Part 10

And her mother-in-law said unto her, "Where hast thou gleaned to-day? and where hast thou wrought? 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."

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 nigh of kin unto us, one of our near kinsmen."

And Ruth the Moabitess said, "Yea, he said unto me, 'Thou shalt keep fast by my young men, until they have ended all my harvest.'"

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

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

=Sec.56. At the Threshing Floor= (Ruth 3)

A. THE PLAN

And Naomi her mother-in-law said unto her, "My daughter, shall I not seek rest for thee, that it may be well with thee? And now is not Boaz our kinsman, with whose maidens thou wast? Behold, he winnoweth barley to-night in the threshing-floor. Wash thyself therefore, and anoint thee, and put thy raiment upon thee, and get thee down to the threshing-floor; but make not thyself known unto the man, until he shall have done eating and drinking. 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." And she said unto her, "All that thou sayest I will do."

B. THE DUTY OF THE KINSMAN

And she went down unto the threshing-floor, and did according to all that her mother-in-law bade her. And when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry, he went to lie down at the end of the heap of grain: and she came softly, and uncovered his feet, and laid her down. And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid, and turned himself; and, behold, a woman lay at his feet.

And he said, "Who art thou?"

And she answered, "I am Ruth thy handmaid: spread therefore thy skirt over thy handmaid; for thou art a near kinsman."

And he said, "Blessed be thou of the Lord, my daughter: thou hast showed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou followedst not young men, whether poor or rich. And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou sayest; for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a worthy woman. And now it is true that I am a near kinsman; howbeit there is a kinsman nearer than I. Tarry this night, and it shall be in the morning, that if he will perform unto thee the part of a kinsman, well; but if he will not, then will I do the part of a kinsman to thee, as the Lord liveth: lie down until the morning."

And she lay at his feet until the morning: and she rose up before one could discern another. For he said, "Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing-floor."

And he said, "Bring the mantle that is upon thee, and hold it," and she held it; and he measured six measures of barley, and laid it on her: and he went into the city.

And when she came to her mother-in-law, she said, "How hast thou fared, my daughter?"

And she told her all that the man had done to her. And she said, "These six measures of barley gave he me; for he said, 'Go not empty unto thy mother-in-law.'"

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

=Sec.57. At the City Gate= (Ruth 4:1-17)

A. THE PURCHASE

Now Boaz went up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold, the near 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.

And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, "Sit ye down here." And they sat down.

And he said unto the near kinsman, "Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth the parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech's: and I thought to disclose it unto thee, saying, 'Buy it before them that sit here, 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 besides thee; and I am after thee."

And he said, "I will redeem it."

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

And the near kinsman said, "I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: take thou my right of redemption on thee; for I cannot redeem it."

Now this was the custom in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning exchanging, to confirm all things; a man drew off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbor; and this was the manner of witness in Israel.

So the near kinsman said unto Boaz, "Buy it for thyself." And he drew off his shoe.

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. 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."

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 thy house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephrathah, and be famous in Bethlehem."

B. THE HAPPY MARRIAGE

So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife, and she bare a son.

And the women said unto Naomi, "Blessed be the Lord, who hath not left thee this day without a near kinsman; and let his name be famous in Israel. And he shall be unto thee a restorer of life, and a nourisher of thine old age; for thy daughter-in-law, who loveth thee, who is better to thee than seven sons, hath borne him."

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

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.

THE MEANING OF THE STORY

176. We study one of the heroines of Israel. She was a foreigner of the country of Moab, but held a most important place in Israel's history as the great-grandmother of King David. The story tells of her devotion and of its reward.

177 (Sec.53). Notice the time in which the story is placed. The town which is mentioned is well known to us because of one who was born there long afterward: who was he? The farmer with his wife and two sons went over to the rich high country of Moab. Locate it on the map, east of the Jordan. What happened in Moab?

178 (Sec.54A). What did Naomi decide to do? These three women loved one another very dearly, but Naomi thought that the young women ought to marry again, so she told them to stay in their own land as they would not be likely to find husbands among strangers.

179 (Sec.54A). According to the Hebrew custom, if a man died his brother would marry the widow, but Naomi had no sons who could marry these young widows. Why did Orpah return? Why did Ruth refuse to leave her mother-in-law? Note how beautifully Ruth spoke. Love does not count the cost. What do we mean by Ruth's devotion?

180 (Sec.54B). Why were the Bethlehem women so surprised at Naomi's appearance? Naomi means "Pleasant." Perhaps the name had been given to her because of her beauty. Mara, the same as our name Mary, means "Bitter." Explain what Naomi meant by her speech to the women. What time of year was it when they returned?

