Life is just not fair!!!
Ruth 1
Judge named Ehud 1284 to 1204bc
#1. Again, when Othneil died, Israel
turned away from God (Judges 3:12-30)
#2. 3:12 14: God sends King Eglon
(the Moabite King) to oppress Israel 18
years.
#3. They cry out to the Lord for help and
repented
#4. God sent Ehud (v15-19) who killed
King Eglon.
#5. Israel struck down the nation of
Moab, Moab was subject to Israel for
over 80 years...Israel has peace for 80
yrs. (Ruth)
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
Ruth 1: 1 “in the times of the judges”... Judges were Tribal Leaders.
Israel had 12 ‘states’ from the 12 sons of Jacob. Became 12 states
after Joshua helped to bring them into the Promise Land...during
Ehud’s 80 years of leadership, we meet:
Elimelech = “My God is King” He is from the royal blood line of
Judah. His brother, Salmon, is called, ‘the Prince of the Tribe of
Judah’.
Naomi = “Pleasant and beautiful” her name was not identifying her
personality it was describing the State of Judah’s relationship with
God.
Mahlon = “Tender and forgiving” sometimes interpreted as ‘soft and
sickly
Chilion/Kilion = “To be complete or perfection” - fragile
This family was identified as “Ephrathites”. Ephrath was an early
name for Bethlehem. To be called an ‘Ephrathite’ was meant to
identify your social status. Deaf World, we say s/he is ‘DEAF’ or
‘Deaf or ‘oral’...
Elimelech’s family would be ‘DEAF’ not physical/culturally Deaf
but a ‘pure bred
V1&2 A famine consumed the country/State of Judah, Elimelech
took his family (Naomi, Malhon, and Kilion) to the neighboring
country of Moab. Remember Ehud and the 80 years of peace, Moab
subject to Israel
V3 Elimelech dies
V4&5 Malhon marries Ruth and Kilion marries Orpah (Moabite
women)
V5 After 10 years, Naomi was left without a husband, without
her two sons, and two Moabite daughters-in-law ... No
grandchildren...
V6 Naomi learns the famine in Bethlehem is over and the Lord is
blessing His people and Naomi decides to return home to
Bethlehem
V7-10 Both daughters-in-law start returning with Naomi, however
Naomi tells them, “Go back to your mothers homes...May the
Lord grant that each of you will find rest in the home of another
husband.” They wept together and beg to stay with Naomi.
Cultural picture: New blouse from Macy’s = virgin VS a blouse
from Good will = a young widow...
Levirate Law expressed:
V11-14 Naomi says, “Why return? I am too old to have
another son for you to marry...even if I gave birth today,
would you stay unmarried as widows until they grow? No!
It is more bitter for me than for you, because the Lord has
turned His hand against me!”
They wept together and Orpah left but Ruth clung to
Naomi
V15 Naomi said, “Look, your sister-in-law left...”
V16-17 Ruth responds, “Don’t urge me to leave you...
Where you go, I will go
Where you stay, I will stay
Your people will be my people
And your God will be my God
Where you die, I will die and be buried
May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely if even
death separate you and me.”
V18 Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her
and she stopped urging Ruth to leave
V19 They arrived in Bethlehem and the whole town was stirred
saying, “Could this be Naomi?”
V20-21 “Don’t call me Naomi (pleasant),
call me Mara (bitter) because the Almighty
has made my life bitter. I left full but the
Lord has brought me back empty...the
Lord has afflicted me and brought
misfortune upon me.”
V22 Naomi returned from Moab
accompanied by Ruth, the Moabite
daughter-in-law, arriving during the
beginning of the barley harvest.
Life is just not fair!!!
Elimelech and Naomi lived righteous lives
Elimelech, Mahlon, and Kilion die
Naomi goes from a wife and mother of 2 sons to
becoming a widow without grandchildren after 10
yrs
Orpah and Ruth go from being wives of the
Princes of Judah to ‘used throw away rags’
widows
Elimelech “My God is King” to dead/abandoned
Naomi “Pleasant relationship with God” to
“bitter and hopeless”
Does this change Who God is?
No! God’s Word Responds:
Ps 23: 4, “Yes, though I walk through the valley of
the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, because You
are with me.”
Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for
you”, ‘declares the Lord’, “plans to prosper (bless)
you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a
future.”
Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday,
today, and forever.”
Yes! Life is just NOT fair!
BUT
Our God is greater! He stays
with us no matter what we go
through and He is committed to
bring us hope and a future!