“But the people refused to listen to Samuel’s warning. ‘Even so, we still want a king,’ they said. ‘We want to be like the nations around us. Our king will judge us and lead us into battle.’” v.19-20
Samuel carefully explained all the negative consequences of having a king, but the israelites refused to listen. Israel was called to be a holy nation, separate from and unique among all others. The Israelites’ motive in asking for a king was to be like the nations around them. This was in total opposition to God’s original plan. It was not their desire for a king that was wrong, but their reason for wanting a king.

Often we let others’ values and actions dictate our attitudes and behavior. Have you ever made a wrong choice because you wanted to be like everyone else? Be careful that the values of your friends or “heroes” don’t pull you away from what God sys is right. When God’s people want to be like unbelievers, they are heading for spiritual disaster.

When you have an important decision to make, weigh the positives and negatives carefully, considering everyone who might be affected by your choice. When you want something badly enough, it is difficult to see the potential problems. But don’t discount the negatives. Unless you have a plan to handle each one, they will cause you great difficulty later.

Taken from the NLT Life Application Study Bible

“As Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons to be judges over Israel. Joel and Abijah, his oldest sons, held court in Beersheba. But they were not like their father, for they were greedy for money. They accepted bribes and perverted justice.
Finally, all the elders of Israel met at Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel. ‘Look,’ they told him, ‘you are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have.’” v.1-5

As an old man, Samuel appointed his sons to be judges over Israel in his place. But they turned out to be corrupt, much like Eli’s sons (2:12). We don’t know why Samuel’s sons went wrong, but we do know that Eli was help was held responsible for his own sons’ corruption.

It is impossible to know if Samuel was a bad parent. His children were old enough to be on their own. We must be careful not to blame ourselves for the sins of our children. On the other hand, parenthood is an awesome responsibility, and nothing is more important than molding and shaping our children’s lives.

Taken from the NLT Life Application Study Bible

“Samuel did not yet know the LORD because he had never had a message from the LORD before. So the LORD called a third time, and once more Samuel got up and went to Eli. ‘Here I am. Did you call me?’
Then Eli realized it was the LORD who was calling the boy. So he said to Samuel, ‘Go and lie down again, and if someone calls again, say, ‘Speak, LORD, your servant is listening.’ So Samuel went back to bed.” v.7-9

Although God had spoken directly and audibly with Moses and Joshua, his word became rare during the three centuries of rule by judges. By Eli’s time, no prophets were speaking God’s messages to Israel. Why? Look at the attitude of Eli’s sons. They either refused to listen to God or allowed greed to get in the way of any communication with them.

Eli had spent his entire life in service to God. His responsibility was to oversee all the worship in Israel. But in pursuing this great mission he neglected the responsibilities in his own home. Don’t let your desire to do God’s work cause you to neglect your family. If you do, your mission may degenerate into a quest for personal importance, and your family will suffer the consequences of your neglect.

Listening and responding is vital in a relationship with God. Although God does not always use the sound of a human voice, he always speaks through his Word! To receive his messages, we must be ready to say, “Here I am” when God calls us to action!

Taken for the NLT Life Application Study Bible!

“Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the LORD. 11And she made this vow: ‘O LORD of Heaven’s Armies, if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime, and as a sign that he has been dedicated to the LORD, his hair will never be cut.’” v.10-11
Be careful what you promise in prayer because God may take you up on it. Hannah so desperately wanted a child that she was willing to strike a bargain with God. God took her up on her promise, and to Hannah’s credit, she did her part, even though it was painful.

Although we are not in a position to barter with God, He may still choose to answer a prayer that has an attached promise. When you pray, ask yourself, will I follow through on any promises I make to God if He grants my request? It is dishonest and dangerous to ignore a promise, especially to God. God keeps his promises, and He expects us to keep ours.

Taken from the NLT Life Application Study Bible

“So Boaz took Ruth into his home, and she became his wife. When he slept with her, the LORD enabled her to become pregnant, and she gave birth to a son. Then the women of the town said to Naomi, ‘Praise the LORD, who has now provided a redeemer for your family! May this child be famous in Israel. May he restore your youth and care for you in your old age. For he is the son of your daughter-in-law who loves you and has been better to you than seven sons!’
Naomi took the baby and cuddled him to her breast. And she cared for him as if he were her own. The neighbor women said, ‘Now at last Naomi has a son again!’ And they named him Obed. He became the father of Jesse and the grandfather of David.” v13-17
To some, the book of Ruth may be just a nice story about a girl who was fortunate. But in reality, the events recorded in Ruth were part of Gods preparation for the births of David and of Jesus, the promised Messiah. Just as Ruth was unaware of this larger purpose in her life, we will not know the full purpose and importance of our lives until we are able to look back from the perspective of eternity. We must make our choices with God’s eternal value in mind. Taking moral shortcuts and living for short-range pleasures are not good ways to move ahead. Because of Ruth’s faithful obedience, her life and legacy were significant even though she couldn’t see all the results. Live in faithfulness to God, knowing that the significance of life will extend beyond your lifetime. The rewards will outweigh any sacrifice you may have made.

Taken from the NLT LIfe Application Study Bible

“‘The LORD bless you, my daughter!’ Boaz exclaimed. ‘You are showing even more family loyalty now than you did before, for you have not gone after a younger man, whether rich or poor. Now don’t worry about a thing, my daughter. I will do what is necessary, for everyone in town knows you are a virtuous woman. But while it’s true that I am one of your family redeemers, there is another man who is more closely related to you than I am. Stay here tonight, and in the morning I will talk to him. If he is willing to redeem you, very well. Let him marry you. But if he is not willing, then as surely as the LORD lives, I will redeem you myself! Now lie down here until morning.’” v10-13
Ruth and Naomi have assumed that Boaz was their closest relative. Boaz, too, must have already considered marrying Ruth because his answer to her shows he had been thinking about it. He couldn’t have considered marrying Namoi because she was probably too old to bear any more children. One man in the city was a nearer relative than Boaz, and this man had the first right to take Ruth as his wife. If he chose not to, then Boaz could marry Ruth.

Taken from the NLT Life Application Study Bible

“Ruth fell at his feet and thanked him warmly. ‘What have I done to deserve such kindness?” she asked. “I am only a foreigner.’
‘Yes, I know,’ Boaz replied. ‘But I also know about everything you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband. I have heard how you left your father and mother and your own land to live here among complete strangers.May the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge, reward you fully for what you have done.’” v.10-12
Ruth’s life exhibited admirable qualities: She was hard working, loving, kind, faithful, and brave. These qualities gained her a good reputation, but only because she displayed them consistently in all areas of her life whenever Ruth went or whatever she did, her character remained the same.

Your reputation is formed by the people who watch you at work, in town, at home, in church. A good reputation comes by consistently living out the qualities you believe in – no matter what group of people or surroundings you are in.

Taken from the NLT Life Application Study Bible

“But Ruth replied, ‘Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.’” v.16
Ruth was a Moabitess, but that didn’t stop her from worshiping the true God, nor did it stop God from accepting her worship and blessing her greatly. The Jews were not only the people God loved, God chose the Jews to be the people through whom the rest of the world would come to know Him. This was fulfilled when Jesus Christ was born as a Jew. Through Him, the entire world can come to know God.

The book of Ruth is a perfect example of God’s impartiality. Although Ruth belonged to a race often despised by Israel, she was blessed because of her faithfulness. She became the great-grandmother of King David and a direct ancestor of Jesus. No one should feel disqualified to serve God because of race, sex, or national background. And God can use every circumstance to build his Kingdom.

Taken for the NLT Life Application Study Bible