A Study of Ruth - Part 1

[Click Here for the Introduction] 

Previously...

In the Introduction last week, we established what the regional, political, and religious settings that we find in the book of Ruth were like.  

Under Joshua, and for a period afterward, the Twelve Tribes of Israelites established their territories.  Each tribe had a tribal patriarch, each family within the tribe had a family patriarch, and each house within the family had a patriarch.  There was no centralized leader like a king (or judges prior to that).  God was the King of Israel.

(Image from: https://newtestamentchristians.com/searchingthescriptures/main_pages/free_bible_land_maps.htm)

Let's Get Started 

Ruth begins: "In the days when the judges ruled...".   The very first verse of Ruth gives us a considerable amount of information.  We are given:

• Time period (In the days when the judges ruled)
• Condition of the land (there was a famine in the land)
• Character introduction (and a man ....  he and his wife and his two sons)
• Location (of Bethlehem in Judah)
• Major change (went to sojourn in the country of Moab)

Time Period

We have already covered the time period fairly thoroughly, so we won't beat that drum any further here.  Let's just reiterate a portion of Judges:

The sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and forgot the Lord their God and served the Baals and the Asheroth.  Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, so that He sold them into the hands of Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia; and the sons of Israel served Cushan-rishathaim eight years.  When the sons of Israel cried to the Lord, the Lord raised up a deliverer for the sons of Israel to deliver them, Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother.  The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he judged Israel.  When he went out to war, the Lord gave Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand, so that he prevailed over Cushan-rishathaim.  Then the land had rest forty years.  And Othniel the son of Kenaz died.  Now the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord. So the Lord strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the Lord.

[Judges 3:7-12]

 

The Caleb mentioned in that passage is the companion of Joshua, the two men out of the twelve who sent by Moses to spy out the land of Canaan that returned and urged the people to follow God into the promised land.  They were the two allowed by God to outlive that generation and to enter the promised land while the rest of that fearful and rebellious generation would perish in the wilderness over the following 40 years.

Othniel was Caleb's nephew and became the first judge.  This would have been a slightly later time after the conquest of Jericho in which Rahab was spared for assisting the two spies that Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.  Rahab would marry an Israelite and become the mother of Boaz.  Othniel held peace in Israel for forty years so Boaz would have almost certainly been born during Othniel's lifetime.  

Also note after Othniel died, the Israelites returned to their evil ways, and Moab was stirred up against them and the king of Moab, Eglon, ruled over them for 18 years. 

Afterward, the second judge, Ehud, would deliver Israel from the Moabites and judge Israel in peace for 80 years. 

Condition of the Land

Beginning in Genesis, there were a number of recorded famines.  There was a famine in the land that drove Abram to Egypt.  There was a famine in the time of Isaac that drove him to stay with the Philistine king, Abimelech.  There was a famine in the time of Joseph after he was enslaved and taken in Egypt that would last seven years.  There would later be a famine in the time of David.  Later still, another famine in the time of Elijah, and another in the time of Elisha.  

In various passages there natural famines, there are localized man-made famines caused by city sieges, and once God even let David select from three punishments of which one would have been three years of famine in the land.  But it seems that famine can also be an act of God in times of His people's rebellion against Him.

Son of man, if a country sins against Me by committing unfaithfulness, and I stretch out My hand against it, destroy its supply of bread, send famine against it and cut off from it both man and beast...

[Ezekiel 14:13]

But God promised Israel a land He described as “flowing with milk and honey”.  The twelve spies sent by Moses to scout the land brought back a branch of grape clusters so large and full that it took two men to carry it back showing that the land was good and fertile.  

Depending on the crop type, 20 to 40 inches of rain annually is enough for successful farming.  Israel’s larger coastal region cities get an average of 20 inches of rain per year compared to my home town (in the southern US) average of 50 inches.  In an agrarian culture, irregular rain could also result in natural drought and eventually famine.  

The book of Judges focuses on God rising up surrounding nations to burden the rebellious and sinful Israelites until they would return to Him and cry out for rescue.  But this famine may have also been God attempting to bring His people back to Himself.  It may also have simply been a natural disaster.  We are not given that information, but Ezekiel’s word does aptly describe the spiritual condition of Israel as related by the authors of Judges and of Ruth. 

In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

[Joshua 17:6, 21:25]

 

Whether from natural or divine causation, the famine should have turned their eyes and reliance back toward God.

This famine was severe enough that after just a handful of generations of Israel taking the promised land, Elimelech led his family away from that land and the division allotted to his tribe of Judah.  The situation is similar to the famines in Abraham’s and Isaac’s times when they also left for foreign lands to survive.  We are not told whether Elimelech was justified in leaving Israel or not, and scripture doesn’t directly judge Elimelech over his decision, so we can’t make assumptions.  

Characters

While the first verse introduces the family patriarch, his wife, and his two sons, we get their details in then next few verses.  In fact, the first 5 verses are also packed with a lot of information in a short few sentences.

In eastern culture, names often are given because of their meaning.  

