Excerpts from "Ruth"


1:1 JUDGES- The Bible records these as unsatisfactory times.  Israel
kept turning from God, forgetting all His goodness to them, and drifting
into the moral and religious ways of the Canaanites around.  God had to
leave them to reap the bitter harvest of their sins, until oppression
drove them to cry out for His help.  Time and again they had to learn
that if they chose to be just another Baal worshipping tribe, they must
take their chances among their neighbours, and be at their mercy.  The
surrounding tribes were more firmly entrenched in their lands, better
organised, and better weaponed.  They could put an army in the field at
short notice, or organise swift raiding parties to terrorise, and if
they found weakness, begin permanent occupation.

Recent Archaeological discoveries confirm that the Israelites had been
driven back into the hills, and were farming small terraced fields
cleared from the forest while the Canaanites flourished on the more
fertile plains.  [Obeying Josh 17:15, "Go up into the forest and clear
land for yourselves," but refusing to trust/ obey God for vs 18 "though
the Canaanites have iron chariots and are strong you can drive them
out."] All the Israelites prayed for/ attempted, was to fend off raids
on their small holdings.  As the ceiling height of a typical village
farm house was 5ft 3, it seems that they may have been stunted by
poverty.  With David's deliverances, these hill villages/ farms were
abandoned promptly, as the Israelites were able to occupy the fertile
plains.

..
STEPS POOR COULD TAKE SO AS TO SURVIVE BAD TIMES.

BORROW MONEY- Lev 25:35-7, Money must be lent interest free, regardless
of the likelihood of repayment, Deu 15:9 . Such debts were to be
cancelled every 7th year.  **1

SELL FAMILY LAND- Lev 25:23 onwards, "not permanently, because the land
is Mine and you are my tenants."  Redemption must be allowed, "because
what he is really selling is the number of crops," Lev 25:16.

SELL SELVES- Lev 25:39-43...

Footnote **1.  The Hebrew word for interest is "BITE" Nashak, as
borrowing put a man at the mercy of the lender.  It still does in rural
communities such as in India.  The NT has the modern concept of money as
capital lent to be productive.  Interest is the "OFFSPRING" Tokos the
money lent has "GIVEN BIRTH TO/ produced.  "I would have had my own with
INTEREST," Mt 25:27.

..

1:2 ELIMELECH- My God is King.  NAOMI- Pleasant.  EPHRATHITES- Ephratah-
Fertility.  The names SOUND Idyllic, but without obedient faith in God
it was all an empty sham.  Famine in the house of bread.  Elimelech
unwilling to trust/obey God and claim the rights of the poor in Israel.
(OR to trust the Lord's people - the two are inseparable.)

How sad today when Believers prefer to do business with, enjoy
recreation with, or seek help from UNBELIEVERS, not so as to be a
witness to them, but because "They're easier to get on with/ being
friendly with them demands less of us."  This is true, maybe, but God
has placed us in the body of Christ with those He has chosen
specifically, 1 Cor 12:12-26, with a view to our PRESENT growth, and
ETERNAL joy, Eph 4:15-17, rather than present pleasure that is a waste
of time as far as eternal things are concerned.  We need to build within
our local church a real fellowship of love, and speaking the truth in
love, in Christ, AND USE IT.

Discontented Elimelech goes to try his luck in a new land, among new
people, under a new god.  As always, he took his problems with him - and
reaped sickness, death, and the extinction of their "EPHRATAH" family.

MAHLON- Sick.  CHILION- Pining.  Unlikely birth names, descriptive
nick-names earned as they lived, as Saul's son ESHBAAL, became known as
"ISH-BOSHETH" - "Worthless man!" 2 Sam 2:8; 1 Chr 8:33.

1:3-4 TOOK THEM WIVES.  Simple terms used, daughters of poor families
like themselves.  RUTH- Appearance or Beauty?  Even the poor have hopes/
dreams as they name their children.  Ruth developed beauty of character,
whatever her appearance.

1:5 WAS LEFT OF/without- Sarid.  It has unpleasant associations, Num
24:19 is typical.  Poor Naomi, in leaving God's land, she lost all.  It
may not have been her choice, if it was the men's idea, but all going
out from God ends in the disgrace of lost souls, or wasted lives.  Our
God-given responsibility to CHOOSE is to be taken seriously, and
exercised in His sight, in the light of His word.  Grace transformed the
situation, but the witness of the cost - three graves in Moab -
remained.

1:6-7 AROSE- by God's grace, and her choice, to RETURN.  A simple word,
but the only key that can open the door to blessing.  Deu 30:2-3 ....