Ruth Chapter 1

Dark Beginning

The beginning is dark.

• Famine
• Exile for survival ends badly
• 3 widows
• A beautiful girl stays in the land of Moab

But there are a few glimmers of hope in the middle of this dark picture

1) One of the daughters-in-law, becomes attached to her mother-in-law Naomi

But above all, she wants to attach herself to the Eternal One.

2) The end of the chapter “They arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest suggests something meaningful.

Ruth – Chapter 2

1 Naomi had a relative from her husband.

He was a powerful and wealthy man from the clan of Elimelech whose name was Boaz.

2 Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi:

“Let me go pick up abandoned ears in a field, behind the one in whose eyes I will find favour.”

She answered him:

“Go ahead, girl.”

3 Ruth went to gather grain in a field behind the reapers. The plot of land happened to belong to Boaz, of the clan of Elimelech.

4 Now Boaz came from Bethlehem. He says to the reapers:

“May the Lord be with you!”

They answered him:

“The Lord bless you!”

5 Boaz said to his servant in charge of the reapers:

“Whose young lady is this?”

6 The servant in charge of the reapers answered:

“She is a young Moabite woman who came back with Naomi from the land of Moab.

7 She said:

‘Allow me therefore to glean, to gather ears between the sheaves behind the reapers’

and, from her arrival this morning until now, she has been up and resting only a moment in the house.”

8 Boaz said to Ruth:

“Listen, my daughter, don’t go picking ears in another field; don’t go far from here, stay with my servants.

9 Look where the harvest is in the field and go after them.

I have forbidden my servants to touch you. When you are thirsty, you will go to the vessels and drink from what the servants have drawn.”

10 Then she fell with her face to the ground, bowed down, and said to him,

“How did I find favour in your eyes that you were interested in me, a stranger?”

11 Boaz answered him,

“I have been told everything you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband and how you left your father and your mother and the country of your birth to go to a people you did not know before.

12 May the LORD repay you for what you have done, and may your reward be complete from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!”

13She said:

“Oh! May I find favour in your eyes, my lord, for you have comforted me and you have spoken to the heart of your servant? Yet I am not like one of your servants.

14 At mealtime Boaz said to Ruth:

“Come closer, eat some bread, and dip your morsel in the vinaigrette.”

She sat down beside the reapers.

He was given roasted grain; she ate her fill and kept the rest.

15 Then she got up to gather ears of corn.

Boaz gave this order to his servants:

“Let her also pick up ears between the sheaves and do her no harm.

16 You will even take some ears of grain for her from the sheaves and let her gather them without reproaching her.”

17 She gathered ears in the field until evening, then she threshed what she had gathered. There were about 22 litres of barley.

18 She took it and went back to the city, and her mother-in-law saw what she had picked up.

She also took out the leftovers of her meal and gave them to him.

19 His mother-in-law said to him:

“Where did you pick up ears today? Where did you work? Blessed is he who is interested in you!”

Ruth told her mother-in-law, where she had worked:

“The man I worked with today is called Boaz,” she said.

20 Naomi says to her daughter-in-law:

“Bless him be of the Lord, who keeps his kindness for the living as well as for the dead! This man is close to us – Naomi told him again – he is one of those who have the right of redemption over us.”

21 Ruth the Moabite added: 

“He also told me:

‘Stay with my servants until they have finished all my harvest.’”

22 Naomi said to her daughter-in-law Ruth:

“It is good that you go out with his servants, my daughter, and that you are not met in another field.”

23 So Ruth remained with the servants of Boaz to gather grain until the end of the barley harvest and the wheat harvest.

She lived with her mother-in-law.

Abraham

Interesting,

We read some time ago of the same journey that Abraham took. He left everything for the Lord with hopeful consequences.

Same with Ruth but with a “begging” difference

Ruth follows the same type of trajectory while remaining for the time being in begging.

2 Samuel 2 /30b

Indeed, I will honour those who honour me, but those who despise me will be despised.

John 12 / 26

If anyone serves me, let him follow me, and where I am, there will my servant also be. If anyone serves me, the Father will honour him

GOD KEEPS HIS PROMISE

He kept the promise of the Gift of the Holy Spirit to the disciples in Jerusalem, so that they may witness the Gospel.

God generously gives the Holy Spirit to support us in our role as witnesses to the Gospel.

Text:

Acts chapter 2

Renens on February 14, 2021

Acts 1 / 8

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you,

and you will be my witnesses

in Jerusalem, in all Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

John 14 / 16 – 17

As for me, I will pray to the Father and he will give you another defender to stay with you forever:

the Spirit of truth,

John 16 / 7

However, I tell you the truth: it is better for you that I leave. Indeed, if I do not leave, the defender will not come to you; but, if I go away, I will send it to you

What we will see in this chapter 2 is that

God keeps His promise.

