Echoes of the Widows by Fortune Nwaiwu

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 th...

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...

PREFACE W idowhood is characterized by a painful experience and is an inevitable condition that cannot be avoided unless a woman dies before her husband. Most widows experience intense anguish and sorrow, but widows who cannot bear the burden of widowhood are free to remarry. This is a privilege Paul gives to widows so that they can produce children and have their own homes so that the enemy will not have anything to say against them. The advice is given so that young widows will not flirt around and that love of the pleasures of the world may not overpower their devotion to Christ. Often, widowed women are left with no children; this is the worst case for a widow, as she has no husband and no children to care for her in her old age. A woman that has not experienced the joy of motherhood before her husband dies deserves pity, because death has erased her husband’s name from their community. Other widows have been enshrined into motherhood, and they have children for whom they desire ...