2: Boaz to reap some of the harvest for her and Naomi.
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  Speaker 2: She worked hard in the beating sun, taking no breaks.
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  Speaker 2: Ruth saw it as her responsibility to look after Naomi,
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  Speaker 2: and she did so happily. Boaz entered into the fields
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  Speaker 2: to greet his workers. The Lord be with you, he
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  Speaker 2: told them. His smile was large and genuine. Boaz was
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  Speaker 2: a handsome man, perhaps ten years older than Ruth. He
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  Speaker 2: stood tall and strong but he was not intimidating or brutish.
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  Speaker 2: He walked the fields, making sure every person had enough
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  Speaker 2: to take home to their families. As he was scanning
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  Speaker 2: the fields, he spotted Ruth on the corner, away from
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  Speaker 2: the other women. He turned to the man in charge
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  Speaker 2: of the reapers and said, Who is that young woman
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  Speaker 2: over there? Ah, yes, that is Ruth, the man said.
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  Speaker 2: She is a young Moabite woman who came back with Naomi.
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  Speaker 2: She asked if she could glean from the field. and
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  Speaker 2: has not stopped working since sunrise. Boaz looked at her,
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  Speaker 2: concerned that she was working all alone. Boaz turned towards
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  Speaker 2: Ruth and walked down to where she was working. Ruth's
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  Speaker 2: head was down, and her eyes were locked on the
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  Speaker 2: barley stalks. Hello, Boaz said. Ruth looked up, startled. When
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  Speaker 2: she saw it was the man who owned the fields,
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  Speaker 2: she relaxed and smiled. The two locked eyes for a moment.
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  Speaker 2: They looked in silence for only a few seconds, although
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  Speaker 2: it seemed much longer. Boaz shook his head and said,
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  Speaker 2: I wanted to welcome you. Do not glean from any
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  Speaker 2: other field. You can work in mine as long as
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  Speaker 2: you want, but keep close to all the other women
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  Speaker 2: over there. Boaz gestured towards the other women working. I
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  Speaker 2: have ordered the men to not harass you. If they do,
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  Speaker 2: they will have me to deal with. And when you
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  Speaker 2: are thirsty, there are vessels that the young men have
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  Speaker 2: drawn over there. As Boaz continued to speak, tears began
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  Speaker 2: to stream down Ruth's face. Surprised, Boaz stopped talking. Ruth
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  Speaker 2: bowed before Boaz, now sobbing into her hands. Why are
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  Speaker 2: you being so kind to me? she asked. Boaz smiled
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  Speaker 2: and helped her onto her feet. I heard what you
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  Speaker 2: did for your mother-in-law. I was told of your husband
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  Speaker 2: who died, and how you remained with her and take
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  Speaker 2: care of her. I want the Lord to repay you
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  Speaker 2: for all you have done. It is under his wings
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  Speaker 2: you have taken refuge, not mine. Boaz's eyes were kind,
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  Speaker 2: and his voice was warm and welcoming. It drew Ruth
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  Speaker 2: in and comforted her. You have truly comforted me, Ruth said,
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  Speaker 2: wiping her eyes. I am not the only one working here,
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  Speaker 2: but you chose to speak with me. Boaz then invited
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  Speaker 2: her to eat with him and the other servants. Boaz
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  Speaker 2: passed out bread and wine to all his reapers and
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  Speaker 2: saved extra for Ruth to take home for Naomi. He
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  Speaker 2: then instructed the men to allow Ruth to work extra
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  Speaker 2: hours so her and Naomi may be taken care of.
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  Speaker 2: Ruth continued to watch Boaz from a distance. The way
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  Speaker 2: he cared for every servant, reaper, and worker was astounding.
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  Speaker 2: Ruth did not know it yet, but she was falling
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  Speaker 2: in love with Boaz. Ruth worked until the sun began
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  Speaker 2: to set. She brought home what she had gleaned to
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  Speaker 2: Naomi and gave her the bread and wine saved by Boaz.
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  Speaker 2: The two spoke into the night about Ruth's day. Who
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  Speaker 2: on earth took such great care of you?
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  Speaker 1: Naomi asked.
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  Speaker 2: It was Boaz, Ruth replied, eyes focused on sifting the
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  Speaker 2: grain on the table. Naomi stopped her and turned her around.
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  Speaker 2: Her eyes were lit up like stars. May Boaz be
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  Speaker 2: blessed by God. He is a close relative of ours.
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  Speaker 2: Not only that, but he is a kinsman redeemer. A
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  Speaker 2: chosen man from the family to be our head and guardian,
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  Speaker 2: Ruth smiled. The following weeks, Ruth kept close to the
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  Speaker 2: other women of the field and worked. She labored all
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  Speaker 2: day and talked with Naomi at night. And each day,
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  Speaker 2: Boaz and Ruth would catch small glimpses of one another,
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  Speaker 2: and Ruth felt safe under his care.
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  Speaker 3: Today's story begins with a famine in the land. A
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  Speaker 3: man from Bethlehem in Judea named Elimelech leaves his home
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  Speaker 3: to go to Moab where he finds fertile fields and peace,
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  Speaker 3: and there with his wife Naomi and their children he
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  Speaker 3: makes a life for his family. But Elimelech eventually dies,
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  Speaker 3: leaving Naomi a widow with two sons. Her sons marry
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  Speaker 3: Moabite women, Ruth and Orpah. After ten years, the sons
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  Speaker 3: also die, leaving Naomi without a husband or children to
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  Speaker 3: care for her. She has no one to protect or
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  Speaker 3: provide for her, so she tells her daughters-in-law to return
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  Speaker 3: home so that they could find husbands to care for them.
