A Lamp Unto My Feet Bible Study Website
RUTH
LESSON #2
RUTH 1:1-10
LESSON #2
IN GODS GARBAGE CAN
MEMORY VERSE: PSALMS 62:8
RUTH CHAPTER 1 BEGINS IN THE NATION OF MOAB, A CLOSE NEIGHBOR OF ISRAEL. DURING THEDAYS OF THE JUDGES, ELIMELECH, A JEW FROM BETHLEHEM, TOOK HIS WIFE AND SONS TO LIVE INMOAB BECAUSE OF A FAMINE. WHEN THEY LEFT BETHLEHEM, ELIMELECH LOST HIS PROPERTY EITHER BYSALE OR BY DEBT.
THERE ARE 13 FAMINES MENTIONED IN THE BIBLE…ALL OF THEM ARE A JUDGMENT BY GOD INRESPONSE TO THE SPIRITUAL ATMOSPHERE OF THE TIME, AND THEY ARE A TESTING OF FAITH. (LEV26)
READ RUTH 1:1-10 FROM TESTING TO TRAGEDY
NAMES IN THE BIBLE, ESPECIALLY THE OLD TESTAMENT, ARE VERYIMPORTANT. THEY REVEALCHARACTER AND TRUTH TO US.
THE NAME BETHLEHEM-JUDAH:
BETHLEHEM = “HOUSE OF BREAD”
BETHLEHEM IS WHERE JESUS WAS BORN. IF THERE WAS NO BOOK OF RUTH, JESUS WOULD NOT HAVEBEEN BORN IN BETHLEHEM. IN MIC 5:2 THE PROPHET TELLS US THAT IS WHERE JESUS WOULD BE BORN.
BETHLEHEM WAS A SMALL TOWN NOTED FOR THE BREEDING AND RAISING OF PASSOVER LAMBS TO BEOFFERED IN THE TABERNACLE.
THE SHEPHERDS AT THE TIME OF JESUS BIRTH WERE WATCHING OVER THESE LAMBS POSSIBLYIN THE FIELDS OF BOAZ.
JUDAH = “PRAISE”
MOAB = “FROM MY FATHER”
MOAB WAS THE SON OF LOT BY HIS DAUGHTER. THE MOABITES WERE HIS DESCENDANTS.
PSA 108:9 “MOAB IS MY WASHPOT” (“GARBAGE CAN”)
GOD CONSIDERED MOAB THE PLACE WHERE DIRTY CLOTHES WERE WASHED. IN OTHER WORDS,SPIRITUALLY SPEAKING, IT WAS A PLACE WHERE GOD WOULD PUT A BELIEVER THROUGH TRIALS INORDER TO WASH OUT THE FILTH FROM HIS LIFE. WHAT WAS LEFT THERE WAS ALL THE”GARBAGE” FROM A PERSONS LIFE.
LOOK AT THE NAMES MENTIONED IN THESE FIVE VERSES AND CONSIDER THEIR MEANINGS:
ELIMELECH, A JEW = “MY GOD IS KING” OR “GOD IS MY KING”
NAOMI, A JEW = “PLEASANT” OR “MY JOY”
MAHLON, A JEW = “UNHEALTHY” OR “SICKLY”
CHILION, A JEW = “PUNY, WASTING” OR “PINING”
ORPAH, A MOABITE = “A FAWN, YOUTHFUL FRESHNESS” (ATHLETIC) OR “BACK OFTHE NECK” (SHE EVENTUALLY TURNED HER BACK ON NAOMI AND STAYED IN MOAB.)
RUTH, A MOABITE = “FRIENDSHIP” OR “COMPANION”, “BEAUTY”
BECAUSE NAMES IN THE BIBLE ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO TELL US ABOUT CHARACTER, AND USINGWHAT YOU ALREADY KNOW ABOUT ISRAELS HISTORY IN THIS TIME PERIOD, HOW WOULD YOUDESCRIBE THE CHARACTER OF ELIMELECHS FAMILY?
PHYSICALLY:
SPIRITUALLY:
ELIMELECHS PERSONAL LEVEL OF FAITH:
LIKE MOST PEOPLE IN ISRAEL DURING THE TIME OF JUDGES, HE HAD A VERY WEAK FAITH. HELIVED IN A CITY NAMED FOR GODS PROMISE OF FOOD (“BETHLEHEM”) , BUT HE DIDNOT EXERCISE HIS FAITH IN THAT PROMISE. HE DID NOT GIVE GOD “PRAISE” (JUDAH) ANDTHEREFORE, HE DID NOT RECEIVE GODS BLESSING. WE KNOW HE HAD WEAK FAITH BECAUSE HETOOK HIS FAMILY AND LEFT THE PROMISE LAND TO GO THE “GARBAGE CAN” (MOAB).SPIRITUALLY SPEAKING, HE THOUGHT IT WAS BETTER TO DRINK DIRTY WASH WATER FOR SOUP. HISNAME INDICATED HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD, BUT HE DID NOT LIVE LIKE GOD WAS HIS KING.
