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Class Two- 8.29.18
~Discussion
Ruth’s Main Characters
Elimelech – An Ephrathite man from Bethlehem in Judah; husband to Naomi (Ruth 1:1-2)
Naomi – The wife of Elimelech, mother to Mahlon and Kilion (Ruth 1:2)
Mahlon – First born son of Elimelech and Naomi; husband to Ruth (Ruth 1:2,4; 4:10)
Chilion – Second son of Elimelech and Naomi; husband to Orpah (Ruth 1:2,4)
Ruth – Moabite woman; wife to Mahlon; daughter in law to Naomi (Ruth 1:4, 22)
Orpah – Moabite woman; wife to Mahlon; daughter in law to Naomi (Ruth 1:4, 22)
Boaz – Jewish relative to Elimelech from Bethlehem; Ruth’s 2nd husband (Ruth 2:1, 10)
The book of Ruth is named for its heroine, whose devotion to God and love for family has endeared her to generations of readers. Ruth’s story tells how God graciously rewarded the faithfulness of the widows Ruth and Naomi by delivering them through their kinsman-redeemer Boaz. Additionally, the little book of Ruth gives us lots of information about Israelite family customs, marriages and societal patterns. However, its main purpose seems to teach and promote faithfulness – both Divine and human. The main characters in the story demonstrate integrity, faithfulness and love, thus mirroring God’s character in their lives. These attributes were not common during Israel’s dark period of The Judges.
Authorship is uncertain, with Jewish tradition attributing it to Samuel the priest who was active during the reign of Israel’s first King, Saul. Since Samuel was instructed by God to anoint David as King while Saul was still on the throne, (as a reaction to Saul’s sins), some scholars believe Ruth was used to to legitimize David’s claim to the throne, through his great grandparents, Ruth and Boaz, especially since his genealogy ends the book in Chapter 4:18-22. Since it would be very unusual to have a Moabitess appear in the lineage of a revered Jewish King unless it were true, this seems to support Samuel’s authorship. However some argue that this genealogy was taken from 1 Chronicles 2:4-15 and added as an appendix to the story of Ruth. Either way, the genealogy serves as a bridge between the patriarchs through the Judges period to the monarchy of David.
Ruth 1:1-22
The first chapter of Ruth introduces us to the story’s heroine – Ruth a Moabitess, widow of Mahlon, daughter-in-law to Naomi, who was a Jewish widow from Bethlehem in Judah.
1:1-5- A trial in Bethlehem becomes a tragedy in Moab. Elimelech (My God is King) leaves his hometown Bethlehem (House of Bread) due to a lack of bread and chooses to emigrate southeast across the Dead Sea to Moab-a people who were a constant thorn in the flesh of the Jews. Remember that Moabites were the result of the incestuous child of Lot and his younger daughter after they escaped Sodom and Gomorrah. Balak King of Moab hired Balaam to sabotage the Israelites (Numbers 22,24); Deuteronomy 23:2 forbids marriage to a Moabitess. During the Judges the Moabites had constantly oppressed the Israelites until King Eglon was assassinated by Ehud the Judge (Judges 3).
It is into this foreign territory that Elimelech leads his family in search of a more prosperous existence. However, t seems that Elimelech and Naomi, instead of trusting Jehovah Yahweh to provide, jumped out of the frying pan into the fire. Very soon after arriving, Elimelech dies, leaving Naomi and her two sons, who decide it is a good idea to marry Moabite women. After 10 years both of her sons are dead too and Naomi finds herself without support of a male relative in a foreign, enemy land with 2 widowed daughter in laws. Because it was a patriarchal society, husbands, sons, male relatives were crucial for a woman’s existence. If Ruth were in still in Bethlehem, she might have found help, but here in Moab, her situation was dire.
1:6-14- News had reached Naomi that God had displayed His faithfulness by ending the famine in Judah, so food(crops) was once again available. Because she was desperate, without a male protector, Naomi makes the very hard decision to embark on a dangerous, long journey back to Bethlehem in hopes of finding charity there.
As she begins her journey Naomi tell her two daughter in laws to return to their families homes so they might be provided for by their male relatives. She gives each of them her blessing to find a new husband and start a new family in their own land, but each of them refuse to go and insist on making the journey with Naomi. Once more Naomi pleads with these two young women to stay in Moab, pointing out that even the Jewish custom of surviving brothers to marry widows wouldn’t work because Naomi had no more sons and was too old to have any more. (The Levirate Marriage Law). There would be no husband and no children to carry on the names of Mahlon and Chilion.
Both of the girls are obviously very fond of Naomi and are very distraught at leaving her, but obviously the sobering thought of a life alone frightens Orpah and she decides to follow Naomi’s instructions and return to her own people. Ruth however, clings (cleaves) to Naomi and once again Naomi urges her to follow her sister in law and return to her own people and the gods (Chemosh) of the land of Moab.
Ruth, in spite of Naomi’s urging, resists her instructions and makes a solemn promise to never separate from Naomi, Naomi’s people and Naomi’s God and those people and most importantly, that God, would become Ruth’s people and Ruth’s God. In fact, Ruth even expressed that she will die and be buried in Judah, expressing the depth of her commitment to leave her Moabite heritage for a new land, a new people and a new God.
1:19-22 – After a long absence Naomi returns to Bethlehem, accompanied by her widowed Moabite daughter in law Ruth. Time had not been kind to Naomi and her arrival cause former friends, neighbors and family to question if it is really the same woman. She tells them not to call her Naomi (Pleasant) but rather Mara (Bitter), reflecting her state of mind. She shares that she left their hometown “full” but is arriving back “empty”and blames God for her losses. In this she acknowledges that God’s hand is over all things – that He directs the steps of all people and that His providence is over arching. It is just this Sovereign Providence that provides a small glimmer of hope in the last sentence of the first Chapter “They arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest. There was fresh hope to be full once again.
~Class Two Homework
Read Chapter 2 of “For Such a Time as This” and answer workbook’s questions.
*if you need to purchase a book for this study and you are local you can purchase a book at the Women’s Ministry at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church. If you want to purchase the book online click here.
