Saturday, December 10, 2016

WOMEN OF CHRISTMAS - RUTH - INTRODUCTION & TRAGEDY STRIKES NAOMI

We will be spending several days on the book of Ruth in order to tell the full story of this remarkable woman of Christmas.  I


RUTH – INTRODUCTION

The MacArthur Bible Commentary:

Goethe reportedly labeled this piece of anonymous but unexcelled literature as “the loveliest, complete work on a small scale.” What Venus is to statuary and the Mona Lisa is to paintings, Ruth is to literature.

The book of Ruth itself names no author, but Jewish tradition holds that Samuel was the earthly author.

The setting is the time of the Judges, a time when Israel repeatedly turned away from the true God to idols, cried out to God, and had to be rescued by a judge. Ruth, in contrast to the book of Judges, is a story of faithful, committed love and God’s providential provision for those who follow Him.  The book may have been written during the reign of David since he is mentioned as a descendent of Ruth and Boaz, and Solomon is not.

The themes of faithfulness, redemption, and restoration of joy are prominent. Ruth demonstrates that women are equal co-heirs of grace and that redemption extends to Gentiles as well as Jews. Once again John MacArthur brings out a great point:

The MacArthur Bible Commentary:

Ruth describes God’s sovereign and providential care of seemingly unimportant people at apparently insignificant times which later prove to be monumentally crucial to accomplishing God’s will.

Ruth and Naomi were not mighty leaders like Deborah, the Judge. They did not experience miracle pregnancies like Sarah, Elizabeth, and Mary. They do seem insignificant, but God was at work in their lives just as profoundly. The only other mention of Ruth in the Bible is found in Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus. However, the book of Ruth is read as a part of the Jewish celebration of Pentecost since it was set at harvest time, the time of the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost. In the New Testament book of Acts, we learn that the Holy Spirit fell upon the apostles and other believers gathered with them at the time of Pentecost.

RUTH 1:1-13 (KJV)
TRAGEDY STRIKES NAOMI

Ruth 1:1 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 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 Bethlehem, Judah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there.

Elimelech means “my God is king” and Naomi means “pleasant.” Their sons were Mahlon which means “sick” and Chilion which means “pining.” Perhaps they were sickly at birth or cried a lot. Sometimes names were given for specific reasons such as Isaac (laughter) because Abraham and Sarah laughed. Maybe Mahlon and Chilion were colicky babies!

Did you notice where Elimelech was from before he moved his family temporarily to Moab? He and Naomi were from Bethlehem where eventually the Messiah would be born. Bethlehem means “House of Bread” in Hebrew, and it would ultimately be the birthplace of The Bread of Life (John 6:35). Later in the story, the writer brings out the fact that Elimilech and Naomi had moved to Moab due to a famine in the land of Bethlehem.

Moab was named after the son conceived of an incestuous relationship between Lot and his daughter who slept with him after getting him drunk. (Genesis 19:30-38). In Numbers 22-25, we read that the King of Moab tried to pay Balaam, a prophet for hire, to curse the Israelites. Therefore, God cursed the Moabites and the Ammonites “to the tenth generation.” More on this later. The Moabites were enemies of the Israelites. A good article on this subject can be found at:

Ruth 1:3 And Elimelech Naomi's husband died; and she was left, and her two sons.

After they moved to Moab, Elimelech died. Nothing is said of the manner of his death. Naomi became a widow with two grown sons. At least she still had sons to take care of her in a society where widows often became destitute.

Ruth 1:4 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 dwelled there about ten years.

After their father’s death, Naomi’s sons decided to marry and settle down in Moab. It is not clear whether they intended to stay or to return to Bethlehem when things were better there. Perhaps they had forgotten that Moabites were their enemies, or it could be that Orpah and Ruth agreed to convert to Judaism in order to marry them. The word really does not make this clear, but these are some hypotheses.

Orpah means “stubborn,” and Ruth means “friendship.” We do not know if Orpah’s name was prophetic of her character, but Ruth was certainly suitably named. Their time in Moab lasted about ten years.

Ruth 1:5 And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband.

Naomi lost her husband, and how her two sons died as well. We are not given the reason for their death or how they came to die, illness or accidents. Now Naomi is all alone. Deep in her heart she must have felt forsaken and full of despair. She must have wondered why God would allow so much grief to befall her. Who would care for her and her sons’ widows?

Ruth 1:6 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 the Lord had visited his people in giving them bread.  7 Wherefore 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.

Word reached Naomi that the Lord had relieved Judah of the famine by sending much needed rain. God was still providentially caring for His chosen people and Naomi in particular, although she could not yet see His plan. She did not perceive the Lord’s watch-care over her yet. Naomi decided to go back home and began the journey to Bethlehem with both daughter in laws. She wanted to return to the city where she had friends and family for moral support. At this point, she does not mention or seem to remember the possibility of a kinsman redeemer.

Ruth 1:8 And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go, return each to her mother's house: the Lord deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me. 9 The Lord 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.

Naomi urges her daughter in laws to go back home, find new husbands, and live happily ever after. She was releasing them from any obligation as daughter in laws. Orpha and Ruth had been faithful, attentive wives to Naomi’s sons and kind, loving daughter in laws. Naomi pronounced a blessing upon them asking the Lord to help them remarry. When she kissed them good-by both daughter in laws wept.

Ruth 1:10 And they said unto her, Surely we will return with thee unto thy people.

Initially, both Ruth and Orpah intended to return to Bethlehem with Naomi. This speaks to the depth of their devotion to their husbands and their mother in law.

Ruth 1:11 And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? are there yet any more 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 an husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should have an husband also to night, and should also bear sons;
13 Would ye tarry for them till they were grown? would ye stay for them from having husbands? nay, my daughters; for it grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the Lord is gone out against me.

Naomi points out that it is not feasible for them to continue with her. If she were to remarry immediately, even if she were carrying baby at that moment, it would not be in their best interest to wait for that boy to grow up. She may have even been past the age of menopause because she implies there are no more sons in her womb. Even if they were willing to wait for Naomi’s future sons to grow up, they would then possibly be past the age of childbearing. So, she urges them to go back home to Moab where they at least have the hope of a “normal” life.

Naomi felt that the Lord was against her because her husband and two sons had all died. She felt cursed. She wasn’t, but she felt that way. She could not see the future, the beautiful intervention of the Lord that makes up the rest of the story. To be continued…

Question: Have you ever felt forsaken, like God has left you high and dry? I (Susie) know that feeling. The night my husband left me, I cried out to God that it wasn’t fair! Divorce is never a good thing, but God used my husband’s leaving to direct me to a church where I would be discipled and my walk with Him strengthened. Naomi could not see the future, and neither can we. However, we can trust that our God is in control and using even our worst experiences for our good, for making us more like Jesus!

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