IN A WAY, WE HAVE THE SAME STORY IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, THE PRODIGAL SON (LUK 15:11-32).
NAOMIS LEVEL OF FAITH:
AT THE BEGINNING OF THE STORY, NAOMI DID NOT HAVE A CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. HERNAME IS A “WORLDLY” NAME (“PLEASANT”). SHE IS NOT NAMED WITH ANYREFERENCE TO GOD. SHE PROBABLY HAD A VERY PLEASANT, AMENABLE PERSONALITY. SHE OBEDIENTLYFOLLOWS HER HUSBAND TO MOAB, AS SHE SHOULD. HOWEVER, IT SEEMS SHE WAS TRUSTING MORE IN HERHUSBAND TO SUPPLY HER NEEDS THAN SHE IS IN GOD. WHEN HER HUSBAND DIED, HER SOURCE OFSECURITY WAS CUT OFF.
WHAT WAS THE RELATIONSHIP LIKE BETWEEN NAOMI AND ELIMELECH?
IT SEEMS THAT THEY HAD A CONGENIAL MARRIAGE RELATIONSHIP, ONE THAT WAS COMMON AT THETIME, WHERE THE WIFE WAS SUBMISSIVE TO HER HUSBAND, AND WHERE THE HUSBAND EXERCISEDAUTHORITY.
THE DEATH OF ELIMELECH (1:3)
NOTICE THAT NAOMI DID NOT RETURN TO THE PROMISE LAND WHEN
HER HUSBAND DIED. SHE HAD BECOME ACCUSTOMED TO LIVING IN MOAB. SHE HAD NO CONVICTIONFROM THE HOLY SPIRIT TO RETURN TO HER HOME LAND. HER NEW SOURCE OF SUPPLY WAS HER SONS.
HOWEVER, WHEN THEIR FATHER DIED, THE TWO SICKLY SONS
TOOK MOABITE WIVES. IT WAS A VIOLATION OF THE
MOSAIC LAW TO MARRY WOMEN FROM HEATHEN TRIBES BECAUSE THEY WERE THE ENEMY. GOD WAS NOTPLEASED WITH INTERMARRIAGE WITH HEATHEN PEOPLE BECAUSE IT LED TO IDOLATRY LIKE IN THE LIFEOF SOLOMON.
SPIRITUAL TRUTH:
WHEN THE PARENTS GET OUT OF CLOSE FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD AND GOD IS NO LONGER THEIR KINGAND LORD, THE CHILDREN FALL FURTHER AWAY FROM GOD (APOSTASY).
PARENTS ARE TO MODEL THE SPIRITUAL
IMPORTANCE OF GOD IN A PERSONS LIFE.
THE DEATH OF NAOMIS TWO SONS (1:5):
WHEN THE TWO SICK SONS DIED, NAOMI WAS LEFT WITH TWO FOREIGN DAUGHTERS BY MARRIAGE.WITHIN A TEN YEAR PERIOD SHE LOST HER HUSBAND AND 2 SONS.
NOW NAOMI REMEMBERS GOD AND HER HOME LAND. A WOMANS SECURITY CAME THROUGH HERHUSBAND AND HER SONS. SINCE SHE WAS ALONE SHE THOUGHT LIFE WOULD BE BETTER BACK INBETHLEHEM. JUST LIKE THE PRODIGAL SON, SHE DECIDES TO RETURN HOME.
EVENTUALLY GOD, THE HOLY SPIRIT, DRAWS THE TRUE BELIEVER BACK TO GOD, THE FATHER.
NAOMIS OFFER (1:6):
NAOMI LOVED HER DAUGHTERS-IN-LAW AND THEY LOVED HER. THIS WAS AN UNUSUAL SITUATION,HUMANLY SPEAKING. BECAUSE OF NAOMIS PERSONALITY, WE CAN SEE THAT SHE GOT ALONG WITHEVERYONE VERY WELL. SHE HAD A PLEASANT PERSONALITY.
WHAT MAKES THIS AN UNUSUAL SITUATION IS THAT THE MOABITES AND THE ISRAELITES DID NOTGET ALONG WELL TOGETHER. THE MOABITES WERE ALWAYS ENEMIES OF THE JEWS, AND THE JEWS DIDNOT TRUST THE MOABITES.
