Ruth, A Friend in T-ruth: Study Notes on Women in the Bible Series

By Drs. Monique Van Helvoort

The first book in this series was on the biblical woman Rahab; it shared street wisdom. The next book, on Leah and Rachel, disclosed that leaving wrong ways behind you is necessary in order to clean up your life. Then Eve's persona was explained: she did it all first. Now Ruth will be studied. You and I will get to learn lessons from her, ready-

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trilogy Christian Publishing
• Release date: Aug 30, 2020
• ISBN: 9781647732486

Book preview

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RUTH,

A FRIEND IN T-RUTH

Study Notes on Women in the Bible Series

Drs. Monique van Helvoort

Books in This Series of Study Notes on Women in the Bible

by

Drs. Monique van Helvoort

Rahab, Scarlet Woman (Book 1)

Leah and Rachel, Becoming Matriarchs (Book 2)

Eve, of Mankind (Book 3)

Ruth, a Friend in T-Ruth (Book 4)

The ideas, insights and suggestions contained in these books are not intended to substitute for professional consulting. The author respects each individual’s right to make their own decisions.

Reactions on Leah and Rachel, Becoming Matriarchs

Beautiful!

-a homemaker-

I have so much respect for what you explain in these books of yours.

- a grandmother-

You have worked the biblical facts into your fictional tales also; that is impressive.

-a father-

I am going to order it right away.

-a mother-

Another one! Hallelujah!

-a friend-

I can’t wait to see them all together.

-a business acquaintance-

Dedication

To Cheo: unconditional love.

"And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:

Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me" (Ruth 1:16-17 KJV).

Acknowledgement

In good times and in gleaning times, female friends who stood by me: Soila, Faustina.

Understanding Women in the Bible: Meet Ruth, a Friend in T-Ruth

Study Notes on Her Personal Message and on the Universal Message of Her Life

Introduction

First you met Rahab, a scarlet woman in the Bible, then you got to view Leah and Rachel; they became the matriarchs of a nation. Then Eve showed herself at the beginning of mankind. Ruth now speaks through me, and she is by far described the most specifically of them all in the Bible. They all gave me insights into their lives, and they shared their life lessons with me to write down. They all are formidable women of the Bible. It is now Ruth’s turn, and she represents whom we all want to have in our lives and whom we all should be in our lives: a friend.

I have studied the Bible intensely since 2006. It is something that I consider to be a big achievement, according to my own measurement of success. On my own, through others by listening and speaking to them, and by learning to listen to God’s voice better and better, I live and learn to live in a healthy and happy way. One day at a time.

I live in Aruba and was born in Curaçao, in the Caribbean Islands. I went to school here, and studied later in the Netherlands, and received a bachelor’s degree in two teaching subjects. I later studied governance and received my master’s degree that carries the title drs. doctorandus in our educational system. While studying the Bible, I have come to realize that Solomon should have had a double PhD in governance.

I choose to read and study the Bible in English (King James Version), and as aiding tools I have Bibles in different languages and different translations. Our daily language in Aruba is Papiamento; the instructional language in most of the schools is Dutch. We are closely affiliated with the US, so English is used on the whole island, as is Spanish. All three and even four languages are part of these study notes and my insights, and together they lead to this series on Women in the Bible.

The first message that my heavenly Father gave me in specific words, in 2006, came through clearly: they were para keto in Papiamento, the native language; in English that is well known as be still. And so, I did; I stood still and listened. It was only later that I encountered the biblical text "Be still, and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10 KJV). That was when I was silenced—at awe, really. It made God and the Bible all so very real; and at the same time, reality became unreal. How is that so, you might ask? I will explain this in reference to this book on Ruth, who is a friend indeed. I have always known, as you do, the concept of friend. In the US they have the specification of best added to it, and it becomes best friend; nowadays it is best friend forever. It was only later in life that I learned that the definition of friend varies greatly among cultures and nations. Without going extensively into the definitions, I came to choose for friendship, one who is willing to lay down their life for their friend. And then I studied Ruth and found that she does too. She is Ruth. As Ruth is a biblical persona, we all have the opportunity to learn from her. On top of that, she is a foreign friend who is willing to be a friend, not having been brought up in the same culture. She is a friend to her mother-in-law, whom she was introduced to by her husband, and she had no knowledge of or relationship to her beforehand. That is food for thought, on your and my behalf, on our own concept of who is really your friend, and to whom you really are a friend.

I stood still, and Jesus became my best friend, instructing me that first I should be my own best friend before I can become a best friend to someone else.

The study notes that I share in this book are written for women and girls, but are actually of the same value for men. I wrote down my study notes so that the reader can decide if they want to receive this knowledge through this book. It was my choice to write down my insights, and it is your choice, as it pleases you, to read these study notes. I write in each book from the point of view of a woman in the Bible for two reasons. The first is that I myself am a woman. The second is that I have realized that people still convince girls and women that they are limited, which is completely untrue in my belief—as "I can do and be everything I want to do and