Abram was renamed as Abraham by God when He established His covenant with him.  God promised the childless Abram that he would be the father of nations.  Abram means "exalted father" but Abraham means "father of multitudes".

Esau (meaning "hairy") was born red and "hairy like a garment" and his twin Jacob (meaning "heal grabber" or "supplanter") was born holding Esau's heel.  God later renamed Jacob to Israel as a blessing.  Israel means "one who wrestles with God" or "one who prevails with God". (It would be a different and deeper study to explain the somewhat varied but complimentary meanings)

When Rachel was dying after giving birth to her second son, she called him Ben-oni meaning "son of my sorrow" of "son of my affliction", yet Jacob wouldn't have it and renamed him Benjamin meaning "son of my right hand".

Places were also give names based on location, industry, or other significant associations.  Bethlehem itself is a combination of the two Hebrew words beyt (meaning house) and lechem (meaning bread).  As we learn throughout the story, its local industry was one of barley and wheat crops and at which a threshing floor was located. 

► Elimelech

His name means “God is king” or “my God is king”. 

El in Hebrew is a name for God.  We see this in other names such as 

Elijah (el - a name of God, and jah - a shortened version of God's name Jehovah, meaning "Jehovah is God")

Samuel (samu - to hear, obey, declare, and el - a name of God, meaning "God has heard")

Melech is Hebrew for “king".  We see its usage in names such as 

Abimelech (ab - father, and melech - king, meaning "My father is king") 

Ebed-melech (ebed - servant, and melech - king, meaning "servant of the king")

Of the man himself, we are told nothing other than his name, the town he was from, what tribe he was from, that he was married, he had two sons, he took them all to Moab, and he died.  We will learn later that his wife, Naomi, trusts in God although perhaps with a bit of misunderstanding of His ways.  Perhaps we could extrapolate that Elimelech would have likewise also trusted God.

► Naomi 

Her name means "my delight".  The word itself is based on a root word meaning pleasant, delightful, beautiful, and sweet.

► Mahlon

His name means "sick".  It is based on root words meaning weak, diseased, or wounded.  

► Chilion

His name means "pining".  It is based on root words meaning completion, destruction, failing, or consumed.

We aren't given any information about either of these sons regarding their characters or their physical conditions.  Names were often given in cultures like those of the middle east with intent, as blessings or hope, or of as descriptive meanings perhaps of appearance or birthing conditions.

We don't know anything about these sons of Elimelech, but if their names were reflective of their characters or their physical conditions (which may have lead to the cause of their premature deaths), then it could not have been pleasant.

► Orpah

Orpah had been the wife of Chilion.  Her name means "gazelle", and based on words that at times indicates a "stiff neck" or obstinance.  We are given nothing in the text to derive anything about her character though.  We only know that she loved Naomi - even if not as much as Ruth.

► Ruth

Ruth had been the wife of Mahlon (Ruth 4:10).  Her name means "friendship", and we see the very definition of that played out in her character within the pages of this book written of her.  

Location

The story of Ruth begins, briefly, in the land of Judah at Bethlehem, west of the Dead Sea.  Joshua 15:1-12 outlines the boundaries of the tribe of Judah.  The text is very detailed and one must have a well detailed map to outline it.  Just look at the map above and see how vast of an area that Judah called home.  

Bethlehem is located in the Judean Foothills also known as the Shephelah.  The Shephelah lies between the Judean Mountains to the east and the great Coastal Plain to the west.  The Shephelah foothills around Bethlehem is where David (a Bethlehemite, 1 Samuel 16:1-13) and where he faithfully and fiercely shepherded his father's sheep.  

Bethlehem, where  Elimelech and his family were from and where Jesus would be born, is on the northeastern edge of Judah and just a mere 6 miles from Jerusalem.

[Side Note: I often refer to teacher Ray Vander Laan of That The World May Know.  Take 5 minutes to view this video of RVL providing an eye opening perspective on Green Pastures]

Major Change

In the same first sentence, the location quickly transports us to the kingdom of Moab to the east of the Dead Sea.

This could be seen as a questionable decision by Elimelech.  God had warned Israel to not follow the ways of the nations they displaced or surrounded them so that they would not do the evil they did and also begin to worship other gods.  Moab was a polytheistic people worshipping many gods, of whom the main god was one named Chemosh.  In worship to this god, Moabites would offer both human/child and animal sacrifices not unlike the Canaanite people groups west of the Jordan River.

We've seen that God's command and warning didn't last far beyond the death of Joshua and his generation.

Numbers 22 though 25 tell of how the Moabites and Midianites conspired and planned to conquer the rebellious generation of Israelites being led by Moses. 

While Israel lived in Shittim, the people began to whore with the daughters of Moab.  These invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods.  So Israel yoked himself to Baal of Peor. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel.

Numbers 25:1-3

Moab would be an off-and-on seducer, enemy, and oppressor of Israel.  Interestingly, it would seem that this particular famine was taking place in Israel, but nearby Moab seemed unaffected (at least as consequentially) and suitable to Elimelech for survival and sustenance. 

