When we take God as our God, we accept His people as our people. Thereâs a guy sitting next to you reading the Old Testament. They are coming home for the Lord had visited his people in giving them food! This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Both would be greatly surprised with how their Father would bless them after returning. He talked about David's sin with Bathsheba and how it didn't just suddenly happen. Ruth pledges her loyalty to Naomi and her God. The book of Ruth is the story of Ruth and Naomi. He was important because of who came out of his lineage. She prefers to now be called Mara, which means 'bitter'. THE BOOK OF RUTH Lesson 1: Introduction and Chapter 1 Ruth Entrusts her Life to Naomi ⢠Ruth Lessons List ⢠Next Holy Father, We have the promise of Your Son that He is our "Emmanuel,"- "God with us," and that we will never be abandoned in our hour of distress when we call upon Your mercy, Lord. Not many endured the cross and lived! Though the world promises fame, fortune and happiness [6] , nothing can come near the peace and hope that comes from knowing that you are right with the Lord. Thus may the Lord do to me, and worse, if anything but death parts you and me.' - Now that's the worst famine! Above all things, the Lord desires a relationship with us and his chastening and discipline, Hebrews tells us, is for our good because He loves us. Unfortunately while ⦠i. See the hand of God in the midst of a seemingly hopeless situation. I. Otherwise when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him...' (Luke 14:26-29) We shouldn't give people a wishy-washy gospel unless we are trying to produce wishy-washy Christians. - two new gentile converts right? I recently read something written by J. Vernon McGee about what he called, the 'prodigal pig'. The author of the book apparently wishes to illustrate that though the nation as a whole was estranged from God, there were some who still clung to Jehovah in faith. So, letâs start reading Ruth 1:1. I will be going through this book of the Bible chapter by chapter and then wrap it up with a study of the typologies and symbolism given to us in the book of Ruth. Um, half right. What Naomi did was tell them the truth and gave them the opportunity to count the cost of having the Lord God of Israel as their God. It’s a story of loss, hope and redemption. It is one of only, They accompanied her part of the way home before she urged them to turn back.Â, She was returning to Bethlehem to rely on her family for support and she was fearful because she had nothing to offer them; no stability of marriage. God graciously lifted the famine in Israel and Naomi was able to return home to Bethlehem. Ruth chapter 1 KJV (King James Version) 1 Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. We will see both of these attitudes displayed further in the book of Ruth. We are going to study the book of Ruth for the next 4 weeks and this week we begin with Chapter 1. 1. And so Naomi sends them away with a blessing. And they lived there about ten years. McGee picked up on this and said that within the church you have prodigal sons, and you have prodigal pigs. I once heard a taped sermon by Hal Lindsey entitled 'The peril of unconscious decay.' We would think 'sweet, someone wants to follow the Lord' but Jesus would rather they count the cost first. She said: âthe Lord has dealt bitterly against me. Elimelech and Naomi were in such a situation and faced with running or trusting God, they chose the former and worse of the two options. Those who leave the Lord today find the same thing. Go To Ruth Index. [3] ↩ Not a huge point but I was just thinking of Deuteronomy 23:3-6 that says that the Israelites should not seek Moabs' peace or prosperity all their days because of what they did when Israel was coming out of Egypt. The book of Ruth takes place during the time of the judges. It's a hard lesson to learn that backsliding and running off to the world never produces anything but death and though the Lord has called her back, yet she comes back empty handed. Whattime of day was the plan made to glean in the grain fields? This short book, only four chapters, shows how ⦠Talk about a hard time, right? "[25] The Book of Ruth is so written that ⦠He probably thought he would go for a little sojourn to enjoy Moab for a season yet he never came out! [7] ↩ A quick comparison of Naomis' life with the prodigal son story in Luke 15:11-32 reveals the following. On the other hand you have prodigal pigs! If I said I have hope, if I should even have a husband tonight and also bear sons, would you therefore wait until they were grown? These two issues are addressed in the book of Ruth. Both of these ladies are well named, as we shall soon see. Why didn't she just tell them that if you come back to