Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1883-08-29
Sunday School Lesson Notes.
ny REV. J. o. sHERBURN.


ny REV. J. o. sHERBJRN.
Sept 9th Ruth and Naomi--Ruth HAZE.
The history of which this lesson forms
part is pathetic in the extreme. In the
midst of the sufferings which Israel
endured at tho hand of her enemies, there
came on the scourge Of famine. This was
one Of the punishments threatened against
Gods people if they went away from him
The people were driven by this scourge
to seek sustenance In the lands bordering
Judea. 1t is not intimated that there was
any general migration, such as has many
times Occur red in eastern countries, but
families sought change in hope of better
ing their circumstances. From Bethle-
hem man, Elimelech by name, removed
to the borders of Moab. This country was
south east of the Dead Sea, and not far
removed from Bethlehem. The family
consisted of the husband and wife and two
sons. In The midst of their sojourn among
strangers the husband and father dies, and
in process of time the two sons marry
Moabitish wives. In ten short years both
sons have died and the mother, Naomi, Is
left with her two daughters in law, Orpha
and Ruth. In her desolateness she turns
instinctively to her native land, and our
lesson opens at the point where she is
urging her daughters to return to their
own people, while she seeks her friends in
Bethlehem.
! There would be little hope that these
stranger widows could ever find comfort
able homes among the Jews.
They would not be sought in marriage,
us the Jews were exclusive in those mat
tcrs, (hey had first married Jews only
because the sons of Elimelech were
removed from their own people.) and
there was little opportunity for them to
obtain livelihood under the prevailing
customs of the times. Naomi presented
the case in that light to them, and when
she repeated her advice to them Orpha
yielded and taking an affectionate leave of
her mother.n law. returned to her own
people. But in spite of her sisters exam.
pie Ruth clave TO her mother; and in
the noble language of the golden text
expressed her fixed purpose to remain in
the panionship of her mothers people.
She hardly expected to find comfortable
home but said virtually, any lodging
with thee is better than to return TO my
people.
1t is, moreover, evident that there was
another consideration more weighty than
hu an affection, that helped to this firm
decision on the part of Ruth. She says
Thy God shall be my Cod She had
learned how much better was 1srael's God
than all the Gods of her people and she
wisely decided that any place with his peo-
Pile wasaltogether better than the best place
could ever have away from them. To
give force Of this protested fidelity 10 her
mother, she adds an oath. After declaring
that she will die and be buried with her
Ru.h says, The Lord do so to me, and
more also, if aught but death part thee
and me- Seeing that this determination
was fixed, Naomi ceased urging her to
return, and together they made their way
to Bethlehem. Upon their return, as
soon as the people heard the sad story
which this remnant of a family told, the
whole town was stirred, and people began
TO inquire if this was indeed Naomi whom
they had known but a few years before.
In the great grief of her soul she said,
Call me not Naomi pleasant or sweeD
but call me Mara (bitte) for the Almighty
hath dealt very bitterly with me p" 1t
might seem that this was the language of
murmuring or repining, but it need not
be so considered. 1t may be that she
simply attributes her sorrow TO divine
providence instead of chance. The lame
by which she calls the Deity is that which
he gave himself when he appeared to
Abraham. She had kept in mind this
suggestive title by which God. long before
had declared himself.
1t is blessed consolation 10 the devout
heart that his Affections are from the hand
ola loving Father and not from an enemy
And though we may see in such Affections
Gods testimony against us, in the sc nse
that we have consciously merited his rod,
we can yet rejoice that he atflcts only for
our good, that we may learn wisdom, and
be deferred from SHINING against him.
The case of Ruth is "a remarkable one as
showing the honor God confers upon those
who choose him and the society of his
people. Though coming from race only
distantly connected with his people, Ruth
became the grandmother of Jesse, the
father of David, and was thus brought
into the direct line of our Saviors ancestry,
and hence honored with the best place
among his chosen ones of that generation.
This fact is alAo suggestive as showing
that God had no purpose 10 exclude other
nations when he chose Israel for his own;
but at this very point brought stranger
into the line by which Christ came; and
it is more suggestive that he brought in
one who persisently refused to be turned
away from the God she had chosen. God
calls to the place of honor in his kingdom,
now AS then, those who give themselves,
with unalterable purpose, to him and the
fellowship of his people.
As an illustration of Thaddeus Stevens
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