by Jen | Jul 2, 2024 | 1-22, DISO studies, Ruth 1
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
Wow! I can hardly believe this is the last week for Ruth 1. I am again amazed at how the Spirit has helped me learn anew through this story. If you’re working with me, I hope you’ve discovered new ways of reading, studying, and thinking about Naomi’s situation. Here’s how I think the Spirit is leading me to practice what I’ve found.
Last Week’s Work
LESSON(S) LEARNED
As I went back over my study notes, the Spirit showed me these principles:
- You can’t run from God’s discipline. Elimelech, Naomi, and their sons left Bethlehem during a famine—a scriptural punishment for the disobedience common in Israel during the time of the Judges. But a change of habitat didn’t make that much difference. Elimelech and his two sons died anyway, leaving Naomi in a strange land with only her two Moabite daughters-in-law.
- God’s discipline can make us bitter. It certainly did so to Naomi, she recognizes it in verse 20, call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me.
- But the Lord doesn’t want us to be alone in our bitterness. By God’s provision, one of Naomi’s sons married Ruth. We don’t know much of Ruth’s background, only that she was a Moabite. Her country didn’t acknowledge Naomi’s God (our God), but by the time Naomi was ready to return home, Ruth knew enough about Him to take an oath converting to Judaism (v16). From whom but her husband and her husband’s mother would she have learned about God? And, even when Naomi turned into a bitter, old woman, Ruth committed to stay with her anyway.
I’m really excited about these revelations! I see them coming together in an awesome way as we dig deeper into Ruth, so I hope you’ll stay tuned through this whole series, my friend!
CONVICTION
In this section of study, my focus landed on what Naomi did in her bitterness. She turned back to God by going home.
In a sense, I’ve been where Naomi was. I also left home for greener pastures only to become destitute through a series of self-serving decisions. I, too, was embittered by the failure of my plans—so bitter I wanted to take an easy, though permanent, way out. Looking back through the lens of this chapter, I see how God placed several Ruth-like women in my life who stuck with me when I needed their energy and assistance. What a wonderful God He is, providing companions like Ruth who walked with me on the difficult journey back to Him.
CORRECTION
This time I didn’t find a correction text from Ruth 1 or its cross-references. As I was doing a little more reading about Moabites in general, the Spirit brought up from nowhere this partially memorized verse:
… if my people, who are called by my name, humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land (2 Chronicles 7:14).
When I get Scripture like this, I always look it up, paying particular attention to the literal context. In this case, it’s the second part of a sentence God spoke to King Solomon after he finished and dedicated the temple in Jerusalem. Here’s the first part:
When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, (2 Chronicles 7:13)
Sounds like the kind of stuff that would cause a famine, huh?!
And the amazing thing is, we know Naomi humbled herself and turned from pursuing her own solution to the famine crisis. I think it’s probably fair to assume she also prayed and sought God’s face, even as she complained to others of her bitterness at His outstretched hand.
ACTION PLAN
This is one of the easiest action plans I’ve ever developed for a study because my correction verse spells it out so well!
When I feel bitterness, resentment, indignation, etc., coming on—and it happens more often than I want to admit—I will turn back to God, humble myself, pray, and seek Him through His Word.
Our Next Study
Thanks so much for joining me for this study! If you’re working along with me, we’re 25% done with the book of Ruth! I hope you’ll continue to check in as I start Ruth chapter 2 next week. After the long journey back to Bethlehem, Ruth’s life is about to get really interesting!
CONTINUE TO RUTH 2 STUDY
by Jen | Jun 25, 2024 | 1-22, DISO studies, Ruth 1
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
Welcome back! This week I reviewed the cross-references available for Ruth 1:13 and 20 and compared four English translations of these two verses. Here’s what I discovered.
Last Week’s Work
CROSS-REFERENCES
- Hand of the Lord/ God (v13). In the Old Testament this seems related to the judgment and punishment God inflicted on Israel’s enemies. For example, God instructed Moses to warn Pharoah that “the hand of the Lord will fall with a very severe plague upon your livestock” if he didn’t release the Israelites (Ex 9:3), and the author of 1 Samuel indicates the Philistines in Gath saw the Lord’s hand against them (1 Samuel 5:9-11). They weren’t the only ones. God’s own people, including Naomi (Ruth 3:13) and even King David (Psalms 32:4, 38:1-3, and 39:10), also felt the disciplining hand of the Lord.
