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Sunday School Classes – 3 December 2023 at 09:00 AM EST
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Pass Code: 669872
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Changing
Identity
(The Faith of Ruth)
Ruth 1:6-18, 22
Background: Ruth 1; 4:13-22
Devotional Reading: Acts 10:34-38
Daily
Bible Readings |
Monday: Faith Based Friendship – Proverbs 17:17-22
|
KEEP IN MIND:
“But Ruth said, "Do
not press me to leave you or to turn back from following you! Where you go, I
will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and
your God my God.” (Ruth 1:16,
NRSV)
LESSON AIM:
IMITATE Ruth’s model of courage and
faithfulness when facing life’s hardships.
EMPATHIZE with those in vulnerable situations; and
COMMIT to demonstrating godly loyalty to our faith members.
BACKGROUND:
The climate during the time
of the judges when the events of Ruth occurred can only be described as
chaotic. Israel was facing moral decline, foreign attacks, and national chaos.
Joshua helped the Israelites conquer major Canaanite cities and divided the
land among the 12 tribes of Israel. But some Canaanites and other people
remained. This caused serious problems. The Israelites were threatened with
attacks from these people, who wanted the land back. Also, the Israelites
married Canaanites and started worshiping their gods. Everyone was doing
whatever he or she desired without concern for God's Laws. The Israelites
ignored God and reaped the consequences of their sins (Judges 17:6; 21:25). One
of the consequences of their spiritual depravity was famine. This famine was so
severe that it forced Naomi's husband, Elimelech (whose name means "My God
is King," to leave with his family and travel to Moab. They went to a pagan nation to survive (Ruth
1:1-2).
We are introduced to a
family set in time when judges presided and governed over the children of
Israel in the early days of the nation.
Elimelech, the patriarch, was from Bethlehem, a province of Judah. Elimelech left his homeland with his wife
Naomi and two sons, Mahlon and Chilion, to escape famine in the land. The family settled in the country of
Moab. The people of Moab were
descendants from the incestuous relationship between Abraham’s nephew Lot and
his oldest daughter (Genesis 19:37); therefore, Moabites were distant relatives
of the Jewish people. As the Children of
Israel made their journey to the Promised Land, the Moabites sent Baalam to
curse the Israelites (Numbers 22). From
this and other contentious interactions, the Law of Moses prohibited Moabites
from the Lord’s assembly, the worshiping community made up of men, for ten
generations if not forever (Deuteronomy 23:3-6). Moab was also an idolatrous nation; one of
their gods, Chemosh, was worshiped with child sacrifices.
In Ruth 1:3-5, Elimelech dies while living in Moab and his sons Mahlon and Chilion marry Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth. Ten years after their union to these women both sons died childless. We are not told the circumstances surrounding the death of these men, but the three women are now widows. Naomi suffers the greatest having lost her husband and two sons. In this culture women without men were at the mercy of extended family and community to care for them.
LESSON COMMENTARY:
A Mother’s Farewell (Ruth
1:6-11, NRSV)
6Then she started to return with her daughters-in-law from
the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the LORD had considered his people and given
them food.
7So she set out from the place
where she had been living, she and her two daughters-in-law, and they went on
their way to go back to the land of Judah.
8But Naomi said to her two
daughters-in-law, "Go back each of you to your mother's house. May the LORD deal kindly with you, as you have
dealt with the dead and with me.
9The LORD grant that you may find security, each of you in the
house of your husband." Then she kissed them, and they wept aloud.
10They said to her, "No, we
will return with you to your people."
11But Naomi said, "Turn back,
my daughters, why will you go with me? Do I still have sons in my womb that
they may become your husbands?
The decision had been made. Naomi had to return to Bethlehem. Her decision was thoroughly thought out. It is unknown how she heard that the famine in
Israel had ended. However, Moab was only
15 miles from Bethlehem. Maybe other
Israelites who passed by the area shared the news. Nevertheless, Naomi knew in her heart she had
to go back to the place where God was providing for His people. After all, Bethlehem is translated to mean
"house of bread." This was her
home, her people, and the place where she could worship her God. Naomi had faith that her God would provide all
she needed.
After the death of her sons, Naomi, an older woman, was left with no one to
care for her. The text does not give the
span of time between the passing of her sons and the decision to move
forward. Traditionally, a Jewish burial
takes place within twenty-four hours of death because the Torah says, “His body
shall not remain all night…but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day”
(Deuteronomy 21:23). Further, ancient
Jewish culture dictates that after the death of a husband the sons were to care
for their mother. A widow was considered
blessed to have sons because they inherited the father’s possessions and his
tie to land. To have lost her husband
and then years later to have no sons was a mark of shame, and it weighed
heavily on Naomi. She had no choice but
to go back to Judah to reconnect with extended family members and her
community. The people would know her
story upon return. As the three women
made their way toward Judah, broken and in mourning, Naomi stopped during their
trek and pleaded with her daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth to return to their
own mothers to start over. Her
daughters-in-law would also need to be cared for in this culture. Naomi encouraged them to go back to the
security of their own people. However,
she also spoke the blessing of the Lord over her daughters-in-law. She prayed that the Lord would deal kindly
with them as a reward for their love for her sons as well as the kindness
extended to her. After the death of
their husbands, Orpah and Ruth could have immediately returned to their
families and left Naomi to grieve alone.
However, they showed great honor for their husbands’ memory and
their mother-in-law by caring for her and refusing to leave her side.
1.
How has someone offered hope when you found
yourself in a dark place? Have you tried
to offer hope to others while in a dark place?
