Bible Studies
Ruth 1:1-18 – Utter Determination
Key Verses: (NIV)
- 1-2: “1In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab. 2The man’s name was Elimelech, his wife’s name Naomi…” – The time period of judges was a time of depravity and moral decline for the Hebrew nation. The story of Ruth opens to reveal a time of personal struggle and hardship yet, ties, historically, to the Davidic ancestral line.
- 3: “Now Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died, and she was left with her two sons.” – Hardships continue to follow Naomi, yet, even within a foreign land, her sons prospered enough to find wives and to begin to build a life of hope.
- 4: “After they had lived there about ten years, both Mahlon and Kilion also died and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.” – Now things were really getting bad. A widow without family would have been completely destitute and without means to survive.
- 6: “When she heard in Moab that the Lord had come to the aid of His people by providing food for them, Naomi and her daughters-in-law prepared to return home from there.” – The famine in Bethlehem had subsided and Naomi decides to return home to the land of milk and honey.
- 8: “Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, ‘Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home.’” – Life as a widow would not be easy and Naomi was offering to Orpah and Ruth an opportunity to start over and to be cared for by their families.
- 16: “But Ruth replied, ‘Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people, and your God my God.’” – Ruth’s commitment to Naomi is strong in spite of the hopeless future that seemingly lies before them.
- 18: “Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.” – Accepting Ruth’s dedication and probably grateful for the companionship, Naomi turns her attention towards home.
- Have you experienced times of famine in your life?
Promises of the Gospel:
The story of Ruth opens in the midst of extreme hardship. It is in times such as these that we tend to wallow in the gloom of self-pity and the agony of suffering. These are times when we are certain that our story has come to an end…there is nothing we can do and there is no future or hope alive in our hearts. Yet, this is the beginning of the story of Ruth, not the end. From this life of hardship springs forth a story of dedication, hope, and resolve. Through it all Ruth and Naomi stand resistant to the pressures of defeat and failure and, instead, reveal a strong and consistent faith in God and an unwavering dedication to each other.
PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
Reader Count & Comments
Date
The opinions expressed by authors do not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com. This is especially true with articles that
deal with personal healthcare and prophecy. We encourage the reader to make their own decision in consultation with God, His Word, and others as needed.
This article has been read 1242 times < Previous | Next >
Read more articles by Gary Sims or search for other articles by topic below.
This article has been read 1242 times < Previous | Next >
Search for articles on: (e.g. creation; holiness etc.)
Read more by clicking on a link:Free Reprints
Main Site Articles
Most Read Articles
Highly Acclaimed Challenge Articles.
New Release Christian Books for Free for a Simple Review.
God is Not Against You - He Came on an All Out Rescue Mission to Save You
...in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them... 2 Cor 5:19
Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Acts 13:38
LEARN & TRUST JESUS HERE
FaithWriters offers Christian reading material for Christian readers. We offer Christian articles, Christian fiction, Christian non-fiction, Christian Bible studies, Christian poems, Christian articles for sale, free use Christian articles, Christian living articles, New Covenant Christian Bible Studies, Christian magazine articles and new Christian articles. We write for Jesus about God, the Bible, salvation, prayer and the word of God.