An Important Party

Happening at a time of celebration is an important moment for the Jews.

For this reason, some come from different places in the Mediterranean basin to be in Jerusalem for this.

Pentecost feast

First fruits and covenant

It didn’t have the same meaning as it does now.

For them back then

• The feast of the first fruits was taken from the harvest
• The rabbis had also added the gift of the law and the covenant made at Mount Sinai Exodus 19-20 (special dedication to the Wednesday home group)

First redeemed in view of a great harvest

Will this Pentecost be the occasion of the first fruits of mankind being redeemed?

With an ample harvest of saved people,

Will she be the day the new covenant begins with the long-awaited arrival of the Holy Spirit?

We will see that right away, let us begin by reading in the book of Acts.

The Book of Acts

1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.

2 Suddenly a sound came from heaven like a strong wind, which filled the whole house where they were sitting.

3 Tongues of fire appeared to them,

separated from each other,

and they landed on each of them.

4 They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues,

as the Spirit gave them expression.

5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from all the nations under heaven.

6 At this sound they came in a crowd, and they were amazed because each one heard them speaking in his own language.

7 They were filled with amazement and admiration and said to one another:

“Are these people who speak not all Galileans? How is it then that we each hear them in our own language, our mother tongue?

• Parthians,
• Medes,
• Elamites,
• inhabitants of Mesopotamia,
• of Judea,
• of Cappadocia,
• of the bridge,
• from Asia,
• of Phrygia,
• of Pamphylia,
• of Egypt,
• of the territory of Libya, neighbouring Cyrene
• and residents from Rome,
• Jews by birth or by conversion,
• Cretan
• and Arabs,

we hear them speak the wonders of God, in our language!”

A few observations on our reading

Unity again and again – we rediscover the idea of ​​unity that emerged from the verses that we read the last time.

They were all in the same place.

Definitely within the temple grounds.

Marking the arrival of the Holy Spirit in 3 aspects:

– The Holy Spirit arrives in an unmistakable way.

And if this is shattering, it is to mark the moment.

3 markers so that we do not miss:

1. Sound like a clap of thunder
2. Visual Like sparks above the disciples
3. Linguistics These Galileans (otherwise these hicks) begin to speak in any case about 15 different languages, instantly without going through long hours on the benches of the school

What does that mean?

Why that?

There is an inaugural part.

For the inauguration,

• of a bridge,
• of a school,
• of a public building,
• of a monument

We know how to mark the event

What could be more normal than for an event announced centuries in advance and expected as such?

The inauguration is at its height.

The arrival of the Holy Spirit is personified

• Thunderbolt
• Sparks
• The ability to instantly speak other languages

On Jerusalem

Here in Jerusalem are markers for other places.

It will have the merit that if

• these markers
• or one of these markers

are present in other places

• Judea 
• Samaria
• end of the earth

The witnesses of the arrival of the gospel will be able to note that it is about the same thing lived in Jerusalem.

The gospel is the same. In Jerusalem as elsewhere

Acts 1 / 8

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you,

and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, …

The Holy Spirit Assists the Witnesses

That’s exactly what’s happening here

The arrival of the Spirit is an aid that promotes the proclamation of the Gospel.

With the Jewish diaspora who were present for this Pentecost in Jerusalem.

A 15th

• destination
• original

is mentioned.

All hear the gospel

And all can hear about the Gospel and wonders that God has done through Christ.

Synthesis 1

A pleonasm

“Go downstairs”

” Go up “

An obvious truth

“The winner has won the victory”
“The day of his death was the last day of his life “

A truism

God keeps promise

There’s a bit of that here,

God’s “dyed” promise.

Promise of help

God had promised:

• the lawyer
• Legal Advisor,
• coach,
• Blowers at the theater

God gives generously and he gives it completely.

It is said that the disciples are filled with the Holy Spirit

Further in the First Epistle to the Corinthians,

God assures us that all followers of Christ are immersed in the person of the Holy Spirit, without which we cannot fully fulfill God’s promise.

The immersion started in Jerusalem, and we also see among all destinations the ends of the earth that Judea is mentioned.

God keeps His promise

The wonders of God can be understood by those present.

However,

How does this resonate with listeners?

Acts 2

12 All filled with wonder and not knowing what to think, they said to one another, “What does this mean?”

13 But others scoffed and said, “They are full of sweet wine.”

Astonishment, skepticism, and mockery. The astonishment is so impressive.

Skepticism and mockery of the disciples.