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  Speaker 3: After an initial protest, Orpah agrees and returns home back
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  Speaker 3: to Moab. But Ruth will not abandon Naomi. She pledges
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  Speaker 3: her allegiance not only to Naomi but to Naomi's God
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  Speaker 3: and her people. It is a beautiful act of friendship
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  Speaker 3: and selflessness. the magnitude of which it is hard for
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  Speaker 3: us to grasp. Moabites were by law excluded from being
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  Speaker 3: a part of God's covenant, God's people. They were to
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  Speaker 3: be rejected. But Ruth confessed the one true God as
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  Speaker 3: her Lord, received his grace, and goes to Bethlehem with Naomi.
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  Speaker 3: Naomi is met with celebration at home, but responds with
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  Speaker 3: a request to change her name to Marah, which means bitter.
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  Speaker 3: Naomi's circumstances had robbed her of joy, so she is bitter.
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  Speaker 3: She blames God for her bitterness, unfortunately, and rather than
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  Speaker 3: look at what she did have, her life, a loyal daughter-in-law,
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  Speaker 3: and a family in Bethlehem, she was only intent on
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  Speaker 3: seeing what she did not have. The two women settled
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  Speaker 3: in a home together. Ruth went across town each day
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  Speaker 3: to the field of a wealthy man by the and
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  Speaker 3: would allow the poor to glean from his fields at
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  Speaker 3: the time of harvest. Ruth worked hard, and she worked alone.
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  Speaker 3: It was a dangerous thing for her to do, really.
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  Speaker 3: She was so very vulnerable, but she wanted to provide
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  Speaker 3: for herself and her mother-in-law, Naomi. She catches the eye
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  Speaker 3: of Boaz, who asked others who she was. He discovered
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  Speaker 3: that she was the Moabite daughter-in-law of Naomi. So he
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  Speaker 3: approaches her and spoke to her, telling her she was
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  Speaker 3: welcome to glean but to stay close to the other
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  Speaker 3: women for her safety. He also gave orders to his
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  Speaker 3: men to leave her alone. Finally, he told her that
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  Speaker 3: should she get thirsty, she should draw from his well.
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  Speaker 3: This moves Ruth to tears, and she asks why he
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  Speaker 3: is being so kind. Boaz tells Ruth he had heard
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  Speaker 3: what she had done for Naomi. Then he says something
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  Speaker 3: very remarkable. He says he wants the Lord to repay
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  Speaker 3: her for all that she has done, and that she
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  Speaker 3: would find refuge with the Lord. Boaz was protecting her,
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  Speaker 3: but he wanted to be clear that it was under
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  Speaker 3: God's wing, God's protection, that Ruth should take refuge. He
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  Speaker 3: then invited her to eat with him and his servants
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  Speaker 3: and sent her home with extra food for Naomi. When
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  Speaker 3: Naomi hears all that has happened, she is absolutely thrilled.
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  Speaker 3: Her bitterness gives way to hope and joy, and in
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  Speaker 3: Ruth 2.20, she says this, May he be blessed by
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  Speaker 3: the Lord whose kindness has not forsaken the living or
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  Speaker 3: the dead. Naomi said to her also, the man is
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  Speaker 3: a close relative of ours, one of our redeemers. Boaz
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  Speaker 3: was a kinsman redeemer to Ruth. Soon enough, Ruth would
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  Speaker 3: discover just how true this statement was, and we'll hear
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  Speaker 3: about that the next time. It all happened in a
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  Speaker 3: place called Bethlehem. Dear Lord, thank you for your faithfulness.
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  Speaker 3: that even in our sorrow, our grief, and our suffering,
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  Speaker 3: even when we become bitter and angry, your grace chases
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  Speaker 3: us down. Your grace is always with us. And your
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  Speaker 3: provision and your promises are always true. Thank you for Jesus,
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  Speaker 3: who is our kinsman redeemer. And we trust you, Lord,
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  Speaker 3: to be our savior and our protector. In Jesus' name, amen.
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  Speaker 3: Thank you for listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast.
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  Speaker 3: I'm Jack Graham of Dallas, Texas, and you can download
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  Speaker 3: the Pray.com app and make prayer the priority of your life.
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  Speaker 3: It is our prayer that you would know Jesus Christ
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  Speaker 3: in a personal way. Jesus and knowing him is the
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  Speaker 3: key to understanding the Bible. Jesus is on every page
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  Speaker 3: in the pathway of Scripture. So I pray that you
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  Speaker 3: would know him and look to him for eternal life.
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  Speaker 3: As we see all of these stories, some of them
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  Speaker 3: very sordid, we realize just how desperately we all need
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  Speaker 3: the Lord. So invite Christ into your life and receive
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  Speaker 3: him as your Lord and Savior. I would also encourage
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  Speaker 3: you to download the Pray.com app and let others know
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  Speaker 3: about this podcast. And if you want more resources on
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  Speaker 3: how to know God and experience his presence in your life,
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  Speaker 3: be sure to visit JackGraham.org. God bless you.