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)

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!