I figured that the best way to cover this chapter is to separate it up into sections and just go over each one, trying to get the main idea and what the purpose of it is. Then look at a quick overview of the whole chapter!
Verses 1-5
In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land, and a man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. 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. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there. But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. They lived there about ten years, and both Mahlon and Chilion died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband. (Ruth 1:1-5 ESV)The point of verses 1-5 is basically to introduce us to our characters, and to set the stage for the narrative. Notice that the author doesn’t focus on how they ended up in this situation. In other words, the blame isn't placed on any of the character's actions, decisions, or sins. The point is that they are in this very real situation and now they have to deal with it and respond to it.
We talked a bit last week about the period of the judges. This is just a really bad time in Israel. Reading the last verse of the book of judges basically summarizes it: “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” Everyone did what was right in his own eyes. This is saying that everyone was doing whatever he or she wanted, there were no rulers helping to uphold God’s standards. Israel was rebelling against God, and sinning, and there was just a lot of political and spiritual unrest.
So now, the first we're narrowing down from the whole nation of Israel to Bethlehem. And of course, we have to stop and focus on this for a minute. Bethlehem. This is awesome because looking at it from our vantage point we know what’s going to happen in Bethlehem one day. This is where Jesus is going to be born one day! This may seem like a small little detail but here, in the very first verse, we can draw a connection to Jesus. I don’t think this is an accident. There are awesome connections and foreshadows like this all over the place, and just as we will see a redeemer arise in Bethlehem during our study, it is but a shadow of The Ultimate Redeemer who will rise up out of Bethlehem….Jesus!
In case you aren't sure of this, I wanted to share one little thing I found really interesting. When you study the Bible you start to see a ton of word play type stuff, and the meaning of words are actually really important. There’s a lot of symbolism and foreshadowing simply in the meaning of words. For example: Bethlehem literally means “House of Bread.” Remember, it was named long before Jesus was born. Then Jesus comes along, and we see where Jesus is preaching: “Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” (John 6:35 ESV) Maybe I'm going overboard, but I think just the name of Bethlehem is a clue that something bigger and better is being pointed to.
Alright so, we’ve got out scene set up. Bad times in Israel. In Bethlehem we’ve got Elimilech and his family. And, poor guys, as if the situation in Israel isn’t bad enough, a famine hits. So Elimilech packs up his wife and two sons, and they move to Moab, which is a pagan land with foreign gods. In fact, Moab is one of the nations that Israel actually sinned and was put in subjection to, as we talked about last week. We aren't even told if this move was good or bad. Maybe it was a wise move on Elimilech's part in order to provide for his family, or maybe it was a lack of faith in the God of Israel. As far as I know though, these are both speculations. Matthew Henry's take on this, however:
"Elimelech's care to provide for his family, was not to be blamed; but his removal into the country of Moab could not be justified. And the removal ended in the wasting of his family. It is folly to think of escaping that cross, which, being laid in our way, we ought to take up. Changing our place seldom is mending it."
They get settled in Moab, and then Elimilech ends up dying! It doesn’t matter how he dies, because the focus here is Naomi. Now Naomi is left with her two sons, who end up marrying two women from the land of Moab (which was not the Israelite custom, Israelites were supposed to marry Israelites). And they live there about 10 years…but again, it isn’t important what’s going on during all that time. Maybe it is during this time that Naomi and her sons teach Ruth and Orpah about the God of Israel. We don’t need a lot of details. We just know that after about 10 years her sons die also, leaving her alone with her 2 daughters-in-law.
Now, this already sounds like a bad situation. Any woman whose husband and only two sons die is in a rough situation. She’s left without her partner and her children, and is alone in a foreign land while her homeland suffers through a famine. So this is devastating and heart wrenching and we can already feel her pain. However, in order to fully understand her pain there are a couple of cultural things about her time that we need to understand.
The idea of inheritance, heirs, and family/bloodline is a huge theme in the Bible. There was a great significance in being the first born, the oldest son, etc. Children were considered a blessing of God and if a couple couldn’t have children it was disgraceful, and may even lead to a man divorcing his wife. In Naomi's situation she had children, but they died before giving her grandchildren. Having children meant you had an heir, and your family name was carried on, which was a big deal.
Another thing to remember was that this was a patriarchal, male-dominant culture. While women weren't necessarily considered inferior or opposed, they certainly didn't have the same kind of freedom as men did, or as women today do. They couldn't have the same power, authority, or rights as men in that day.
