Today's Readings and Stuff -- Sunday, 28 April 2019

A blessed and happy Lord's Day is wished to all who stop by. 

Wife is in bed, she wasn't up to the "dance recital" for Great-Niece.  We didn't really have the money for tickets anyway (this is also a fundraiser for the community center) so we stayed home.  Such is our life these days.  Niece will show us pictures of the Great Event, and that will have to do.

Not much else to say right now.
Some of what is going on around me and in my mind has me replaying in mind a long-time favorite song.  It is taken from another episode of the Bible where a most unlikely person, a woman at that, is placed in a unique circumstance, a dire one at that, that rescues the people.  Esther had no expectation of success, but she was willing to be obedient.  As we are, no matter what.  That slip of a girl, like Ruth, like others, changed the world in a most unexpected way.  As are we, by His direction and grace.  Yes, we are here For Such A Time As This.  See Esther 4:14.

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Today, a change.  The beginning of the book of Ruth.  As some know, this is one of my favorite books in all the Old Testament, and indeed all the Bible.  Why?  Well, among other things, this is an account of someone who the Lord sought out, a most unlikely person in a foreign heathen land, brought by a cascade of "coincidences" into the knowledge of the Lord.  She was someone who, by all the Jewish standards, was one of "those" people.  But she was brought into the fold anyway.  A lot of things were going on here, including tough times for some possibly "good" people.  Famine.  Sickness.  Poverty.  Death.  Unhappiness.  All that.  I don't know all of the "why" stuff, probably never will.  But Ruth met an Israelite in her home town, married him.  And then he died.  As did his brother, and his father.  Now she was left with an aging mother-in-law, and no resources.  But she took care of that mother-in-law, not always an easy task. And, as we will see, she is faithful throughout.  And meets another man.  We will see that other man, Boaz.  He also has a background.  Look at who his grandmother was.  Rahab, the harlot from Jericho who protected the spies, survived the battle that destroyed Jericho, and went on to a new life.  Had Boaz not had that awareness, I don't know if he would have been receptive to Ruth.  And out of their eventual union we see, several generations later, King David, and eventually to Joseph and Jesus.  Yes, the Lord does work in mysterious ways.
By the way, I truly love verses 16 and 17 in chapter 1 here.  They were part of the wedding ceremony for Wife and I, and I believe that they fit.

Ruth 1

1Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Beth–lehem–judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.

2And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Beth–lehem–judah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there.

3And Elimelech Naomi's husband died; and she was left, and her two sons.

4And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years.

5And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband.

6Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the Lord had visited his people in giving them bread.

7Wherefore she went forth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters in law with her; and they went on the way to return unto the land of Judah.

8And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go, return each to her mother's house: the Lord deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me.

9The Lord grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them; and they lifted up their voice, and wept.

10And they said unto her, Surely we will return with thee unto thy people.

11And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? are there yet any more sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?

12Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have an husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should have an husband also to night, and should also bear sons;

13Would ye tarry for them till they were grown? would ye stay for them from having husbands? nay, my daughters; for it grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the Lord is gone out against me.

14And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her.

15And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law.

16And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:

17Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.

18When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her.

19So they two went until they came to Beth–lehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Beth–lehem, that all the city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi?

20And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.

21I 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?

22So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her, which returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Beth–lehem in the beginning of barley harvest.

Ruth 2

1And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz.

2And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter.

3And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech.

4And, behold, Boaz came from Beth–lehem, and said unto the reapers, The Lord be with you. And they answered him, The Lord bless thee.

5Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this?

6And the servant that was set over the reapers answered and said, It is the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab:

7And she said, I pray you, let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves: so she came, and hath continued even from the morning until now, that she tarried a little in the house.

8Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens:

9Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them: have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn.

10Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?

11And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore.

12The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.

13Then she said, Let me find favour in thy sight, my lord; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid, though I be not like unto one of thine handmaidens.

14And Boaz said unto her, At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers: and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left.

15And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not:

16And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not.

17So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out that she had gleaned: and it was about an ephah of barley.

18And she took it up, and went into the city: and her mother in law saw what she had gleaned: and she brought forth, and gave to her that she had reserved after she was sufficed.

19And her mother in law said unto her, Where hast thou gleaned to day? and where wroughtest thou? blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee. And she shewed her mother in law with whom she had wrought, and said, The man's name with whom I wrought to day is Boaz.

20And Naomi said unto her daughter in law, Blessed be he of the Lord, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her, The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen.

