V 20 – Almighty: “The Mountain One” suggesting unlimited power. This law kept the widow from poverty and provided a way for the family name of the dead husband to continue. Naomi’s comment here (“sons who could grow up to be your husbands”) refers to levirate marriage, the obligation of a dead man’s brother to care for the widow ( Deuteronomy 25:5-10). V 11 – sons who could become your husbands: The Old Testament Law stated that if a man died, his brother had to marry the widow to protect her and carry on the family name. V 8 – kindness: The Hebrew term “hesed” means loyal love based upon faithfulness and commitment. V 8 – LORD: personal name of God meaning “I am who I am” (Exodus 3:14) The God who is actively present with his people. V 2 – Ephrathrites: Ephrath was an earlier name for Bethlehem. V 2 – Naomi: means “pleasant, lovely, delightful”. V 2 – Moab: located east of the Jordan River and the Dead Sea. Read Ruth 1 Key Words and Historical Background Notes The book of Ruth shines like a beautiful diamond against this bleak background. Clearly, the exalted nation of Israel, God's chosen people, has lost its sense of direction. No enemy does all this: Israelites do it to each other. The last five chapters contain some of the ugliest stories in the Bible – tales of homosexual assault, idolatry, civil war, thievery, rape and murder. The book of Judges runs downhill, from bad to worse. As each family or group fought for its rights alone, the society became fractured.

The book of Judges repeatedly states that during this time “everyone did as he saw fit”. Like the period of decline within the ancient Roman Empire, the Israelite nation began to crumble from within. The period in which the events of recorded in the book of Ruth (the time in which the judges ruled) are among the worst in Israel’s history. Have you ever felt that God is against you because your world is crumbling around you? As you read the first chapter of the book of Ruth, try to put yourself in Naomi’s place. “Why would an all-powerful God allow so much pain and suffering in the world?” we may ask.

The existence of evil and suffering in the world can keep us from trusting God. A five year old dies from an unintentional gunshot wound, a mother develops cancer, a father of five loses his job, and the list goes on.

Anyone can see the pain and suffering that surround us. There’s nothing very profound about that statement.

Bible study on ruth