CF Woman of the Month for April..Ruth..“Ruth’s Noble Choice”...

[kayte]

The book of Ruth tells of the period when judges ruled Israel - Ru 1:1
an era marked by immorality, idolatry, and war - cf. Judg 21:25

It tells a heartwarming story of devotion and faithfulness...
Concerning a Moabite widow (Ruth) who leaves her homeland
to live with her Jewish mother-in-law(Naomi) in the land of Israel
God honors Ruth’s commitment...

By guiding her to the field of Boaz (a near kinsman to Naomi)
Where she gathers grain and finds a place in the genealogy of Christ!

It has been said the book serves two purposes...
a. To illustrate how Jehovah rewards those who make wise spiritual choices and show steadfast filial loyalty
b. To explain how Ruth , a Moabitess, came to be an ancestor of David, and ultimately, the
Messiah - cf. Ru 4:21-22; Mt 1:5-6



While the book’s brevity and beauty makes it easy to read in one sitting,
we will let it serve as the basis,…in the next four days

as four lessons, one for each chapter.

Mark Copeland


Tommorow, we learn of “Ruth’s Noble Choice”...

 

[kayte]

Apologies!!! This was supposed to have been posted by April 12th.
There will be an overlap with May's CF Woman of the month.

Please jump in with any comments of ways of inspiration as to how this may
or Ruth or Naomi or even Orpah has illumined your path.

Asking your patience & grace on the latenesses
~~K

 

[inthepink]

Thanks Kayte.

 

[MizzCoco]

I love this book of the bible, and I'm looking foward to these lessons when you post them!

 

[kayte]

A FATEFUL SOJOURN IN MOAB & FAMINE PROMPTS THE JOURNEY...

The setting

In the days of the judges (prior to the period of the kings of Israel)
There is famine in the land of Judah.
A family of four leave Bethlehem to dwell in Moab, Bethlehem, city located 5 mi. S of Jerusalem; birthplace of David and Jesus, Moab, country located due E of the Dead Sea
Descendants of Lot - Gen 19:36-37,)
Sometimes enemies, friends, of Israel - Jud 3:12-30; 1 Sam 22:3-4,

The family - Ru 1:2
a. Elimelech the father, Naomi the mother
b. Their two sons: Mahlon and Chilion
c. Ephrathites - Bethlehem was also known as Ephrath - Gen 35:19; Mic 5:2
The move,prompted by the famine,perhaps indicating a lack of faith in God, who made provision for when His children,became impoverished - cf. Lev 25:35

DEATH STRIKES THREE TIMES...
1. Elimelech dies - Ru 1:3
Leaving Naomi a widow with two sons
Rabbinic tradition suggests his death was punishment for greed or having forsaken his homeland
Mahlon and Chilion marry women of Moab - Ru 1:4
Mahlon married Ruth, Chilion married Orpah - cf. Ru 4:10
Such marriages with women of Moab were strongly suspect, if not wrong - cf. Deu
23:3; 1 Kin 11:1-2; Neh 13:23-27,c. They live in Moab about ten years
Mahlon and Chilion die - Ru 1:5,a. Rabbinic tradition suggests it was because of leaving Judah, and their marriages

Leaving Naomi a widow and childless, which she took as divine judgment against her

 

[gn1g]

One of my favorite books, I love the advice Noami gave Ruth, its classic and is still good this day.

 

[kayte]

I love the advice Noami gave Ruth, its classic and is still good this day

Oh I do too! I agree..timeless advice

Wash and anonint yourself and lay at his feet..it's so romantic :Rose: because Naomi would not have advised her as such..if she had not known Boaz to to be an honorable man ..who once he apprised the situation ...understood immediately his position as potential husband and protector....proceeds to gift his mother-in-law and protects Ruth's reputation

Claiming my mother-in-love and my Boaz

 

[gn1g]

Bishop Jakes, preach this once and it's a sermon that I will never forget. Not every sermon sticks with me but that one didn't.

2 things he said:

Favor ain't fair!

Wash your face, wash away the bitterness, the hurt, lifes disappointments all of that stuff from the past and annoint yourself.



hallejuah!

 

[kayte]

Bishop Jakes, preach this once and it's a sermon that I will never forget. Not every sermon sticks with me but that one didn't.

2 things he said:

Favor ain't fair!

