Living by the Book/Living by the Book Workbook Set (137 page)

How does the Ruth/Boaz relationship compare with other Old Testament couples you know about?

Can you find other biblical in-laws? If so, how do they compare to Ruth and Naomi?

Other comparisons and observations:

T
he book of Ruth is filled with customs that can only be understood after an examination of the cultural context. For your assignments the next several days, use other resources to bolster your accumulating knowledge of the biblical text.

Today, determine what was involved with harvesting crops during Ruth’s lifetime. You should know by now that Ruth was involved with first the barley harvest (1:22) and then the wheat harvest (2:23). References are made to gleaning (2:2), winnowing (3:2), threshing (3:2), and reaping (2:3). At some point, apparently, sheaves were involved (2:7).

Yet even after observing all these facts, it is difficult to interpret them without some additional help. Find out what these terms mean, and determine the process of converting the growing plants into food for the people.