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Naomi meets Faithful Ruth · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: Where thou diest will I die, and there will I
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  Speaker 1: be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also,
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  Speaker 1: if aught but death part thee and me. Ruth 1.17
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  Speaker 1: Dear Lord, with a heart of true devotion, I declare
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  Speaker 1: that no matter what hardships I face, like Ruth and Naomi,
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  Speaker 1: I will not leave your side. as Ruth committed her
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  Speaker 1: life to serving Naomi, I too have made the decision
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  Speaker 1: to follow you, Lord, and to serve you wholeheartedly. I
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  Speaker 1: will not approach my life's purpose with mediocrity and small thinking. Instead,
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  Speaker 1: I will move and do everything with excellence, because I
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  Speaker 1: know that I am serving the King of kings and
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  Speaker 1: the Lord of lords. When I feel tired, Strengthen my
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  Speaker 1: mind and body to complete the task in front of me.
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  Speaker 1: I decree and declare that I will tend to the
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  Speaker 1: opportunities you bring me, God. Like when Ruth attended to
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  Speaker 1: the fields of Boaz, I now know that if I
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  Speaker 1: am faithful to the little Lord, you will bless me
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  Speaker 1: with much. I declare that this is my redeeming season.
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  Speaker 1: I declare that all my losses are turning into gains.
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  Speaker 1: I declare that this is a new season and change
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  Speaker 1: is all around me. In Jesus' name, amen. Thanks for
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  Speaker 1: making prayer a priority in your life. To hear the
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  Speaker 1: Bible come to life, stay tuned for The Bible in
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  Speaker 1: 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.
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  Speaker 3: Inspired by the book of Ruth.
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  Speaker 4: Hello, I'm Jack Graham with today's episode of the Bible
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  Speaker 4: in a Year podcast. But before we begin, I want
• 2:47
  Speaker 4: to let you know about a unique e-book that's yours
• 2:51
  Speaker 4: to download absolutely free today. It's called Breaking Free from Stress.
• 2:56
  Speaker 4: And my prayer is that it will help you conquer
• 2:59
  Speaker 4: the daily tasks and pressures and burdens that bring stress
• 3:02
  Speaker 4: in your life. Download your free copy of Breaking Free
• 3:06
  Speaker 4: from Stress today by visiting jackgram.org slash stress. That's jackgram.org
• 3:13
  Speaker 4: slash stress. In our previous reading, we heard how civil
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  Speaker 4: war erupted in Israel. The tribe of Benjamin battled the
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  Speaker 4: other tribes, killing many of their own fellow Israelites. But
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  Speaker 4: in the end, it was they who fell to the
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  Speaker 4: sword and they were nearly wiped out. God's people drew
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  Speaker 4: close to God again, but for just a little while.
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  Speaker 4: Soon they returned to their old ways of sin and rebellion,
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  Speaker 4: and there was great separation between God and his own people.
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  Speaker 4: Today we turn our attention to a very beautiful story
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  Speaker 4: of devotion and love between two widows, a mother and
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  Speaker 4: a daughter-in-law, who are left alone and hurting, The story
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  Speaker 4: of Naomi and Ruth is touching and inspiring, and we
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  Speaker 4: see God's favor poured out on these two women who
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  Speaker 4: loved God and loved each other. Now, let's listen to
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  Speaker 4: today's reading.
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  Speaker 3: It was the era of judges.
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  Speaker 2: Great warriors of God ruled and protected the nation of
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  Speaker 2: Israel from evil forces. Their bravery covered the land, and
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  Speaker 2: Israel was safe from harm. However, a famine blighted the
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  Speaker 2: land of Israel. crops turned to dust, and the rain
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  Speaker 2: ceased to fall for.
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  Speaker 3: Months at a time.
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  Speaker 2: Elimelech, a man from Bethlehem of the tribe of Judah,
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  Speaker 2: left to the country of Moab with his wife Naomi
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  Speaker 2: and his two sons. There they found fertile ground and
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  Speaker 2: raised their family in peace. All was well, until Elimelech
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  Speaker 2: passed away and left Naomi alone with her son Malon
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  Speaker 2: and Chilion. Naomi raised her sons in the love of God,
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  Speaker 2: and they grew to be fine young men. They both
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  Speaker 2: married Moabite women, Ruth and Orpha. For ten years, the
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  Speaker 2: five of them lived as a happy family, enjoying the
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  Speaker 2: land and each other's company. However, tragedy knocked on Naomi's
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  Speaker 2: door once again, and her two sons died, just as
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  Speaker 2: her husband had. There, Naomi was left alone with her
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  Speaker 2: two daughter-in-laws. Naomi's grief sunk its roots down deep. Her
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  Speaker 2: sons and her husband had left her, and she felt
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  Speaker 2: helpless and alone. In cries of pain, Naomi called for
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  Speaker 2: her two daughter-in-laws, saying, You should go and return to
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  Speaker 2: your mother's house. There is nothing left for you here
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  Speaker 2: but sadness and despair. Naomi covered her face from them
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  Speaker 2: as she wept. She truly loved her daughters, but knew
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  Speaker 2: she could not provide.