Peter’s speech

That Peter does like Jesus; He explains things in a manner appropriate to his audience by taking references in texts from the Jewish heritage

The first part of our Bible

Joel & Psalms

In this case, the texts in the books of Joel & Psalms were written about 1000 years before their realization.

Peter makes a kind of “Red Thread of the Bible” adapted to Jewish culture

(What we do in home groups.)

He will remind them of the markers left by God in history and recorded in the Jewish writings that announced

• the place
• the specific ministry
• and uniqueness

of the Messiah so that we understand that it is Jesus Christ.

Peter, supported by the Holy Spirit gives an adapted speech.

Acts chapter 2

14 Then Peter, standing with the eleven apostles (hold Matthias ago), spoke with a loud voice in these terms:

“Men of Judea and all of you who sojourn in Jerusalem, understand what is happening and give ear to my words!

15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose, because it is nine o’clock in the morning.

16 But now come true what the prophet Joel said:

17 In the last days, saith God, I will pour out my Spirit upon every human being; your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your young people will have visions, and your old men will have dreams.

18 Yea, upon my servants and upon my maidservants, in those days I will pour out of my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.

19 I will do wonders in heaven above, and miraculous signs on the earth below: blood, fire, and vapour of smoke; 20 The sun will turn to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the day of the Lord, that great and glorious day. 21 Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

22 Israelites, listen to these words!

God has appointed Jesus of Nazareth to you by performing through him, in your midst, miracles, wonders, and signs, as you yourselves know.

23 This man was handed over to you according to God’s plan and foreknowledge.

You put him to death on a cross through ungodly men.

24 But God broke the bonds of death, he raised him, because it was not possible for her to hold him.

25 For David says of him:

I constantly saw the Lord in front of me, because he is at my right hand so that I would not be shaken.

26 Therefore my heart rejoices, and my tongue rejoices ;

even my body will rest in hope, for you will not leave my soul in Hades,

you will not allow your saint to know decomposition.

You made me know the paths of life,

you will fill me with joy through your presence.

29 My brethren, let me speak frankly to you about the patriarch David:

he is dead,

he was buried and his tomb still exists among us today!

30 Now he was a prophet and he knew that God had sworn to him by oath to bring forth one of his descendants,

to seat him on his throne.

31 It is therefore the resurrection of Christ that he foresaw and announced, saying that he would not be abandoned to hell and that his body would not experience decay.

32 It is this Jesus whom God raised, we are all witnesses.

33 Raised up at the right hand of God,

he received the promised Holy Spirit from the Father and poured it out, as you see and hear.

34 David indeed did not ascend into heaven, but he himself said:

The Lord said to my Lord:

‘Sit at my right hand until I have made your enemies your footstool.’

36 Let the whole community of Israel, therefore, know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, Lord and Messiah.”

37 After hearing this speech, their hearts were greatly touched and they said to Peter and to the other apostles:

“Brethren, what shall we do?”

38 Peter said to them:

“Change your attitude and let each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins,

and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

39 For the promise is to you and to your children and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God shall call.”

40 And in many other words he bore record and encouraged them, saying, “Flee from this perverted generation.”

41 Those who accepted his word were therefore baptized, and that day the number of the disciples increased by about 3,000 people.

Joel spoke of events after the cross until Jesus’s return.

In verses 17 – 21,

Peter quotes a passage from the book of the prophet Joel which prophetically evokes the period between

• the ministry of Jesus
• and his return for the restoration of all things.

1) Joel Announcing the Fuller Gift of the Holy Spirit

What Peter seeks to underline by this old known prophecy, is that God had said that his Spirit would be given more widely.

Pushing to prophesy.

Prophesying is not only predictive. Joel prophesied not only in the sense of prediction but precision. The explanation was adapted for those present. Much of the ministry of prophets has not been predictive but rather adapted to the circumstance of the law.

Here the disciples with the Holy Spirit speak the gospel in a way suitable to their hearers, in their languages.

It is part of the prophecy.

Apostles & Prophets

In Ephesians 2/20,

it is said that the apostles were “apostles and prophets”.

However, with regard to the epistles, we see that there is not a large predictive part but the majority of their ministry is explaining the gospel

to their listeners according to local and ecclesial specificities.

2) Joel Announces Salvation

Another part that Peter points out through this prophetic quote from Joel,

that all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Universal Gifts

This good news is universal for all who call on Christ and the Holy Spirit is universally given to these.

Why Jesus?

If we were Peter’s listeners, we could ask ourselves the question

“But why more particularly Jesus Christ? » The obvious ministry of Jesus

In his speech, Peter does not need to expand long to discuss the unique fruits of Jesus’ ministry, as

• miracles,
• the wonders
• and the signs

were made in the middle of a good part of the present listeners. Thus, there is an internal attestation that they have indeed taken place, otherwise, Peter would not have leaned on it.

