Life Lessons from the Book of Ruth (EP)

Life Lessons from the Book of Ruth Excerpt

The book of Ruth is unique among other books of the Bible. There are only two books contained in the word of God that are titled by the name of a woman. One is Esther, and the other is Ruth. According to an article titled, “The Book of Ruth Introduction,” there are only two books in the Bible written (or titled) by the names of non-Jews. One is the Gospel account of Luke, and the other is the book of Ruth. Interestingly Ruth is a book about a Moabite woman who chose to follow God during the time of the Judges. She is also the daughter-in-law of Rahab, the harlot through her marriage to Boaz. Historians believe that the book of Ruth was written by Samuel although no author is indicated within the text.

Matthew 1: 5 records that Rahab and Salmon had a child named Boaz who in turn married Ruth and had a child named Obed – the grandfather of King David. Because Ruth is the daughter-in-law of Rahab, it is believed that the events in the book of Ruth take place early during the period of the judges. Remember Rahab the harlot hid the spies in Jericho, as recorded in Joshua 2, and because of that, her family was kept safe when Jericho fell.

Many speculate why the book of Ruth was written. Some have claimed that during the reign of David, his Moabite heritage was questioned. These scholars believe that the book of Ruth was written to prove that his Moabite blood was from an honorable woman; a woman who believed in God and followed him faithfully. Ruth is often compared to the Virtuous Woman mentioned in Proverbs 31:10-31.

The book of Ruth demonstrates examples of familial love, marriage, the providence of God, and most importantly that God accepts those who follow him. Boaz is a representation of the Christ. He is called the “kinsmen redeemer” on several occasions, and as such he redeems Ruth according to the Judaic law. Ruth, a gentile, is joined to Boaz through marriage just like we are joined to Christ through the church, the bride of Christ. The book of Ruth consists of only four chapters, but within those pages, there is much to be learned from her example.

Ruth Stood Strong in Adversity

“Where thou diest , will I die , and there will I be buried : the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me. When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her.” Ruth 1:17, 18

The book of Ruth begins with a great famine in the lands of Israel. The famine was so wide spread that a man named Elimelech from the tribe of Judah retreated from Bethlehem into the land of Moab with his wife and their two sons. The passage does not indicate the age of Elimelech or his sons, but they lived in the land of Moab for some time. While in the land of Moab, Elimelech died leaving his wife alone with their two boys, Mahlon and Chilion (Ruth 1:1-3).

In the land of Moab, these sons took wives outside of Israel both marrying Moabite women (vs. 4). One was named Orpah and the other Ruth. These women entered into marriage with men who followed Jehovah God. Latter verses in the first chapter of the book of Ruth indicate that Ruth nor Orpah had converted or proselytized to following God even though they married into a Jewish family.
According to Judd H. Burton, author of the article “Chemosh: Lord of the Moabites,” the Moabites were known for worshipping the god Chemosh, which may mean “destroyer, subduer or fish god.”

The Bible writer states in II Kings 11:7 that Solomon built a high place for Chemosh on the mountain east of Jerusalem; that high place was subsequently torn down by King Josiah as recorded in II Kings 23: 13. Chemosh was not simply worshiped with animal sacrifice but was also worshipped with human sacrifices. II Kings 3:27a reads, “Then he [the king of Moab] took his eldest son that should have reigned in his stead, and offered him for a burnt offering upon the wall.”

Chemosh, not Jehovah, was the god of the people of Moab. It is in their land that Naomi found herself without a husband and her sons. It was in the fields of Moab that she heard God had prospered the lands of Israel (vs.6), and it was there that she determined it was time to return home. Like the son who squandered away his inheritance in the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32), Naomi knew that home in Bethlehem was where she needed to go.

How many of us live our lives surrounded by the evils of society? How many of us feel battered or beaten down by the circumstances in which we find ourselves? We must remember that even in our weakest moment we can find strength to stay true to the course and follow God. We are daughters of the King, baptized believers who have taken an oath – so to speak – to follow God no matter what comes our way.

There will be times we find ourselves in unhospitable environments. We may even find ourselves in the midst of our personal horror story, but we can overcome if we turn to God our father. We must remember to hold fast to our faith in God. (Hebrews 10:19-25). We must reach out to him through prayer (Matthew 7:7-11) because God answers our prayers. We should never doubt it. Many of us, I dare say all of us, have gone through things that seemed unbearable at the time, but we leaned on God for strength, and it was in his arms we were able to overcome.