In the New Testament, though, I found the phrase most often in reference to Jesus being at God’s right hand (Mark 16:19, Acts 2:33, 7:55-56, Col 3:1, Hebrews 10:12, 1 Peter 3:22), and, reassuringly, He’s there interceding for us (Romans 8;34). Naomi and her family didn’t have the benefit of Jesus, though.
- Almighty (v20).The reference that caught my attention here was Exodus 6:3: I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name the Lord I did not make myself known to them.
In this conversation with Moses, God distinguishes his name God Almighty—El Shaddai (“most powerful God”) from Lord—Yahweh (“self-existent, eternal one”). Until I looked at that cross-reference, I didn’t realize Naomi had used two different names for God in her two conversations the Spirit called me to examine! First, she used Yahweh (Hebrew God) in conversation with her Moabite daughters-in-law (v13); then, with the Israelite women of Bethlehem, she spoke of El Shaddai (“most powerful God”) and His chastisement of her and her family (v20). As we continue to work through Ruth, I’ll be curious to see how God is named going forward.
- Dealt (v20). The Old Testament passages under this category are predictably, from Job, Psalms, Isaiah, and Lamentations, though I didn’t see a clear connection between any and Naomi’s statement except Lamentations 3:15: “He has filled me with bitterness; he has sated me with wormwood.”
The one New Testament reference was Hebrews 12:11: “For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” Naomi’s loss of all the men in her family had to have been awfully painful. Yet it seems there might be a silver lining to all this. I guess we’ll have to keep studying this book to see what that is, huh?!
OTHER TRANSLATIONS
This time, I compared verses 13 and 20 of Ruth 1 across four translations: the English Standard Version (ESV), the Amplified Bible (AMP), the New International Version (NIV), and the Good News Translation (GNT).
The first thing I noticed was the ESV is the only translation to use therefore in verse 13, so I believe my conclusion—that its use there wasn’t as a connector between an action and its reason—was a correct one.
Next, also with verse 13, I notice a comparison in the Amplified and NIV translations that I don’t see in the ESV or Good News Translation. Naomi says it’s much more difficult [AMP] or more bitter [NIV] for her than for the daughters-in-law. In the ESV and GNT, I believe Naomi is saying something different: not that her suffering is worse than theirs, but that she feels badly for them that they, too, suffered loss when the Lord was punishing her.
Finally, with verse 20, it appears all the translations I compared are essentially the same.
Dig-In Challenges
It’s hard to believe we’re almost done with another study. This week, let’s
- Read the prayer we created in Step 1.
- ALIGN: Then review our study notes and other work, focusing specifically on what we’ve learned.
- ALIGN: As we consider those “lessons learned,” notice what the Spirit is using to convict us in this study. In other words, where is He showing us misalignment between what we’ve discovered and how we practice our faith?
- ALIGN: Next, we’ll think about a part of this study that offers us a way to correct that misalignment. For me, this has often—but not always—been a verse either from the study text or from one of the cross-references.
- ALIGN: And finally we want to reflect on how we can change our walk or talk (or both) to align more closely with God. To really make this work, I commit to changing something and do my best to act on that commitment every day for at least three weeks.
That may seem like a lot to consider in one week, but my experience has been the Spirit often leads me through steps 2-5 very quickly (though sometimes I have to pray about it more than a couple of times during the week). If you’re working with me, just do what you can. Any study done with the Spirit is good study, my Friend!
Also, I’m looking forward to sharing what the Spirit reveals next week, as well as a preview of our next study text, Ruth 2.
GO TO WEEK 8>
by Jen | Jun 18, 2024 | 1-22, DISO studies, Ruth 1
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
Hello again! Has the Spirit shown you awesome treasure from Ruth 1? If you’re willing to share what you’ve discovered, I’d love to hear about it. You can email me at [email protected], or use my contact form.
Last Week’s Work
I noticed two types of writing in Ruth 1. First, the overall type is narrative, since Ruth 1 tells the story of a Moabite woman who married into the family of Elimelech, a Judean expat living with his wife, Naomi, and two sons in Moab. Second, I noticed poetry in the rhythmic repetition of verses 16-17 (Ruth’s pledge to Naomi). At this point, I think it’s safe to conclude Ruth’s author meant for us to interpret this story literally: these characters actually lived and this is really what happened in their lives.