21And Ruth the Moabitess said, He said unto me also, Thou shalt keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my harvest.

22And Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter in law, It is good, my daughter, that thou go out with his maidens, that they meet thee not in any other field.

23So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and dwelt with her mother in law.

Today's Readings and Stuff -- Sunday, 29 April 2018

late and VERY brief.  My apologies.
We had one of those mandatory family things, her side  (naturally) which ate up most of the day.  I actually had to slip out of the church service early, WELL before the close, to get underway to be to The Place on time.  One of the most useless, boring things I've ever attended, but everyone else seemed to be pleased with it all, so (for once) I kept my own counsel.  Made it home, I made sure she'd taken her "meds", and shortly thereafter she decided to take a short nap.  I was about done in, so I lay there for a bit.  She's still horizontal, and appears likely to remain so for a while, so I'm taking a break from the break, if that makes sense.

Too much on the mind to sleep anyway.


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The reading for the day is chapters 3 and 4 of the book of Ruth, completing it.

Take a moment (or an hour) and look at chapter 1 in the Gospel of Matthew and chapter 3 in the Gospel of Luke.  The genealogy of Jesus the Christ.   We normally zip past it, and overlook it, but Ruth the Moabitess was part of that earthly lineage.  Remember that the people of Moab were NOT Jews, not friends of the Jews.  But, by the Lord's intervention, one of "those people" was included in the line.  So, yes, even a horrid sinner such as me can sing "I'm Part of the Family of God", and know it to be true.  And it is.

Ruth 3

 1  Then Naomi her mother in law said unto her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee?

2  And now is not Boaz of our kindred, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he winnoweth barley to night in the threshingfloor.

3  Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the floor: but make not thyself known unto the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking.

4  And it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie, and thou shalt go in, and uncover his feet, and lay thee down; and he will tell thee what thou shalt do.uncover: or, lift up the clothes that are on

5  And she said unto her, All that thou sayest unto me I will do.

6  And she went down unto the floor, and did according to all that her mother in law bade her.

7  And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of corn: and she came softly, and uncovered his feet, and laid her down.

8  And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid, and turned himself: and, behold, a woman lay at his feet.turned: or, took hold on

9  And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman.

10  And he said, Blessed be thou of the Lord, my daughter: for thou hast shewed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou followedst not young men, whether poor or rich.

11  And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou requirest: for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman.

12  And now it is true that I am thy near kinsman: howbeit there is a kinsman nearer than I.

13  Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning, that if he will perform unto thee the part of a kinsman, well; let him do the kinsman's part: but if he will not do the part of a kinsman to thee, then will I do the part of a kinsman to thee, as the Lord liveth: lie down until the morning.

14  And she lay at his feet until the morning: and she rose up before one could know another. And he said, Let it not be known that a woman came into the floor.

15  Also he said, Bring the veil that thou hast upon thee, and hold it. And when she held it, he measured six measures of barley, and laid it on her: and she went into the city.

16  And when she came to her mother in law, she said, Who art thou, my daughter? And she told her all that the man had done to her.

17  And she said, These six measures of barley gave he me; for he said to me, Go not empty unto thy mother in law.

18  Then said she, Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall: for the man will not be in rest, until he have finished the thing this day.

Ruth 4

1  Then went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by; unto whom he said, Ho, 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, Sit ye down here. And they sat down.

3  And he said unto the kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth a parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech's:

4  And I thought to advertise thee, saying, Buy it before the inhabitants, and before the elders of my people. If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it: but if thou wilt not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know: for there is none to redeem it beside thee; and I am after thee. And he said, I will redeem it.I thought

5  Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance.

6  And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: redeem thou my right to thyself; for I cannot redeem it.

7  Now this was the manner in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning changing, for to confirm all things; a man plucked off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbour: and this was a testimony in Israel.

8  Therefore the kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for thee. So he drew off his shoe.

9  And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's, of the hand of Naomi.

10  Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place: ye are witnesses this day.

11  And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. The Lord make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Beth–lehem

12  And let thy house be like the house of Pharez, whom Tamar bare unto Judah, of the seed which the Lord shall give thee of this young woman.

13  So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in unto her, the Lord gave her conception, and she bare a son.

14  And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the Lord, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel.

15  And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him.

16  And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto it.

17  And the women her neighbours 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  Now these are the generations of Pharez: Pharez begat Hezron,

19  And Hezron begat Ram, and Ram begat Amminadab,

20  And Amminadab begat Nahshon, and Nahshon begat Salmon,

21  And Salmon begat Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed,

22  And Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David.

Today's Readings and Stuff -- Saturday, 28 April 2018

G'day, as  the Aussies say it.

