The Purpose of Marriage

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Hi GAMErs!

today’s passage: Ruth 4:1-12.  Let’s go!

Ruth 4:1 (NIV)
1 Meanwhile Boaz went up to the town gate and sat there. When the kinsman-redeemer he had mentioned came along, Boaz said, “Come over here, my friend, and sit down.” So he went over and sat down.

On verses 1-9:  I’m intrigued by the interaction between Boaz and his relative and how different these two men are.

On one hand there’s Boaz.  Boaz was thoughtful, considerate, and intentional in his dealings with people and in business.  Before making a decision, he would do his research, count the cost, and plan ahead.  I get the sense that Boaz would try to think two steps ahead of everyone else.  Boaz was also respectful in the way he communicated with those he dealt with.  Thoughtful decision making and good EQ – these are part of what made Boaz an effective leader and a successful businessman.  You see these traits of Boaz in play often in the book of Ruth, but especially here in Ruth 4:1-12.  Boaz thoughtfully speaks to his relative (v1), wisely invites the elders of the town to be witnesses to a transaction (v2), skillfully leads his relative to relinquish his right as kinsman redeemer (v3) and eloquently announces to all the people that he will step in as Ruth’s kinsman redeemer (v9-10).

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親蜜之旅的延續

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雅歌4:10  我妹子，我新婦，你的愛情何其美！你的愛情比酒更美，你膏油的香氣勝過一切香品。

閱讀經文：雅歌3:6-5:1

3:6那從曠野上來，形狀如煙柱，以沒藥和乳香並商人各樣香粉薰的，是誰呢？7看哪，是所羅門的轎，四圍有六十個勇士，都是以色列中的勇士，8手都持刀，善於爭戰，腰間佩刀，防備夜間有驚慌。9所羅門王用黎巴嫩木為自己製造一乘華轎。10轎柱是用銀做的，轎底是用金做的，坐墊是紫色的，其中所鋪的乃耶路撒冷眾女子的愛情。11錫安的眾女子啊，你們出去觀看所羅門王，頭戴冠冕，就是在他婚筵的日子，心中喜樂的時候，他母親給他戴上的。

第三幕：幕中透露所羅門的身份，原來他不是普通的牧人，而是高貴的國王；現在他回復原來身份，到書拉密女家中把她迎娶回去；幕裡的情景（可能是繼上幕所羅門在她家裡過夜時的情語）轉到所羅門向書拉密女吐露愛慕，也表露婚娶之意。(錄自馬有藻博士《舊約概論》)

1988年派拉蒙出了一部喜劇電影，是由艾迪.墨菲Eddie Murphy主演的《來到美國Coming To America》。內容是杜撰的一個非洲國家Zamunda桑孟達的王子，為了不滿家裡為他訂親，因此離家出走，帶著僕人，假扮成窮學生在美國紐約市的皇后區租了一間破舊的公寓，希望能找到一個真正愛他，而不是看上他王位的女人。

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親蜜之旅的開始

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雅歌3:5   耶路撒冷的眾女子啊，我指著羚羊或田野的母鹿囑咐你們：不要驚動，不要叫醒我所親愛的，等她自己情願。

閱讀經文：雅歌 2:8-3:5

2-8聽啊，是我良人的聲音！看哪，他躥山越嶺而來。9我的良人好像羚羊，或像小鹿。他站在我們牆壁後，從窗戶往裡觀看，從窗櫺往裡窺探。10我良人對我說：「我的佳偶，我的美人，起來，與我同去！11因為冬天已往，雨水止住過去了。12地上百花開放，百鳥鳴叫的時候已經來到，斑鳩的聲音在我們境內也聽見了。13無花果樹的果子漸漸成熟，葡萄樹開花放香。我的佳偶，我的美人，起來，與我同去！14我的鴿子啊，你在磐石穴中，在陡巖的隱密處，求你容我得見你的面貌，得聽你的聲音，因為你的聲音柔和，你的面貌秀美。」

本書開啟第一幕先介引所羅門與書拉密女在追求間時的愛情，女子在耶路撒冷眾女子面前辯白其相貌雖粗黑，然有其天然的秀美；此後其景轉到所羅門與書拉密女在密室中（隱密處）互向對方表露愛慕。

二、第二幕（ 2:8-3:5）論所羅門到訪書拉密女時之光景。書拉密女見他跨山越嶺而來，心內竊竊高興；所羅門來到，甜言細語邀她到外面遊玩，因那是盛春白花開放百鳥齊鳴的時候，但書拉密女因工作纏身，婉言拒絕，求他夜間工餘時（天起涼風，日影飛去）再回來。所羅門遭拒，失望之餘便離去了。書拉密女等到深夜，至上床休息時也不見其愛人回來，心中焦急慮，於是出外尋找他的下落，結果給她尋著，當天晚上所羅門在她家留宿。(節錄自馬有藻博士《舊約概論》)

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Don’t Leave ‘Em Hanging

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Ruth 3:1-18.  Let’s go!

Ruth 3:1-9 (NIV)
1  One day Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, should I not try to find a home for you, where you will be well provided for?
2  Is not Boaz, with whose servant girls you have been, a kinsman of ours? Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor.
3  Wash and perfume yourself, and put on your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don’t let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking.
4  When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do.”

