I pray that everyone had a blessed week. I hope that you were all able to gain better understanding of the book Ruth through the brief synopsis offered in last week's introduction in combination with your own quiet time with the Lord. God has offered us many women in the bible as examples of how we should operate as women individually and as Christians collectively.
The importance of the Book of Ruth is it demonstrates the idea of loyal love (Allen, House, & Radmacher 1999). Ruth is most known for her loyalty to her mother-in-law after the death of her husband. However, the book of Ruth offers so many other key qualities that can render Christians examples of what God's expectations are for us. There are some very interesting things to notice in this book (Mears 1999). As we study the Book of Ruth, I pray that we will gain so much spiritual knowledge from this journey than the obvious.
Resource
Ruth 1:1-22
Now it came to pass, in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem, Judah, went to dwell in the country of Moab, he and his and his two sons. 2 The name of the man was Elimelech, the name of his wife was Naomi, and the name of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion-Ephrathites of Bethelehem, Judah. And they went to the country of Moab and remained there. 3 Then Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died; and she was left, and her two sons. 4 Now they took wives of the women of Moab: the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth. And they dwelt there about ten years. 5 Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died; so the woman survived her two sons and her husband. 6 Then she arose with her two daughters-in-law that she might return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the Lord had visited His people by giving them bread. 7 Therefore she went out from the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. 8 And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go, return to her mother's house. The Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. 9 The Lord grant that you may find rest, each in the house of her husband." So she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept. 10 And they said to her, "Surely we will return with you to your people." 11 But Naomi said, "Turn back, my daughter; why will you go with me? Are there still sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? 12 Turn back, my daughters, go-for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, if I should have a husband tonight and should also bear sons 13 would you wait for them till they were grown? Would you restrain yourselves from having husbands? No, my daughters; for it grieves me very much for your sakes that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me!" 14 Then they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. 15 And she said, "Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law." 16 But Ruth said: "Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God. 17 Where you die, I will die, And there will I be buried. The Lord do do to me, and more also, If anything but death parts you and me" 18 When she saw that she was determine to go with her, she stopped speaking to her. 19 Now the two of them went until they came to Bethlehem. And it happened, when they had come to Bethlehem, that all the city was excited because of them; and the women said, "Is this Naomi?" 20 But she said to them, "Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me 21 I went out full, and the Lord has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?" 22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess her daughter-in-law with her, who returned from the country of Moab. Now they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of Barley harvest.
Lesson 1
The Book of Ruth begins with a brief history of Ruth's in-laws. It also distinguishes the blood line of Ruth and religious practices of her people, the Moabites. The Moabites, the descendants of Lot, worshiped many gods and goddesses (Mears 1999).
Then we experience the death of Ruth's father-in-law, brother-in-law, and then her own husband. During this time period, a woman was defined by her male counterpart. A woman was considered lost without a man. Therefore, Naomi, Ruth's mother-in-law, encouraged both Ruth and Ruth's sister-in-law, Orpah, to return to their own homeland and acquire new husbands in order to maintain their own livelihood. Ruth refused.
While Ruth's loyalty is the main focus for this book, the experiences of Naomi, Orpah, and Ruth bring so much light to current lifestyle we live as Christians. We are entitled so many freedoms and luxuries that they were not privy to. Their entire existence was deemed necessary by who they were married to.
Today, we as women are allotted the privilege of maintaining our own identities in addition to our male counterparts. While God specifically designed us to be a helpmate, (Genesis 2:20-24), He also has given us the vantage of acquiring our own purpose to this world (Proverbs 31:10-31). Therefore we can exhibit gratitude and honor to God for His righteousness (Romans 3:24-26).
Ruth and Orpah's choices exhibits the liberties that God has given to us. They both chose different paths, nevertheless, they both had choice as option to their situation. Though Ruth was raised in paganism, and later converted, she made the Godly choice. Orpah was not loth to part from her Moabitess roots for Naomi's sake, however, Ruth's resolution gained her good affection (Henry 1997).
We are blessed with many choices in life. We can choose what to wear, what hairstyle we prefer, what peanut butter to buy, where to shop, what church to attend, what car to drive, etc.... The most important choice, that is life changing, is to serve God and how to serve God. We must honor the one true living God that offers us such liberties (2 Corinthians 3:17).
Application
This week examine your choices; from the most minute choices that lead to the larger choices. It only takes a small crack in the armor to defuse the forces (Ephesians 6:10-18). Choose to gird yourself with the full armor of God, by reading His word daily.
I pray that you all will have a blessed week.
Be blessed,
T. Carter
All scriptures are extracted from The Bible - New King James Version. YouVersion (2013).
Allen, Th.D., Ronald B., House Th.D., J.D., H. Wayne, &
Radmacher, Th.D., Earl D. (1999). Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Commentary. Nelsons Publishing. Nashville, Tennessee
Henry, Matthew (1999). Mathew Henry's Concise Commentary on the
Whole Bible. Nelson Publishing. Nashville, Tennessee
Mears, Henrietta (1999). What the Bible is All About. Regal
Publishing. Ventura,
California
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