Ruth 1:1-7
I have to start off by saying, the book of Ruth is one of my favorite books in the Bible. I have done a lot of study of this book over the years, as well as written a short book and a musical production about this amazing book. For the person of Ruth is truly amazing, especially when you consider the world in which she lived. So, as we come to study the book of Ruth, let’s start by looking at the time period in which it took place and the culture of her day.
The time period in which Ruth lived in is smack dab in the middle of the book of Judges. Judges, an often overlooked book of the Bible, gives us a glimpse into the character and mindset of Israel over a period of about 300-320 years give or take a few. We are not sure exactly when in Judges Ruth takes place, we just know from the opening verse of Ruth that it was indeed the time of the judges and a famine has taken place which moves the family from Bethlehem to Moab. Pretty desperate times indeed when you think about the animosity between the Moabites and the Israelites.
When looking at the culture of the day, the book of Judges gives us a pretty graphic picture. It can be summed up with a phrase you will read over and over throughout the book: “The Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord.” Judges describes the human experience at its worst, it’s okay and its worst again. Quite honestly, if the book of Judges was a movie, it would be rated R. That might be a bit surprising considering it’s in the Bible, but this book describes the people of God in all their reality. Their successes and many failures are laid bare for all to read. They go from obedience to disobedience, back to obedience, then disobedience… Sometimes they obey and disobey in the same chapter. There is murder, destruction, rape, kidnapping, idol worship, bloody war scenes, gruesome deaths… Like I said, rated R. After their disobedience, the Lord would send Israel another judge, twelve in all, to bring the people back to His Word. But, as with all mankind, even some of the judges didn’t keep to the path. Gideon, who tore down idols and fought with 300 men to defeat an army of 1000’s, created an golden ephod (a priestly garment) that was eventually worshiped. It was considered his snare. Jephthah made a thoughtless vow which ended up costing him his daughter. And then Samson, well he had his Delilah, along with a few other women, which was his constant downfall. If anything, the book of Judges describes a people without integrity or loyalty, in constant need of leadership, and who stray endlessly. It also shows us the grace and mercy of God who continues to forgive and send the people judges to bring them back to Himself. In the midst of all of this mess, you have the story of Ruth. A book that greatly contrasts the culture of it’s day. So in the midst of the mess, Ruth shows us that love, integrity, honesty, and loyalty do still exist. And the exciting ending of this wonderful book shows us the endless love of God.
The book of Ruth is also about real people, living in a real world, dealing with real life. There are three main characters: Ruth, Naomi and Boaz. Each has an important part to play in this tale and the choices they make show them to be chayil or people of valor. We start with the character of Naomi – a woman who moved with her husband and two sons to Moab to escape a famine. Naomi means pleasant in Hebrew. After a few years in Moab, she has lost her husband and two sons and now returns to her home in Bethlehem destitute, alone and has changed her name to Mara which means bitter. It shares the same root – mar – with the bitter herb we eat at Passover called maror. From pleasant to bitter, Naomi is in a place where many of us are at times: without hope. Then there is Ruth. She is an immigrant from a hated community who was the wife of one of Naomi’s sons. She is also a widow, but, unlike her sister-in-law, insists on staying by Naomi’s side no matter the cost. And the cost is great. She has no prospects for marriage, no home, no security. Yet, she insists on accompanying Naomi to take care of her. She is the great outsider. Boaz, on the other hand, is the exact opposite. He is wealthy, connected and the ultimate insider. There is nothing that compels him to be a man of valor, except that he is, in his inmost character, a man of integrity. When he sees a woman of valor, he meets the need without hesitation.
So in this introduction, let’s look at the first 5 verses: “During the time of the judges, there was a famine in the land. A man left Bethlehem in Judah with his wife and two sons to live in the land of Moab for a while. The man’s name was Elimelech, and his wife’s name was Naomi. The names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They entered the land of Moab and settled there. Naomi’s husband Elimelech died, and she was left with her two sons. Her sons took Moabite women as their wives: one was named Orpah and the second was named Ruth. After they lived in Moab about 10 years, both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two children and without her husband” Ruth 1:1-5.
So, this is what we know. During one of the many times Israel disobeys God, there is a famine in the land and this family leaves Bethlehem, which ironically means house of bread, to move to Moab. As stated above, Israel and Moab were not exactly friends, so it had to be a pretty harsh famine to make a family move there. One of the things we do know is that they were not planning on coming back to Bethlehem anytime in the near future. We get this from the word lā·ḡūr, which means to sojourn or to stay. So Elimelech, which interestingly means God is king, takes his family to live in Moab. I say interesting, because if he would have trusted in God, who is the king of all, then he would not have moved to Moab. As we find out, the move was not a good decision in the end for him. So, Elimelech moves with his family, who consists of Naomi, (meaning pleasant) and their two songs, Mahlon (meaning sickly) and Chilion (meaning weak). Obviously, the two sons were not exactly the picture of health. While in Moab, Elimelech eventually dies leaving Naomi with her two sons. (Like I said, the move did not work out in his favor!) Since they have now settled in Moab, the two sons decide to marry Moabite women – Orpah (which means fawn) and Ruth (which means friendship). Ten years later, both sons also die – perhaps due to their ill health.
So this is where the introduction leaves us. We find Naomi in Moab alone with her two daughters-in-law. This is a significant statement that sets up the entire book. I will state it again – Naomi is alone in Moab. She is in a very precarious place, for a woman in her time period. For without a husband or sons, she is without resources. There is no one to take care of her. The fact that Elimelech moved his family from Bethlehem suggests they may not have much family there, so what is Naomi to do? I love the beginning of verse 6 – In Hebrew the first word is wat·tā·qām which means and arose. She arose. And why did she arise? Because she had heard that God had attended to his people by giving them bread. And that is what we do when everything around us is falling apart. We arise in faith, because God is at work. And so here we are. Naomi, Orpah and Ruth have arisen to go to Naomi’s home.
As we study the book of Ruth together, we will find these women and man of valor to be people of faith who discover the goodness of God in the midst of seemingly impossible situations. I believe we are living in a similar time. There is disobedience and desperate situations all around us. The questions we have to ask ourselves are these: 1. Will we be chayil – people of integrity and valor? 2. When all is said and done, will we be people who arise – trust in the God who is king – and walk were He asks us to walk, knowing He will take care of all our needs.
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