The Book of Ruth
Part II Ruth’s Decision to Follow Naomi:
Chapter 1.
Part II Ruth’s Decision to Follow Naomi:
Chapter 1.
Ruth Chapter 1 Overview
Scriptures from Ruth chapter 1 in green
Parallel Scriptures in purple
Parallel Scriptures in purple
1Now it came about
in the days when the judges governed,
in the days when the judges governed,
[Judges 2:16-18]
16Then the LORD [yehôvâh (personal and intimate God)]
raised up judges who delivered them
from the hands of those who plundered them.
17Yet they did not listen to their judges,
for they played the harlot after other gods
and bowed themselves down to them.
They turned aside quickly from the way
in which their fathers had walked
in obeying the commandments
of the LORD [yehôvâh (personal and intimate God)];
they did not do as their fathers.
18When the LORD [yehôvâh (personal and intimate God)]
raised up judges for them,
the LORD [yehôvâh (personal and intimate God)] was with the judge
and delivered them from the hand of their enemies
all the days of the judge;
for the LORD [yehôvâh (personal and intimate God)]
was moved to pity by their groaning
because of those who oppressed and afflicted them.
Judges 2:16-18
that there was a famine in the land
16Then the LORD [yehôvâh (personal and intimate God)]
raised up judges who delivered them
from the hands of those who plundered them.
17Yet they did not listen to their judges,
for they played the harlot after other gods
and bowed themselves down to them.
They turned aside quickly from the way
in which their fathers had walked
in obeying the commandments
of the LORD [yehôvâh (personal and intimate God)];
they did not do as their fathers.
18When the LORD [yehôvâh (personal and intimate God)]
raised up judges for them,
the LORD [yehôvâh (personal and intimate God)] was with the judge
and delivered them from the hand of their enemies
all the days of the judge;
for the LORD [yehôvâh (personal and intimate God)]
was moved to pity by their groaning
because of those who oppressed and afflicted them.
Judges 2:16-18
that there was a famine in the land
Genesis 12:10;2 Kings 8:1]
10Now there was a famine in the land;
so Abram [high father] went down to Egypt [troubles or oppresses; anguish]
to sojourn there,
for the famine was severe in the land.
Genesis 12:10 NAS
10Now there was a famine in the land;
so Abram [high father] went down to Egypt [troubles or oppresses; anguish]
to sojourn there,
for the famine was severe in the land.
Genesis 12:10 NAS
1Now Elisha [salvation of God] spoke to the woman
whose son he had restored to life,
saying, "Arise and go with your household,
and sojourn wherever you can sojourn;
for the LORD [yehôvâh (personal and intimate God)] has called for a famine,
and it will even come on the land for seven years."
2 Kings 8:1 NAS
And a certain man of Bethlehem [ house of bread]
in Judah [praise].
whose son he had restored to life,
saying, "Arise and go with your household,
and sojourn wherever you can sojourn;
for the LORD [yehôvâh (personal and intimate God)] has called for a famine,
and it will even come on the land for seven years."
2 Kings 8:1 NAS
And a certain man of Bethlehem [ house of bread]
in Judah [praise].
[Judges 17:7-8; Micah 5:2]
7Now there was a young man from Bethlehem [ house of bread]
in Judah [praise], of the family of Judah, [praise]
who was a Levite; and he was staying there.
8Then the man departed from the city,
from Bethlehem [ house of bread] in Judah, [praise]
to stay wherever he might find a place;
and as he made his journey,
he came to the hill country of Ephraim [fruitful; increasing]
to the house of Micah [poor; humble].
Judges 17:7-8 NAS
2"But as for you, Bethlehem [ house of bread] Ephrathah, [fruitful; increasing]
Too little to be among the clans of Judah, [praise]
From you One will go forth for Me
to be ruler in Israel [who prevails with God]
His goings forth are from long ago,
From the days of eternity."
Micah 5:2 NAS
went to sojourn in the land of Moab, [of his father]
with his wife and his two sons.
2The name of the man was Elimelech, [my God is king]
and the name of his wife, Naomi; [beautiful; agreeable; comfort]
and the names of his two sons were
Mahlon [infirmity; a harp; pardon]
and Chilion, [finished; complete; perfect]
Ephrathites [fruitful; increasing] of Bethlehem [ house of bread]
in Judah.[ praise]
Now they entered the land of Moab [of his father]
7Now there was a young man from Bethlehem [ house of bread]
in Judah [praise], of the family of Judah, [praise]
who was a Levite; and he was staying there.
8Then the man departed from the city,
from Bethlehem [ house of bread] in Judah, [praise]
to stay wherever he might find a place;
and as he made his journey,
he came to the hill country of Ephraim [fruitful; increasing]
to the house of Micah [poor; humble].
Judges 17:7-8 NAS
2"But as for you, Bethlehem [ house of bread] Ephrathah, [fruitful; increasing]
Too little to be among the clans of Judah, [praise]
From you One will go forth for Me
to be ruler in Israel [who prevails with God]
His goings forth are from long ago,
From the days of eternity."
Micah 5:2 NAS
went to sojourn in the land of Moab, [of his father]
with his wife and his two sons.
2The name of the man was Elimelech, [my God is king]
and the name of his wife, Naomi; [beautiful; agreeable; comfort]
and the names of his two sons were
Mahlon [infirmity; a harp; pardon]
and Chilion, [finished; complete; perfect]
Ephrathites [fruitful; increasing] of Bethlehem [ house of bread]
in Judah.[ praise]
Now they entered the land of Moab [of his father]
[Judges 3:30]
30So Moab [of his father] was subdued that day
under the hand of Israel. [who prevails with God]
And the land was undisturbed for eighty years.
Judges 3:30 NAS
30So Moab [of his father] was subdued that day
under the hand of Israel. [who prevails with God]
And the land was undisturbed for eighty years.
Judges 3:30 NAS
and remained there.
3Then Elimelech, [my God is king]
Naomi's [beautiful; agreeable; comfort] husband, died;
and she was left with her two sons.
4They took for themselves Moabite [of his father] women as wives;
the name of the one was Orpah [fawn, the neck or skull]
and the name of the other Ruth. [beauty, satisfied]
And they lived there about ten years.
5Then both Mahlon [infirmity; a harp; pardon]
and Chilion [finished; complete; perfect] also died,
and the woman was bereft of her two children and her husband.
6Then she arose with her daughters-in-law
that she might return from the land of Moab, [of his father]
for she had heard in the land of Moab [of his father]
that the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God] had visited His people
[Exodus 4:31; Jeremiah 29:10; Zephaniah 2:7]
31So the people believed; and when they heard
that the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God]
was concerned about the sons of Israel [who prevails with God]
and that He had seen their affliction,
then they bowed low and worshiped.
Exodus 4:31 NAS
10"For thus says the LORD, [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God]
'When seventy years have been completed for Babylon [ confusion; mixture]
I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you,
to bring you back to this place.
Jeremiah 29:10 NAS
7And the coast will be
For the remnant of the house of Judah, [praise]
They will pasture on it
In the houses of Ashkelon they will lie down at evening;
For the LORD their God will care for them
And restore their fortune
Zephaniah 2:7 NAS
Houses of Ashkekon [weighing place, market]
Five city-states, Ashdod,[ effusion; inclination; theft]
Gath,[ a wine-press] Ekron, [eradication]
Gaza, [strong; a goat] and Ashkelon [weighing place, market]
constituted the Philistine [those who dwell in villages] pentapolis
3Then Elimelech, [my God is king]
Naomi's [beautiful; agreeable; comfort] husband, died;
and she was left with her two sons.
4They took for themselves Moabite [of his father] women as wives;
the name of the one was Orpah [fawn, the neck or skull]
and the name of the other Ruth. [beauty, satisfied]
And they lived there about ten years.