181 (Sec.55A). The principal man of the story is introduced to us. The two women had nothing to live on, but the Hebrew law permitted the poor to follow the reapers and to gather up the stalks that were dropped or left. This was called gleaning. Where did Ruth go to glean? This young woman did not leave her mother to do the work. Her love expressed itself in deeds.

182 (Sec.55A). Tell the conversation between Boaz and the foreman. Note the kindness of this Bethlehem gentleman to the stranger. It is the mark of a gentleman to be kind. It was not usual to invite the gleaners to share the lunch with the farm hands, but Boaz was especially kind to Ruth. What directions did he give to the young men? How would this help her in gleaning?

183 (Sec.55B). Notice that she beat out the ears of barley, so as not to carry home the straw. How much did she have? This was a good day's gleaning. How surprised Naomi was that she had secured so much! Tell their conversation in your own words. They were poor, but they were happy all that harvest time: why?

184 (Sec.56A). Remember that it was the Hebrew custom for a man's widow to be married by his brother. If he had no brother his nearest relative was expected to marry her. So Naomi hoped that Boaz, who was related to her dead husband, would marry Ruth. She plans a little scheme to let him know privately that he is a near relative who ought to do this honor for those who were dead. There would be a great feast at the time the barley was threshed, and then all the men would go to sleep in the open air on the smooth floor where the threshing was done. Ruth was instructed to let Boaz know the plan when the others were asleep.

185 (Sec.56B). Tell the story in your own words. Notice especially that Boaz explains that there is a nearer relative who ought to marry Ruth. What did Boaz give to Ruth to take to her mother-in-law? Tell the conversation of the two women.

186 (Sec.57A). The Gate was the place where all the business was done. Note how the business was begun, and how arrangements were made for the bargain to be witnessed. The conversation refers to the Hebrew laws of real estate. It is enough for us to see that the kinsman was not willing to marry Ruth. What interesting old custom is shown? They were sitting on the ground cross-legged, so one could easily pull off his shoe or sandal. What other story have we had in which the sandal was easily taken off? (See 97 and illustration.) Note Boaz' solemn statement of the agreement. How did all the people congratulate Boaz?

187 (Sec.57B). It is interesting to see that the people congratulated Naomi when Ruth's baby was born, because there was again a son for her family. This grandson would take the place of the sons whom she had lost. What did the women think of Ruth? What relation was Ruth to David?

188. What do you think of Ruth? Look up I Cor. 13:13 in the Revised Version and see what it says about the greatest thing in the world. Can everybody have this greatest thing? How much does it cost? Think whether you are bringing that into your home.

WRITTEN REVIEW

We do not always see the heroism that is just about us. The only women whom we think about as heroines are those who have done some great public work, but there is many a heroine who is quietly giving up her ambitions to make the home happy as Ruth gave up herself to go with Naomi. Ask your mother to tell you about some young woman who gave up opportunity of education, or ease, or pleasure, in order to help the family. Write about it in your notebook.

THE FOUNDERS OF THE KINGDOM

XVIII. SAMUEL AND ELI

XIX. SAMUEL AND SAUL

XX. JONATHAN'S VICTORY

XVIII. SAMUEL AND ELI

THE STORY

=Sec.58. The Birth of Samuel= (I Sam. 1:1-4, 8-28; 2:11)

A. HANNAH'S GRIEF

Now there was a certain man of the hill country of Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah. And the name of his wife was Hannah and she had no children. And this man went up out of his city from year to year to worship and to sacrifice unto the Lord of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, priests unto the Lord, were there. And when the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, Hannah wept, and did not eat.

And Elkanah her husband said unto her, "Hannah, why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? am I not better to thee than ten sons?"

So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk. Now Eli the priest sat upon his seat by the door post of the temple of the Lord. And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore. And she vowed a vow, and said, "O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head."

And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli marked her mouth. Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken. And Eli said unto her, "How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee."

And Hannah answered and said, "No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I poured out my soul before the Lord. Count not thine handmaid for a wicked woman: for out of the abundance of my complaint have I spoken."

Then Eli answered and said, "Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thy petition that thou hast asked of him."

And she said, "Let thy servant find grace in thy sight."

So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad. And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the Lord, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah.

B. THE DEDICATION OF SAMUEL

And it came to pass, that Hannah bare a son; and she called his name Samuel. And the man Elkanah went up to offer unto the Lord the yearly sacrifice, and his vow. But Hannah went not up; for she said unto her husband, "I will not go up until the child be weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the Lord, and there abide for ever."

And Elkanah her husband said unto her, "Do what seemeth thee good; tarry until thou hast weaned him; only the Lord establish his word."

So the woman tarried until she weaned him. And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of meal, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of the Lord in Shiloh: and the child was young. And they slew the bullock, and brought the child to Eli. And she said, "Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the Lord. For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him: therefore I also have granted him to the Lord; as long as he liveth he is granted to the Lord."

