LESSON 1: A TIME OF FAMINE Memory Verse: “He rescues them from death and keeps them alive in times of famine.”– Psalm 33:19 NLT. Bible Reading: Ruth 1:1–2 From some biblical passages, we see that famine is a curse God said he would bring unto a land that fails to obey his commandments (Lev. 26:18–20, Deut. 28:23–24), and those who keep his commandments will be spared from it (Psalm 33:19). Though the cause of the famine is not stated in the Bible, it seems to be a direct consequence of Israel’s sin. Since the book was written at the time Judges ruled Israel, the time Gideon ruled Israel in Judges Chapter 6 reveals that the famine was caused by the Midianites oppressing the Israelites, because whenever Israelites planted their crops, marauders from Midian and Amalek and people of the east would attack Israel. These Midianites continued destroying Israelite’s crops until the Israelites were reduced to starvation (Judges 6:6). In the story of Ruth, a severe famine heated the land of
PART 1: THE BOOK OF RUTH THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND T he Book of Ruth obtained its title from one prime character named “Ruth.” The book expresses the severe anguish and tragedy a family of Elimelech passed through as well as a turning point for Naomi’s joy and happiness. Though it reflects a time of relative peace (Judges 3:30) between the Moab and Israel, to Naomi, it was a time of tragedy. The author of The Book of Ruth is unknown, although scholars attribute the penman to Samuel. Its events occurred at the time Judges ruled Israel (Ruth 1:1). To understand the book very well, readers are advised to read the first chapters of The Book of Judges. The era when Judges ruled in Israel was the period when Israelites lapsed again and again. It was an era when the nation of Israel worshiped foreign gods. They had no king and everyone did whatever seemed right in their own eyes (Judges 17:6). Ruth came from an unbelieving nation of Moab, and displays a character contrasted among God’s peop