5Then both Mahlon [infirmity; a harp; pardon]
and Chilion [finished; complete; perfect] also died,
and the woman was bereft of her two children and her husband.
6Then she arose with her daughters-in-law
that she might return from the land of Moab, [of his father]
for she had heard in the land of Moab [of his father]
that the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God] had visited His people
[Exodus 4:31; Jeremiah 29:10; Zephaniah 2:7]
31So the people believed; and when they heard
that the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God]
was concerned about the sons of Israel [who prevails with God]
and that He had seen their affliction,
then they bowed low and worshiped.
Exodus 4:31 NAS
10"For thus says the LORD, [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God]
'When seventy years have been completed for Babylon [ confusion; mixture]
I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you,
to bring you back to this place.
Jeremiah 29:10 NAS
7And the coast will be
For the remnant of the house of Judah, [praise]
They will pasture on it
In the houses of Ashkelon they will lie down at evening;
For the LORD their God will care for them
And restore their fortune
Zephaniah 2:7 NAS
Houses of Ashkekon [weighing place, market]
Five city-states, Ashdod,[ effusion; inclination; theft]
Gath,[ a wine-press] Ekron, [eradication]
Gaza, [strong; a goat] and Ashkelon [weighing place, market]
constituted the Philistine [those who dwell in villages] pentapolis
{A pentapolis, from the Greek words penta 'five' and polis 'city(-state)'
is geographic and/or institutional grouping of five cities.} (1 Sam 6:4,17).
These cities were at the height of their power, influence and opulence,
boasting of beautiful homes and the “finer” things of life
at the time of Saul,[demanded; lent; ditch; death]
boasting of beautiful homes and the “finer” things of life
at the time of Saul,[demanded; lent; ditch; death]
when they were militarily superior to the Israelites.
in giving them food.
in giving them food.
[Psalm 132:15; Matthew 6:11]
15"I will abundantly bless her provision;
I will satisfy her needy with bread.
Psalm 132:15 NAS
11'Give us this day our daily bread.
Matthew 6:11 NAS
7So she departed from the place where she was,
and her two daughters-in-law with her;
and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. [praise]
8And Naomi [beautiful; agreeable; comfort] said to her two daughters-in-law,
"Go, return each of you to her mother's house.
May the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God] deal kindly with you
as you have dealt with the dead and with me.
15"I will abundantly bless her provision;
I will satisfy her needy with bread.
Psalm 132:15 NAS
11'Give us this day our daily bread.
Matthew 6:11 NAS
7So she departed from the place where she was,
and her two daughters-in-law with her;
and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. [praise]
8And Naomi [beautiful; agreeable; comfort] said to her two daughters-in-law,
"Go, return each of you to her mother's house.
May the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God] deal kindly with you
as you have dealt with the dead and with me.
[2 Timothy 1:16]
16The Lord [supreme authority, controller, Master]
16The Lord [supreme authority, controller, Master]
grant mercy to the house of Onesiphorus, {on ay sif or os} [profit bearer]
for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains;
2 Timothy 1:16 NAS
9"May the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God]
grant that you may find rest,
each in the house of her husband."
Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept.
10And they said to her,
"No, but we will surely return with you to your people."
for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains;
2 Timothy 1:16 NAS
9"May the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God]
grant that you may find rest,
each in the house of her husband."
Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept.
10And they said to her,
"No, but we will surely return with you to your people."
[Genesis 38:11]
11Then Judah [praise] said to his daughter-in-law Tamar,[ palm; palm-tree]
"Remain a widow in your father's house
until my son Shelah [that breaks; that unties; that undresses] grows up";
for he thought, "I am afraid that he too may die like his brothers."
So Tamar [ palm; palm-tree] went and lived in her father's house.
Genesis 38:11 NAS
11But Naomi [beautiful; agreeable; comfort] said,
"Remain a widow in your father's house
until my son Shelah [that breaks; that unties; that undresses] grows up";
for he thought, "I am afraid that he too may die like his brothers."
So Tamar [ palm; palm-tree] went and lived in her father's house.
Genesis 38:11 NAS
11But Naomi [beautiful; agreeable; comfort] said,
"Return, my daughters.
Why should you go with me?
Have I yet sons in my womb,
that they may be your husbands?
Why should you go with me?
Have I yet sons in my womb,
that they may be your husbands?
12"Return, my daughters!
Go, for I am too old to have a husband.
If I said I have hope, if I should even have a husband tonight
and also bear sons,
13would you therefore wait until they were grown?
Would you therefore refrain from marrying?
Go, for I am too old to have a husband.
If I said I have hope, if I should even have a husband tonight
and also bear sons,
13would you therefore wait until they were grown?
Would you therefore refrain from marrying?
5"When brothers live together
and one of them dies and has no son,
the wife of the deceased shall not be married
outside the family to a strange man.
Her husband's brother shall go in to her
and take her to himself as wife
and perform the duty of a husband's brother to her.
Deuteronomy 25:5 NAS
No, my daughters; for it is harder for me than for you,
for the hand of the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God]
has gone forth against me."
and one of them dies and has no son,
the wife of the deceased shall not be married
outside the family to a strange man.
Her husband's brother shall go in to her
and take her to himself as wife
and perform the duty of a husband's brother to her.
Deuteronomy 25:5 NAS
No, my daughters; for it is harder for me than for you,
for the hand of the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God]
has gone forth against me."
[Judges 2:15; Job 19:21; Isaiah 53:10]
15Wherever they went,
the hand of the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God]
was against them for evil,
as the LORD had spoken and as the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God]
had sworn to them,
so that they were severely distressed.
Judges 2:15 NAS
21"Pity me, pity me, O you my friends,
For the hand of God [eloahh {el o ah}– God Deity, Divine, Godhead]
has struck me.
Job 19:21 NAS
10But the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God] was pleased
To crush Him, putting Him to grief;
If He would render Himself as a guilt offering,
He will see His offspring,
He will prolong His days,
And the good pleasure of the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God]
will prosper in His hand.
Isaiah 53:10 NAS
14And they lifted up their voices and wept again;
and Orpah [fawn, the neck or skull] kissed her mother-in-law,
but Ruth [beauty, satisfied] clung to her.
15Then she said, "Behold, your sister-in-law
has gone back to her people and her gods;
15Wherever they went,
the hand of the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God]
was against them for evil,
as the LORD had spoken and as the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God]
had sworn to them,
so that they were severely distressed.
Judges 2:15 NAS
21"Pity me, pity me, O you my friends,
For the hand of God [eloahh {el o ah}– God Deity, Divine, Godhead]
has struck me.
Job 19:21 NAS
10But the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God] was pleased
To crush Him, putting Him to grief;
If He would render Himself as a guilt offering,
He will see His offspring,
He will prolong His days,
And the good pleasure of the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God]
will prosper in His hand.
Isaiah 53:10 NAS
14And they lifted up their voices and wept again;
and Orpah [fawn, the neck or skull] kissed her mother-in-law,
but Ruth [beauty, satisfied] clung to her.
15Then she said, "Behold, your sister-in-law
has gone back to her people and her gods;
[Joshua 24:15; Judges 11:24]
15"If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD,
choose for yourselves today whom you will serve:
whether the gods which your fathers served
which were beyond the River,
or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living;
but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."
Joshua 24:15
24'Do you not possess what Chemosh [kemıysh {kem-oshe'} subdue, powerful]
your god gives you to possess?
So whatever the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God]
our God has driven out before us,
we will possess it.
Judges 11:24
15"If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD,
choose for yourselves today whom you will serve:
whether the gods which your fathers served
which were beyond the River,
or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living;
but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."
