1. The time setting was in the days of the Judges. Judges 21:25 gives us a clear understanding of the times. There was no king (authority structures) and every man did what they thought was right (no divine measure). These words sound like they've been lifted from today's headlines.

2. a. Bethlehem = House of Bread b. Judah = Praise.
In these two words we see the balance between the Word (bread) and Worship (praise). We need both to grow up. The Spirit (worship) and the Truth (word). Watch out. If you leave this, you can die (verses 3 and 5).
3. Sojourn = to turn aside from the road for a lodging or any other purpose, (#1481) to shrink, fear (as in a strange place), to gather hostility.
4. Went to Moab - called a wash pot (Psalm 60:8). Moab is a land of laziness. Jeremiah,

48:11 - at ease from youth. God warns those in Zion not to be at ease (Amos 6:1). Our Christian experience is to be one of change, growth, expansion, until we have come to full stature. We have been encamped too long in the same places and were too comfortable with the traditions of men. "... neither hath he been emptied from vessel to vessel..." Salvation is a progressive experience (2Corinthians 1:10). To live is to grow and to grow is to change. We are to change from glory to glory, from strength to strength, from faith to faith. No captivity - no commitment.

B. Verses 2 and 3: "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 theycame into the country of Moab, and continued there. And Elimelech Naomi's husbanddied, and she was left, and her two sons."

1. Elimelech - God is King, God of the King, strength, mighty, Almighty, great, bold, strong.
2. Naomi - pleasant, agreeableness, delight, splendor, grace.
3. Mahlon - sick, to be rubbed or worn, to be weak, sick, afflicted, to grieve, make sick, to stroke, sore, to break, to cast down, to destroy, to wound, pierce. He wasthe husband of Ruth.
4. Chilion - pining, destruction, consumption, failing, to end, to cease, be finished,perish.
5. Certainly Elimelech did not live up to his name. He left the place of bread (Word) and praise (worship), and brought his family (house) into a realm of death and destruction. He had wealthy relatives (Boaz). Perhaps he was too proud to ask (Jesus said you have not because you ask not). When you walk away from the land of your inheritance, you are inviting sickness and death. They came to Moab (world) and continued there. Moab practiced human (child) sacrifice. Parents willing to sacrifice your children in Moab? Stay in the will of God.
6. Elimelech died - the wage of sin is still death (spiritual, soul, physical).

C. Verses 4 and 5: "And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpati, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years. And Mahlonand Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband."

1. These two sons took for themselves wives, Orpah and Ruth, and dwelt there for ten years. Ten is a number that represents tribulation, trial, law responsibility. Ten years is a long time to be away from the Word and praise.
2. Both sons also died. It seems as if the sons of our church age are dying as well because we are mixing the ways of the world into the church (spiritual discotheques called charismatic meetings).
3. She was left of her husband and two sons emptied and insecure. Our churches today will be emptied if we continue to compromise with the principles of the world.

D. Verses 6 and 7: "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. 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 returnunto the land of Judah."

Note the principles of restoration: a. She arose - resurrection, a standing again. We must arise out of our place and go to His place (John 14:1-3). b. She heard - Romans 10:17 - Faith comes by hearing. c. She would now return - You can't return to a place you haven't been to before (Hosea 6:1) we are returning, repenting, and being re-generated; we came out from Him (Romans 11:36) and we are going back to Him (Psalm 90:3) Romans there is a word that is being heard in a far country, calling us back to the land of our birth (Hebrews 11:14). When you hear that word, then leave. (Joshua 3:3). The prodigal son had tired of eating the garbage of pigs? Even the servants in his Father's house were treated better. She heard there was bread - This is a visitation of God's Word. Jesus is the Bread of Life (John 6). The pressure of her circumstances and the news of the Lord's visit cause her to arise. At least she could still hear, even though she was in Moab. Naomi could still hear, and she went forth with her two daughters-in-law and got on the road to restoration (Judah, praise and worship).

E. Verses 8-13: "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 deal with the dead, and with me. 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. And they said unto her. Surely we will return with thee unto thy people. 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? 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 a husband also to-night, and should also bear sons: 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."

Verse 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."

