A Great Love Story
I was looking through my notes, from a Bible study I had written several years ago, on The Book of Ruth. This is what I wrote as a beginning to the study.
A good love story always brings joy to the heart. Ruth’s story is God’s love story. I see the love of a man for a woman that beautifully illustrates Christ’s love for His church. Ruth’s story touches my heart on more than one level. There is the love of Ruth for her mother-in-law. There is the love of a man for a woman, and there is God’s love for His people.
My topics for the lessons were Life Determining Choices, The Redeemer, Seeking Security and Taste and See That The Lord Is Good.
It has been several years (16 years) since I wrote the Bible study. Honestly, I had forgotten about it, until the Lord brought it to my mind a few days ago. It’s going to be very interesting, for me, to compare what the Lord placed in my heart back then to what He touches my heart with now. I already see something that is very embedded in my heart now, that touched me 16 years ago. That is Life Determining Choices. If you have read any of my recent writings, you will know that I believe my testimony is one of defining moments which have made a great impact on my life, and the choices that I have made. Since I began writing Butterfly Bible Studies, almost a year ago, I have been working up to writing my testimony. This has been a year of the Lord bringing to my mind those defining moments in my life. Some of those moments are from many years ago, which the Lord has brought to my mind as confirmation for my strong convictions and His plan for my life. Some of those moments are more recent. Just a few days ago, my Hubby and I were talking and I remembered something from many years ago. I must have been 13 or 14 years old. I would go into my Daddy’s office when he wasn’t there, and use his typewriter to write about my life and my feelings. I remember dreaming about writing about my life. I remember one day my Mom found what I had written, and she asked, did you write this? I can’t say whether she thought it was a great attempt at writing or she didn’t get it. I have no idea what happened to my first attempt at writing. It doesn’t matter, I just know I hadn’t thought about it since the time I wrote it. Perhaps that moment in time, in my life, has something to do with my desire to write today. What does this have to do with Ruth? I believe that those defining moments in the lives of those involved in Ruth’s story, especially Ruth, have everything to do with the choices they made. I believe that choices and the reason for those choices will be a huge part of our study.
Today, I want to begin Ruth’s story with a little background and meaning. Her story takes place during the period of the Judges. This is what my Hebrew-Greek Key study Bible says about this period. “The nation of Israel was in disarray; they needed help from God. This was one of the blackest periods of history of the sons of Israel. They were in a spiritual state of confusion. They were without leadership, they repeatedly fell into idolatry, there was intermarriage with pagans, and other major sins (see Judges 17:6). Ruth was a heathen girl from Moab who married one of Naomi’s sons.”
“Ruth’s Moabite background is repeatedly stressed in her story. She had no opportunity to know the God of Israel in her childhood, yet she was chosen to be an ancestor of Christ. While Israel was reaping the harvest of their disobedience, at this period in time, God was producing the Fruit of The Spirit in Ruth and Naomi.” (quote by unknown author).
For the Hebrews, a person’s name represented something about their character, and also foretold something about their life. I thought it only fitting to understand the names of the characters in The Book of Ruth, as the book is filled with word pictures of Christ’s redeeming love.
Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, means My God Is King.
Naomi means Pleasantness.
Mahlon, Naomi’s son and Ruth’s first husband, means Invalid (weak or sickly).
Chilion, Naomi’s son and Orpah’s husband, means Pining or Wasting Away.
Orpah means Neck, that is, Stubborn-ness.
Ruth means Comrade or Companion. We don’t know what her name means in the language of Moab, but it sounds like the Hebrew for friendship.
Boaz means Quickness or Swiftness. One commentary said this of his name. “Swiftness, a fact essential for his later exercise of the kinsman-redeemer role.”
Just for fun, look up the meaning of your name. My name is Pamela. It is Greek in origin and it means honey or all sweetness.
In the introduction to The Book of Ruth I asked you to read the entire book. Today, please re-read chapter 1.
Thought to Ponder: Chapter 1 is one of choices, great loss and sorrow. It is full of tears. Yet we know that God is not hidden from Naomi, Ruth, Orpah and their situation. We know that He is moving, for His purpose. We know this because He is God, and He is always moving in our lives.
Write down verses 9 &10 and verse 14 of chapter 1. Then answer this question. Why do you think Orpah made her decision to stay, and Ruth made her decision to go with Naomi?
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