Joshua 24:15
24'Do you not possess what Chemosh [kemıysh {kem-oshe'} subdue, powerful]
your god gives you to possess?
So whatever the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God]
our God has driven out before us,
we will possess it.
Judges 11:24
Chemosh [kemıysh {kem-oshe'} subdue, powerful]
The god of Moab (1 Kgs. 11: 7); also of Ammon (Judg. 11: 24).
Solomon built for him a high place on Mount Olivet (1 Kgs. 11: 7),
which Josiah destroyed (2 Kgs. 23: 13).
Chemosh was worshipped with human sacrifices (2 Kgs. 3: 27).
return after your sister-in-law."
16But Ruth [beauty, satisfied] said,
"Do not urge me to leave you
or turn back from following you;
for where you go, I will go,
and where you lodge, I will lodge.
Your people shall be my people,
and your God, [ 'ĕlôhıym, God the Creator] my God. [ 'ĕlôhıym, God the Creator]
17"Where you die, I will die,
and there I will be buried.
Thus may the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God] do to me, and worse,
if anything but death parts you and me."
The god of Moab (1 Kgs. 11: 7); also of Ammon (Judg. 11: 24).
Solomon built for him a high place on Mount Olivet (1 Kgs. 11: 7),
which Josiah destroyed (2 Kgs. 23: 13).
Chemosh was worshipped with human sacrifices (2 Kgs. 3: 27).
return after your sister-in-law."
16But Ruth [beauty, satisfied] said,
"Do not urge me to leave you
or turn back from following you;
for where you go, I will go,
and where you lodge, I will lodge.
Your people shall be my people,
and your God, [ 'ĕlôhıym, God the Creator] my God. [ 'ĕlôhıym, God the Creator]
17"Where you die, I will die,
and there I will be buried.
Thus may the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God] do to me, and worse,
if anything but death parts you and me."
[1 Samuel 3:17; 2 Kings 6:31]
17He said, "What is the word that He spoke to you?
Please do not hide it from me.
May God [ 'ĕlôhıym, God the Creator] do so to you, and more also,
if you hide anything from me
of all the words that He spoke to you."
1 Samuel 3:17 NAS
31Then he said, "May God [ 'ĕlôhıym, God the Creator]
do so to me and more also,
if the head of Elisha [salvation of God]
the son of Shaphat [judge] remains on him today."
2 Kings 6:31 NAS
18When she saw that she was determined to go with her,
she said no more to her.
17He said, "What is the word that He spoke to you?
Please do not hide it from me.
May God [ 'ĕlôhıym, God the Creator] do so to you, and more also,
if you hide anything from me
of all the words that He spoke to you."
1 Samuel 3:17 NAS
31Then he said, "May God [ 'ĕlôhıym, God the Creator]
do so to me and more also,
if the head of Elisha [salvation of God]
the son of Shaphat [judge] remains on him today."
2 Kings 6:31 NAS
18When she saw that she was determined to go with her,
she said no more to her.
[Acts 21:14]
14And since he would not be persuaded,
we fell silent, remarking,
"The will of the Lord [supreme authority, controller, Master] be done!"
Acts 21:14 NAS
19So they both went until they came to Bethlehem [ house of bread].
And when they had come to Bethlehem [ house of bread],
all the city was stirred because of them,
and the women said, "Is this Naomi?"
14And since he would not be persuaded,
we fell silent, remarking,
"The will of the Lord [supreme authority, controller, Master] be done!"
Acts 21:14 NAS
19So they both went until they came to Bethlehem [ house of bread].
And when they had come to Bethlehem [ house of bread],
all the city was stirred because of them,
and the women said, "Is this Naomi?"
Matthew 21:10
10When He had entered Jerusalem, [vision of peace]
all the city was stirred, saying, "Who is this?"
Matthew 21:10 NAS
20She said to them, "Do not call me Naomi; [beautiful; agreeable; comfort]
call me Mara, [bitterness]
for the Almighty [shaddai all powerful One] has dealt very bitterly with me.
10When He had entered Jerusalem, [vision of peace]
all the city was stirred, saying, "Who is this?"
Matthew 21:10 NAS
20She said to them, "Do not call me Naomi; [beautiful; agreeable; comfort]
call me Mara, [bitterness]
for the Almighty [shaddai all powerful One] has dealt very bitterly with me.
Exodus 6:3; Job 6:4
3and I appeared to Abraham, [father of a great multitude]
Isaac, [laughter]
and Jacob, [ that supplants, undermines; the heel]
as God [el (H41o) – strong, mighty Almighty] Almighty,
but by My name, LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God],
I did not make Myself known to them.
Exodus 6:3 NAS
4"For the arrows of the Almighty [shaddai, all powerful One] are within me,
Their poison my spirit drinks;
The terrors of God [eloahh (H433) {el o ah}– God, Deity, Divine, Godhead]
are arrayed against me.
Job 6:4 NAS
21"I went out full, but the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God]
has brought me back empty.
Why do you call me Naomi, [beautiful; agreeable; comfort]
since the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God] has witnessed against me
and the Almighty [ shaddai, all powerful One] has afflicted me?"
has brought me back empty.
Why do you call me Naomi, [beautiful; agreeable; comfort]
since the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God] has witnessed against me
and the Almighty [ shaddai, all powerful One] has afflicted me?"
Job 1:21
21He said,
"Naked I came from my mother's womb,
And naked I shall return there
The LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God]
gave and the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God] has taken away.
Blessed be the name of the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God]."
Job 1:21 NAS
22So Naomi [beautiful; agreeable; comfort] returned,
and with her Ruth [beauty, satisfied] the Moabitess, [of his father]
her daughter-in-law, who returned from the land of Moab. [of his father]
And they came to Bethlehem [ house of bread]
at the beginning of barley harvest.
and with her Ruth [beauty, satisfied] the Moabitess, [of his father]
her daughter-in-law, who returned from the land of Moab. [of his father]
And they came to Bethlehem [ house of bread]
at the beginning of barley harvest.
Exodus 9:31; Leviticus 23:10, 11
31(Now the flax and the barley were ruined,
for the barley was in the ear and the flax was in bud
Exodus 9:31 NAS
10"Speak to the sons of Israel [who prevails with God] and say to them,
'When you enter the land which I am going to give to you
and reap its harvest, then you shall bring in
the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest.
11'He shall wave the sheaf before the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God]
for you to be accepted;
on the day after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.
Leviticus 23:10-11 NAS.
Commentary on Ruth Chapter 1
Elimelech means "my God is king."
In that one name the whole doctrine of man,
"My God is king" may be fully understood.
The Book of Ruth begins with God,
just as the Bible begins with God---
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."
Genesis 1:1
31(Now the flax and the barley were ruined,
for the barley was in the ear and the flax was in bud
Exodus 9:31 NAS
10"Speak to the sons of Israel [who prevails with God] and say to them,
'When you enter the land which I am going to give to you
and reap its harvest, then you shall bring in
the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest.
11'He shall wave the sheaf before the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God]
for you to be accepted;
on the day after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.
Leviticus 23:10-11 NAS.
Commentary on Ruth Chapter 1
Elimelech means "my God is king."
In that one name the whole doctrine of man,
"My God is king" may be fully understood.
The Book of Ruth begins with God,
just as the Bible begins with God---
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."
Genesis 1:1
The Bible never argues the existence of God.
The God of the Bible is the God who is, the God who exists.
From beginning to end
you will never find any apologetic dissertations
on whether or not God exists.
The Bible starts with the fact of God.
The existence of God is a matter
that rests wholly upon the innate revelation
given by God to the human heart.
Man either admits that God exists
or he denies that God exists,
one or the other.
He was created not just to recognize the existence of God,
but to crave His presence.
He was created in God’s image.