LITERAL CONTEXT
Last week I mentioned I planned to look at the last four chapters of Judges for anything that might help me better understand the context of Ruth, and particularly, the statement made in Ruth 1:1, In the days when the judges ruled.
As is often the case with God’s Word, I got a little carried away, but I found so much treasure!
I started with a cursory review of the entire book of Judges, looking specifically for any mention of Moab. Based on this map from blb.org, it was a region east and south of the Dead Sea. So, the trek back to Bethlehem for Naomi and Ruth required they either cross the Dead Sea or walk around it. What a trip!
I discovered in Judges 3 that Moab had actually been Israel’s enemy: for eighteen years, the Israelites were subjected to Eglon, King of Moab (Judges 3:14), but then Ehud assassinated Eglon, and Moab was subdued by Israel for eighty years (Judges 3:15-30).
Also, it appears after Joshua’s death (Judges 2:6), Israel began to worship the gods of the Canaanites. Over time, God raised up judges (i.e., Ehud, above) to deliver them from specific enemies, but every time the judge died, Israel went right back to idolatry and evil.
When I turned my attention to the last four chapters of the book, I saw the statement, “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes,” twice (Judges 17:6 and 21:25),” as well as variations of it, especially, “in those days there was no king in Israel, (Judges 18:1, 19:1).” I couldn’t help but notice the emphasis on their lack of strong, Godly leadership during this time, and the ruin and chaos stemming from it. I can’t help but seem some contemporary parallels there!
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
From reviewing the ESV Global Study Bible’s Introduction to Judges and to Ruth, I discovered Ruth’s author is unknown, but it’s believed to have been written about 1010 BC.
INTERLINEAR RESEARCH
As I looked over verses 13 and 20 in Hebrew, I was drawn to the following:
- “it is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake” (v13) – the word for bitter is H4843 mārar. Strong’s renders the phrase, “it is very bitter to me on your account (I am much distressed). As I looked at other biblical uses for H4843, it was clear many involved embitterment connected to misfortune.
- “call me Mara” (v20)– the word Mara is H4755 mārā’. Strong’s indicates this is the only time H4755 is used, and defines it as “a name Naomi called herself due to her calamities.” A side reference here was to H4751 mar, used to describe the bitter water at Marah encountered by the Israelites in Exodus 15:22-26. As I drilled down into those verses, I discovered a statement God made to the Israelites there that had a familiar ring to it, “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, your healer” (Exodus 15:26). But no, Naomi and her family clearly did what was right in their own eyes (not God’s) when they left famine-stricken Bethlehem for Moab, a land where idolatry was common.
After her husband’s and sons’ deaths, Naomi returned. Interestingly, so did Ruth, who thereby rejected the idolatry in her home country for faith in Naomi’s one God.
Dig-In Challenges
This week, we’re going to wrap up the second half of our Refine step by examining cross-references and other translations.
- Don’t forget to begin with your prayer from Step 1.
- REFINE: Then consult a concordance or online cross-reference study tool (for v13, I’ll start at this blb.org page) to find and read through the available cross-references for the verses you’re most interested in and note what the Spirit shows you.
NOTE: if you’re interested in other verses, follow the above link, then point to the TOOLS button to the left of a verse, and choose Cross-Refs from the menu.
- REFINE: Finally, compare at least a few other translations’ version of the same verses and write about what you find in your study journal. I’ll be comparing ESV, AMP, NIV, and GNT starting with this biblehub.com page. You can compare your own verses from that link by entering them in the Enter Reference or Keyword box at the top of the page and clicking the spyglass there.
It’s hard to believe we’re almost through this study, my friend: just two more weeks! I hope the Lord has used it for His glory and your good! See you next week!
GO TO WEEK 7>
by Jen | Jun 11, 2024 | 1-22, DISO studies, Ruth 1
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
Welcome back: I have much to share with you this week!
Last Week’s Work
COMPARISONS
All the comparisons the Spirit revealed to me were contrasts:
- There was famine in Bethlehem at the beginning of the chapter (v1), but then there’s food from the Lord (v6), and barley to be harvested (v22).
- Though Elimelech, Mahlon, and Chilion escaped the famine, they still died (vv3-5).
- Orpah turned back, away from Naomi, but Ruth clung to Naomi (v14).
- Don’t call me Naomi, call me Mara (v20). Per ESV Bible footnotes: Naomi = pleasant; Mara = bitter.
