Friday, September 17, 2010

THE STORY OF RUTH IN THE KEY OF "F"

As I have been teaching through Ruth, I have been giving a weekly synopsis of the entire plot. I've used different methods (including a song to the tune of the theme song from Gilligan's Island). As I started writing this one I notice my first sentence had several words starting with "F" so I just kept going ...

Facing a famine, a fearful family failed to find food, so they said farewell to their friends. Elimelech forfeited his fortune and fields to flee to a foreign land. His family, including Naomi, followed forth. They found a flawed foreign culture where their faith wasn’t feasible. The two feeble sons married foreign females, which was forbidden. There were three frightful fatalities of the men, and after a few funerals, Naomi and Ruth, two forlorn females, fled back to Bethlehem.

The females had to fend for themselves and were famished. They faced a frugal future, so Ruth found food by following a few folks into the fields. Fortunately, she also found favor in the field of Boaz, a fabulous farmer. It was no fluke that he was fond of her and more than fair; so he fed her full with free food.

Naomi figured that Boaz was fated to be a family kinsman, and could free up the family’s forfeited fields with his finances. She framed a plan to get the fine fragranced Ruth in front of him. During a festival Ruth followed the flow of farmers to find Boaz. Following the feasting Ruth finally found him asleep on the threshing floor.

He woke up a bit fazed to find a female at his feet. She focused on the farmer and finally found the fortitude to frame the fateful question, “I have feelings for you; will you favor me as my fiancĂ©?” He fired back his fervent reply, “Fantastic!” But then he frowned with frustration and said “Another fellow has first family foreclosure rights. But don’t fear, I’ll fix it.” The other fellow didn’t fight. He favored the fields, but not the female, so he forfeited the farm with no fuss. Finally the fair Ruth and faithful Boaz formed a fine family. God favored them with a son who was fated to fulfill God’s future in the fullness of time as foretold by a few prophets. This isn’t a fictitious fable about the fickle finger of fate. It is a factual story of our Father’s Faithful favor toward us. He frees us from a frightful future by fixing our failures and flaws forever through His forgiveness!

Okay, I know that deserves an "F" but frankly, friends, it was fabulous fun to formulate!