Our fellowship with God was meant to mirror
the love and fellowship of the Trinity.
20For since the creation of the world
His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature,
have been clearly seen,
being understood through what has been made,
so that they are without excuse.
Romans 1:20
There is no hope for him if he doesn't,
because as Hebrews 11 tells us,
For whoever would draw near to God
must believe that he exists.
Hebrews 11:6
The God of the Bible is the God who is, the God who exists.
From beginning to end
you will never find any apologetic dissertations
on whether or not God exists.
The Bible starts with the fact of God.
The existence of God is a matter
that rests wholly upon the innate revelation
given by God to the human heart.
Man either admits that God exists
or he denies that God exists,
one or the other.
He was created not just to recognize the existence of God,
but to crave His presence.
He was created in God’s image.
Our fellowship with God was meant to mirror
the love and fellowship of the Trinity.
20For since the creation of the world
His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature,
have been clearly seen,
being understood through what has been made,
so that they are without excuse.
Romans 1:20
There is no hope for him if he doesn't,
because as Hebrews 11 tells us,
For whoever would draw near to God
must believe that he exists.
Hebrews 11:6
God is.
It isn't difficult to believe that God is.
Light from God both physical and spiritual,
is streaming to us from all around.
It is more difficult to believe that God isn't.
Only those who are educated “beyond their intelligence”
Who are bathed in the secular human whitewash,
finally talk themselves into believing that there is no God.
The whole story of man begins with that great fact that God is.
But there is more: "My God is king."
It is the "God who is, the Great I AM, who is my God.
That means that the "God who is" is available to me as a man.
The God who exists and created the universe
has made himself completely available to man.
Hebrews 11:6 goes on to say
"whoever would draw near to God
must believe that he exists
and that he rewards those who seek him."
Jesus said,
7"Ask, and it will be given to you;
seek, and you will find;
knock, and it will be opened to you.
8"For everyone who asks receives,
and he who seeks finds,
and to him who knocks it will be opened.
9"Or what man is there among you who,
when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone?
10"Or if he asks for a fish,
he will not give him a snake, will he?
Matthew 7:7- 10
If a man never finds God,
it is because he never bothered to seek.
Any man who wants to come to God and discover the realities of God,
grasp the fact of God, and experience the person of God
needs simply to begin to seek God,
because God makes himself available
step by step to the man who begins to look.
Throughout the testaments both old and new
is this common thought from the throne of God:
‘I will be their God,
they will be my people,
and I will dwell among them.’
I have found this thought from the heart of God
91 times (and still counting) from Genesis to Revelation.
Then he becomes "my God"
this increasingly becomes the relationship
that man in his innocence had with God in the Garden of Eden.
In the eighth Psalm we read David's remarkable statement:
When I look at thy heavens, the work of thy fingers,
the moon and the stars which You have established;
what is man that You are mindful of him
and the son of man that You care for him?
Psalm 8:3, 4
Then the Psalmist answers his own question:
You crown him glory and honor.
You have given him dominion over the works of Your hands...
Psalm 8:5, 6
Here is yet another facet of that name "my God is king."
Man was given dominion over the universe that God had made,
but only as he himself
was subject to the dominion of the God who made him.
As he subjected himself to the dominion of "my God"
(all that you are is available to me ),
he began to exercise dominion over all the rest of the world.
As he humbled himself and remained subject to God’s dominion,
he was given dominion.
This was exactly the relationship into which Jesus Christ came.
After quoting the verse from Psalm 8.
the writer of Hebrews said.
It isn't difficult to believe that God is.
Light from God both physical and spiritual,
is streaming to us from all around.
It is more difficult to believe that God isn't.
Only those who are educated “beyond their intelligence”
Who are bathed in the secular human whitewash,
finally talk themselves into believing that there is no God.
The whole story of man begins with that great fact that God is.
But there is more: "My God is king."
It is the "God who is, the Great I AM, who is my God.
That means that the "God who is" is available to me as a man.
The God who exists and created the universe
has made himself completely available to man.
Hebrews 11:6 goes on to say
"whoever would draw near to God
must believe that he exists
and that he rewards those who seek him."
Jesus said,
7"Ask, and it will be given to you;
seek, and you will find;
knock, and it will be opened to you.
8"For everyone who asks receives,
and he who seeks finds,
and to him who knocks it will be opened.
9"Or what man is there among you who,
when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone?
10"Or if he asks for a fish,
he will not give him a snake, will he?
Matthew 7:7- 10
If a man never finds God,
it is because he never bothered to seek.
Any man who wants to come to God and discover the realities of God,
grasp the fact of God, and experience the person of God
needs simply to begin to seek God,
because God makes himself available
step by step to the man who begins to look.
Throughout the testaments both old and new
is this common thought from the throne of God:
‘I will be their God,
they will be my people,
and I will dwell among them.’
I have found this thought from the heart of God
91 times (and still counting) from Genesis to Revelation.
Then he becomes "my God"
this increasingly becomes the relationship
that man in his innocence had with God in the Garden of Eden.
In the eighth Psalm we read David's remarkable statement:
When I look at thy heavens, the work of thy fingers,
the moon and the stars which You have established;
what is man that You are mindful of him
and the son of man that You care for him?
Psalm 8:3, 4
Then the Psalmist answers his own question:
You crown him glory and honor.
You have given him dominion over the works of Your hands...
Psalm 8:5, 6
Here is yet another facet of that name "my God is king."
Man was given dominion over the universe that God had made,
but only as he himself
was subject to the dominion of the God who made him.
As he subjected himself to the dominion of "my God"
(all that you are is available to me ),
he began to exercise dominion over all the rest of the world.
As he humbled himself and remained subject to God’s dominion,
he was given dominion.
This was exactly the relationship into which Jesus Christ came.
After quoting the verse from Psalm 8.
the writer of Hebrews said.
"...we do not yet see all things in subjection to him.
But we see Jesus. who for a little while
was made lower than the angels...
that by the grace of God
he might taste death for every one."
Hebrews 2:8-9
But we see Jesus. who for a little while
was made lower than the angels...
that by the grace of God
he might taste death for every one."
Hebrews 2:8-9
When Jesus Christ came,
he came not to act as God, but as a man,
subject to the dominion of God.
All dominion was given to him. As he said:
"All power in heaven and on earth is given unto me."
Matthew 28:18
he came not to act as God, but as a man,
subject to the dominion of God.
All dominion was given to him. As he said:
"All power in heaven and on earth is given unto me."
Matthew 28:18
Why? "Because," he said,
"I am totally subject to the dominion of my father."
That is the true relationship of man with God.
Thus when Adam walked in that relationship,
all the universe was subject to his dominion
because his "God was king."
That is man in his innocence.
The Book of Ruth begins with this statement:
1Now it came about (or in some versions: “Now it came to pass”)
in the days when the judges governed,
This phrase is used five times in Scripture:
Genesis 14:1; Ruth 1:1; Esther 1:1; Isaiah 7:1; Jeremiah 1:3
Whenever this phrase is used in the Word it denotes:
1. impending trouble is about to rear it’s ugly head
2. the trouble will be followed by God’s deliverance
3. there will be a happy ending to the story.
During the times of the Judges
Moab [of his father] held Israel [who prevails with God]
in servitude for 18 years
14The sons of Israel [who prevails with God]
served Eglon [heifer; chariot; round] the king of Moab [of his father] eighteen years.
Judges 3:14 NAS
Next we learn that”
that there was a famine in the land
Famine is classically
a result of rebellion and disobedience
And a certain man of Bethlehem [ house of bread]
in Judah [praise].
went to sojourn in the land of Moab, [of his father]
with his wife and his two sons.