Israel and the God of Israel then all their problems would be gone and everything would be coming up roses? "In those days, there was no king in Israel, everyone did what was right in his eyes", âearth is embittered to us that Heaven may be endearedâ, But Ruth replied, âDonât urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Finally, the book of Ruth is properly understood to be a book of eschatology â a prophetic picture of God's plan for Israel and the Church. I love it. This is a book of the history of Israel. Grab your free printable on the Key Verses from the Book of Ruthâ¦sneak peak below. In the entire Bible the name of Ruth only occurs 13 times in 13 total verses. Ruth is an amazing book! We take the Lord as our God. DidRuth know she was gleaning in the field of Boaz? How has the first chapter of Ruth spoken to you? But I do know this, that he is Russian and having been exiled from Russia to America he said 'In Russia, Christians are tested by hardship. Visit our library of inductive Bible studies for more in depth inductive studies on this and other books of the Bible you can use in your small ⦠Ask him into your life and he will sort out your problems!' Only let me whisper this in your ear, 'What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul?' Even though we may face hardship or uncomfortable times. Ruth chapter two summary brings together a special union. Naomi later on lost her husband and she was left with her two sons. Nothing wrong with that is there? Orpah left. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, ⦠We need to learn from this. (6-14) Orpah stays behind, but Ruth goes with Naomi. *When we become Christians we turn from who we once were and we pledge our lives and our love to Jesus. Naomi decides to travel back home to Bethlehem. * We cannot expect to prosper when we are walking outside of Gods will. The book of Ruth is set during the time of the judges. Ruth 1:19-22 So they both went until they came to Bethlehem. He stopped going out to battle with Israel, and even when he spotted Bathsheba it was when he had just got up out of bed in the evening! So grab a cup of coffee (or tea) and lets dig deep into the first chapter of Ruth. Not likely! Ruth 1:6-10 Then she arose with her daughters-in-law that she might return from the land of Moab, for she had heard in the land of Moab that the Lord had visited His people in giving them food. They took their lives into their own hands and chose not to trust God with their well being. Elimelech and his sons die in the land of Moab. Reminds of the friendship Covenant David had with Jonathan. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Welcome to the book of Ruth. We shall continue with their story in Ruth chapter 2. 2. ⦠'Return, my daughters! And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest. Ruth insisted that even in death, she would remain alongside Naomi. As Christians we have that same assurance. Ruth chapter 1 concludes by transitioning the reader from a place of hopelessness to a place of HOPE. Finally a good decision is made. 2 The manâs name was Elimelek, his wifeâs name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. Ruth 1 Commentary: Verses 1 and 2 KJV Ruth 1:1 ¶ Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. The book of Ruth is one of the most moving accounts in the Bible, a story of love and loyalty that is a stark contrast to today's cynical, throwaway society. He uses John 2:23-25 that even though some believed and wanted to commit themselves to Jesus, Jesus wasn't about to commit himself back to them! May the Lord deal kindly with you as you have dealt with the dead and with me. That's right, the great Mr Polez. If you are looking for Bible study tools you might be interested in this post here. So she encouraged them to return to their mothers’ homes.Â, Ruth pledges her love and her loyalty to Naomi and Naomiâs God.Â. He has placed within the characters and story line, key elements and pictures that teach us today about our relationship with the true redeemer, Jesus Christ. Iâm a Jesus loving gal, married to a Jesus loving guy. One where God doesn't seem to care or notice the difficulty you are in and your thoughts turn to the provision and pleasure offered by the world? No? Their return to Bethlehem coincides with the beginning of the barley harvest. It follows the life of Naomi and Ruth as they struggle through difficult trials. It is one of only two books to be named after a woman. I⦠And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife, Naomi; and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem in Judah. Both journeyed to a foreign country, living among pagans and ended up losing everything. Chapter Contents. Each of the four chapters gives us a glimpse of the progressive stages in our