Ruth 1

[MEST] Ruth
Ruth 1
Intro > Whether you’ve read Ruth a thousand times or never even looked at it, this small book has some big themes. Ruth was written at the same time in Israel’s history as Judges. But that’s where the connection ends, the two books couldn’t be more different...
Judges includes lots of people’s stories _ Ruth has just a few
Judges is a big book _ Ruth is one of the smallest OT books
Judges covers the whole of the Israelite nation _ Ruth covers just one small town
Judges spans 200 years of history _ Ruth spans just one generation
[Read Ruth 1]
[Activity] > In this chapter we see 3 mistakes that were made by the characters, that we must try to avoid as we deal with life’s problems and trials. They are...
1] UNBELIEF : Trying to run from our problems
2] DECEPTION : Trying to hide our mistakes
3] BITTERNESS : Blaming God for our trials
Look at this chapter and try to give evidence for these and explain them. Also, think of other biblical examples to compare...

What reasons or circumstances might cause us to try to run from our problems as Naomi & Elimelek did?

When troubles come in our lives, we can do one of three things; endure it, escape it, or enlist it. What could these mean?

Elimelek means “my God is king”. How is this a bad name to give this man?

Why would Naomi, a God-fearing Jew, encourage two pagan women to worship false gods?

It was the barley harvest when the 2 widows arrived in Bethlehem, a time when everyone expressed joy and thanked God for His goodness. It was also spring, a time of new life and new beginning. How is this significant?

Do you think Naomi was exaggerating her situation? Did she have any reasons to be thankful?

How does Elimelek and Naomi’s choices relate to their situation and what does this tell us about their relationship with God?

Naomi means “pleasure”, but on returning to Bethlehem she asked to be called Mara, meaning “bitter”. Explain this change.

Despite the fact that Ruth is both a woman and a gentile, her name appears in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1:5-6. What does this tell us?

After some persuading by Naomi, Orpah goes back home. But Ruth stays with her mother-in-law. What does this tell us about their 2 personalities?