2The name of the man was Elimelech, [my God is king]
and the name of his wife, Naomi; [beautiful; agreeable; comfort]
and the names of his two sons were
Mahlon [infirmity; a harp; pardon]
and Chilion, [finished; complete; perfect]
Ephrathites [fruitful; increasing] of Bethlehem [ house of bread]
in Judah.[ praise]
Now they entered the land of Moab [of his father]
Elimelech, [my God is king] was this “certain man”
and he was a foreshadow of the King of Kings, Jesus Christ:
2"But as for you, Bethlehem [ house of bread] Ephrathah, [fruitful; increasing]
Too little to be among the clans of Judah, [praise]
From you One will go forth for Me
to be ruler in Israel [who prevails with God]
His goings forth are from long ago,
From the days of eternity."
Micah 5:2 NAS
Now Elimelech married a woman whose name was Naomi
which means [comfort; agreeable; pleasure]
In the joining of these two names
you have the entire doctrine of the fall of man.
Elimelech = [my God is king]
Naomi = that which is [comfort; agreeable; pleasure]
When Satan came to Eve in the Garden of Eden,
he said to her,
"Did God say, 'You shall not eat of any tree of the garden'?"
Genesis 3:1
In the clever phrasing of that question
he suggested that God was denying
that which would bring pleasure to her.
Then he dangled the fruit in front of her and said something like,
"It looks good, doesn't it?
I'll tell you something.
It tastes better than it looks.
And if you will take of it,
you will find that it will make you wise."
The devil in his cleverness did not lay before Eve
a temptation which she could obviously see through.
He offered her a very delightful proposition.
He suggested to her that if she would take of this fruit
which God in his sovereignty had forbidden them to take
as a test of their obedience
she would be given the ability to become like God.
This of course was Lucifer’s own prideful mistake
when he was an anointed cherub of God – a covering angel.
12"Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre
and say to him, 'Thus says the Lord GOD,
"You had the seal of perfection,
Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
13"You were in Eden, the garden of God;
Every precious stone was your covering:
The ruby, the topaz and the diamond;
The beryl, the onyx and the jasper;
The lapis lazuli, the turquoise and the emerald;
And the gold, the workmanship
of your settings and sockets, was in you.
On the day that you were created
They were prepared.
14"You were the anointed cherub who covers,
And I placed you there
You were on the holy mountain of God;
You walked in the midst of the stones of fire.
15"You were blameless in your ways
From the day you were created
Until unrighteousness was found in you.
16"By the abundance of your trade
You were internally filled with violence,
And you sinned;
Therefore I have cast you as profane
From the mountain of God.
And I have destroyed you, O covering cherub,
From the midst of the stones of fire.
17"Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty;
You corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor
I cast you to the ground;
I put you before kings,
That they may see you.
18"By the multitude of your iniquities,
In the unrighteousness of your trade
You profaned your sanctuaries.
Therefore I have brought fire from the midst of you;
It has consumed you,
And I have turned you to ashes on the earth
In the eyes of all who see you.
19"All who know you among the peoples
Are appalled at you;
You have become terrified
And you will cease to be forever."'"
Ezekiel 28:12-19
Eve would be entering into a new domain
where she could step out
into her own independent activity and be "god" without God.
Satan offered man pleasure, outside of God’s design.
When "my God is king" married "pleasure"
he stepped outside of the limits God had placed upon him.
He sought his own pleasure before he sought his own God.
We read in the New Testament that such
are lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.
This is the spirit of the age and has been through the centuries.
In the marriage of Elimelech [my God is king]
to Naomi [comfort; agreeable; pleasure]
we have a picture of the fall of man.
Now this couple had two children whose names were Mahlon and Chilion.
he suggested that God was denying
that which would bring pleasure to her.
Then he dangled the fruit in front of her and said something like,
"It looks good, doesn't it?
I'll tell you something.
It tastes better than it looks.
And if you will take of it,
you will find that it will make you wise."
The devil in his cleverness did not lay before Eve
a temptation which she could obviously see through.
He offered her a very delightful proposition.
He suggested to her that if she would take of this fruit
which God in his sovereignty had forbidden them to take
as a test of their obedience
she would be given the ability to become like God.
This of course was Lucifer’s own prideful mistake
when he was an anointed cherub of God – a covering angel.
12"Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre
and say to him, 'Thus says the Lord GOD,
"You had the seal of perfection,
Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
13"You were in Eden, the garden of God;
Every precious stone was your covering:
The ruby, the topaz and the diamond;
The beryl, the onyx and the jasper;
The lapis lazuli, the turquoise and the emerald;
And the gold, the workmanship
of your settings and sockets, was in you.
On the day that you were created
They were prepared.
14"You were the anointed cherub who covers,
And I placed you there
You were on the holy mountain of God;
You walked in the midst of the stones of fire.
15"You were blameless in your ways
From the day you were created
Until unrighteousness was found in you.
16"By the abundance of your trade
You were internally filled with violence,
And you sinned;
Therefore I have cast you as profane
From the mountain of God.
And I have destroyed you, O covering cherub,
From the midst of the stones of fire.
17"Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty;
You corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor
I cast you to the ground;
I put you before kings,
That they may see you.
18"By the multitude of your iniquities,
In the unrighteousness of your trade
You profaned your sanctuaries.
Therefore I have brought fire from the midst of you;
It has consumed you,
And I have turned you to ashes on the earth
In the eyes of all who see you.
19"All who know you among the peoples
Are appalled at you;
You have become terrified
And you will cease to be forever."'"
Ezekiel 28:12-19
Eve would be entering into a new domain
where she could step out
into her own independent activity and be "god" without God.
Satan offered man pleasure, outside of God’s design.
When "my God is king" married "pleasure"
he stepped outside of the limits God had placed upon him.
He sought his own pleasure before he sought his own God.
We read in the New Testament that such
are lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.
This is the spirit of the age and has been through the centuries.
In the marriage of Elimelech [my God is king]
to Naomi [comfort; agreeable; pleasure]
we have a picture of the fall of man.
Now this couple had two children whose names were Mahlon and Chilion.
Mahlon means [infirmity; pardon; sick]
and Chilion means [finished ;pining away]
Can you imagine choosing those names for your children?!
How would you like to go visit this home and ask about the boys.
Mahlon [infirmity; pardon; sick] and Chilion [finished ;pining away]?
Oh, there’s little Mahlon [infirmity; pardon; sick]
lying in the corner, sick, pasty-faced
with a temperature, hovering somewhere between life and death.
Little Chilion is nothing but skin and bones wasting away.
When these boys grew older they went into the country of Moab [of his father].
While they were there (we read) the boys married girls who were Moabites.
Their names were Ruth and Orpah.
Now Orpah means [fawn, the neck or skull] a little young deer.
We also use the word in English to mean a superficial kind of love
fawning upon someone, a kind of surface love or attention.
Her name also brings to mind one with a stiff neck, or being stiff-necked.
Ruth means [beauty, satisfied]
The next thing we read is that Elimelech [my God is king] died.
3Then Elimelech, [my God is king]
Naomi's [beautiful; agreeable; comfort] husband, died;
and she was left with her two sons.
4They took for themselves Moabite [of his father] women as wives;
the name of the one was Orpah [fawn, the neck or skull]
and the name of the other Ruth. [beauty, satisfied]
And they lived there about ten years.
5Then both Mahlon [infirmity; a harp; pardon]
and Chilion [finished; complete; perfect] also died,
Mahlon died, and Chilion died.
The marrying of Moabite women
is no where expressly forbidden in scripture;
but it is commonly held that such an action
comes under the restriction in the law
which forbids Israelites from marrying Canaanites.
(See Deuteronomy 7:3 and 23:3).
Our Canon of scripture doesn’t elaborate
on why or how these sons of Naomi died.