The extraordinary ministry of Jesus Christ

De facto placed Jesus in an outsized category

And for the Jews, Jesus is necessarily a prominent messenger from God.

Psalms Quotes

A reminder of quotes from the psalms indicates that more than a thriving ministry, God knew that Jesus was going to be put to death by these brethren of the Jewish nation but that he was going to be resurrected.

Psalm 16 in support of the resurrection

And to show his listeners that he is not a fanatic

Peter quotes part of David’s Psalm No. 16, including this quote

“You will not abandon my soul to Hades, you will not allow your saint to experience decay.  »

As David’s tomb was nearby and David was still there,

Peter shows by this that the resurrection was foreseen by God in this Psalm for someone from the line of David who would sit (continuously) on the divine throne. There is therefore nothing surprising in the resurrection.

They are WITNESS of the resurrection

And Peter indicates that

• him
• and the other 11 apostles at his side

are witnesses

• of this resurrection.
• of His elevation

• And so, of His reign at the right hand of God
• of His authority
• and ability to give the Holy Spirit

The obvious manifestation of which you have before your eyes.

• Thunderbolt
• sparks
• The ability to instantly speak other languages

Implication for a devout Jew

That all of you who have been

• bathed in announcements of the arrival of the Messiah
• Who are you waiting for

Know that this Jesus whom you crucified

• is the awaited Messiah
• And the Lord.

You killed the Lord

To imagine!

the apostle speaking frankly is saying

you killed

• the one who is the Messiah you’ve been waiting for
• the Lord

Moreover, it is

• Living,
• Royal,
• Divine

Audience feels accused

The audience understands they are at fault with God and everyone blames them.

Thus, they ask the twelve what to do.

The answer is clear and simple in 4 points:

Really come back to God

1) Truly return to God

Repent

Visible Change Through Baptism

2) Show this change of attitude toward God

By being baptized in the name of Jesus Christ

This baptism is indeed an identification with what Jesus has done for your life it’s not the baptism of repentance that John the Baptist had practiced to prepare for the coming of Jesus.

3) Gift of the Holy Spirit

This change for Christ will be accompanied by receiving the Holy Spirit, which is made available to all

4) This authentic and simple choice is within everyone’s reach:

Regardless of

• his age
• its origin

God kept a promise

This inauguration of the arrival of the gospel in Jerusalem shows us that God has kept his promise.

Not just to disciples

in relation to the coming of the promised Holy Spirit but for humanity

But in view of all that God has patiently left for us as announcements in the history of humanity.

God has a reconciliation solution

For man, who in his rebellion against God

• is found lost
• and cut

of God and eternal life forever.

However,

Reconciliation to God has a name for a person

• perfect
• and acceptable to God

Died to bear the just sentence due to the mortal independence of men

Risen because stronger than death (due to sin)

That person is Christ

Singly by

• His nature
• and action

He is the person who reconciles us with God.

The promise made to Abraham

God had promised that

“all the nations of the earth”

would be concerned by this action of

• reconciliation
• of blessing.

Well, it is.

God keeps his word universally for everyone.

The outstretched hand of God is universal regardless of age or origin.

Just like the gift of the Holy Spirit for those who cleave to Him.

Pentecost

Pentecost New Step Covenant

This moment seals a new stage in the relationship between

• God
• and men

Like a new alliance

Pentecost’s first fruits of new fruits

Where many people have been reconciled with God through Christ, suggesting that there are many more. A bit like the first harvests that we celebrated at Pentecost which foreshadowed a bountiful harvest

Acts 1 /8

Whet God left the disciples, He told them that:

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you,

and you will be my witnesses

in Jerusalem, in all of Judea,

This is realized in Acts 2.

The disciples and apostles are the witnesses of God equipped with the Holy Spirit so that the entire community of Israel present:

• in Jerusalem
• those from Judea
• and the Diaspora 

May hear their testimony about Jesus.

Invitation to Praise & Worship

This Bible text, like many others, invites us, to worship in regard to the reliability of God in praise for his work in Christ and for us, especially the gift of the Holy Spirit for us believers.

God keeps his word in difficult times

It’s always good to remember that God keeps His Word this is helpful through what we live in our daily life

God does not leave us alone. His Holy Spirit shows that He does not leave us alone to live the Gospel

but that His Spirit

• assists,
• inspires us.

It is up to us to act in such a way that we are sensitive to the Holy Spirit.

1) By always drawing inspiration from the Book that the Holy Spirit co-wrote, the Bible

2) To live the enlightened advice that appears there

3) To be with people who also benefit from its action,

i.e. the redeemed by Christ – the church of christ

4) Through a nurturing relationship with God in prayer