And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child did minister unto the Lord before Eli the priest.

=Sec.59. The Wicked Priests= (I Sam. 2:12-17, 22-25, 18, 19, 26)

Now the sons of Eli were wicked men; they knew not the Lord. And the custom of the priests with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while the flesh was being boiled, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand; and he struck it into the kettle; all that the fleshhook brought up the priest took. So they did in Shiloh unto all the Israelites that came thither. Yea, before they burnt the fat, the priest's servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed, "Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not have boiled flesh of thee, but raw." And if the man said unto him, "They will surely burn the fat presently, and then take as much as thy soul desireth;" then he would say, "Nay, but thou shalt give it to me now: and if not, I will take it by force." And the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord; for they despised the offering of the Lord.

Now Eli was very old; and he heard all that his sons did unto all Israel. And he said unto them, "Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings from all this people. Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the Lord's people to transgress. If one man sinned against another, God shall judge him: but if a man sin against the Lord, who shall entreat for him?"

Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father.

But Samuel ministered before the Lord, being a child, girded with a linen ephod. Moreover his mother made him a little robe, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife. And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favor both with the Lord, and also with men.

=Sec.60. The Call of Samuel= (I Sam. 3:1-18)

And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, (now his eyes had begun to wax dim, that he could not see,) and the lamp of God was not yet gone out, and Samuel was laid down to sleep, in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was; that the Lord called Samuel: and he said, "Here am I." And he ran unto Eli, and said, "Here am I; for thou calledst me." And he said, "I called not; lie down again."

And he went and lay down. And the Lord called yet again, "Samuel."

And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, "Here am I; for thou calledst me."

And he answered, "I called not, my son; lie down again."

Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him. And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, "Here am I; for thou calledst me."

And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child. Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, "Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, 'Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth.'"

So Samuel went and lay down in his place. And the Lord came, and stood, and called as at other times, "Samuel, Samuel."

Then Samuel said, "Speak; for thy servant heareth."

And the Lord said to Samuel, "Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle. In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from the beginning even unto the end. For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever, for the iniquity which he knew, because his sons did bring a curse upon themselves, and he restrained them not."

And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel feared to show Eli the vision.

Then Eli called Samuel, and said, "Samuel, my son."

And he said, "Here am I."

And he said, "What is the thing that the Lord hath spoken unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me: God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the things that he spake unto thee."

And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, "It is the Lord: let him do what seemeth him good."

=Sec.61. The Punishment of the Wicked Priests= (I Sam. 4:1-18)

A. ISRAEL'S DOUBLE DEFEAT

Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle. And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines: and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men. And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, "Wherefore hath the Lord smitten us to-day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of Shiloh unto us, that it may come among us, and save us out of the hand of our enemies."

So the people sent to Shiloh, and they brought from thence the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark. And when the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again.

And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, "What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews?" And they understood that the ark of the Lord was come into the camp. And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, "God is come into the camp." And they said, "Woe unto us! for there hath not been such a thing heretofore. Woe unto us! who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? these are the gods that smote the Egyptians with all manner of plagues in the wilderness. Be strong, and quit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you: quit yourselves like men, and fight."

And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man to his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen. And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.

B. THE DEATH OF THE OLD PRIEST

And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head. And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon his seat by the wayside watching: for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city, and told it, all the city cried out.

And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, "What meaneth the noise of this tumult?"

And the man hasted, and came and told Eli. Now Eli was ninety and eight years old; and his eyes were set, that he could not see. And the man said unto Eli, "I am he that came out of the army, and I fled to-day out of the army."

And he said, "How went the matter, my son?"

And he that brought the tidings answered and said, "Israel is fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken."

And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off his seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.

THE MEANING OF THE STORY

189. We turn to the Books of Samuel, which take their name from one of the great heroes of Israel. He did not write the books, for they contain the story of what happened long after his death, but as he was the noblest character in the books they were named after him.

190 (Sec.58A). At the beginning of this story we learn that Elkanah the husband and Hannah his wife had no children. They had gone up to Shiloh to the sacred building that was called the house of God, and had celebrated a sacred feast. But Hannah was greatly troubled that she had no child. What did she do? What did she promise if she could have a son? We remember from the story of Samson that leaving the hair uncut was a mark that the child was to serve God.

191 (Sec.58A). When Hannah prayed, did she speak aloud? What did Eli, the old priest, think about her? Tell in your own words their conversation.

192 (Sec.58B). The boy whom Hannah longed for was born. What was his name? It was the custom to kill animals at the house of God as a sign of thanksgiving: what did Hannah take with her for this sacrifice? What did she say to Eli? Note that she brings the boy to the old priest to learn the duties of the house of God.