We are fast approaching the end of April, preparing for May.  We're now roughly SIX WEEKS into "spring".  Yet, the weathercasters tell us that tonight we may see a low temperature below freezing.! 😢

But we will get through.  I guess.
Meanwhile, we have a very cold rain falling here  in this "pocket", and the temperature, shortly after noon, is in the low 40's, and that is likely to be the so-called "high".  I hate the weather here.  Always have, always will.

I didn't really do a thorough job of checking the "body count" from last night's "festivities".  In all too many regions, and this is one, Friday and Saturday nights are normally to be marked by excess use of alcohol and "recreational pharmaceuticals".  Which, run in parallel with violence, including homicides, and illicit sexual encounters.  Which latter, in turn, often leads to future violence.  I've been in a position to witness all the above, on too many occasions, and in too many parts of the country and certainly in this area. 
I have been told that referring to this is somehow "intolerant", or "racist", or any of a number of other labels that get thrown around to be a counter-argument to these "inconvenient facts". But it is still true.  I've certainly been roundly accused of worse things.
But it's not a recipe for a successful area and culture.

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Our reading for the day is chapters 1 and 2 in the book of Ruth.
Ruth always strikes me as incredibly important, yet often overlooked.  I have been planning for several years to create a real commentary / study on this book.  Haven't gotten to it yet, there is still some stuff working its way through the mind, but it deserves attention.
I exchanged some messages a week or so ago, with a fellow that I know in central Alabama, who is a bi-vocational pastor in a predominantly black congregation in a solidly black small town.  A good guy, even if we don't always agree.  He was telling me that he uses the book of Ruth as the basis text for at least one study group in the church that is for women.  He describes it as a message of empowerment to those ladies.  That's not exactly my first take on it, but it's not wrong either.
The text means a lot to Dear Wife and to me:  verses 16 and 17 of chapter 1 were part of the text at our wedding.  That is not precisely how those words were originally used, but they also fit for a wedding. 
I do not believe in coincidences.  I believe fully that "the Lord works in mysterious ways, His wonders to perform".  Nor do I believe that bad circumstances necessarily mean the Lord is exacting judgment.  Did Elimelech, Mahlon, and Chilion commit some grave sin, leading to their deaths?  I don't know, none of us do.  Was the famine part of a judgment against the people?  I don't know.  What I do see is that somehow, in some way, those people made the true God known to a Moabite, who would not have seen such a witness in any other way.  And I do know that the Lord knew all of this well before the events.  As a result, as we shall see, the world was changed.  Watch and see.

Ruth 1

1  Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Beth–lehem–judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.

2  And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Beth–lehem–judah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there.

3  And Elimelech Naomi's husband died; and she was left, and her two sons.

4  And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years.

5  And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband.

6  Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the Lord had visited his people in giving them bread.

7  Wherefore she went forth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters in law with her; and they went on the way to return unto the land of Judah.

8  And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go, return each to her mother's house: the Lord deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me.

9  The Lord grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them; and they lifted up their voice, and wept.

10  And they said unto her, Surely we will return with thee unto thy people.

11  And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? are there yet any more sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?

12  Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have an husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should have an husband also to night, and should also bear sons;

13  Would ye tarry for them till they were grown? would ye stay for them from having husbands? nay, my daughters; for it grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the Lord is gone out against me.

14  And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her.

15  And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law.

16  And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:

17  Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.

18  When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her

19  So they two went until they came to Beth–lehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Beth–lehem, that all the city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi?

20And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: 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?

22  So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her, which returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Beth–lehem in the beginning of barley harvest.

 

 

Ruth 2

1  And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz.

2  And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter.

3  And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech.

4  And, behold, Boaz came from Beth–lehem, and said unto the reapers, The Lord be with you. And they answered him, The Lord bless thee.

5  Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this?

6  And the servant that was set over the reapers answered and said, It is the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab:

7  And she said, I pray you, let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves: so she came, and hath continued even from the morning until now, that she tarried a little in the house.

8  Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens:

9  Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them: have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn.

10  Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?

11  And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore.

12  The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.

13  Then she said, Let me find favour in thy sight, my lord; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid, though I be not like unto one of thine handmaidens.

14  And Boaz said unto her, At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers: and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left.

15  And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not

16  And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not.

17  So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out that she had gleaned: and it was about an ephah of barley.