- Naomi went away [with her family] full, the Lord brought her back [by necessity and alone] empty. (v21)
CAUSES/MOTIVATIONS
I found these action – connector – explanation patterns that might explain Naomi’s bitterness (vv13, 20):
- explanation: both Mahlon and Chilion died (v5)
so that
action: the woman was left without her two sons and her husband
I think it’s understandable for a widow who also lost both her sons to be bitter!
- explanation: she had heard… that the Lord had… given his people food (v6).
so
action: she set out from the place where she was (v7)
Naomi’s discovery that God had blessed the people of Judah while she suffered loss and poverty in Moab may have further embittered her.
- action: go your way
for
explanation: I am too old to have a husband [and] sons [to] become your husbands (v12)
Not only had she lost her family, her prospects for getting another husband and sons weren’t good.
- action: it is exceedingly bitter to me
for
explanation: your sake (v13)
She’s bitter for her daughters-in-law, too: their prospects aren’t great, either.
- action: call me Mara
for
explanation: the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me (v20)
She perceives God has dealt bitterly with her. But her story isn’t over!
Finally, did you notice therefore in v13? I don’t believe it’s meant to be a cause connector there, though. It seems to mean for that, as in: …even if I should have a husband this night and should bear sons, would you wait for that and refrain from marrying others your own age?
Also, I checked other translations and found many that didn’t contain therefore or any other cause connector in that sentence.
If you’re wondering what Naomi is talking about, I’ll explore it further in the next few weeks. But if you don’t want to wait that long, check out the Hebrew levirate law in Deuteronomy 25:5-10. Interesting, huh?!
CONDITIONS/METHODS
As I read through this chapter. I noticed how:
- The Lord had treated those who remained in Judah during the famine: he … visited his people and [gave] them food. (v6).
- Orpah and Ruth dealt with Naomi and her family: kindly (v8).
- Ruth felt about going back with Naomi, which is described as determined (v18). I’ll say she was!
And three statements about Naomi’s bitterness:
- it is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake (v13)
- call me Mara—the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me (v20)
- Naomi’s condition when the family left Bethlehem was full and upon her return it was empty (v21). I believe this is a reference to her family: she had a husband and two sons when they left, but returned with only her son’s widow, Ruth.
Dig-In Challenges
Now that we’ve collected all these facts, we need to make sure we’re viewing them the same way Ruth’s author and his audience would have interpreted this story.
Here’s how I’ll be working toward that this week:
- PRAY. Of course!
- REFINE: I’ll reread Chapter 1, looking for an overall writing type and places where the author used instruction, law, letter, narrative, poetry, and/or prophecy. Knowing this will help me know whether to take what is written literally or look for a potential symbolic meaning.
- REFINE: Next we need to establish the literal context of the study passage. Ruth 1:1 starts, In the days when the judges ruled… and, the book immediately preceding Ruth is the book of Judges! It’s pretty long, but looking at the outline in the ESV Global Study Bible’s Introduction to Judges, it appears there’s a division in the material about chapter 17, so my plan is to start with the last four chapters (and that introduction) as I look for context.
- REFINE: Next, let’s find out what we can about the historical context by identifying the author of this book, and when, to whom, and why he wrote it. You can usually find this information in your bound Bible if it contains introductory information on the books. If you don’t have a bound Bible with introductions, check out the Introduction to Ruth from the ESV Global Study Bible.
REMEMBER: Bible introductions aren’t the inspired Word of God, but they usually provide factual details about the author and his audience we can use to adjust our perspective. Keep in mind, if you decide to research this further, stick with factual, historical resources and avoid commentary.
- REFINE: Finally, examine key words and/or phrases (I’ll look at vv 13 and 20) using an interlinear Bible, and note what the Spirit reveals. These Bibles are available on several study websites (I’ll be using the Blue Letter Bible Interlinear tool), and show a verse in the original Hebrew or Greek providing details about each word, including its meaning in context. As usual, I encourage you to log anything the Spirit illuminates from this exercise.
This “refining” step is more involved than the “mining” we did earlier, but I encourage you to use these tools and dig as much as you can this week. I pray the Spirit will bless your efforts, my friend!
GO TO WEEK 6>
by Jen | Jun 4, 2024 | 1-22, DISO studies, Ruth 1
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
Welcome back! I hope your dig into this first chapter of Ruth is showing you amazing treasure. Here’s what I noticed about repetition, special statements, and lists in this study.