So, here’s Naomi. First a famine, a move to a pagan land, the death of her husband, the marriage of her sons to foreign women, then the death of her sons….she’s just getting slammed over and over again. So now, she’s alone in this foreign land, without the protection or companionship of her husbands or sons. She’s a widowed female in a society that is dominated by men. Her children died, and didn’t produce any grandchildren, so she has no heirs and nobody to carry on her family name. All she has left is her daughters-in-law, who are Moabites. And since she has no more sons, there's no chance of these women providing her with grandchildren anyways. So that’s the situation. She’s facing devastating grief and what looks to be a hopeless situation right from the get-go.
Verses 6-7
Then she arose with her daughters-in-law to return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the fields of Moab that the LORD had visited his people and given them food. So she set out from the place where she was with her two daughters-in-law, and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. (Ruth 1:6-7 ESV)Now, verses 6-7. Basically what we’re seeing here is that there is food again in Israel. This is a great example of God’s faithfulness and provision for His people. He didn’t forget Israel. And even though they’ve been sinning against Him, here He is providing food for them again.
So, Naomi hears about this and decides it’s time to go home. There's nothing left for her in Moab and the famine is over. Remember, she’s still got her two daughters-in-law with her and it appears they get up and start to go with her part of the way.
Verses 8-13
But Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each of you to her mother's house. May the LORD deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. The LORD grant that you may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband!” Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept. And they said to her, “No, we will return with you to your people.” But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb that they may become your husbands? Turn back, my daughters; go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, even if I should have a husband this night and should bear sons, would you therefore wait till they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, for it is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake that the hand of the LORD has gone out against me.” (Ruth 1:8-13 ESV)In this part of the story, verses 8-13, Naomi is trying to get her daughters-in-law, Ruth and Orpah, to turn and go back to their families. Here we are going to see a few different things. Again, I’m going to be borrowing from John Piper a little bit , and touch on 3 reasons why this part of the story is important:
- First, this lengthy section emphasizes Naomi’s misery. We are seeing from her point of view how tragic the situation is. She knows that she is in a worse position than her daughters-in-law, that she has nothing to offer them, and that by going with her their pain will only increase. In verse 13 she says that the hand of the Lord has gone out against her. I would say that's basically as bad as it can get. If you believe God is against you, is there anything worse than that?
- Secondly, this section introduces us to a custom that was important in Ancient Israel and will be very important in our story. As I mentioned before, family names were very important in the Bible, as was being married and having heirs. The custom was that if a man died, one of his brothers or near relatives would step in to marry the man’s wife. This was called the kinsman. He would redeem the woman, carry on the covenant with her, protect and continue the family name. This is what Naomi was referring to when she talks about not having any more sons for Ruth and Orpah to marry. There is no kinsman. Even if she got married, there wouldn't be a kinsman in time. Again, it's just hopeless.
- Another reason for this section is to show just how incredible Ruth’s faithfulness to Naomi actually is. By showing the extremity of Naomi's miserable situation, it shows by contrast how amazing Ruth's actions are. She's not staying because Naomi has anything to offer her, she's staying despite Naomi's awful situation. She's staying despite the fact that God is seemingly against Naomi. Because we understand how bad Naomi's misery is, we also understand how awesome Ruth's faithfulness is.
Verses 14-18
Then they lifted up their voices and wept again. And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. And she said, “See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the LORD do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.” And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more. (Ruth 1:14-18 ESV)Even after Naomi describes the awful future they will have, Ruth sticks with her. Ruth clearly knows that there is no kinsman, she will probably be a widow for life and never have children. This is heartbreaking for any woman, especially in that culture. But as hopeless as the future seems, she stays by Naomi’s side. Read it again. Ruth says: “Entreat me not to leave you or return from following you; for where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge; your people shall be my people and your God my God; where you die I will die and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if even death parts me from you.
This is an amazing example of love and faithfulness. Ruth leaves her family and her land, heads willingly into this life of widowhood and childlessness, into a foreign land with different customs and a different language. In fact, the Israelites didn’t like Moabites. She surely wouldn’t be welcome in Israel, and she knew this. Yet, she’s leaving everything she has behind to go with Naomi, no matter what the cost, and nothing will separate them. She even says “Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried.” Even if Naomi dies, Ruth will stay there and carry out her commitment to Naomi, until she too dies. And she will be buried there, not back in her land with her family. Naomi’s people are her people now, and Naomi is her family. That’s commitment.