Wash your face, wash away the bitterness, the hurt, lifes disappointments all of that stuff from the past and annoint yourself.



hallejuah!

love this parallel..God has been saying this to me

My mother would say this especially after a turmoil
she'd say go and wash your face and oil it...oil your brow
she'd also say clap your hands and say hallelujah out loud

 

[kayte]

Ru 1:13,20-21
Elimelech and his sons went to Moab to find bread, instead they found graves Bereaved of, her husband and two sons, Naomi gives thought to return to her homeland...

II. A FAITHFUL RETURN TO JUDAH
A. NAOMI CHOOSES TO RETURN HOME...

The famine in Judah had ended - Ru 1:6
The Lord’s blessings had returned to Judah.. The Lord had given them bread
Naomi encourages her daughters-in-law to remain in Moab - Ru 1:7-9
As they were on their way to leave… Naomi encourages them to return to their mothers’ house, Naomi prays God’s blessings upon them…..to treat them kindly, because their kindness to her,to find rest in the homes of future husbands, prompting sorrowful displays a great affection.


RUTH CHOOSES TO RETURN WITH HER...

At first, both daughters-in-law desire to go with Naomi - Ru 1:10
willing to return with her to her people,which speaks highly of their love for Naomi and duty as daughters-in-law
Naomi seeks to dissuade them - Ru 1:11-13

She has no sons to offer them
She is too old to have a husband
If she did marry and have sons, would they wait until they were old enough?
It grieves her to see them suffer because of God’s chastisement of her

Ruth cannot be dissuaded - Ru 1:14-18
Weeping, Orpah kisses her mother-in-law and leaves, Ruth clings to her mother-in-law, and Naomi tries once again to persuade her to return

Ruth’s noble choice
1) To go wherever Naomi goes
2) To live wherever Naomi lives
3) To make the people of Naomi her people
4) To make the God of Naomi her God
5) To die and be buried where Naomi is buried
6) To let nothing but death come between them



King James Bible
And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, or 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:

"Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. Thus may the LORD do to me, and worse, if anything but death parts you and me." (NASB ©1995)-- In making such a choice, Ruth has become a proselyte to Judaism, Naomi realizes Ruth is determined to go with her

 

[kayte]

Life hurts.
There’s nothing very profound about that statement. Anyone can see the pain and suffering that surround us. A five year old dies from an unintentional gunshot wound, a mother develops cancer, a father of five loses his job, and the list goes on. The existence of evil and suffering in the world can keep us from trusting God.

“Why would an all-powerful God allow so much pain and suffering in the world?” we may ask. It is a fair question.


Have you ever felt that God is against you because your world is crumbling around you? As you read the the book of Ruth, try to put yourself in Naomi’s place.



Getting Oriented

The period in which the events of recorded in the book of Ruth (the time in which the judges ruled) are among the worst in Israel’s history. Like the period of decline within the ancient Roman Empire, the Israelite nation began to crumble from within. The book of Judges repeatedly states that during this time “everyone did as he saw fit”. As each family or group fought for its rights alone, the society became fractured.


The book of Judges runs downhill, from bad to worse. The last five chapters contain some of the ugliest stories in the Bible – tales of homosexual assault, idolatry, civil war, thievery, rape and murder. No enemy does all this: Israelites do it to each other. Clearly, the exalted nation of Israel, God's chosen people, has lost its sense of direction. The book of Ruth shines like a beautiful diamond against this bleak background.


Key Terms
v. 2. Moab: located east of the Jordan River and the Dead Sea.

v. 2. Naomi: means “pleasant, lovely, delightful”.

v. 2. Ephrathrites: Ephrath was an earlier name for Bethlehem.

v. 8. LORD: personal name of God meaning “I am who I am” (Exodus 3:14); The God who is actively present with his people.

v. 8. kindness: The Hebrew term “hesed” means loyal love based upon faithfulness and commitment.
v. 11. sons who could become your husbands: The Old Testament Law stated that if a man died, his brother had to marry the widow to protect her and carry on the family name. Naomi’s comment here (“sons who could grow up to be your husbands”) refers to levirate marriage, the obligation of a dead man’s brother to care for the widow (Deuteronomy 25:5-10). This law kept the widow from poverty and provided a way for the family name of the dead husband to continue.

v. 20. Mara: bitter, sad.

v. 20. Almighty: “The Mountain One” suggesting unlimited power. v. 22. Bethlehem: “house of bread”; located about five miles southwest of Jerusalem. The town was surrounded by lush fields and olive groves. Its harvests were abundant. The population of the town would not have exceeded a couple of hundred in most periods and was likely considerably less at this time.