The Targum (the Targum is the Aramaic translation of the Torah)
states that their deaths were a direct result
of their disobedience in marrying outside the faith.
Whatever the reason, it is clear
that the law stated that obedience results in long life
while disobedience yields the cutting off of life.
All three died, and this is exactly in line
with the picture in scripture of the results of the fall.
After Adam [earthy; red] and Eve [living; enlivening]
were excluded from the Garden of Eden [pleasure; delight]
we read that they had a son, Abel, [vanity; breath; vapor]
who was murdered by his brother Cain [possession, or possessed].
Then we read of the generations of Adam [earthy; red].
Adam [earthy; red] had a son whose name was Seth [put; who puts; fixed].
Seth [put; who puts; fixed]. died.
Seth [put; who puts; fixed]. had a son
whose name was Enos [mortal man; sick; despaired of; forgetful].
Enos [mortal man; sick; despaired of; forgetful]. died.
Enos [mortal man; sick; despaired of; forgetful]. had a son.
He died---and he died, and he died, and he died.
All down through that chapter
the bell of death rings out again and again.
When "my God is king" marries "pleasure" the result is death.
Here in the land of Moab these three men died
and left behind three heartbroken, destitute, lonely widows.
Now the heart of the story really begins
with these three widows in the land of Moab [of his father].
6Then she arose with her daughters-in-law
that she might return from the land of Moab, [of his father]
for she had heard in the land of Moab [of his father]
that the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God] had visited His people
We read that Naomi [comfort; agreeable; pleasure]
decided to return to her home in Bethlehem [house of bread] in Judah [praise].
because the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God] had “visited” His people
We don’t know how she learned of this;
again the Targum elaborates
and claims that an angel gave her this message.
Of course we don’t know that this is true,
it suffices to say that God arranged some form of communication…
(but I kind of like the angel account - :-)
7So she departed from the place where she was,
and her two daughters-in-law with her;
and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. [praise]
8And Naomi [beautiful; agreeable; comfort] said to her two daughters-in-law,
"Go, return each of you to her mother's house.
May the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God] deal kindly with you
as you have dealt with the dead and with me.
It is fairly evident from this,
that both Ruth [beauty, satisfied]
and Orpah [fawn, the neck or skull]
had treated their husbands and Naomi with kindness
Naomi’s insistence that they return to their mothers and their gods
makes perfect sense when we consider the culture they lived in.
There was no hope that these Gentile girls
would be able to find husbands in Israel
if they returned with Naomi. [beautiful; agreeable; comfort]
Naomi [beautiful; agreeable; comfort] had no other sons,
to fulfill the demands of the law.
See: Deuteronomy 25:5
9"May the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God]
grant that you may find rest,
each in the house of her husband."
Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept.
There was obviously genuine affection between
Naomi, [beautiful; agreeable; comfort]
Ruth [beauty, satisfied]
and Orpah. [fawn, the neck or skull]
and Chilion means [finished ;pining away]
Can you imagine choosing those names for your children?!
How would you like to go visit this home and ask about the boys.
Mahlon [infirmity; pardon; sick] and Chilion [finished ;pining away]?
Oh, there’s little Mahlon [infirmity; pardon; sick]
lying in the corner, sick, pasty-faced
with a temperature, hovering somewhere between life and death.
Little Chilion is nothing but skin and bones wasting away.
When these boys grew older they went into the country of Moab [of his father].
While they were there (we read) the boys married girls who were Moabites.
Their names were Ruth and Orpah.
Now Orpah means [fawn, the neck or skull] a little young deer.
We also use the word in English to mean a superficial kind of love
fawning upon someone, a kind of surface love or attention.
Her name also brings to mind one with a stiff neck, or being stiff-necked.
Ruth means [beauty, satisfied]
The next thing we read is that Elimelech [my God is king] died.
3Then Elimelech, [my God is king]
Naomi's [beautiful; agreeable; comfort] husband, died;
and she was left with her two sons.
4They took for themselves Moabite [of his father] women as wives;
the name of the one was Orpah [fawn, the neck or skull]
and the name of the other Ruth. [beauty, satisfied]
And they lived there about ten years.
5Then both Mahlon [infirmity; a harp; pardon]
and Chilion [finished; complete; perfect] also died,
Mahlon died, and Chilion died.
The marrying of Moabite women
is no where expressly forbidden in scripture;
but it is commonly held that such an action
comes under the restriction in the law
which forbids Israelites from marrying Canaanites.
(See Deuteronomy 7:3 and 23:3).
Our Canon of scripture doesn’t elaborate
on why or how these sons of Naomi died.
The Targum (the Targum is the Aramaic translation of the Torah)
states that their deaths were a direct result
of their disobedience in marrying outside the faith.
Whatever the reason, it is clear
that the law stated that obedience results in long life
while disobedience yields the cutting off of life.
All three died, and this is exactly in line
with the picture in scripture of the results of the fall.
After Adam [earthy; red] and Eve [living; enlivening]
were excluded from the Garden of Eden [pleasure; delight]
we read that they had a son, Abel, [vanity; breath; vapor]
who was murdered by his brother Cain [possession, or possessed].
Then we read of the generations of Adam [earthy; red].
Adam [earthy; red] had a son whose name was Seth [put; who puts; fixed].
Seth [put; who puts; fixed]. died.
Seth [put; who puts; fixed]. had a son
whose name was Enos [mortal man; sick; despaired of; forgetful].
Enos [mortal man; sick; despaired of; forgetful]. died.
Enos [mortal man; sick; despaired of; forgetful]. had a son.
He died---and he died, and he died, and he died.
All down through that chapter
the bell of death rings out again and again.
When "my God is king" marries "pleasure" the result is death.
Here in the land of Moab these three men died
and left behind three heartbroken, destitute, lonely widows.
Now the heart of the story really begins
with these three widows in the land of Moab [of his father].
6Then she arose with her daughters-in-law
that she might return from the land of Moab, [of his father]
for she had heard in the land of Moab [of his father]
that the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God] had visited His people
We read that Naomi [comfort; agreeable; pleasure]
decided to return to her home in Bethlehem [house of bread] in Judah [praise].
because the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God] had “visited” His people
We don’t know how she learned of this;
again the Targum elaborates
and claims that an angel gave her this message.
Of course we don’t know that this is true,
it suffices to say that God arranged some form of communication…
(but I kind of like the angel account - :-)
7So she departed from the place where she was,
and her two daughters-in-law with her;
and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. [praise]
8And Naomi [beautiful; agreeable; comfort] said to her two daughters-in-law,
"Go, return each of you to her mother's house.
May the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God] deal kindly with you
as you have dealt with the dead and with me.
It is fairly evident from this,
that both Ruth [beauty, satisfied]
and Orpah [fawn, the neck or skull]
had treated their husbands and Naomi with kindness
Naomi’s insistence that they return to their mothers and their gods
makes perfect sense when we consider the culture they lived in.
There was no hope that these Gentile girls
would be able to find husbands in Israel
if they returned with Naomi. [beautiful; agreeable; comfort]
Naomi [beautiful; agreeable; comfort] had no other sons,
to fulfill the demands of the law.
See: Deuteronomy 25:5
9"May the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God]
grant that you may find rest,
each in the house of her husband."
Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept.
There was obviously genuine affection between
Naomi, [beautiful; agreeable; comfort]
Ruth [beauty, satisfied]
and Orpah. [fawn, the neck or skull]
Such closeness resulted in blessing:
1. Naomi’s blessing in verse 9 (above)
2. Ruth’s blessing of Naomi through her faithfulness
10And they said to her,
"No, but we will surely return with you to your people."
Naomi’s attitude is desperate and her thinking unclear:
13b No, my daughters; for it is harder for me than for you,
for the hand of the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God]
has gone forth against me."
