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July 4 - Ruth 2 · A Chapter a Day Bible Reading

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Hello, friends. It's shown.
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Here it is Tuesday. It is the Fourth of July.
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At sounds like Independence, Day to me in some part of the world,
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but closer to home, we celebrate just a cracker all Tuesday.
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And today we continue reading through the Book of Ruth and the
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moabites, you know, who are the moabites.
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If you remember, all the way back to Genesis when Ham and his
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nephew lot headed off into a new land lat and Abraham separated,
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and when lot settled, and he turned himself into a nation
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through many generations growing that nation became the moabites.
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So these are like the long-lost cousins of the Israelites.
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This is not a warring Nation with a lot of hatred and
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bitterness between them. This is this is the extended
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family so they have returned. Back to Israel now that the
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drought is gone Naomi and Ruth and let us pick up the story to
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see what happens next. As we read, together, Ruth,
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chapter 2, Now there was a wealthy and
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influential man in Bethlehem named Boaz who is a relative of
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Naomi's, husband elimelech, find a Ruth the moabite said to
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Naomi, let me go out into the Harvest fields to pick up the
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stalks of grain left behind by anyone who was kind enough to
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let me do it Naomi replied. All right, my daughter go ahead.
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So Ruth went out to gather drain behind the Harvesters and as it
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happened, And she found herself working in a field that belonged
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to Boaz the relative of her father-in-law elimelech.
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While she was there Bo has arrived from Bethlehem and
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greeted the Harvesters, the Lord be with you.
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He said the Lord blessed you, the Harvesters replied then bow
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has asked his Foreman. Who is that young woman over
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there? Who does she belong to and the
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foreman replied? She is the young woman from Moab
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who came back with Naomi. She asked me this morning if she
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could gather ground behind the Harvesters, she has been hard at
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work ever since except for a few.
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It's rest in the shelter, Boaz went over and said to Ruth.
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Listen, my daughter stay right here with us.
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When you gathered round, don't go to any other fields, stay
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right behind the young. Women working in my field, see
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which part of the field, they are harvesting and then follow
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them. I have worn the young men.
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Not to treat you roughly. And when you were thirsty, help
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yourself to the water. They have drawn from the well,
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Ruth fell at his feet and thanked him.
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Warmly, what have I done to deserve such kindness?
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She asked, I'm only a foreigner. Yes, I know Bo has replied but I
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also know about everything you have done for your
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mother-in-law, since the death of your husband, I have heard
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how you left your father and mother and your own land to live
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here. Among complete strangers, may
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the Lord, the god of Israel under whose wings, you have come
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to take refuge reward you. Ali for what you have done.
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I hope I continue to please you sir, she replied, you have
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comforted Me by speaking. So kindly to me, even though I
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am not one of your workers. At mealtime Boaz called to her.
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Come over here and help yourself to some food.
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You can dip your bread in the sour wine.
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So she ate with his Harvesters and boas gave her some roasted
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grain to eat. She ate all she wanted, and
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still had some left over. When Ruth went back to work
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again, Boaz ordered his young men letter gathered grain,
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right? Among the sheaves without
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stopping her and pull out some heads of barley, From the
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bundles and drop them on purpose for her.
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Let her pick them up and don't give her a hard time.
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So Ruth gathered barley there all day and when she beat out
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the grain that evening it filled an entire basket.
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She carried it back into town and showed it to her
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mother-in-law Ruth also gave her the roasted grain that was left
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over from her meal. Where did you gather all this
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grain today? Naomi asked, where did you work?
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May the Lord bless the one who helped you.
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So Ruth told her mother-in-law about the man and who's filled.
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She Worked. She said, the man I worked with
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today is named Boaz. May, the Lord bless him, Naomi
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told her daughter-in-law. He is showing kindness to us as
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well as your dead husband. That man is one of our closest
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relatives, one of our family. Redeemers, then Ruth said,
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what's more Boaz even told me to come back and stay with his
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Harvest until the entire Harvest is completed.
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Added good Naomi. Exclaimed do as he said my
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daughter. Stay with his young women, right
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through the whole Harvest, you might be harassed in other
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fields, but you'll be safe with him.
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So, Ruth worked alongside the women in boaz's fields and
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gathered grain with them until the end of The Barley Harvest,
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then she continued working with them through the wheat harvest
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in early summer. And all the, while she lived
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with her mother in law, Lord, thank you that you are a
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kind God that you come to us with compassion and mercy and
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kindness in your heart that you lavish upon us, thank you for
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the sunshine. For the full bellies, for the
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friendships for the beautiful families, for peace for.
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So many blessings in our lives that you give us and thank you
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that you shape the hearts of those around us.
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And that you give us the potential for love and for
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kindness grow that potential in us.
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Just as we hear of these loving kind acts in this story of Ruth,
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I pray that you would shape us and mold us to be like you so
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that we too can be faithful and kind and merciful, you are a
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good God and we love you and it's in the name of Jesus.
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We pray these things. Amen.