Episode 164 – Ruth Pt 4: Praying With Your Legs

More ink has been spilled over what happens between Ruth and Boaz at the threshing floor than any other scene in the book of Ruth. That’s because Ruth 3 is loaded with sexually suggestive language. But the Bible is actually doing something incredibly beautiful and redemptive by inviting us to see Boaz and Ruth as models of integrity who don’t just pray with their lips, but also with action. By the end of this episode, you’ll understand what the Biblical writer was up to and will be inspired to put legs to your own prayers.

Discussion Questions

  • What was your biggest takeaway from the teaching? 
  • Recall and discuss a moment in your life when you prayed with your legs? 
  • What’s something you/your community have been praying or thinking a lot about lately? What might it look like to put legs to that prayer? 
  • Great storytellers “show” rather than “tell.” So, rather than telling us that Ruth and Boaz are models of integrity, the Bible shows us they are. What are some of the ways you see people in your life modeling integrity in compelling ways? 
  • How will you begin living out the truths of this teaching this week?  

For Further Study

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6 Comments

  1. Yvonne Wilson February 21, 2023 at 6:01 am - Reply

    Good morning ! This was great! So powerful, thank you.
    I have one issue. The ‘ author amping up ‘ the text doesn’t gel with scripture being the inspired word of God. God amped it up?
    Anyway, again it was great! Thank you.

    • Brad Nelson February 21, 2023 at 10:06 am - Reply

      Hi Yvonne,

      Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I don’t think the inspiration of Scripture negates the literary context. The author “amping up the text” is consistent with how ancient Hebraic narratives were written, which is the book of Ruth’s literary context. It’s a bit academic, but if you wanted to read further about this, Robert Alter’s book The Art of Biblical Narrative does an amazing job of showing just how brilliant and subtle Hebrew narratives are. It seems to me that God chose to inspire the authors of the Scriptures each “in their day, in their way.” So, the work of context, is going back, digging in, and learning to appreciate what it meant to them originally, and then learning to see how that can help us makes sense of the text in our day.

  2. Claudia Krone February 21, 2023 at 11:02 am - Reply

    In all of the years that I have studied Ruth, I have never gleaned the applications that you brought out. Thank you! I love the addition of Brad Nelson to Walking the Text. I look forward to these teachings every Tuesday. I praise God for your ministry. You have both made an impact on y life.

    • Brad Nelson April 11, 2023 at 7:23 am - Reply

      Claudia,

      Thanks so much for your gracious words!

  3. Janet Thomas March 4, 2024 at 9:01 am - Reply

    Wow! What a great teaching! Faith without our works is dead. Sow the seed of prayer then continue to do what is necessary to cultivate and nurture for the growth into something beautiful and beneficial. Thank you for bringing knowledge and understanding from the story of Ruth. I love your teachings.

    • Brad Nelson March 5, 2024 at 10:52 am - Reply

      Janet, thank you for your encouragement! The wisdom of the book of Ruth is bottomless!

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