Hardship Upon Hardship

All of a sudden, verse 3 introduces a new hardship on top of an already difficult hardship.  If the condition of facing a famine and feeling the need to find sustenance elsewhere wasn't hard enough, the family head, Elimelech, dies leaving Naomi and their two sons.  The two sons then marry Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth.  After ten years, "Sick" (Mahlon) and "Pining" (Chilion) died leaving Naomi alone with her two daughters-in-law - three widows.

In the ancient world, and in still in small pockets around the world today, people lived in a patriarchal structure in which women’s provision and protection was tied to male relations whether it was their father, their husband, their sons, or some close male blood relatives.

Levirate Marriage Custom

When a woman was widowed and she had born no son, according an eastern cultural custom called the Levirate marriage, an unmarried brother of the dead husband was to take her as wife and raise a son up in his brother’s name.  When of age, that son would inherit the first husband’s birthright and then become responsible for the care of his mother.  

Kinsman Redeemer

If there was no eligible brothers to fulfill the Levirate custom, then the support of the widow would fall to a blood kinsman.  

God's Law

Failing that, God had included in His law to Israel that widows and orphans were to be cared for by the people.

You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child.

Exodus 22:22

He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing.

Deuteronomy 10:18

And the Levite, because he has no portion or inheritance with you, and the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, who are within your towns, shall come and eat and be filled, that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands that you do.

Deuteronomy 14:29

And we'll see more verses next week in Part 2 that command supporting of widows that are very specific to the story of Naomi and Ruth.

As Naomi had two sons when Elimelech died, the responsibility for her care fell to her eldest living son.  Once Naomi’s sons also died, she found herself in a foreign land with no blood-kin, and she resolved to return to Judah for self preservation.

Naomi had received word that the famine had ended in Israel.  She bade her daughters-in-law to return to their homes, find other husbands, and flourish as she returned to her country.  Both wanted to stay with Naomi.  From the text, Naomi apparently considered herself beyond childbearing age and pointed out that even if they could follow the Levirate custom, the time would be too long to raise sons.  

While Orpah undoubtedly loved Naomi, she made the decision to stay with her people where she could remarry and continue a "normal life".  In effect, she chose to improve her position and left Naomi to do the same for herself.  Sadly, she had been exposed to Naomi's faith and potentially rejected God when she returned to her people who worshipped many gods.  

Ruth, "Friendship", was the one that was resolved by her love to stay with Naomi to the point Naomi put forth no more objection.  Ruth's love for Naomi was a great love that was exceedingly different.  Ruth already being deprived of her husband, deprives herself of her land, of her home, of her people, and of the familiar gods of Moab not just be with Naomi, but to be like Naomi.

A Jewish Proselyte

In Ruth's statement to Naomi, Ruth was making an astounding declaration.

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.”

[Ruth 1:16-17]

Ruth vowed to reject her people's customs and gods and become one with the Israelites making them her people, their ways her ways, and their one God her God, and making Naomi her family.

Upon arrival, the women of Bethlehem happily greeted Naomi on her return, but Naomi told them:

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]

Naomi was renaming herself from Naomi (pleasant, sweet, lovely) to Mara (bitterness).   Take special note of her reasoning.

And that is Chapter 1.

Discussion Questions

• God has blessed us with freedom and wisdom.  In using these, we can make important decisions in our life.  We should seek the Lord's will in those decisions.  When we act in our own interests, why is it important to give God praise and thanks?

Read: Deuteronomy 8:11-17, Psalm 138:6, Proverbs 29:23, Matthew 23:12, James 4:6-7

Deuteronomy 31:6 says that God will not leave His people or forsake them.  In Matthew 28:20, Jesus says He will always be with His disciples until the end of the age.  

• How is Naomi's situation in this section reflective of the spiritual lostness of humanity?
  
  
• Have you experienced a hardship, a "famine", in your life?

• Did God seem near you or distant from you during it?

• Naomi said that God dealt bitterly with her.  Did you feel that God was the cause of your suffering?

• What did you learn about the Lord through it?

• How did your experience weaken, change, or strengthen your understanding of God and your relationship with Him?

• In what five ways did Naomi's attribute her bitterness toward God?

• What could that say about her beliefs about God?

• Ruth's love for Naomi is very like the bond that would develop between David and Jonathan many years later.  Jonathan, technically the crown-prince, bestowed his royal apparel, his armor, and his sword to David in both affection and selfless acknowledgement that David would displace him as God's choice of kingship.  Have you ever been or had such a friend as Ruth showed herself to be?

• Like Job, who lost his children, his wealth, his servants, his influence, his status, and his health, Naomi had lost everything as well.  Both wrestle with God in their own way about why their lives took such sharp turns into deep pain.  Have you ever been in a trial or tragedy so grievous that you questioned why God allowed it, or perhaps even blamed God for it?  What was your conclusion?

Next:  A Study of Ruth - Part 2

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