Last Week’s Work
REPETITION
I found two concepts repeated a number of times in this chapter: death (vv3, 5, 8, and 17) and return (vv6-8, 10, 15, 16, and 22); as well as related terms turn back in vv11 and 12, gone back in v15, and brought back in v21.
Really, this chapter is the story of a family who struck out on their own to preserve their lives, moving to a different country in search of famine relief. And all the men died anyway. How frustrating! No wonder Naomi described herself as bitter. What could she do but go back to whatever family she’d left in Bethlehem?
SPECIAL STATEMENTS
The Spirit showed me many special statements in this study:
- Prayers spoken by Naomi over her daughters-in-law:
May the Lord deal kindly with you as you have…with me (v8)
The Lord grant… you… rest… in the house of her husband (v9)
And by Ruth as an oath (see her promises, below):
May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you (v17).
- Promises by Orpah and Ruth:
we will return with you to your people (v10)
And by Ruth alone:
where you go I will go
where you lodge I will lodge
Your people shall be my people
Your God [shall be] my God (v16)
Where you die I will die
there will I be buried (v17).
- Commands of Naomi:
Go, return to your mothers’ houses (v8)
Turn back my daughters (twice in v12)
Go your way (v12)
Return after your sister-in-law (v15)
And one command by Ruth: Do not urge me to leave you or return from following you (v16)
Also, based on a previous study of this chapter, I think the occurrence of the famine might be the manifestation of a curse. I’m planning to explore that more in a couple of weeks. I also think Naomi might have been referring to that curse in v13 (… the hand of the Lord has gone out against me), and v21 (… the Lord has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me).
LISTS
Finally, I identified two lists. First, Naomi’s five complaints about God (vv13, 20-21)
- The hand of the Lord has gone out against her
- The Almighty has dealt very bitterly with her
- She went away full, the Lord brought her back empty
- The Lord testified against her
- The Almighty brought calamity upon her.
How would we deal with the tragedies Naomi faced? No wonder she was a “negative Naomi!” It’s easy for me—who hasn’t endured losses like hers—to judge her bad attitude, but I think the Spirit is calling this out to me now to help me learn something else. There’s a message here beneath the complaints, maybe, God can discipline (and I think also bless) us no matter how far we run from Him?
As mentioned above, Ruth’s six promises (vv16-19):
- Go with Naomi
- Lodge with Naomi
- Naomi’s people will be Ruth’s people
- Naomi’s God will be Ruth’s God
- Die where Naomi dies, and
- Be buried there.
What a beautiful statement of commitment. No wonder these verses or their paraphrases became popular wedding vows.
Dig-In Challenges
Next week, we’ll be wrapping up Step 3 by looking for three more elements of the lesson we’re learning from Ruth 1:
- PRAY: As always, start with the prayer we wrote for Step 1.
- MINE: Read through the passage again to see if the author uses any comparisons. The quickest way to locate these is to look for phrases containing the words like or as, as well as more than/ less than and better than/ worse than. Do you find any comparisons that connect directly with your personal focus area?
- MINE: Next, look for causes or motives in the text. The best way I’ve found to do this is to look for these key words or phrases:
because, for*, in order to, lest, since, so*, so that, that*, to*, therefore.
Finding them almost always means you’ll find an action phrase (noun + verb) with the reason for that action, too.
The *exceptions are for, so, that, and to—when these are used as other parts of speech (like prepositions or articles), you won’t find an action or a reason.
Next, look for the action (what’s being caused). With most of these words/phrases, you’ll find the action before the key word/phrase, and the reason will be after it.
For example, I went to the store because I was out of milk.
The action = I went to the store
because
The reason = I was out of milk.
Occasionally you may see the order of the statements reversed, but the reason will still follow the key word or phrase: Because I was out of milk, I went to the store.
However, with therefore and its synonyms so, so that, and hence, the action appears after these key words:
Here’s an example using the same reason and action as above, just changing the key word: I was out of milk; therefore, I went to the store.
Same reason = I was out of milk [but different location!]
therefore
Same action = I went to the store.
Try it, I think you’ll see it’s easier than all these words make it seem (and, of course, feel free to reach out to me at [email protected] if you have questions)!
- MINE: Finally, see if you can find any conditions/methods by asking: does the author condition the action you’re studying on something else happening—for example, if or when this condition is met, [then] that will happen? Or does he describe a particular method by which something happens—for example, specific steps taken to achieve something, or more generally by or through attributes or action (i.e., grace, faith)? Does he use any adverbs (-ly words) that describe how the action was accomplished?