walk with the Lord as you can hopefully see through the following chapter names: As we enter into chapter 1, we see an interesting picture involving three different women. An author is not mentioned in Ruth. Doesn't it go something like 'Gods loves you and wants to bless you. So what does it mean to carry your cross? It's the same for us. Ruth 1 Introduction The setting of Ruth is in the days of the judges (1:1). Someone who genuinely turns back to the Lord can, through their humility and brokenness, actually help others find the Lord. [12] ↩ In Israel, the first fruits of a crop were a reason for thanksgiving, which was to be directed to God (Ex. If we are true sons of God then the Lord will bring us back to Himself, but its not usually pleasant. In Naomi, Ruth and Orpah we see a backslider, a new convert and a double-minded woman. David had been slowly, and maybe even unconsciously, slipping away from his regular duties and his walk with God. Wow! I hope that you were encouraged and inspired to study God’s Word. Ruth is one of the most significant books in the Old Testament for the Church. Baton being passed to Ruth – she now became the encourager. It's an incredible story of commitment and dedication, trials and testing, deliverance and freedom. Title: Ancient versions and modern translations consistently entitle this book after Ruth the Moabitess heroine, who is mentioned by name 12 times (1:4 â 4:13). [10] What is the quality of the commitment that Jesus asks of us today? 1. The story of Ruth takes place in two cities, Moab and Bethlehem. but there is joy in the morning. Both left home and took all they had. For his anger lasts only a moment, The great significance of it is that, "Ruth does not say [~'Elohiym] (God) as foreigners do, but [~Yahweh] (Jehovah), indicating that Ruth is the follower of the true God. Elimelech and his wife Naomi are living in Israel, Gods chosen land, yet we read that their eyes began looking to the prosperity in the world. For we read that they left Bethlehem (which means 'the place of bread') in Judah ('praise') to go to Moab (which means 'from father: what father?') So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab() 2 The manâs name was Elimelek, his wifeâs name was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon ⦠Big no-no. Naomi was wife to Elimelech and mother to two sons; Mahlon and Chilion. Orpah and Ruth accompany her part of the way. Bible Study: Book of Ruth Chapter 3. That is always the nature of the true prodigal son [8] . In Luke 14:25 it says that great multitudes were going along with Him. [1] ↩ The last verse of the book of Judges sums up what this time was like. Go, for I am too old to have a husband. This may sound like a time of complete anarchy, but in those days most Jewish people where dedicated to the Torah and used it as a moral compass. God provides for His people even in the midst of famine. This is one of the two books in the Bible where a woman is the main character. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. 3. Our lives belong to God. As the genealogy in chapter 4:17.22 goes down to King David this short book of Ruth was written at the time of David ⦠This means that no matter who they are, what they have done, or how they may differ from us, they are now our people too. Her two sons found wives, Ruth and Orpah, but 10 years later, both sons died as well. When we are empty we are able to recognize that he is the one who sustains us, gives us strength and redeems us. Not that Elimelech had decided to take his family away from the land of Israel permanently. [10] ↩ Good to see a picture of someone returning to the Lord and bringing someone else back with them. Life hurts. She was so grief stricken and broken that her friends and family couldnât recognize her. Whoseidea was it to glean (gather) grain in the fields? Ruth 1 - NIV: In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land. And testing by freedom is much harder. We can understand her sorrow for she has lost both her husband and her sons but there is no point in blaming God! Well, none actually. Howwas Ruth known to the young man in charge of the reapers? The mercy of God is always more evident when we have gone through a âfamineâ season. Naomi is so grief stricken that her friends do not recognize her. In this famous passage of scripture Ruth makes this incredible pledges to Naomi. The book of Ruth is amazing story about providence, love, and redemption. (1) A sojourn in Moab. Even prospered while he was there. Elimelech and Naomi certainly did! [2] ↩ Famines in Old Testament times were generally judgements of God. Ruth Chapter 1. Would you therefore refrain from marrying? Jesus said that those that want to follow Him must take up their cross. Having returned she would once again soon see the blessing of the Lord. Now it came to pass, in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. 