AT FIRST BOTH GIRLS HAD DECIDED TO RETURN TO BETHLEHEM WITH NAOMI (1:10). HOWEVER,THESE GIRLS HAD NOT CONSIDERED THE
THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP: LUK 14:28-33
THESE TWO GIRLS WOULD GIVE UP A LOT TO FOLLOW NAOMI TO BETHLEHEM:
-THEY WOULD GIVE UP A FUTURE MARRIAGE BECAUSE NO JEW WOULD MARRY THEM.
-THEY WOULD LIVE IN POVERTY BECAUSE NAOMI HAD NO MONEY AND NO LAND.
-THEY WOULD GIVE UP A FUTURE INHERITANCE BECAUSE NAOMI HAD LOST ALL HER LAND WHEN HERHUSBAND LEFT BETHLEM.
-THEY WOULD GIVE UP A CONGENIAL COMMUNITY BECAUSE THEY WERE OUTCASTS TO THE JEWS ANDWOULD LIVE IN ISOLATION.
-THEY WOULD GIVE UP THEIR OWN FAMILIES BACK IN MOAB.
-THEY WOULD GIVE UP THEIR OWN CULTURE AND THE HEATHEN GODS OF THE MOABITES.
-THEY WOULD BEGIN AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE.
FOR ORPAH THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP WAS TOO GREAT. (1:14)
SHE RETURN ED TO HER HOME AND FAMILY IN MOAB. NAOMI SAW THE “BACK OF HER NECK”AS THEY DEPARTED.
FOR RUTH THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP WAS WORTH IT. (1:14)
SHE BECAME NAOMIS “COMPANION” AND “FRIEND”.
WHAT EXAMPLES OF FAITHFULNESS DO YOU SEE IN THESE VERSES?
1. NAOMI WAS FAITHFUL TO ELIMELECH, HER HUSBAND, WHEN SHE FOLLOWED HIM TO MOAB.
2. NAOMI WAS FAITHFUL TO HER DAUGHTERS-IN-LAW WHEN SHE OFFERED THEM HER LOVE.
3. NAOMI WAS FAITHFUL TO HER DAUGHTERS-IN-LAW WHEN SHE OFFERED TO TAKE THEM WITH HER TOBETHLEHEM.
4. BOTH GIRLS WERE FAITHFUL TO NAOMI WHEN THEIR HUSBANDS DIED.
5. GOD WAS FAITHFUL TO THIS FAMILY EVEN THOUGH THEY TOOK THEMSELVES OUT OF A CLOSERELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.
-THE HOLY SPIRIT DRAWS THEM BACK TO THE PROMISE LAND JUST LIKE THE PRODIGAL SON WASDRAWN BACK TO HIS FATHER..
-GODS BLESSING WILL BE POURED OUT ON THIS FAMILY BECAUSE OF THEIR FAITHFULNESS TOEACH OTHER AND EVENTUALLY THEIR FAITHFULNESS TO GOD.
APPLICATION:
FAITHFULNESS TO GOD AND TO OTHERS IS A CHARACTER QUALITY WE ALL NEED TO DEVELOP IN OURLIVES.
HOMEWORK
RUTH 1:11-22
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.
APPLICATION OF RUTH 1:1-10
ARE YOU A “FOUL WEATHER” CHRISTIAN?
HOW WOULD YOU RATE YOUR LEVEL OF FAITHFULNESS TO GOD WHEN DIFFICULT TIMES COME IN YOURLIFE?
ARE YOU A “FAIR WEATHER” CHRISTIAN?
HOW WOULD YOU RATE YOUR LEVEL OF FAITHFULNESS TO GOD WHEN TIMES ARE GOOD IN YOUR LIFE?
GOD WANTS US TO BE FAITHFUL NO MATTER WHAT THE SITUATION IN OUR LIVES.
PREPARATION FOR RUTH 1:11-22
READ RUTH 1:11-22
DID NAOMI KNOW HER FAMILY WAS OUT OF GODS PERFECT WILL IN GOING TO MOAB IN THEFIRST PLACE? HOW DO YOU KNOW?
EXAMINE RUTHS STATEMENT OF COMMITMENT TO NAOMI IN 1:16-17. WHAT PARALLEL DOESTHIS STATEMENT HAVE IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE?
WHAT PARALLEL DO YOU SEE TODAY THAT CORRESPONDS TO ORPAHS DECISION?
WHY DOES NAOMI TELL HER NEIGHBORS IN BETHLEHEM TO CALL HER “MARA” INSTEAD OF”NAOMI”? (20) AND WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE?
MEMORY VERSE: RUTH 1:16
