Bible Women of Courage - RUTH

by Mrs. Rick Jackson

For those who don’t know, this year our theme has been, Bible Women of Courage.  For that reason, I have chosen for our memory verse, Psalm 27:14 –

Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

I want to take you back to the Old Testament to introduce you to our Woman of Courage – RUTH.  I must confess that this is one of my most favorite texts in the Old Testament – the beautiful story of the Kinsman Redeemer.  But this will not be our focal point.  If you are not familiar with this short but wonderful book, I encourage you to take the time to read all four chapters in one sitting.  The time that I have spent here in the past few weeks has been such a renewed blessing to my spirit and I know it will be to yours, too!  There is so much to be learned from the Book of RUTH!

I would like us to look together at the first chapter of RUTH.

¹ Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem-Judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.

² And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem-Judah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there.

³ And Elimelech Naomi's husband died; and she was left, and her two sons.

⁴ And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years.

⁵ And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband.

⁶ Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the LORD had visited his people in giving them bread.

⁷ Wherefore she went forth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters in law with her; and they went on the way to return unto the land of Judah.

⁸ And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go, return each to her mother's house: the LORD deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me.

⁹ The LORD grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them; and they lifted up their voice, and wept.

¹⁰ And they said unto her, Surely we will return with thee unto thy people.

¹¹ And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? are there yet any more sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?

¹² Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have an husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should have an husband also to night, and should also bear sons;

¹³ Would ye tarry for them till they were grown? would ye stay for them from having husbands? nay, my daughters; for it grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD is gone out against me.

¹⁴ And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her.

¹⁵ And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law.

¹⁶ And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:

¹⁷ Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.

¹⁸ When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her.

¹⁹ So they two went until they came to Bethlehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Bethlehem, that all the city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi?

²⁰ And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.

²¹ I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the LORD hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?

²² So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her, which returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Bethlehem in the beginning of barley harvest.

Ruth, the Moabitess

I want to begin by drawing your attention to that last verse, 22: “So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess….” In this short book, attention is drawn to the fact that Ruth is not an Israelite.  She is here Ruth the Moabitess, again in 2:2, 2:21, 4:5, & 4:10; the Moabitish damsel (2:6); and “stranger” (2:10).  If you recall, the Moabites came about from Lot’s relationship with his daughters after the fall of Sodom and Gomorrah.  Their relationship with Israel was always tempestuous.  Their king Balak was the one who sent for Balaam to curse Israel.  Are you getting the picture?  We are reminded over and over that Ruth was the outsider, the foreigner, the stranger, the outcast.  Keep that in mind as we continue.

Ruth, Part of a Family

So, we know the backdrop.  This family from Israel, Elimelech and Naomi, and sons, Mahlon and Chilion, seek relief from famine in the country of Moab. Soon after their flight, Elimelech dies.  The boys then go against the teachings of their faith and marry foreigners.  It was, after all, the time of the Judges, when, the Bible says, “In those days [there was] no king in Israel, [but] every man did [that which was] right in his own eyes.” (Judges 17:6) Into the family come Ruth and Orpah.  And they remained for 10 years until the boys both died, too.  Suddenly there are three widows with no means of support.  And Naomi hears that the famine at home has gone and she is homesick.  What is there left for her in Moab?  She is ready to go home!! On their way back towards Bethlehem, Naomi realizes there is no reason for the girls to go on with her.  They’re poor, she can’t support them, she’s childless with no way to provide sons who can take care of them, so the girls might as well go on back to their families and start over. Here is an important crossroads.  What will they do? Let’s go back to RUTH chapter 1.

¹⁴ And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her.

¹⁵ And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law.

We see Orpah is quick to decide – I’m going home to Momma! Not only that, but I’m going back to our gods.  This is even more sad because the Moabites worshipped the god Chemosh who accepted human sacrifices and encouraged immorality. Sadly, this is what Naomi was encouraging Ruth to also do. 

Ruth, Woman of Courage

We don’t always have the right people beside us in making decisions.  We must rely on what faith we have.  [⁴Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith. Habakkuk 2:4] Ruth had lived with this family for ten years.  Surely in this time she had heard about the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  Certainly she had heard the stories of Moses and Joshua.  She must have been told how God had opened the Red Sea and they had walked on dry land.  She probably heard how the walls of Jericho fell.  All this time and all these things had made an impression.  Now it was Ruth’s turn.

Sometimes when confronted with a decision, it is helpful to put it in quantifiable terms:

1.      WHEN?

2.      WHERE?

3.      WHy?

4.      WHat?

And these “W” Questions Can Easily Be Answered By Replacing The “W” with a “T”.

For Ruth, the answers came quickly:

1.      WHEN?           Then!             

¹⁶ And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee:

2.      WHERE?         There!           

for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge:

3.      WHy?             THy!               

thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:

4.      WHat?           That!             

¹⁷ Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.

Ruth had made up her mind then and there.  She put in with Naomi and the God of Israel.  She said it doesn’t matter that we’re poor and there is no one to look after us, we have THE God.  And I believe in HIM. So much so, Naomi, that even after you die, I will stay in Israel and worship Him and be buried with you.  I am now a believer.  There’s no looking back for me!  What a testimony! I am reminded of what Jesus said of the centurion in Matthew 8:10 – “…Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no not in Israel.”  Here was a woman who exhibited great courage! It did not end here.  Her life continued to be a walk of faith and courage … but that is for you to read at a later date!

Ruth, Ancestor of Jesus

I just want to close with this verse:

Matthew 1:5 – “And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse.”

Because of her courage and faithfulness, RUTH is mentioned in the New Testament as one of the five women in the lineage of our Lord Jesus! What a blessing! A Moabitess, an outcast, becomes a named ancestor in the lineage of the Saviour! 

We never know how important our decisions can be.  Make them prayerfully. Make them by faith.

That’s why it is so important for us to live out our memory verse:

Psalm 27:14 –

Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.