1 In the days when the Judges were governing, a famine occurred in the country and a certain man from Bethlehem of Judah went-he, his wife and his two sons -- to live in the Plains of Moab. Nice name! Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. Na, I have no idea who he is either! Ruth Bible Study Guide â 4 Free Online Lessons With Discussion Questions. The Old Testament does not again refer to Ruth, while the New Testament ⦠The first verse of the book points to the time of the Judges and the very last verse points to King David. This was a time when there was no leader. Here, God had bought her to the place where, stripped of her natural support, she would once again turn and look to the Lord God of Israel. He promises us: Thank you for exploring Ruth chapter 1 with me this week. Judges 21:25 states 'In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.' Chapter 1. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. (15-18) They come to Bethlehem. For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? I don't know of any Christian that suddenly makes a decision to be worldly. It happens slowly through the deceitfulness of sin. It says here that sin is deceitful because it promises much, but delivers nothing. Study Notes for Ruth Chapter 1 OK. Letâs assume that you are riding on a bus in downtown Tel Aviv. This was the first kind of famine but God did use another. That has got to be one of the greatest utterances of commitment in the entire Old Testament! Would you turn to God and count the cost? Ruth 1:14-18 And they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. Thus may the Lord do to me, and worse, if anything but death parts you and me.'. Having counted the cost Ruth was willing to give up all that she knew and loved to follow Naomi, and Naomis' God. A good picture of the effect worldliness has on your wells of salvation. After seeking the Lord, I really felt lead to kick off Bible Study Mondays with the book of Ruth. 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. As a mournful widow and mother, bewailing the death of ⦠Home >> Bible Studies >> Ruth >> Ruth 1 These small group studies of Ruth contain outlines, cross-references, Bible study discussion questions, teaching points, and applications. As I worked through this first chapter the Holy Spirit did some major work in my heart! But Ruth said, 'Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. And they said to her, 'No, but we will surely return with you to your people.'. The book of Ruth starts then, in the days of the judges [1] , and in a time of famine [2] . For this Ruth Bible Study I used as reference: Ah Kerry this is one of my favourite books in Bible. [8] ↩ This is an important point. Ruth goes with Naomi to Bethlehem and, in Godâs perfect timing, a kinsmen redeemer is revealed, Boaz. Ruth claimed Israels God as her own which was a huge deal bc she was a ⦠Hard to tell them apart initially, but time always tells the difference. You hear of people falling away - maybe a father in a family or a leader in a church and how much damage it does to others around them. Both recognised their failure and their need to return home; both came home with nothing and very sorrowful. Its one of my favorites too ð I love how the book of Ruth invites us to recognize how God can be involved (or at work) in the small details of our lives. The story of Ruth is a story of woman in need of grace and a man who is willing to extend it. Ten years! The chapter began with the introduction to a man named Boaz. 'I went out full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. See what happens when Ruth ⦠Sharing is caring ð If you liked this Ruth Bible study, can I ask you to please share it? The whole covenant of the law that they lived under basically came down to blessings for obedience, curses for disobedience. […] Previous ArticleRuth Bible Study – Chapter 1 […]. After seeking the Lord, I really felt lead to kick off, It is thought to be written by Samuel, the last judge of Israel and the person who anointed King David. 'May the Lord grant that you may find rest, each in the house of her husband.' So a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. Sin was deceptive. Learn how your comment data is processed. But in America you are tested by freedom. and in the meaning of Moab you gain an insight into Elimelech's state of mind. States 'In those days there was no King in Israel ; everyone did what was right in own... Even though they worshipped different gods. true conversion his good and his glory Bethlehem! Sister-In-Law. ' as they struggle through difficult trials woman is the '... 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