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  Speaker 3: A life for them.
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  Speaker 2: The two girls kissed her and they all wept. They protested,
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  Speaker 2: saying that they would stay with Naomi. But Naomi shook
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  Speaker 2: her head. She wiped a few tears from her eyes
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  Speaker 2: and said, Listen, I cannot give you sons to marry
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  Speaker 2: or food to feed you. Go, and may God bless
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  Speaker 2: you with the same amount he has cursed me. So
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  Speaker 2: Ophah kissed.
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  Speaker 3: 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 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 and.
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  Speaker 3: Came out of their homes.
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  Speaker 2: Naomi has returned, they shouted. They were elated to see
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  Speaker 2: her once again. Naomi halted their embrace. Her eyes were
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  Speaker 2: swollen from endless tears, and her back was crooked from
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  Speaker 2: carrying a heavy load.
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  Speaker 3: Do not call me Naomi, she said. Call me Mara.
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  Speaker 2: For God has given me only bitterness. I left filled
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  Speaker 2: with life, but now I am emptied.
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  Speaker 3: 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.
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  Speaker 3: The Lord be with you, he told them. His smile
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  Speaker 3: was large and genuine.
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  Speaker 2: Boaz was a handsome man, perhaps ten years older than Ruth.
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  Speaker 3: He stood tall and strong, but he was not intimidating
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  Speaker 3: 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.
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  Speaker 3: Ruth looked up, startled.
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  Speaker 2: When 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.
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  Speaker 3: Surprised, Boaz stopped talking.
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  Speaker 2: Ruth bowed before Boaz, now sobbing into her hands.' Why
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  Speaker 2: are you.
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  Speaker 3: Being so kind to me?' she asked. Boaz smiled and
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  Speaker 3: helped her onto her feet.' I heard you.
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  Speaker 2: what you did for your mother-in-law. I was told of
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  Speaker 2: your husband who died, and how you remained with her
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  Speaker 2: and take care of her. I want the Lord to
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  Speaker 2: repay you for all you have done. It is under
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  Speaker 2: his wings you have taken refuge, not mine.' Boaz's eyes
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  Speaker 2: were kind, and his voice was warm and welcoming. It
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  Speaker 2: drew Ruth in and comforted her. You have truly comforted me,
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  Speaker 2: Ruth said, wiping her eyes. I am not the only
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  Speaker 2: one working here, but you chose to speak with me.
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  Speaker 2: Boaz then invited her to eat with him and the
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  Speaker 2: other servants. Boaz passed out bread and wine to all
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  Speaker 2: his reapers and saved extra for Ruth to take home
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  Speaker 2: for Naomi. He then instructed the men to allow Ruth
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  Speaker 2: to work extra hours so her and Naomi may be
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  Speaker 2: taken care of. Ruth continued to watch Boaz from a distance.
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  Speaker 2: The way he cared for every servant, reaper, and worker
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  Speaker 2: was astounding. Ruth did not know it yet, but she
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  Speaker 2: was falling in love with Boaz. Ruth worked until the
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  Speaker 2: sun began to set. She brought home what she had
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  Speaker 2: gleaned to Naomi and gave her the bread and wine
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  Speaker 2: saved by Boaz. The two spoke into the night.
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  Speaker 3: About Ruth's day. Who on earth took such great care
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  Speaker 3: of you? 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 3: Her eyes were lit up like stars.
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  Speaker 2: May Boaz be blessed by God. He is a close
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  Speaker 2: relative of ours. Not only that, but he is a
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  Speaker 2: kinsman redeemer, a chosen man from.
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  Speaker 3: The family to be our head and guardian, Ruth smiled.
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  Speaker 2: The following weeks, Ruth kept close to the other women
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  Speaker 2: of the field and worked. She labored all day and
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  Speaker 2: talked with Naomi at night. And each day, Boaz and
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  Speaker 2: Ruth would catch small glimpses of one another, and Ruth
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  Speaker 2: felt safe under his care.
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  Speaker 4: Today's story begins with a famine in the land. A
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  Speaker 4: man from Bethlehem in Judea named Elimelech leaves his home
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  Speaker 4: to go to Moab where he finds fertile fields and
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  Speaker 4: peace And there with his wife Naomi and their children,
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  Speaker 4: he makes a life for his family. But Elimelech eventually dies,
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  Speaker 4: leaving Naomi a widow with two sons. Her sons marry
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  Speaker 4: Moabite women, Ruth and Orpah. After 10 years, the sons
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  Speaker 4: also die, leaving Naomi without a husband or children to
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  Speaker 4: care for her. She has no one to protect or
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  Speaker 4: provide for her, so she tells her daughters-in-law to return
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  Speaker 4: home so that they could find husbands to care for them.