1. The time setting was in the days of the Judges. Judges 21: 25 gives us a clear understanding of the times. There was no king (authority-structure) and every man did what they thought was right (no divine measure). These words sound like they've been lifted from today's headlines.

2a. Bethlehem = House of Bread b. Judah = Praise.

In these two words we see the balance between the Word (bread) and Worship (praise). We need both to grow up. The Spirit (worship) and the Truth (word). Watch out. If you leave this, you can die (verses 3 and 5).

3. Sojourn = to turn aside from the road for a lodging or any other purpose, (#1481) to shrink, fear (as in a strange place), to gather hostility.

4. Went to Moab - called a wash pot (Psalm 60:8). Moab is a land of laziness. Jeremiah,

(Psalm 48:11) at ease from youth. God warns those in Zion not to be at ease (Amos 6:1). Our Christian experience is to be one of change, growth, expansion, until we have come to full stature. We have been encamped too long in the same places and we are too comfortable with the traditions of men. "... neither hath he been emptied from vessel to vessel..." Salvation is a progressive experience

(2 Corinthians 1:10). To live is to grow and to grow is to change. We are to change from glory to glory, from strength to strength, from faith to faith. No captivity - no commitment.

Verses 2 and 3: "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. And Elimelech Naomi's husband died; and she was left, and her two sons."

1. Elimelech - God is King, God of the King, strength, mighty, Almighty, great, bold, strong. 2. Naomi - pleasant, agreeableness, delight, splendor, grace.
3. Mahlon - sick, to be rubbed or worn, to be weak, sick, afflicted, to grieve, make sick, to stroke, sore, to break, to cast down, to destroy, to wound, pierce. He was the husband of Ruth.
4. Chilion - pining, destruction, consumption, failing, to end, to cease, be finished, perish.
5. Certainly Elimelech did not live up to his name. He left the place of bread (Word) and praise (worship), and brought his family (house) into a realm of death and destruction. He had wealthy relatives (Boaz). Perhaps he was too proud to ask (Jesus said you have not because you ask not). When you walk away from the land of your inheritance, you are inviting sickness and death. They came to Moab (world) and continued there. Moab practiced human (child) sacrifice. Parents willing to sacrifice your children in Moab? Stay in the will of God. 6. Elimelech died - the wage of sin is still death (spiritual, soul, physical).

Verses 4 and 5: "And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpati, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelt there about ten years. And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband."

1. These two sons took for themselves wives, Orpah and Ruth, and dwelt there for ten years. Ten is a number that represents tribulation, trial, law responsibility. Ten years is a long time to be away from the Word and praise.

2. Both sons also died. It seems as if the sons of our church age are dying as well because we are mixing the ways of the world into the church (spiritual discotheques called charismatic meetings).

3. She was left of her husband and two sons emptied and insecure. Our churches today will be emptied if we continue to compromise with the principles of the world.

Verses 6 and 7: "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. 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." Note the principles of restoration: a. She arose - resurrection, a standing again. We must arise out of our place and go to His place (John 14:1-3). b. She heard Romans 10:17 - Faith comes by hearing. She would now return, You can't return to a place you haven't been to before (Hosea 6:1) we are returning, repenting, and being re-generated we came out from Him (Romans 11:36) and we are going back to Him (Psalm 90:3;) Romans there is a word that is being heard in a far country, calling us back to the land of our birth. (Hebrews 11:14) When you hear that word, then leave. (Joshua 3:3). The prodigal son had tired of eating the garbage of pigs; even the servants in his Father's house were treated better. She heard there was bread - This is a visitation of God's Word. Jesus is the Bread of Life (John 6). The pressure of her circumstances and the news of the Lord's visit cause her to arise. At least she could still hear, even though she was in Moab. Naomi could still hear, and she went forth with her two daughters-in-law and got on the road to restoration (Judah, praise and worship).

Verses 8-13: " 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 deal with the dead, and with me. 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. And they said unto her. Surely we will return with thee unto thy people. 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? Turn again, my daughters go your way, for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should have a husband also to-night, and should also bear sons: 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."

*For more information on this topic simply E-mail Peter Demetris at: pastorpeterd@comcast.net

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