Ruth Challenge Chapter One

Ruth 1: Scripture Passage

Naomi’s Family in Moab

1 During the time of the judges, there was a famine in the land. A man left Bethlehem in Judah with his wife and two sons to stay in the territory of Moab for a while. 2 The man’s name was Elimelech, and his wife’s name was Naomi. The names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They entered the fields of Moab and settled there. 3 Naomi’s husband Elimelech died, and she was left with her two sons. 4 Her sons took Moabite women as their wives: one was named Orpah and the second was named Ruth. After they lived in Moab about ten years, 5 both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two children and without her husband.

Ruth’s Loyalty to Naomi

6 She and her daughters-in-law set out to return from the territory of Moab, because she had heard in Moab that the Lord had paid attention to his people’s need by providing them food. 7 She left the place where she had been living, accompanied by her two daughters-in-law, and traveled along the road leading back to the land of Judah.

8 Naomi said to them, “Each of you go back to your mother’s home. May the Lord show kindness to you as you have shown to the dead and to me. 9 May the Lord grant each of you rest in the house of a new husband.” She kissed them, and they wept loudly.

10 They said to her, “We insist on returning with you to your people.”

11 But Naomi replied, “Return home, my daughters. Why do you want to go with me? Am I able to have any more sons who could become your husbands? 12 Return home, my daughters. Go on, for I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me to have a husband tonight and to bear sons, 13 would you be willing to wait for them to grow up? Would you restrain yourselves from remarrying? No, my daughters, my life is much too bitter for you to share, because the Lord’s hand has turned against me.” 14 Again they wept loudly, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. 15 Naomi said, “Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods. Follow your sister-in-law.”

16 But Ruth replied:

Don’t plead with me to abandon you
or to return and not follow you.
For wherever you go, I will go,
and wherever you live, I will live;
your people will be my people,
and your God will be my God.
17 Where you die, I will die,
and there I will be buried.
May the Lord punish me,
and do so severely,
if anything but death separates you and me.

18 When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped talking to her.

19 The two of them traveled until they came to Bethlehem. When they entered Bethlehem, the whole town was excited about their arrival and the local women exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?”

20 “Don’t call me Naomi. Call me Mara,” she answered, “for the Almighty has made me very bitter. 21 I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has opposed me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?”

22 So Naomi came back from the territory of Moab with her daughter-in-law Ruth the Moabitess. They arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.

Devotional for Ruth Challenge Chapter One:

I have a hard time imagining the trials that Naomi had to walk through. She had a beautiful family – led by a husband that loved his family and wanted the best for them. There was a famine in Israel and he took his family to the land of Moab so he could provide for them.

Then, Naomi’s husband died. The head of the family is gone and her two sons stepped into leadership. They married local women and the whole family lived in Moab for ten years before tragedy struck again.

Naomi lost both of her sons. She is left alone with two foreign daughters-in-law and no husband and no sons.

Hope for Provision

About this time, Naomi hears news that God is providing food in Israel for his people. She decides to return home to a familiar place and people to find comfort and provision.

She starts off with her daughters-in-law Orpah and Ruth, but then she realizes that the best thing for them is for Orpah and Ruth to stay in Moab in the home of their parents and find new husbands to care for them.

Ruth’s Loyalty

Orpah is able to be convinced, but Ruth insists upon going with Naomi. She makes this incredible, often-quoted statement:

“Don’t plead with me to abandon you
or to return and not follow you.
For wherever you go, I will go,
and wherever you live, I will live;
your people will be my people,
and your God will be my God.
17 Where you die, I will die,
and there I will be buried.
May the Lord punish me,
and do so severely,
if anything but death separates you and me.”

This relationship between Naomi and Ruth is a beautiful one. Naomi sees Ruth’s determination to stay with her and the two women return to Naomi’s hometown of Bethlehem.

Blinded by Bitterness

Naomi is still distraught from her losses and asks her old friends to call her Mara, meaning bitterness. From her words, we can tell that she is resentful towards God because of the tragedy which has befallen her. She can hardly even see the blessing of Ruth’s loyalty and care for her because she is blinded by her grief and bitterness.

The dynamics in the relationship between these two women is fascinating to me. I can’t wait for you to read the rest of the four chapters and see how this unique relationship develops.

Action Step:

For right now, let’s think about what relationships we need to focus on developing or strengthening in our lives this year. Marriage, parent/child, friends, mentor/mentee, boss/employee, etc. Maybe all your relationships are pretty much good, but you could make them even greater this year by following Ruth’s example of loyalty and care.

Think of one way you can make one relationship better this week. Maybe it is as simple as saying something nice without expecting something in return.

Ruth Challenge Chapter One – Week 1:

Sunday/Monday: Read Chapter 1 and the devotional here.

Tuesday: Comment here or on the Devotion in Action Facebook Group or Instagram with one thought about the chapter. Follow @devoinaction.

Wednesday: Interact creatively (Bible art journaling, sketchnotes, doodles, etc.) with the chapter and share on social media with the hashtag #diaruthchallenge (dia is for Devotion in Action) Feel free to use the Ruth 1 free printable or do your own thing! If you haven’t gotten the Chapter freebies yet, click here for Chapter One or subscribe to the blog newsletter to receive a download with all four chapters at once!

Thursday: Reread Ruth chapter one and do one thing to strengthen one relationship in your life.

Friday: Read the Devotion in Action email newsletter (if you haven’t signed up yet, sign up HERE!)

Saturday: Catch up or rest day.

Prayer:

Dear God, thank You for fascinating stories of real people in Your word that show us truth that can help transform our lives. Reveal to us ways to strengthen our relationships this week. In Jesus’ name, amen.