On verses 1-9:  Here the love story between Boaz and Ruth is about to go to another level quickly.  Why would Ruth, as per Naomi’s instructions, uncover Boaz’s feet?  Some try to argue that Ruth was trying to seduce Boaz and offered herself sexually to him, and that “feet” is another term for Boaz’s private parts.   But considering that the threshing floor was a public area where other people were present, it’s unlikely that Ruth was trying to do anything sexual with Boaz in the middle of the threshing floor.  Moreover, if Boaz and Ruth were as noble and God fearing as they appear to be in the rest of the book of Ruth, it is even more unlikely and inconsistent for either of them to try to have sex with one another before actually being legally married.

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等她自己情願

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雅歌2:7   耶路撒冷的眾女子啊，我指著羚羊或田野的母鹿囑咐你們：不要驚動，不要叫醒我所親愛的，等她自己情願。

閱讀經文：雅歌  1-2:7

1-1所羅門的歌，是歌中的雅歌。

2願他用口與我親嘴！因你的愛情比酒更美。3你的膏油馨香，你的名如同倒出來的香膏，所以眾童女都愛你。4願你吸引我，我們就快跑跟隨你。王帶我進了內室。我們必因你歡喜快樂，我們要稱讚你的愛情，勝似稱讚美酒。她們愛你是理所當然的！

〈雅歌Song of Songs〉是《聖經》裡極特別的一卷書，它不只是寫男女之愛的情歌，更是描述神和人關係之密切的一首歌。猶太人每逢過逾越節時會詠唱它，來歌頌神對以色列民不變的愛。從新約的角度來看，用〈雅歌〉來形容基督和信徒的關係也十分貼切。有的人用六首情歌來注釋，有的人以五場幕景來看它。今天我們要用馬有藻博士在《舊約概論》裡對〈雅歌〉的註解來欣賞這首歌中的雅歌。

本書實是數幕愛劇，並不是雜亂無章的情話集，而劇幕有極美之劇本（ Plot）（可是不能用廿世紀編劇技巧批判），茲將劇情簡述如下：

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Jesus in the Book of Ruth

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Ruth 2:14-23.  Let’s go!

Ruth 2:14-16 (NIV)
14  At mealtime Boaz said to her, “Come over here. Have some bread and dip it in the wine vinegar.” When she sat down with the harvesters, he offered her some roasted grain. She ate all she wanted and had some left over.
15  As she got up to glean, Boaz gave orders to his men, “Even if she gathers among the sheaves, don’t embarrass her.
16  Rather, pull out some stalks for her from the bundles and leave them for her to pick up, and don’t rebuke her.”

On verses 14-16:  In Boaz we see a cool reflection of Jesus Christ in the book of Ruth, whereas Ruth is a great picture of the church.  For example:

– Just as Boaz fed Ruth a meal by offering her bread and wine (v14), Jesus invited his disciples to a meal of bread and wine at his last supper, and later gave His body (represented by the bread) and His blood (represented by the wine) for us.

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脫離虛空，進入得勝

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傳道書12:14   因為人所做的事，連一切隱藏的事，無論是善是惡，神都必審問。

閱讀經文：傳道書12:9-14

9再者，傳道者因有智慧，仍將知識教訓眾人，又默想，又考查，又陳說許多箴言。10傳道者專心尋求可喜悅的言語，是憑正直寫的誠實話。11智慧人的言語好像刺棍，會中之師的言語又像釘穩的釘子，都是一個牧者所賜的。12我兒，還有一層你當受勸誡：著書多，沒有窮盡；讀書多，身體疲倦。13這些事都已聽見了，總意就是敬畏神，謹守他的誡命，這是人所當盡的本分。14因為人所做的事，連一切隱藏的事，無論是善是惡，神都必審問。

曾經我們的小組請了一位特別來賓來分享。他那年83歲了，看上去精神奕奕，一點沒有老態。他就是在1960年代享譽北美的大廚Stephen Yan. 他享譽於北美不只是因為他是個大廚，更因為他創作的電視節目非常風趣幽默，深受大眾喜愛。他在50歲退休，參與了泰國一位神父的慈善工作，幫助泰國許多被人丟棄或是遭到強暴及虐待的不幸兒童，及一些殘廢的孩子。

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What to Look For in a Life Partner

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Ruth 2:1-13.  Let’s go!

Ruth 2:1-13 (NIV)
1  Now Naomi had a relative on her husband’s side, from the clan of Elimelech, a man of standing, whose name was Boaz.
2  And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, “Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor.” Naomi said to her, “Go ahead, my daughter.”
3  So she went out and began to glean in the fields behind the harvesters. As it turned out, she found herself working in a field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelech.

On verses 1-13:  In today’s passage from Ruth 2:1-13, we see from Ruth and Boaz some outstanding traits that made each of them worth noticing.  Guys and girls, when you look for a life partner, don’t just focus on physical appearance or financial standing.  Even more, focus on the person’s character because it’s the character of the two partners — not their looks or their bank account — that will determine how happy and healthy their relationship will be in the end.

Here are 4 great qualities about Ruth from today’s passage:

1. She was wise and resourceful (v2 – “Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain…”).  According to Leviticus 19:9-10 and 23:22, the poor and foreigners were allowed to go into an Israelite’s field and pick up the leftover crops that were not harvested the first time.  Ruth understood this law and decided to use it to provide for her family.

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