Exploring the Passage

NOTE: There was almost nothing worse than being a widow in the ancient world. Widows were taken advantage of or ignored. They would equate to the homeless in American society. They were almost always poverty stricken. God’s law, therefore, provided that the nearest relative of the dead husband should care for the widow; but Naomi had no relatives in Moab, and she did not know if any of her relatives were alive in Israel.



2. Are you surprised by Ruth decision to stay with her mother-in-law? Why or why not?

NOTE: Moab was one of the nations that oppressed Israel during the period of the judges (Judges 3:12), so there was hostility between the two nations.


3. Naomi said that God was against her. Was she right to think and feel this way? Why or why not?


Charting Our Course


How should suffering affect a person’s attitude toward God?


Have you ever felt empty and afflicted by God as Naomi did? How did you respond? What did God do in your situation?

 

[hurricane]

This is a very good lesson. Love the Book of Ruth. I noticed that they returned to Bethlehem, which is the house of bread. How appropriate that our Savior was born there and refers to himself as the bread of life.

 

[kayte]

How appropriate that our Savior was born there and refers to himself as the bread of life.

Thank you for pointing out that blessed connection

Have you ever felt empty and afflicted by God as Naomi did? How did you respond? What did God do in your situation?

I want to come back to this question

 

[kayte]

Have you ever felt empty and afflicted by God as Naomi did? How did you respond? What did God do in your situation?

I want to come back to this question

At the time I said the above I was just starting an epic night of writhing pain that would result with an ambulance ride to the emergency room...but was in denial about it..as I wrote the quoted post

but I specifically said I would come back because I was not able to write cas at
that time i was afflicted and felt empty abandoned alone ..who would believe me that I had such horrfic pain what would I do.. who could I call ..I felt helpless and stupid



at first I kept affirming that God was in control and that no matter what I loved and trusted Him and pretty much stayed that way but I did feel at one point very angry and that I identified strongly with Naomi.... I was suffering and I felt the enemey tried to tell me to curse and I said no ....and a question that seemed silly ..was ..why why must I suffer..Ikept reading the bible and the words were of hope and life... it seemed even more surreal....

when I thought I was dying I hoped my family would not think I was sad or afraid I was more worried that I had not left a will..than about death ..I was confident I would be in the Everlasting Arms
and was prepared to leave it at that when I had a foolish thought

I said God as foolish as it seems ..you said in Hebrews they believed THE PROMISE though they did not live to see them

and I said I am going to keep believing in my dreams that you put in my heart though it seems a feeble act..since it seems I am dying... I still trust you to do it unto death
I can honestly say it felt foolish but I believed in that moment the bible with all my heart and in that moment I LIVED Hebrews 11


All of them pleased God because of their faith! But still they died without being given what had been promised. 40This was because God had something better in store for us. .

and lived Proverbs 3:5
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; ...
I guess the 2nd part of the answer is that God did enable me to survive through that ....and I am more deterrmined THAN EVER to focus ...the dreams of my heart were put there by God
I am still feeling affliction and some times alone ..but not bitter
still seeking
still asking for guidance
still deeply in trust/love with God

 

[kayte]

Hebrews 11 (King James Version)

Hebrews 11
1Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

2For by it the elders obtained a good report.

3Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

4By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

5By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.

6But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

7By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

8By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.

9By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:

10For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

11Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.

 

[kayte]

No longer Naomi (“Pleasant”), but Mara (“Bitter”)
For she feels the Lord has dealt bitterly with her
She left Judah full, and has returned empty

She believes the Lord has testified against her, and has afflicted her
This may be true - cf. Deu 28:15-19
Yet not all suffering is indicative of divine chastisement (cf. Job)
She may have been the innocent victim of others’ sins

Naomi and Ruth settle in Bethlehem - Ru 1:22
Naomi, a woman without husband and sons
Ruth, the Moabitess living in a strange land

CONCLUSION
Their arrival was at the beginning of the barley harvest...
Which sets the stage for the events in the next chapter
Which portends a new beginning in the lives of Naomi and Ruth

This story certainly illustrates the importance of making choices...
Choices come with consequences, sometimes good, sometimes bad
Elimelech and his sons made choices...
Which may have appeared to be a good business decision
But ultimately left a wife and mother a widow and motherless in a strange land

Ruth made a choice
To leave family and false religion, for the true God and His family
One that would have provide both temporal and eternal blessings - cf. Mk 10:29-30
Sometimes the choice is not between right and wrong, but between good and better.

Yet any choice
we make will be the right one if made with these words of Jesus in mind:

“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things
shall be added to you.” - Mt 6:33

“Ruth’s Noble Choice” to follow Naomi and her God illustrates the truth of Jesus’ words!