WEEKLY SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
An international Sunday school lesson commentary
For Sunday August 11, 2019
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A
MOTHER-DAUGHTER COVENANT
(People
from different backgrounds can form GODly relationships)
(Ruth
1)
The
book of Ruth is a shining example of how GOD continues to move on the hearts of
HIS people during times of struggle, especially when HIS people remain faithful
to HIM. The events chronicled in the story of Ruth and her mother-in-law,
Naomi, occur during the period when Judges ruled over Israel. It was one of the
darkest periods in Israel’s history, and it sets itself against the backdrop of
“national irresponsibility” and “weak spiritual and moral character” among the
populace.
The Book of Ruth is one of only two books
in the Holy Scriptures that is named after a woman (the other being Esther),
and is one of only three books in the Holy Scriptures that are named after
Gentiles (the others being Luke and Titus). Early unsupported Rabbinic
tradition identifies Samuel as the author of the Book of Ruth, as well as
Judges, and First and Second Samuel, which bear his name.
Here in the Book of Ruth, the 11th
century B.C. personalities Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz, portray a contrasting side to
the chaotic times of the Judges, and provide us with a welcome relief from the
immorality, bloodshed, famine, and mayhem, that then, so permeated the land of
Israel due to her sins against GOD. This biblical account shows us quite
clearly, that, even in times of crisis and despair, we can still continue to
live by GOD’s principles and directives, and also that, GOD will reward us
richly when we do.
“Faith”, “Hope”, and “Love” are the three
great enduring things. They are “virtues” that will always overpower all things
that are anti-CHRIST in this world. Those anti-virtues, which are namely “doubt”,
“depression”, and “fear” can be overcome when we choose to abandon our own
plans, and totally access, embrace, and incorporate GOD’s plan into our lives.
Here in chapter 1 of this magnificent
example of how human beings can respond positively to the call of GOD with
faith, hope, and love, instead of reacting negatively out of doubt, depression,
and fear, we see a man named Elimelech, during a time of great famine in the land
of Palestine, move his family from Bethlehem to the pagan country of Moab. His family
consisted of his wife, Naomi, and their two sons, Mahlon and Kilion.
While living in Moab, however, Elemelech
died, leaving Naomi alone with their two sons, who each grew up and married
Moabite women. One son’s wife was named Orpah, and the other, Ruth. Unfortunately,
10 years later, both Mahlon and Kilion died, thereby leaving all three women
alone in the world with no husband or children.
One day Naomi received news that the famine
in Palestine was over, and that GOD had begun to bless the people of Judah with
bountiful crops again. She made the decision that it was time to return home,
and so she struck out on the road back to Judah, taking her two young widowed
daughters-in-law with her. It was a move that highlighted her “faith” in GOD,
her “hope” for the future, and her “love” for her daughters.
Along the way, however, we see the spirit
of satan begin to work on the mind of Naomi and try to interrupt the plan of
GOD for their lives, in particular, GOD’s plans for Ruth, who was now destined
to be “in the direct line of the descendants” of the future, SAVIOR of the
world, CHRIST JESUS.
And so in verses 8-15 of this passage we
see Naomi begin to be overcome with “doubt” and “fear”, and later “depression” (Vs.20-21).
Here in this passage she convinces herself that maybe it was not the best thing
that Orpah and Ruth leave their “paganistic homeland” and gods (v.15), and
travel with her to “the chosen land of the real GOD” (only satan can make a
person think such a thought).
Naomi then fortifies her ungodly argument
with “a grain of truth” by reasoning that she had nothing to offer to Ruth and
Naomi in the way of “hope” and security for their future through new marriages,
because she herself was now too old to marry and bear more sons for them to
marry. And then too, they would have to wait years for those sons to grow up to
the marrying age (Vs.11-13).
Satan, through Naomi, was able to convince
Orpah to return to Moab, however his main goal here was to convince Ruth to
return. Satan knew about Ruth’s coming place in the lineage of David and the
ancestral line of CHRIST, and all down through biblical history we see him
trying over and over again, to interrupt that lineage, and GOD’s plan for the future
human birth of JESUS. Here in this biblical account, GOD once again thwarts
satan’s plan to cut off the line of CHRIST at Ruth, the eventual great great-great-grandmother
of King David.
Ruth, through GOD’s prevailing will, was
able to make the decision to stay with Naomi and commit to live in a new
community in the land of Judah. Here in verse 16 she proclaims “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. I will
go wherever you go and live wherever you live. Your people will be my people,
and your GOD will be my GOD” (NLT). Ruth’s, now famous expression of commitment
to Naomi, not only shows loyalty to a friend and mother-in-law, but it also
exhibits clear theological insight and focus on the things of GOD, during times
of uncertainty.
In the Old Testament times, everyone
eventually came to know that GOD had a covenant relationship with Israel, and
by Ruth identifying herself with GOD’s covenant people, she also qualified
herself to claim Israel’s GOD as her own. Apparently Naomi had lived the kind
of exemplary life around Ruth that enabled her to draw Ruth out of the worldly
atmosphere of Moab, and into the community of GOD. We should all strive to be
the kind of people who draw others to us through right living, which will
ultimately draw them into the community of GOD, where CHRIST, through HIS
vicarious sacrifice, has shown, that HE wants us all to be.
A Sunday school lesson
by,
Larry D. Alexander
LARRY
D. ALEXANDER- Official Website
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