Ruth 1
Ruth Chapter 1: 1-6, 16-17 (NKJV)
"1 Now it came to pass, in the days when the judges [a]ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem, Judah, went to [b]dwell in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. 2 The name of the man was Elimelech, the name of his wife was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion—Ephrathites of Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to the country of Moab and remained there. 3 Then Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died; and she was left, and her two sons. 4 Now they took wives of the women of Moab: the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth. And they [c]dwelt there about ten years. 5 Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died; so, the woman survived her two sons and her husband. 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 that the Lord had visited[d] His people by giving them bread 16 But Ruth said: "Entreat[e] me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God. 17 Where you die, I will die, And there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, If anything but death parts you and me."
The book's timeline is sometime in the period of the judges, as verse one indicates, possibly 1300 BC. Elimelech (whose name means My God is King) took a sojourn from his home on the west side of Jordan and went to live in Moab because there was a famine in Canaan. The word translated as a sojourn in the Hebrew text is gur, meaning to go someplace for a while, but not with the intent of making it home (See Judges 6). While in this "someplace," their sons married Moabite women.
The story of Naomi (whose name means pleasant one), Ruth (whose name means friendship), and Boaz (research by scholars finds no meaning for his name), to offer a colloquial expression, often seems like a "happily ever after" story. However, the intricacies of this book require a more profound look than a cursory read and "check the read box.” This four-chapter book, containing only eighty-five verses, is complex. It is one of only two books in the Bible named for gentiles, the other being Job. This story of friendship, kindness, love, trust, and worship of the God of Israel starkly contrasts the darkness, rebellion, evil, and brother turning against brother we read in Judges a few weeks ago.
It was customary to adopt the god of the country or king where you lived. The god of the Moabites was Chemosh, whose worship included child sacrifice. Yet, in verses 16-17, we read the familiar passage of Ruth's promise to Naomi. She swears allegiance to Yahweh or LORD and not Chemosh. She was committing her whole life to the God of Israel. Before Solomon authored the book of Proverbs, she was living Proverbs 3:5, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding". She left EVERYTHING she knew, trusted in the God of her deceased husband, not the god of her people, and went to a "foreign" land, not knowing how she would find food or shelter.
She did not have the Written Word, only oral teachings from her husband's family at the time of her decision. It is important to remember that women had no rights except thru their husbands during this era. Dwell on the uncertainty of Ruth’s situation for a few moments.
We are 21st century people, and our "pagan" society teaches us to live for the moment, seek instant gratification, trust in ourselves, and be self-reliant. This list could go on to fill up more than one page. However, the Gospel of the New Testament in 1 Corinthians, 1 Peter, 2 Timothy, and Hebrews teaches us to trust in Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, to live by trusting and allowing Him to lead us rather than going our own way, and that He will never leave or forsake us. The “benefit” of hindsight allows us to look back and see how well things did not turn out when we leaned into our understanding."
Prayer: Heavenly Father, you tell us throughout Your Word, from Genesis to Revelation that you are always with us; that you will never leave us or forsake us. You make your presence known to us throughout your Word. And you continue to make Yourself known to us every day in the beauty of your creation, in songs we hear and sing, and in the deeds of others we witness and often benefit from. You speak to us in so many, many ways. We have the assurance of Your constant and abiding presence. We have this assurance because we have Jesus. We offer our praise and gratefulness to you in His Name. Amen.