The book of Ruth only has 85 verses, but it tells us the whole gospel. As we see in the first few verses of the book of Ruth it was written during the time of Judges. No one is exactly sure who wrote this book but many believe that Samuel may have written Ruth. During this dark time of Judges, people were living for themselves and not for God. When people are living for what they think is right and not what God says is right, we have turmoil. But the book of Ruth is a story of devotion and purity and it shows where God is wanting everyone in His family not just the Israelites but God also wanted to welcome non-Israelites into his family. God loves all of His creation. The book of Ruth will record the ancestry of King David because that is the lineage of Jesus. And the more we can learn about Jesus and His character the closer we will become to God.
Chapter 1
1 And it came to pass in the days when the judges judged, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Beth-lehem-judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons. 2 And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Beth-lehem-judah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there. 3 And Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she was left, and her two sons. 4 And they took them 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 And Mahlon and Chilion died both of them; and the woman was left of her two children and of her husband.
6 Then she arose with her daughters-in-law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that Jehovah had visited his people in giving them bread. 7 And she went forth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return unto the land of Judah. 8 And Naomi said unto her two daughters-in-law, Go, return each of you to her mother’s house: Jehovah deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me. 9 Jehovah grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voice, and wept. 10 And they said unto her, Nay, but we will return with thee unto thy people. 11 And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? have I yet sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? 12 Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should even have a husband to-night, and should also bear sons; 13 would ye therefore tarry till they were grown? would ye therefore stay from having husbands? nay, my daughters, for it grieveth me much for your sakes, for the hand of Jehovah is gone forth against me. 14 And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clave unto her.
15 And she said, Behold, thy sister-in-law is gone back unto her people, and unto her god: return thou after thy sister-in-law. 16 And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, and 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; 17 where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: Jehovah do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me. 18 And when she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, she left off speaking unto her.
19 So they two went until they came to Beth-lehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Beth-lehem, that all the city was moved about them, and the women said, Is this Naomi? 20 And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara; for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. 21 I went out full, and Jehovah hath brought me home again empty; why call ye me Naomi, seeing Jehovah hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me? 22 So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter-in-law, with her, who returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Beth-lehem in the beginning of barley harvest.
In verse one we see where there was a famine in Bethlehem. Famine is mentioned 13 times in the Bible. When a famine is mentioned in the Bible it is God's judgment on the people but also it is an opportunity for people to repent and turn to God. Elimelek, Naomi and their two sons leave Bethlehem to go to Moab. And yes, this is the same Bethlehem that Jesus was born about 1300 years later. Now, we know that the Moabites were descendants of Lot and Lot was Abraham's nephew. Moab was born from incest between Lot and his oldest daughter after they had left Sodom and Gomorrah. The Moabites lived in what is now Jordan. The Moabites was a pagan nation and worshiped Chemosh, Mollock and Baal. Ruth is probably the most well known Moabite from the Bible.
Sometime after Naomi, Elimelek and their sons, Mahlon and Kilion, moved to Moab Elimelek, Mahlon and Kilion died. Naomi was left alone with Mahlon and Kilion's wives, Ruth and Orpah. Naomi heard that the famine was over in Bethlehem and decided to leave Moab and return to her home in Bethlehem. Her two daughter-in-laws decide to follow her to Bethlehem but Naomi tries to convince them both to stay in Moab because she knew it would be unlikely for them to marry in Bethlehem since they were both Moabites.
Ruth knew that Israelites and Moabites did not really have anything to do with each other. Naomi knew that Ruth and Orpah would probably remain widows and live in poverty in Bethlehem if they came back with her and Ruth did not want them to live like that.
When a woman's husband died then Mosaic law stated that the nearest of kin was to marry her and Naomi did not know of anyone that was close kin that would marry Ruth or Orpah.
She had a great love for them and they also loved her. At first they both insisted they were going to go with Naomi, but then Orpah decided to stay in Moab. Orpah gave her mother in law a farewell kiss. Ruth clung to Naomi and could not be convinced to stay in Moab.
I think that during the time that Ruth had known Naomi she made a decision for God and decided to follow him and not the pagan gods that she had grown up with. Ruth 1: 16 – 17 NIV 16 But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” Ruth did not just make a quick decision without putting any thought into what it would mean.
She made the decision and she intended to stick with it whatever it meant for her in the future. When Naomi and Ruth made it to Bethlehem it was at the beginning of barley harvest.
Questions:
1) What issues do you think that Ruth may have faced in her cross-cultural marriage?
2) What are the practical implications of the choice Ruth makes in contrast to the choice Orpah makes?
3) Do you think there is evidence that Ruth's choice involved more than just her relationship with Naomi?