Ruth Chapter One

The little book of Ruth is perhaps the most poignant love story in the field of literature. Much has been said and written to this effect, and the best method one may use to get the true value of the literary side of the book is to read the story through from beginning to end. We are not here going to consider it as a love story, nor yet as an example of classical literature, nor as an incident in the history of the Jewish race but as a part of the Word of God. We must see that what we are considering is Scripture, a book called Ruth divinely inspired and recorded for us by the Holy Spirit of God Himself, and that this book plays an important part in our Christian lives, as it occupies a small but nonetheless important part in the total instruction of God for us. The book of Ruth is to the Old Testament what the 13th chapter of first Corinthians is to the New Testament, the bringing in of love to our lives as the more excellent way by which we may all win through at last. Among the Delectable Mountains the book of Ruth stands as the highest pinnacle to which we may aspire on our pathway here.

“In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went in to live for a while in the country of Moab.” Ruth 1:1

Verse 1. “Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled” shows us that the time scene is this our day. The Lord as KING is absent, as He is today, for we all await His return, and during His absence the judges rule over us. Again, “there was a famine in the land.” It is a period of spiritual decline, of improper feeding, of want of meat, of sterility in our lives, of famine in the affairs of the children of God. If this does not describe our present conditions, what does? “And a certain man of Bethlehem-Judah” is a description of anyone who is born again. The place of his birth is where he saw the Lord, and “Bethlehem-Judah” confirms it, for this is the place of the birth. That such a one “went to live or sojourn in the country of Moab” means simply that he turned again to worldly things but let us not judge such a one too harshly for the reason for his going was the famine in his own country. This then is a picture of a man suffering from spiritual starvation who turns to the things of this world for fulfillment, and with him goes his wife and family. The end of that way is death, as we see from the story, and how many have died in the country of Moab. Moab is not Egypt, but is a condition of respectable outward Christianity generally found in activities closely connected to the church but alien to the true life of faith.

“The man’s name was Elimelech, his wife’s name Maomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephranthites from Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there.” Ruth 1:2

Verse 2. “And the name of the man was Elimelech” – which means “called of God,” “and the name of his wife Naomi” which means “the pleasant aspect of Christian living,” what we would call doing good socially. His two sons were Mahlon – which means “Bereft of strength” and Chilion (or Kilion) – which simply means “Leaving.” In other words we are seeing a picture of a man who was well saved, who was properly born again and called of God, but who suffered from spiritual starvation and gave himself to social activities instead of reaping in the Lord’s fields. Yet he lived as a good Christian and was probably a deacon in his church, for Naomi shows us this pleasant aspect of his life. But it is in his sons we see his failure; he is bereft of strength when he should have been strong in the Lord, and he is seen as leaving when he should have remained steadfast. These are Ephrathites of Bethlehem-Judah – the emphasis is on what such persons should be, for they are truly saved, well born again and belong to Joseph, so they can be expected to be of the very highest Christian caliber, yet we see them coming into the country of Moab and continuing there. But it is not long before (verse 3) such a one dies spiritually, leaving only the pleasant aspect of his Christian living as a witness for Christ in that place.

“Now Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died, and she was left with her two sons. They married Moabite women, one named Orpah and the other Ruth. After they had lived there about ten years, both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.” Ruth 1:3-5

Verse 4. Now the sons took wives of the women of Moab, a thing clearly contrary to the law of God. The name of the one was Orpah – meaning “she who supports” – and the name of the other Ruth – meaning “loveliness.” “And they dwelled there about ten years.” This is important. It shows us they were trying to establish the kingdom of God and didn’t quite succeed. “About ten years” shows the vagueness of the result.

Verse 5. Then Mahlon, who should have been the strength of Elimelech but was not, and Chilion who should have been his steadfastness but was not, died also. The man is not only spiritually dead but his strength and steadfastness are also dead, leaving only the pleasantness of his life supported by “welfare” works and all that may be seen as lovely in social do-gooding. Many Christians are in this position. Nothing remains of the witness they once had but their pleasantness and do-gooding, which properly speaking belong to Moab and not to the children of Israel. Our work is reaping and gleaning, not activities connected with worldly welfare and social do-gooding. If we fail to see this then the book of Ruth is lost to us, it is merely an inspiring love-story, a classical piece of literature, a moment’s reading, and is almost irrelevant to our modern way of life. We must remember this is scripture, inspired of God for our good here.

Now of course this story has not only meaning but purpose for our lives. If we are in this situation we may wonder what we are meant to do and how our lives can be redeemed so that something for Christ can yet come by way of us. The answer lies in one word, Repent. We must turn again to the place we started out from, as Naomi did. All is not lost. We may keep the pleasant aspect of our lives and all that is lovely in our social work and return to the birthplace. But first we must let Orpah go, if she has been our means of support and this is a difficult parting for all of us. But if Ruth is real in our lives, if there was indeed some loveliness in the country of Moab, she will cling to us at this point. Her immortal words, “Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee” (verse 16) shows that she was more married to Chilion than to Mahlon for what she displays here is steadfastness for all of us. Indeed there is no truer picture of steadfastness in all of scripture and much might be learned from a study of the words which we will have to neglect in this work. God is showing that even when our strength and steadfastness are dead, out of our weakness as portrayed for us here by the women can come something to bring joy to the heart of the Lord of the harvest.

So we see that for us the first step is to repent, to return to the place from whence we came out, but it is not an easy step if Orpah was our means of support in Moab. We indeed may be welcomed back as Naomi was, but our return is bitter, for Naomi says, Call me Mara, which means “Bitter,” (verse 20). Repentance is always a bitter pill to have to swallow, especially if we were living such exemplary lives of goodness in Moab, but unless we return to the place of our birth there is nothing in our lives for the Lord at all.