A Daughter’s Response (Ruth
1:12-18, 22, NRSV)
12Turn back, my daughters, go your way, for I am too old to
have a husband. Even if I thought there was hope for me, even if I should have
a husband tonight and bear sons,
13would you then wait until they
were grown? Would you then refrain from marrying? No, my daughters, it has been
far more bitter for me than for you, because the hand of the LORD has turned against me."
14Then they wept aloud again. Orpah
kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.
15So she said, "See, your
sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your
sister-in-law."
16But Ruth said, "Do not press
me to leave you or to turn back from following you! Where you go, I will go; where
you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God.
17Where you die, I will die— there
will I be buried. May the LORD do
thus and so to me, and more as well, if even death parts me from you!"
18When Naomi saw that she was
determined to go with her, she said no more to her.
22So Naomi returned together with
Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law, who came back with her from the country
of Moab. They came to Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.
Naomi made the case
to the two women that no hope existed for them if they remained with her
(verses 12-13). Naomi would be unable to
have more sons for them to marry but if they returned home, they could possibly
find husbands and marry again because they were young. Naomi was reeling in the bitterness of her
losses and felt forsaken by God but tried to offer hope for a future for her daughters-in-law.
Orpah reluctantly listened to her mother-in-law’s logic and with a
gut-wrenching cry said goodbye, but Ruth decided to stay with or “cling to” her
mother-in-law. Naomi again pleaded with
Ruth to return to her family and her gods like Orpah, but Ruth refused. In this moment Ruth became more than a
daughter by marriage but a daughter birthed in the spirt as she literally comes
into a covenant relationship. Ruth
responded emphatically that she did not want to leave Naomi’s side and that she
wanted to continue the journey.
Ruth honors her husband’s memory in declaring to remain with her
mother-in-law, not wanting to dishonor her by leaving her to travel alone. Ruth becomes one with Naomi by proclaiming
that where she lives, she will live. She
would become one with her people and worship her God. Where Naomi is buried, she would also be
buried; she accepts that if she does not keep her word and stay by her side,
she would leave it to God to judge her.
To seal the deal, Ruth vows that nothing but death will separate her from
her mother-in-law. When Naomi saw how
resolute Ruth was about moving forward with her, she said nothing more. When love in action is strong and committed,
it requires no further argument and nothing more is to be done but to receive
it. Ruth, a Moabite woman, displays such
great love and honor for a woman she highly esteems, leaving all that is
familiar to start a new life.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1.
Can you see the picture of God’s love for His
people and His church to not allow anything or anyone to separate them from His
love? How do we respond to such a love?
2.
How have you seen God provide in the midst of
loss or hardship?
3.
How can we show care to those who have shown
care for us?
4.
Have you ever been in an unfamiliar
situation? Who did you turn to for
guidance?
5.
What are times when you feel God has tested
your strength? How did you react?
6.
How
do we choose which communities to belong to?
LESSON IN
OUR SOCIETY:
Today, we live and build
relationships with others in multiple communities such as families, towns, work
sites, and congregations. As we decide
to identify with various groups, we should reflect on what motivates us to
choose specific communities. Each
community serves different purposes in our lives and benefits us in various
ways. Our communities should be places
that enable us to grow. This is a
critical factor in determining whether to stay or join a different community.
We are called
to show one another deep love and commitment to God and His people. When one of us hurts, we all hurt. Nothing hurts more than the death of a loved
one. Many churches make a resolution to
care for members when they suffer such loss. With churches all around,
communities across the country have been touched by gun violence that has
ripped the hearts of mothers, fathers, grandparents, siblings, extended family,
and friends. How can our churches be
first responders to provide hope and healing?
How can we stay in touch in the days and weeks to come?
NEXT WEEK’S
LESSON: 10 December 2023 at 09:00 EST
Facing
Life with Confidence
(The Faith of David)
1 Samuel 17:31-37, 45, 48-50
Background: 1 Samuel 17:1-50
Devotional Reading: Acts 10:34-38
Sources:
Achtemeier, Paul J. Harper's Bible Dictionary. 1st
ed. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1985.
Biblical Studies Press: The
Brown, Raymond E., S. S., Joseph A.
Fitzmyer, S. J.; Roland E. Murphy, O Carm. The
Jerome Biblical Commentary. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1968.
Bush,
Fredrick, W., Word Biblical Commentary Vol. 9, Ruth-Esther.
Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2018
Dummelow, J. R., M.A. Rev. The One Volume Bible Commentary. New
York: The Macmillan Company Publishers, 1961.
James Orr,
M.A., D.D., International Standard Bible
Encyclopedia, Electronic
Edition, Parsons Technology, Inc., Cedar
Rapids, Iowa 1998.
Morris, William, ed., Dictionary of the English Language,
Houghton Mifflin Company, 1981.
Olson, Dennis, T., The New Interpreter's® Bible Commentary Volume
II: Introduction to Narrative Literature, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2
Samuel, 1 & 2 Kings, 1& 2 Chronicles, New York:
Abingdon Press, 2015.
Spence-Jones, H. D. M. (Hrsg.): The
Pulpit Commentary: Ruth. Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2004
Strong, James, Strong’s Hebrew and
Greek Dictionaries, Electronic Edition STEP Files, QuickVerse, a division
of Findex.com, Inc., Omaha, Nebraska. 2003.
Brock,
Daniel I., The New American Commentary, Judges and Ruth. An
Exegetical and Theological Exposition of Holy Scripture (volume 6), Nashville:
Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999.
Vine, W.E. Vines Complete Expository
Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words. Edited by Merrill F. Unger and
William White Jr., Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1996.