Probably the most amazing statement Ruth makes is this: “your God will be my God.” This helps to clear up for us what motivates Ruth and how she is able to make such sacrifices. Ruth has learned through the years who this God of Israel is, probably in the life of Naomi and her family. She seems to trust that God will accept her regardless of her nationality, ethnicity, or any other thing that the Israelites looked down on. In spite of the bitterness they have experienced, Ruth has come to trust in God and that motivates her commitment to Naomi. Just as God made a covenant with His people, Ruth is mimicking that covenant with Naomi. It’s in response to the love of God that she is doing this, and through the power of the Holy Spirit. Underlying her commitment to Naomi, is a commitment to the God of Israel.
Verses 19-21
So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. And when they came to Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them. And the women said, “Is this Naomi?” She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went away full, and the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the Lord has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?”
So, they continue together onto Bethlehem. And when they get there, the women are like, “Naomi?!” You know, she’s been gone 10 years or more. They probably don't even recognize her. Of course she has physically changed, but considering all she's been through, it's probably her whole countenance that has changed as well. Here is her response:
She said to them, “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went away full, and the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the LORD has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?” (Ruth 1:20-21 ESV)She's a completely different person, and is renaming herself accordingly. She tells them to call her Mara. This doesn’t make much sense to us until we do some research. Again, remember how important names and meanings are. It turns out that the name Naomi means “pleasant.” However, the word “Mara” means bitter. So basically, she is letting everyone know how bitter her life is and has been and…kinda being a drama queen.
There is something good to be noted here, and something not so good. First, we see that Naomi acknowledges the sovereignty of God. She doesn’t say that calamity just came upon her. She says the Lord brought her back empty. The Almighty brought calamity on her. This is good in some respect, because she knows and says that God is in control.
But is it enough just to acknowledge God’s control? No. What Naomi fails to do is to trust in God’s goodness. Yes, God is in control. But He’s not some heartless dictator in the sky. He is good and faithful. While Ruth was looking past her present circumstances, Naomi was dwelling on all the bad things, rather than trusting that God was actually working everything together for good.
Remember this, when you are suffering. Remember Joseph in Egypt, who was sold into slavery by his own brothers. He ended up being the king, and saving a nation, including his family, whom he then made amends with. At one point Joseph says to his brothers “As for you, you meant it for evil against me; but God meant it for good.” Romans 8:28 says “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” When things look hopeless, or like God is against you, remember that God is never working against you, He’s never forgotten you, He’s never sitting back idly. Be able to look past the suffering at hand and know that God is still at work, even in the darkest times.
And then, in verse 22, it’s just kind of summing it up. They came back and settled in. We'll just start with this next week and tie it in with chapter 2.
4 Brief Summaries:
The 4 main things I want you to get from this chapter are these:
- God’s sovereignty: He is totally in control over everything. Even our sin or people’s sins against us, He is over it all and nothing gets past him
- God’s mysterious providence: Sometimes we feel like His hand is against us, and sometimes He might be bringing affliction upon us. Sometimes His plan and His providences are hard. But God’s bitter providences are never the last word. He is working in ways we don’t understand. There was this really cheesy old song that said “When you don’t understand, when you can’t see His plan, when you can’t see His hand, trust His heart.” Corny, maybe, but true. We can't understand everything that's going on, because we just see a little. Meanwhile, God has the master plan. He sees everything from the beginning to the end of time and beyond, and is working it all out how He wants it to go. Even if we can't see as everything He does, we can see God’s heart in the Bible. Sometimes He brings suffering upon us, but it's only for a season. Sometimes His providences are hard, but just wait.
- God’s good purposes: Not only does God reign in all the affairs of men, and not only is his providence sometimes hard, but in all his works his purposes are for the good and happiness of his people. In our passage today, we’re setting the stage for the redemption and restoration of Naomi’s family. In the book of Ruth as a whole, we’re setting the stage for the Ultimate redeemer and restorer…Jesus!
- Freedom like Ruth’s: When we trust in the sovereignty of God and the goodness of God in our lives, we are free like Ruth. If He calls you to leave family and friends and undertake a new venture, or head down a road that looks dark and dangerous, you can go boldly. You won’t be shaken by hard times or changes in plans, you will rest in God’s sovereignty and be free to go where He leads.
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A few things that we discussed after Bible study, that are also really interesting:
* Ruth's name means friendship or companion! Whoa...
* In Deuteronomy 6, God lays out the consequences Israel will face if they are disobedient to His covenant:
“But if you will not obey the voice of the LORD your God or be careful to do all his commandments and his statutes that I command you today, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you. Cursed shall you be in the city, and cursed shall you be in the field. Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. Cursed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock. (Deuteronomy 28:15-18 ESV)Maybe the famine in Israel was in response to that...?
The book of Ruth was written to give us hope, and encouragement, and strength, and point us to Jesus. So I hope that’s what’s happening so far.
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