Both of these girls made a promise
to accompany her back into the land.
As they started out along the road and got further from Moab,
Orpah [fawn, the neck or skull] kept dropping behind.
14And they lifted up their voices and wept again;
and Orpah [fawn, the neck or skull] kissed her mother-in-law,
but Ruth [beauty, satisfied] clung to her.
At last Naomi [comfort; agreeable; pleasure]
saw that Orpah's [fawn, the neck or skull] heart was really not in this journey,
that she longed to go back into Moab [of his father].
So Naomi [comfort; agreeable; pleasure]
kissed Orpah [fawn, the neck or skull] good-bye and sent her back.
The Word says that Ruth [beauty, satisfied]
“clung to” Naomi [comfort; agreeable; pleasure]
The Body of Christ
should cling to the Holy Spirit.
1. Naomi’s blessing in verse 9 (above)
2. Ruth’s blessing of Naomi through her faithfulness
10And they said to her,
"No, but we will surely return with you to your people."
Naomi’s attitude is desperate and her thinking unclear:
13b No, my daughters; for it is harder for me than for you,
for the hand of the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God]
has gone forth against me."
Both of these girls made a promise
to accompany her back into the land.
As they started out along the road and got further from Moab,
Orpah [fawn, the neck or skull] kept dropping behind.
14And they lifted up their voices and wept again;
and Orpah [fawn, the neck or skull] kissed her mother-in-law,
but Ruth [beauty, satisfied] clung to her.
At last Naomi [comfort; agreeable; pleasure]
saw that Orpah's [fawn, the neck or skull] heart was really not in this journey,
that she longed to go back into Moab [of his father].
So Naomi [comfort; agreeable; pleasure]
kissed Orpah [fawn, the neck or skull] good-bye and sent her back.
The Word says that Ruth [beauty, satisfied]
“clung to” Naomi [comfort; agreeable; pleasure]
The Body of Christ
should cling to the Holy Spirit.
8but you will receive power
when the Holy Spirit has come upon you;
and you shall be My witnesses
both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria,
and even to the remotest part of the earth."
Acts 1:8
When we learn to cling to the Spirit of God,
we spend time in His presence
and our hearts are transformed more and more
to the image of Christ;
this transformation is witnessed by
the Fruits of the Holy Spirit (the character of Christ)
being birthed in us and through us.
But the fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, patients, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Against such things there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23
In Ruth [beauty, satisfied] and Orpah [fawn, the neck or skull]
there is a clear picture
of the two kinds of spiritual commitments
that are made to Jesus Christ.
Many, many times you will find that two people
who at the very same moment and under the same circumstances,
being confronted by the same truth,
will make a commitment to Jesus Christ.
But one of them is a soulish emotional commitment
while the other is a heart commitment.
People who make soulish commitments
may be emotionally stirred for the moment.
They are drawn by some superficial view
of our Lord's person or his glory,
or to something that they hope to gain from their commitment.
They do not actually meet the Lord in an intimate way…
face to face… heart to heart… spirit to Spirit.
At the moment of the encounter you can't tell the difference
between this soulish and a heart commitment; they both look alike.
But as the two walk on in the Christian life,
one begins to hang back, and at last, like Orpah [fawn, the neck or skull],
comes to the place where, as they say. "I can't go on any longer."
We read that Orpah [fawn, the neck or skull]
turned and went back to her own people and her own gods.
It was only a superficial change that had occurred;
making it easy for her to return to her own people and her own gods.
In today’s world, we would see such superficial believers returning
to their own contemporary idols;
money, position, power, or a host of other pleasure-centered substitutes,
to living in the presence of God.
Idolatry is primarily an inward response of personal adoration
toward anything that is less than God;
whether that object is physical
or a concept that we have embraced.
when the Holy Spirit has come upon you;
and you shall be My witnesses
both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria,
and even to the remotest part of the earth."
Acts 1:8
When we learn to cling to the Spirit of God,
we spend time in His presence
and our hearts are transformed more and more
to the image of Christ;
this transformation is witnessed by
the Fruits of the Holy Spirit (the character of Christ)
being birthed in us and through us.
But the fruit of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, patients, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Against such things there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23
In Ruth [beauty, satisfied] and Orpah [fawn, the neck or skull]
there is a clear picture
of the two kinds of spiritual commitments
that are made to Jesus Christ.
Many, many times you will find that two people
who at the very same moment and under the same circumstances,
being confronted by the same truth,
will make a commitment to Jesus Christ.
But one of them is a soulish emotional commitment
while the other is a heart commitment.
People who make soulish commitments
may be emotionally stirred for the moment.
They are drawn by some superficial view
of our Lord's person or his glory,
or to something that they hope to gain from their commitment.
They do not actually meet the Lord in an intimate way…
face to face… heart to heart… spirit to Spirit.
At the moment of the encounter you can't tell the difference
between this soulish and a heart commitment; they both look alike.
But as the two walk on in the Christian life,
one begins to hang back, and at last, like Orpah [fawn, the neck or skull],
comes to the place where, as they say. "I can't go on any longer."
We read that Orpah [fawn, the neck or skull]
turned and went back to her own people and her own gods.
It was only a superficial change that had occurred;
making it easy for her to return to her own people and her own gods.
In today’s world, we would see such superficial believers returning
to their own contemporary idols;
money, position, power, or a host of other pleasure-centered substitutes,
to living in the presence of God.
Idolatry is primarily an inward response of personal adoration
toward anything that is less than God;
whether that object is physical
or a concept that we have embraced.
"An idol may be metal or mental,
carved by man or conceived in the mind. "
carved by man or conceived in the mind. "
Judson Cornwall, Things We Adore, page 18
Simply put, an idol is anything or anyone, including ourselves
that is given credit for the abilities or possessions
that God is responsible for in our lives.
Naomi [comfort; agreeable; pleasure] said to Ruth [beauty, satisfied].
"Do you want to go back also?"
Simply put, an idol is anything or anyone, including ourselves
that is given credit for the abilities or possessions
that God is responsible for in our lives.
Naomi [comfort; agreeable; pleasure] said to Ruth [beauty, satisfied].
"Do you want to go back also?"
15Then she said, "Behold, your sister-in-law
has gone back to her people and her gods;
return after your sister-in-law."
Then Ruth [beauty, satisfied] said those wonderful words
16But Ruth [beauty, satisfied] said,
"Do not urge me to leave you
or turn back from following you;
for where you go, I will go,
and where you lodge, I will lodge.
Your people shall be my people,
and your God, [ 'ĕlôhıym, God the Creator] my God. [ 'ĕlôhıym, God the Creator]
17"Where you die, I will die,
and there I will be buried.
Thus may the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God] do to me, and worse,
if anything but death parts you and me."
These words are words that the Body of Christ
should profess to their Bridegroom.
But in Ruth [beauty, satisfied]
we see that marvelous commitment that says,
I am wholly yours---body, soul and spirit.
Ruth [beauty, satisfied] made her decision
and consecrated her life
to following Jehovah [LORD] the God of Israel,
and in doing so, she turned her back on the idols of Moab.
For this she was blessed
to become a part of the lineage
of the Messiah, Christ Jesus.
(See: Matthew 1:1-6)
19So they both went until they came to Bethlehem [ house of bread].
And when they had come to Bethlehem [ house of bread],
all the city was stirred because of them,
and the women said, "Is this Naomi?"
Evidently the family of Elimelech [my God is king]
had been well known in Bethlehem. [ house of bread]
They were of the tribe of Judah, [ praise],
as such they knew it was prophesied
that the Messiah would come through them.
At the time however,
they did not know which family of Judah [ praise]
the Messiah would come through.