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  Speaker 4: After an initial protest, Orpah agrees and returns home back
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  Speaker 4: to Moab. But Ruth will not abandon Naomi. She pledges
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  Speaker 4: her allegiance not only to Naomi but to Naomi's God
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  Speaker 4: and her people. It is a beautiful act of friendship
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  Speaker 4: and selflessness, the magnitude of which it is hard for
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  Speaker 4: us to grasp. Moabites were by law excluded from being
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  Speaker 4: a part of God's covenant, God's people. they were to
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  Speaker 4: be rejected. But Ruth confessed the one true God as
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  Speaker 4: her Lord, received his grace, and goes to Bethlehem with Naomi.
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  Speaker 4: Naomi is met with celebration at home, but responds with
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  Speaker 4: a request to change her name to Mara, which means bitter.
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  Speaker 4: Naomi's circumstances had robbed her of joy, so she is bitter.
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  Speaker 4: She blames God for her bitterness, unfortunately. And rather than
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  Speaker 4: look at what she did have, her life, a loyal daughter-in-law,
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  Speaker 4: and a family in Bethlehem, she was only intent on
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  Speaker 4: seeing what she did not have. The two women settled
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  Speaker 4: in a home together. Ruth went across town each day
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  Speaker 4: to the field of a wealthy man by the name
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  Speaker 4: of Boaz who was generous and would allow the poor
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  Speaker 4: to glean from his fields at the time of harvest.
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  Speaker 4: Ruth worked hard and she worked alone. It was a
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  Speaker 4: dangerous thing for her to do, really, She was so
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  Speaker 4: very vulnerable, but she wanted to provide for herself and
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  Speaker 4: her mother-in-law, Naomi. She catches the eye of Boaz, who
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  Speaker 4: asked others who she was. He discovered that she was
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  Speaker 4: the Moabite daughter-in-law of Naomi. So he approaches her and
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  Speaker 4: spoke to her, telling her she was welcome to glean,
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  Speaker 4: but to stay close to the other women for her safety.
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  Speaker 4: He also gave orders to his men to leave her alone. Finally,
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  Speaker 4: he told her that should she get thirsty, She should
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  Speaker 4: draw from his well. This moves Ruth to tears, and
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  Speaker 4: she asks why he is being so kind. Boaz tells
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  Speaker 4: Ruth he had heard what she had done for Naomi.
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  Speaker 4: Then he says something very remarkable. He says he wants
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  Speaker 4: the Lord to repay her for all that she has
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  Speaker 4: done and that she would find refuge with the Lord.
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  Speaker 4: Boaz was protecting her, but he wanted to be clear
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  Speaker 4: that it was under God's wing, God's protection, that Ruth
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  Speaker 4: should take refuge. He then invited her to eat with
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  Speaker 4: him in his service and sent her home with extra
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  Speaker 4: food for Naomi. When Naomi hears all that has happened,
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  Speaker 4: she is absolutely thrilled. Her bitterness gives way to hope
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  Speaker 4: and joy, and in Ruth 2.20, she says this, May
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  Speaker 4: he be blessed by the Lord, whose kindness has not
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  Speaker 4: forsaken the living or the dead. Naomi said to her also,
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  Speaker 4: The man is a close relative of ours, one of
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  Speaker 4: our redeemers. Boaz was a kinsman redeemer to Ruth. Soon enough,
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  Speaker 4: Ruth would discover just how true this statement was, and
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  Speaker 4: we'll hear about that the next time. It all happened
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  Speaker 4: in a place called Bethlehem. Dear Lord, thank you for
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  Speaker 4: your faithfulness, that even in our sorrow, our grief, and
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  Speaker 4: our suffering, even when we become bitter and angry, your
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  Speaker 4: grace chases us down. Your grace is always with us.
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  Speaker 4: And your provision and your promises are always true. Thank
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  Speaker 4: you for Jesus, who is our kinsman redeemer. And we
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  Speaker 4: trust you, Lord, to be our savior and our protector.
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  Speaker 4: In Jesus' name, amen. Thank you for listening to today's
• 16:24
  Speaker 4: Bible in a Year podcast. Before we go, I want
• 16:27
  Speaker 4: to let you know about a unique e-book that's yours
• 16:30
  Speaker 4: to download absolutely free today. It's called Breaking Free from Stress.
• 16:36
  Speaker 4: And my prayer is that it will help you conquer
• 16:38
  Speaker 4: the daily tasks and pressures and burdens that bring stress
• 16:42
  Speaker 4: into your life. Download your free copy of Breaking Free
• 16:46
  Speaker 4: from Stress today by visiting jackgram.org slash stress. That's jackgram.org
• 16:53
  Speaker 4: slash stress.