These exercises are a little harder, but I know you can do this—give it a try and check back with me next week. I’m looking forward to it. I hope you are, too.
GO TO WEEK 5 >
by Jen | May 28, 2024 | 1-22, DISO studies, Ruth 1
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
Hello again! This post is set to publish the day after Memorial Day 2024 in the United States. As I’m studying about Naomi, a widow whose two sons also died, I’m thinking about the families whose members paid the ultimate price for their loyalty to America. I pray God will give them courage and strength in their mourning, and that we never forget freedom doesn’t come easily or cheaply. God bless our fallen heroes and their families. And God bless America.
Last Week’s Work
MY PERSONAL TREASURE
Of the five items the Holy Spirit “flagged” for me last week, one HUH? continues to draw my attention: Naomi’s statement about bitterness (v13) and instructions to the women in Bethlehem to call her Mara, for the Almighty had dealt very bitterly with her (v20).
I’m hoping to learn as much as I can about biblical bitterness in the rest of this study. I know the Spirit will help me see what God wants me to discover here.
Now, let’s look at what the Spirit showed me about characters, locations, and timeframes.
WHO (CHARACTERS)
Though the passage mentions several more characters, I feel led to focus on these in particular:
- Naomi, who spoke both statements: it is exceedingly bitter to me for your [her daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth] sake… (v13), and call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me (v20).
- God, Lord, Almighty: Naomi laments, the hand of the Lord has gone out against me (v13).
Narrator indicates Naomi found out the Lord had visited his people and given them food (v6).
Naomi prays that the Lord deal kindly with her daughters-in-law and grant them rest in the house of [new] husbands (vv8-9).
Ruth claims [Naomi’s] people will be her people and [Naomi’s] God will be her God (v16), and swears her faithfulness to Naomi by the Lord (v17).
Naomi says the Almighty dealt bitterly with her and brought calamity upon her (vv20, 21).
Naomi indicates the Lord brought her back empty and testified against her (v21).
- The women of Bethlehem, whose reactive question, “Is this Naomi?” in v19 led to Naomi’s command to call her Mara, not Naomi.
I’m familiar with name changes in the Bible—like Abram to Abraham, Jacob to Israel, Simon to Peter, etc.—but I still think it’s curious Naomi asked the women to call her something else and used two different names to refer to God, though I acknowledge the latter might just be the author (or translators) not wanting to overuse the Lord. That’ll be easy to determine when I look at original language in a few weeks.
WHERE (LOCATIONS)
I noticed specifically three locations:
- Bethlehem in Judah, where Naomi, Elimelech, Mahlon, and Chilion were from (v1),
- Moab, where Naomi’s family sojourned after fleeing the famine in Bethlehem (v2), and
- Fields of Moab, where Naomi learned the Lord had visited his people and given them food (v6).
These timeframes caught my eye:
- Days when the judges ruled—when the famine happened (v1) that caused Naomi’s initial migration with her men to Moab (v1),
- About ten years—the length of time Naomi and her sons lived in Moab before they both died (vv4-5),
- Then (after the sons died) Naomi set out to return to Judah with her daughters-in-law (v7),
- Naomi stopped telling Ruth to turn back when Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her (v18),
- When Naomi and Ruth came to Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred(v19). How would you react if a woman you knew left town with her husband and two sons, and then came back with a strange woman? That would definitely generate questions in my mind!
- Naomi and Ruth arrived at the beginning of the barley harvest (v22), which to me indicates the famine was over.
Dig-In Challenges
Whew! So much to dig into from just a few lines of Scripture—but isn’t that the way it always is when we work with the Spirit to really see and understand this amazing book?
I hope you’ve discovered some interesting gems here, too, and it spurs you to work through more of this process. Here’s what I’ll be doing this week:
- PRAY each time I start to study using my prayer from last week.
- MINE: Look for repeated concepts in this passage and, if I find any, consider how that repetition might be relevant to the bitterness Naomi mentions in vv13 & 20;
- MINE: Locate any special statements (blessings, commands, curses, prayers, promises, requests, and/or warnings) connected to that treasure; and
- MINE: See if I can find any lists (3 or more similar items mentioned in the text) and their relevance to bitterness.
See you next week!
GO TO WEEK 4 >