18  And she took it up, and went into the city: and her mother in law saw what she had gleaned: and she brought forth, and gave to her that she had reserved after she was sufficed.

19  And her mother in law said unto her, Where hast thou gleaned to day? and where wroughtest thou? blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee. And she shewed her mother in law with whom she had wrought, and said, The man's name with whom I wrought to day is Boaz.

20  And Naomi said unto her daughter in law, Blessed be he of the Lord, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her, The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen.

21  And Ruth the Moabitess said, He said unto me also, Thou shalt keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my harvest.

22  And Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter in law, It is good, my daughter, that thou go out with his maidens, that they meet thee not in any other field.

23  So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and dwelt with her mother in law.

Today's Readings and Stuff -- Friday, 08 April, 2016

We woke this morning to a white expanse of snow on the ground.  Snow.  In the 2nd week of April.  Snow.  Yes, it's gone now.  More, a LOT more, is predicted to fall tonight and tomorrow.  Considerable accumulation, that could include "thunder snow" and what the NWS calls "significant accumulations" is in the possible-to-likely range.
We have committed to "help" at a fund-raiser tomorrow, a "Relay for Life" craft show about 15 miles from here, wife's next-door niece and the nephew's wife, are not only having a "table" there, they're also heavily involved in the organization thereof.  They've asked us to come help, and they've been so good to us that we could scarcely decline.  So we'll be leaving here around dawn and getting back -- Lord willing -- around sunset.  Whee!

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The Old Testament reading today is the book of Ruth, all four chapters.
This is one of those parts of the Bible that I hardly remember being mentioned when I was growing up, but it has become one of my favorites.  I'm planning to write a study based upon it, and am well overdue in getting it going.
This is an account of a woman who, against all odds, was chosen by the Lord to become part of the lineage of Jesus.  Not a Jew, one of "those people" in fact.  Yet the Lord had a plan.  I often think about the circumstances that led to this.  A famine, a flight to find food, an unexpected marriage, three deaths, a further flight, and an unexpected encounter.  Was there another way?  I don't know, but this is the path the Lord set.  It makes sense, looking backwards, but at the time, it must have seemed as if the Lord was cursing them all.  Been there.

Ruth 1

1	Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.
2	And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehemjudah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there.
3	And Elimelech Naomi's husband died; and she was left, and her two sons.
4	And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years.
5	And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband.
6	Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the LORD had visited his people in giving them bread.
7	Wherefore she went forth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters in law with her; and they went on the way to return unto the land of Judah.
8	And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go, return each to her mother's house: the LORD deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me.
9	The LORD grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them; and they lifted up their voice, and wept.
10	And they said unto her, Surely we will return with thee unto thy people.
11	And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? are there yet any more sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?
12	Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have an husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should have an husband also to night, and should also bear sons;
13	Would ye tarry for them till they were grown? would ye stay for them from having husbands? nay, my daughters; for it grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD is gone out against me.
14	And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her.
15	And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law.
16	And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:
17	Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.
18	When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her.
19	So they two went until they came to Bethlehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Bethlehem, that all the city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi?
20	And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: 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?
22	So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her, which returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.

Ruth 2

1	And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz.
2	And Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter.
3	And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech.
4	And, behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said unto the reapers, The LORD be with you. And they answered him, The LORD bless thee.
5	Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this?
6	And the servant that was set over the reapers answered and said, It is the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab:
7	And she said, I pray you, let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves: so she came, and hath continued even from the morning until now, that she tarried a little in the house.
8	Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens:
9	Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them: have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn.
10	Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?
11	And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been showed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore.
12	The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.
13	Then she said, Let me find favor in thy sight, my lord; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid, though I be not like unto one of thine handmaidens.
14	And Boaz said unto her, At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers: and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left.
15	And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not:
16	And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not.
17	So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out that she had gleaned: and it was about an ephah of barley.
18	And she took it up, and went into the city: and her mother in law saw what she had gleaned: and she brought forth, and gave to her that she had reserved after she was sufficed.
19	And her mother in law said unto her, Where hast thou gleaned to day? and where wroughtest thou? blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee. And she showed her mother in law with whom she had wrought, and said, The man's name with whom I wrought to day is Boaz.
20	And Naomi said unto her daughter in law, Blessed be he of the LORD, who hath not left off his kindness to the living and to the dead. And Naomi said unto her, The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen.
21	And Ruth the Moabitess said, He said unto me also, Thou shalt keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my harvest.
22	And Naomi said unto Ruth her daughter in law, It is good, my daughter, that thou go out with his maidens, that they meet thee not in any other field.
23	So she kept fast by the maidens of Boaz to glean unto the end of barley harvest and of wheat harvest; and dwelt with her mother in law.

