Today is our introduction of this six week study. We would love any discussion or comments that you might want to contribute. Feel free to let us know if you'd like to be added to the Thirsty Thursdays w/ Glenda Facebook group. You may also follow on FB by clicking the networked blog badge to the bottom left OR feel free to simply follow the blog by clicking on "follow" on the left. Either way, we're glad you're here.
Our schedule will be:
Week 1-Introduction
Week 2- Chapter One
Where do we go when life gets tough?
Week 3- Chapter Two
Where do we turn when we are empty?
Week 4- Chapter Three
Where are we supposed to go in a new place?
Week 5- Chapter Four
Who turns emptiness into fullness?
Week 6- Conclusion
Introduction
Before we get started, it would be great if you would take minute and just write down what you
already know about the book of Ruth. When we finish our study, you can compare what you know then to what you know today.
I thought I knew everything there was to know about this book, but I was mistaken. This is a book about faithful love and friendship but also a book about how God can take our struggles and bad decisions and redeem them for His glory.
God himself is the main theme of this book. We will see Him in every chapter. It is a reminder to us that He is with us in every chapter of our lives and He has a plan of blessing for all of us.
When we think of Ruth, we think of one person--Ruth. However, we will take a little time and look at several other people and places in order to fully understand the whole book.
Ruth takes places during the period of the judges (a very dark period) in the towns of Bethlehem and Moab. Bethleham being the place of Gods blessing and Moab being the place of bereavement.You will see that as we move through this book. Naomi and Elimilek lived in Bethlehem and decided to move to Moab because of a famine in their land.
Moab
Moab was only 50 miles from Bethlehem and they could see it in the distance. Moab means "fertile crescent," but it was really a steep rocky mountain with a fertile plateu.
Read Genesis 19:34-37
The descendants of Moab are known as descendants of Lot. Lot was a righteous man that decided to live in an unrighteous place. It affected his family and eventually he was decieved into sleeping with his daughters. From this deceit, Moab was born.
Naomi
The very first verse of Ruth tells us that Naomi and her husband just up and decided to leave Bethehem. It seems they didn't necessarily sense any call of God. Things were uncomfortable. Life got tough where they were (judges ruling=dark+ famine) and they just decided to move. Do you see a pattern of "taking matters into your own hands" here?
Ruth, first and foremost, seems to be a picture of what happens when we take matters into our own hands.
BUT good news! No matter what we do, God, in his mercy, is there.
GOD
His name is mentioned in the form of Yahweh 18 times. We will also see him as Elohim and El Shaddai.
Yahweh means "to be" or "I am". He is the constant presence in the middle of all the chaos.
Elohim means "commander of the army."
El Shaddai means "God Almighty."
Look for God through these words as you read the book of Ruth.
Conclusion
As we wrap up, some important things to remember are:
- Elimilek and Naomi knew God before they moved to Moab.
- Moab was a land that worshipped another god.
- You can hear Naomi's faith in her words and her example to Ruth.
- Ruth is not a Hebrew name and she comes from Moab, a land that worshipped another god, but in her observance of Naomi, she became a believer in the One true God.
- Naomi is an example in her grief to all of us of how we are to cling to God in blessing and in sorrow.
I look forward to studying it with you!
For next week:
- Read Ruth
- Write down all references to God.
- What do you learn about Naomi and Ruth in the first chapter?
- What does it say?
- What does it mean to you.
- Write down ways that you have made decisions without hearing from God.
- What happened?
- Did you eventually see God in that situation?
My "wow" moment where things clicked differently than before was to learn that Moab was Lot's child--born of deceit. Also, the fact that moved when they weren't necessarily called by the Lord to do so.
ReplyDeleteI'm excited about this study and enjoyed the way we dissected the scripture today! Thank you.
I am so glad God spoke to you through His Word today Hannah. I love you. Thanks for putting this study together.
ReplyDeleteI got confused and read the 4 chapters tonight!
ReplyDeleteAnyway...one thing I think is interesting is this:
They left Bethlehem because there was a famine. In other words there was a famine in the House of Bread (literal meaning of Bethelehem). And in Psalm 60:8 God refers to Moab as his "washpot."
Melanie,
ReplyDeleteGreat to hear from you . No, you were correct, I posted to read all of Ruth yesterday. I just thought some may not have. It's always better to read the whole book before a study.
Wow, I had not seen that about wash pot. Can you post full definition. That is so cool to know.
Blessings on you.
Glenda, I'm not sure which definition you mean but this is the scripture in Psalms regarding Moab:
ReplyDeletePsalm 60:8 (Amplified Bible)
8Moab is My washpot [reduced to vilest servitude]; upon Edom I cast My shoe in triumph; over Philistia I raise the shout of victory.
Wow....trade famine in the house of bread for unknown in God's washpot. Silly E & N. Didn't they know, "a bad day at the beach is better than a good day anywhere else?"
ReplyDelete