AUTHOR NOTES
Read Ruth 4
How would you like to be married without even dressing up and attending the ceremony? That's what happened to Ruth! And afterwards, while she was still back at the house with Naomi, nervously waiting to hear from Boaz, the elders of the town gathered around Boaz and pronounced a blessing for Ruth to be as influential, strong and fertile as the founding (and rather scandalous) mothers of their tribe and nation!
Why would the elders mention their ancestresses Rachel, Leah and Tamar in a blessing? The following is an excerpt from Postcards, page 198...
The truth is, you don’t have to have a perfect life to be a symbol of blessing. God uses struggling women to accomplish his purposes. And his purposes are for our good. In the midst of those struggles, when we are stripped of all crutches, façades, and power, we gain a valuable perspective on eternity, God, and our relation to life. Pain and suffering can make us more objective about life, sharpen our values, and—if we allow—develop the courage to live life with passion and drive as never before.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
(chapter 21 of Postcards, and Ruth 4:11,12)
Find out about Rachel, Leah and Tamar and talk about who's story you find the most tragic or unsettling. Read Genesis 29 and 30 for Rachel and Leah; and Genesis 38 for Tamar.
Do you know of women in your own family line who have overcome obstacles and hardships? When did your family arrive in the United States (or where you currently reside)? What sort of losses has your mother, grandmother or great-grandmother experienced? What character qualities would you like be be remembered for?
PRAYER
Lord God,
As I remember women from the past and the struggles they've endured, help me understand how they looked to you and were strengthened and held by you. Their stories encourage me, so I thank you for the precious gift of knowing them.
May others say the same about me some day.
Amen
What a wonderful gift of grace to invoke a blessing and/or blessings upon another as the town elders did upon Ruth and Boaz. And did they ever come to fruition.
ReplyDeleteIn your(book) Postcards from Widows Path / on page 201 this A.M. I soaked up, devoured selfishly the much needed blessings you chose to bestow upon your readers. (thank-you}
Hannah W. Smith once said when Moses was standing before the burning bush he asked God "who
shall I say that sent me me"? God said tell them "I AM, that I AM"
meaning whatever your need is, that is what I AM will be to us. All the names and attributes of God are overwelming to our finite minds. The older I grow in my faith, the more I am understanding why he is called "The Great I AM"
dodi ~