Ruth 3

1	Then Naomi her mother in law said unto her, My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee?
2	And now is not Boaz of our kindred, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he winnoweth barley to night in the threshingfloor.
3	Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the floor: but make not thyself known unto the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking.
4	And it shall be, when he lieth down, that thou shalt mark the place where he shall lie, and thou shalt go in, and uncover his feet, and lay thee down; and he will tell thee what thou shalt do.
5	And she said unto her, All that thou sayest unto me I will do.
6	And she went down unto the floor, and did according to all that her mother in law bade her.
7	And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of corn: and she came softly, and uncovered his feet, and laid her down.
8	And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid, and turned himself: and, behold, a woman lay at his feet.
9	And he said, Who art thou? And she answered, I am Ruth thine handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thine handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman.
10	And he said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, my daughter: for thou hast showed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou followedst not young men, whether poor or rich.
11	And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou requirest: for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman.
12	And now it is true that I am thy near kinsman: howbeit there is a kinsman nearer than I.
13	Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning, that if he will perform unto thee the part of a kinsman, well; let him do the kinsman's part: but if he will not do the part of a kinsman to thee, then will I do the part of a kinsman to thee, as the LORD liveth: lie down until the morning.
14	And she lay at his feet until the morning: and she rose up before one could know another. And he said, Let it not be known that a woman came into the floor.
15	Also he said, Bring the vail that thou hast upon thee, and hold it. And when she held it, he measured six measures of barley, and laid it on her: and she went into the city.
16	And when she came to her mother in law, she said, Who art thou, my daughter? And she told her all that the man had done to her.
17	And she said, These six measures of barley gave he me; for he said to me, Go not empty unto thy mother in law.
18	Then said she, Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall: for the man will not be in rest, until he have finished the thing this day.

Ruth 4

1	Then went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by; unto whom he said, Ho, 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, Sit ye down here. And they sat down.
3	And he said unto the kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth a parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech's:
4	And I thought to advertise thee, saying, Buy it before the inhabitants, and before the elders of my people. If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it: but if thou wilt not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know: for there is none to redeem it beside thee; and I am after thee. And he said, I will redeem it.
5	Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance.
6	And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: redeem thou my right to thyself; for I cannot redeem it.
7	Now this was the manner in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning changing, for to confirm all things; a man plucked off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbor: and this was a testimony in Israel.
8	Therefore the kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for thee. So he drew off his shoe.
9	And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's, of the hand of Naomi.
10	Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place: ye are witnesses this day.
11	And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. The LORD make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Bethlehem:
12	And let thy house be like the house of Pharez, whom Tamar bare unto Judah, of the seed which the LORD shall give thee of this young woman.
13	So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in unto her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bare a son.
14	And the women said unto Naomi, Blessed be the LORD, which hath not left thee this day without a kinsman, that his name may be famous in Israel.
15	And he shall be unto thee a restorer of thy life, and a nourisher of thine old age: for thy daughter in law, which loveth thee, which is better to thee than seven sons, hath born him.
16	And Naomi took the child, and laid it in her bosom, and became nurse unto 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	Now these are the generations of Pharez: Pharez begat Hezron,
19	And Hezron begat Ram, and Ram begat Amminadab,
20	And Amminadab begat Nahshon, and Nahshon begat Salmon,
21	And Salmon begat Boaz, and Boaz begat Obed,
22	And Obed begat Jesse, and Jesse begat David.

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The New Testament reading is verses 29-54 in the 11th chapter of the Gospel of Luke.

Luke 11:29-54

29	And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet.
30	For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.
31	The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.
32	The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.
33	No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light.
34	The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness.
35	Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness.
36	If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light.
37	And as he spake, a certain Pharisee besought him to dine with him: and he went in, and sat down to meat.
38	And when the Pharisee saw it, he marvelled that he had not first washed before dinner.
39	And the Lord said unto him, Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter; but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness.
40	Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also?
41	But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you.
42	But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.
43	Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets.
44	Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.
45	Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto him, Master, thus saying thou reproachest us also.
46	And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.
47	Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.
48	Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres.
49	Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute:
50	That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;
51	From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.
52	Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.
53	And as he said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things:
54	Laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him.