The women of Bethlehem [ house of bread]
were probably shocked to see Naomi [comfort; agreeable; pleasure]
returning without Elimelech, [my God is king]
and in such a destitute condition.
20She said to them, "Do not call me Naomi; [beautiful; agreeable; comfort]
call me Mara, [bitterness]
for the Almighty [shaddai all powerful One]
has dealt very bitterly with me.
Elimelech [my God is king]
married Naomi, [comfort; agreeable; pleasure]
but the result was Mara [bitterness]
When "my God is king" marries “pleasure”
"pleasure" is turned into "bitterness."
The Lord Jesus was born in Bethlehem, [ house of bread]
and he said,
"I am the bread of life."
has gone back to her people and her gods;
return after your sister-in-law."
Then Ruth [beauty, satisfied] said those wonderful words
16But Ruth [beauty, satisfied] said,
"Do not urge me to leave you
or turn back from following you;
for where you go, I will go,
and where you lodge, I will lodge.
Your people shall be my people,
and your God, [ 'ĕlôhıym, God the Creator] my God. [ 'ĕlôhıym, God the Creator]
17"Where you die, I will die,
and there I will be buried.
Thus may the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God] do to me, and worse,
if anything but death parts you and me."
These words are words that the Body of Christ
should profess to their Bridegroom.
But in Ruth [beauty, satisfied]
we see that marvelous commitment that says,
I am wholly yours---body, soul and spirit.
Ruth [beauty, satisfied] made her decision
and consecrated her life
to following Jehovah [LORD] the God of Israel,
and in doing so, she turned her back on the idols of Moab.
For this she was blessed
to become a part of the lineage
of the Messiah, Christ Jesus.
(See: Matthew 1:1-6)
19So they both went until they came to Bethlehem [ house of bread].
And when they had come to Bethlehem [ house of bread],
all the city was stirred because of them,
and the women said, "Is this Naomi?"
Evidently the family of Elimelech [my God is king]
had been well known in Bethlehem. [ house of bread]
They were of the tribe of Judah, [ praise],
as such they knew it was prophesied
that the Messiah would come through them.
At the time however,
they did not know which family of Judah [ praise]
the Messiah would come through.
The women of Bethlehem [ house of bread]
were probably shocked to see Naomi [comfort; agreeable; pleasure]
returning without Elimelech, [my God is king]
and in such a destitute condition.
20She said to them, "Do not call me Naomi; [beautiful; agreeable; comfort]
call me Mara, [bitterness]
for the Almighty [shaddai all powerful One]
has dealt very bitterly with me.
Elimelech [my God is king]
married Naomi, [comfort; agreeable; pleasure]
but the result was Mara [bitterness]
When "my God is king" marries “pleasure”
"pleasure" is turned into "bitterness."
The Lord Jesus was born in Bethlehem, [ house of bread]
and he said,
"I am the bread of life."
Here again we see Naomi [comfort; agreeable; pleasure]
attributing her hardships
to the hand of the LORD. [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God]
We are quick to come to this kind of conclusion
when things are stormy in our lives.
Our culture today
frequently attributes disasters to the “Wrath of God.”
Naomi [comfort; agreeable; pleasure] attributed her troubles
to a personal attack of God.
Often when our comfort level is disrupted
we can react in the same way.
But God has come to comfort the afflicted
and afflict the comfortable.
Famine, flood, hurricanes, earthquakes,
tornadoes, wars, pestilences,
and most other kinds of natural disasters
are not generally a result of an individual curse.
Such afflictions fall on the righteous and the wicked,
they are no respecter of persons.
In Israel [who prevails with God] the famine was the result
of a nation who had turned its back on God;
they had become rebellious and defiant
stiff-necked like Orpah [fawn, the neck or skull].
The people had clearly
been given a promise from the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God]
that if they followed after His ways
they would be immune from such afflictions
(See Leviticus 26 & Deuteronomy 28)
When God found it necessary
to punish an apostate Israel [who prevails with God]
the righteous suffered
right along with the wicked majority
who were serving God with their lips,
but not with their hearts.
They were going through the religious rituals
with a cold heart toward fellowshipping with God.
13Then the Lord said,
"Because this people draw near with their words
And honor Me with their lip service,
But they remove their hearts far from Me,
And their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote,
Isaiah 29:13 NAS
They observed religious traditions,
outward sacrifices and works
but they wanted to live their own lives,
“free” from the governance of God.
This is a picture of most of the Church in America today.
One of the worst slanders against God
comes from His own people
blaming Him for human sorrows and failures
which they (and their culture) bring upon themselves
through their own sin, lust and idolatries
Often this is not individual sin
(although that cannot be excluded)
but general attitudes of sin, lust and idolatries
that are leading to apostasy.
This makes it likely that God
will bring judgment upon a people/nation.
When these things happen,
the righteous are involved in the judgment
and suffer along with the wicked.
God will use such judgment to bring a people/nation
to the place of repentance and restoration.
God will additionally use
circumstances and affliction to purify and refine us.
We must be careful not to judge God concerning His actions.
Job 2:10
1 Corinthians 13:12-13
Attacks from satan are simply a part of our calling in Christ.
Ephesians 6:10-18
James 4:7
1 Peter 5:8-9
We must learn to give thanks to God in times of trial.
Job 1:21
Philippians 4:6
End Part 2
30
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attributing her hardships
to the hand of the LORD. [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God]
We are quick to come to this kind of conclusion
when things are stormy in our lives.
Our culture today
frequently attributes disasters to the “Wrath of God.”
Naomi [comfort; agreeable; pleasure] attributed her troubles
to a personal attack of God.
Often when our comfort level is disrupted
we can react in the same way.
But God has come to comfort the afflicted
and afflict the comfortable.
Famine, flood, hurricanes, earthquakes,
tornadoes, wars, pestilences,
and most other kinds of natural disasters
are not generally a result of an individual curse.
Such afflictions fall on the righteous and the wicked,
they are no respecter of persons.
In Israel [who prevails with God] the famine was the result
of a nation who had turned its back on God;
they had become rebellious and defiant
stiff-necked like Orpah [fawn, the neck or skull].
The people had clearly
been given a promise from the LORD [yehôvâh – intimate and personal God]
that if they followed after His ways
they would be immune from such afflictions
(See Leviticus 26 & Deuteronomy 28)
When God found it necessary
to punish an apostate Israel [who prevails with God]
the righteous suffered
right along with the wicked majority
who were serving God with their lips,
but not with their hearts.
They were going through the religious rituals
with a cold heart toward fellowshipping with God.
13Then the Lord said,
"Because this people draw near with their words
And honor Me with their lip service,
But they remove their hearts far from Me,
And their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote,
Isaiah 29:13 NAS
They observed religious traditions,
outward sacrifices and works
but they wanted to live their own lives,
“free” from the governance of God.
This is a picture of most of the Church in America today.
One of the worst slanders against God
comes from His own people
blaming Him for human sorrows and failures
which they (and their culture) bring upon themselves
through their own sin, lust and idolatries
Often this is not individual sin
(although that cannot be excluded)
but general attitudes of sin, lust and idolatries
that are leading to apostasy.
This makes it likely that God
will bring judgment upon a people/nation.
When these things happen,
the righteous are involved in the judgment
and suffer along with the wicked.
God will use such judgment to bring a people/nation
to the place of repentance and restoration.
God will additionally use
circumstances and affliction to purify and refine us.
We must be careful not to judge God concerning His actions.
Job 2:10
1 Corinthians 13:12-13
Attacks from satan are simply a part of our calling in Christ.
Ephesians 6:10-18
James 4:7
1 Peter 5:8-9
We must learn to give thanks to God in times of trial.
Job 1:21
Philippians 4:6
End Part 2
30
fkj<><
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