Introduction of Ruth Ruth 1:1-5

Introduction

The Book of Ruth is one of only two books in the Bible featuring a woman. The only other book is the Book of Esther.

The amazing thing about Ruth is she was a Moabitess, whose people were the enemy of Israel, God’s chosen people. Reminder that God doesn’t always use who you think he would.

Ruth is also mentioned in the genealogy of Christ. She married Boaz who was the great-grandfather of King David.

Matt. 1:5 “And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;”

The writer of the Book is unknown, but it was likely either Samuel or David.

The story of Ruth is a great picture of Jesus and how he is our kinsman redeemer as Boaz was the kinsman redeemer of Ruth.

The Setting vs.1

The story of Ruth took place in the time of the Judges

Judges 2:16-18 “Nevertheless the Lord raised up judges, which delivered them out of the hand of those that spoiled them. And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them: they turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the Lord; but they did not so. And when the Lord raised them up judges, then the Lord was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the Lord because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them.”

The day of the Judges was a wicked time in Israels history. In fact the reason God had to raise up judges was because of the way the Israelites were acting.

There was a famine in the land.

This wasn’t the first time there was a famine that happened to Gods people.

Genesis 12:10 “And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land.”

Genesis 26:1 “And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar.”

Deut 4:29 “But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.”

Instead of seeking God they Sought bread

The family in the story

there was a man, his wife and his two sons.

They were from Bethlehem-Judah which means house of bread.

they went to sojourn in moab.

The word sojourn means a temporary residence. This family made the decision to temporarily go to Moab to avoid the famine.

Moab was a nation made up of the descendents of Lot.

They were the enemy of Israel

They had been banned from the congregation of the Lord

De 23:3 “An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the Lord; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the Lord for ever:”

They were wicked people.

One truth we know about famines, but it is often forgotten, is that famines always end.

Why would the leave Bethlehem-Judah which means “house of bread” to go to the wicked land of Moab?

I believe there is two reasons.

Their trust in God providing throughout the famine was low.

Not having food will cause you to do dumb stuff

ex. me waiting to long to eat, eating way to much.

The family introduced vs. 2

verse two tells us the names of the family members introduced in verse one

The Husband is Elimelech his name means my God is king

His wife Naomi her name means pleasant

Their sons Mahlon and Chilion

The Bible also tells us they are Ephrathites of Bethlehem Judah. Ephrata means fruitful

In verse one the Bible tells us they are going to make Moab a temporary dwelling and here in verse two we see that they continue in Moab.

The word continue here means that they had drawn out or extended their stay

Why didn’t they return home?

The Bible tells us that sin is pleasurable for a season. Remember the time of the Judges was a wicked time so they were enjoying there stay in Moab to go home now.

We must be careful that we do not get comfortable in sin, the devil will try anything to keep us from serving God.

The losses of Naomi vs. 3-5

Elimelech dies vs. 3

As they have extended their stay in Moab Elimelech dies.

Naomi is widowed in a foreign land, but does she turn back and go home? No

When I go fishing, I’ll say things like if I don’t catch a fish in the next 5 casts i’m going home. I try to psych myself and the fish out to try and catch a fish.

I fell like Naomi is playing the same game. She is saying if one more bad thing happens to me I’ll go home.

I believe the reason she didn’t pack her stuff up and leave moab for home is because they had become so comfortable in Moab that it had become home to them.

Another warning for us, we can’t allow moab to become our home. We need to get out as quickly as possible.

We can’t become so comfortable in sin that we can’t get out.

After Elimelech dies his two sons marry Moabites women vs. 4a

One marries Orpah

The other marries Ruth

Its not often that you go on vacation to find a wife. Here Mahlon and Chilion who were supposed to be just visiting Moab got married to women of Moab.

They came to temporarily dwell in moab and they ended up extending their stay and now the Bible tells us that they dwell in Moab for about 10 years. vs. 4b

The word dwell means to abide as a permanent resident

Think about the progression in just 4 verses

they went to sojourn (temporarily stay)

They continued (extended their stay)

They dwelled (set up a permanent residence) for about 10 years

Sin is this way as well it starts as just dabbing in it, i’ll just take a little drink of alcohol here and there, its no big deal. Then it progresses to say what’s wrong with a little social drinking, I can stop any time. And then it gets to the point were you are drinking to much everyday and your’e getting further and further from the Lord.

What started as a temporary dwelling is going to end in bitter defeat for this family from the house of bread.

Even after the Death of Elimelech they buy a house in Moab.

Hows does one go this far in sin?

They are deceived by the devil into thinking everything is okay.

Mahlon and Chilion die vs. 5

The family who had packed everything they had, came to Moab, dwelt in Moab for almost 10 years had nothing left. Naomi had been widowed. Orpah and Ruth Had been widowed and now Naomi was all alone. She had lost her husband and her sons.

She had learned a very hard lesson that all of us have to learn.

Sin will take you farther than you want to go, it will keep you longer than you want to stay, and it will cost you far more than you want to pay.

Conclusion

Sin always cost you something, sometimes you pay now and sometimes you pay later. Either way its important that we don’t get stuck in sin, because it will cost us something.