Several years ago, I went out to eat with a group of ladies from our student wives class at the Memphis School of Preaching. I was pretty young, unmarried and a junior in high school. That night we chose to go to a Shoney’s in Memphis close to Knight Arnold. If you’ve been in Memphis, you probably know that that area is pretty rough. Well, I was sitting with my back to the door and the cash register. I had a friend sitting beside me, and my mom was seated across from me. We were having a great time, but in an instant when the screaming started, and the sound of bullets pierced the air, the happiness inside us turned to unadulterated fear.

I am from a little town in Central Texas about 45 minutes from the town of Killeen --that’s where Fort Hood is located. My freshmen year of high school a man from Belton Texas drove his pickup truck into the Luby’s cafeteria style chain restaurant in Killeen and shot the place up, killing 24 people before killing himself. A couple of months after the Luby’s shooting there was another shooting, this time in Austin at a TCBY Yogurt shop where four teenage girls were gunned down. Austin is also about 45 minutes from my hometown.

As we crouched under the tables of the Shoney’s restaurant these other two crimes were vivid in my mind. We were all terrified, and we all prayed. Eventually, we were led to the back of the restaurant to safety. We learned that what we thought were bullets was the sound of the safety glass door shattering. The robber had hit it with his hand as he made his escape. Some of our ladies were standing at the register when it was robbed. One was even pushed to the floor, but in our moment of horror, we clung to God and rested in the knowledge that if we lost our lives, we had a home with him.

We all go through tragedy. We have all known terror and grief, but it is what we do at those times that makes us who we are, and it is in our darkest time we must remember that God is our strength and our refuge a very present help in time of trouble (Psalm 46:1).

There is no doubt that Naomi knew pain. She knew loss. She had lost three of the most important people in her life, but when she was at the very pit of despair, she found comfort through God, and help from a woman who was not her flesh and blood, but just as dear.
Notice Ruth 1:16,17, “ And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.”

We see much of Ruth’s character in these two verses. Remember Ruth had also lost her husband, and even though she still had family in the lands of Moab (Ruth 1:8), she chose to stay with her mother-in-law. She chose to follow her to Bethlehem, and she chose to put away Chemosh and follow Jehovah.

Ruth loved her family – not just her biological family. How many of us would walk away from our homeland and our families to follow our mothers-in-law to a strange land, with strange customs? Or be willing to go and live among people who are so very different from the people we grew up with? I am certain some of us would be willing to go. Some of us have already made those decisions and know firsthand that they are not easy choices to make, but many of us would probably be more likely to stay behind as Ruth’s sister-in-law Orpah did.

Ruth was a woman of courage; she was empathetic to Naomi’s loss – she knew what it was like to lose a husband. Even in the midst of her pain, she longed to stay with Naomi, because she understood Naomi’s plight, she was able to reason with her and give her strength.

One of the most beautiful things about going through hard times is the reward you get from helping others. As women, we have the ability to relate to those around us who are going through similar circumstances. As a preacher’s wife, my husband and I have been in some pretty unsettling congregations. We have known pain caused by members, and we have known what it’s like to be outcasts who just don’t fit in. While in the moment, these things are painful, in the aftermath, I’ve learned things that can help younger preacher’s wives cope with similar situations. Through trial, I’ve learned to be myself, and strive not to please man but to please God. Ultimately God is the one who matters. Through trial, I have truly come to understand Philippians 4:13. “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” And, you can, too!

Some of us have lost children. How much more can we relate to those who are struggling with grief after surviving our loss? Some of us have children who have fallen into sin. How much more can we be of strength to our sisters who are going through the same sad times? Some of us struggle with addiction, some of us are in loveless marriages. Some of us may not know where our next meal is coming from.

Believe it or not, there is at least one sister you know who has been through these things. That sister may be you. If it is, remember it is God who pulled you through those times. I want to encourage you to share your stories with those around you. Help a sister in need. Be a Ruth to your friends, to your family.

There is an acronym floating around on the Internet. It’s FROG. It stands for “Fully Rely on God.” Sisters we must.